ede/evoke/doc/evoke.txt

Evoke documentation
===================

Evoke is EDE head service responsible for starting environment, running
requested applications and shutting down environment respectively.

It is usually started at EDE startup, placing in 'startede' script and
will allow only one instance of itself to be running.

Options
-------

-s, --startup::
	Run in starup mode. Startup mode should be used when environment is
	starting and it will read evoke.conf file looking for compontents to
	be started.

-n, --no-splash::
	Do not display splash during startup. Only usefull if in startup mode
	(given '-s' or '--startup').

-d, --dry-run::
	Only valid in startup or autostart mode. It will show what will be started,
	but will not start anything. Usefull for testing.

-a, --autostart::
	Run in autostart mode. It will check 'autostart' directory and run .desktop
	files from it. This will be done according to freedesktop.org autostart specification.

-u, --autostart-safe::
	Same as '-a' or '--autostart' option, but display dialog with items that should
	be run.

-c, --config [FILE]::
	Read [FILE] as config file. This file is only used in startup mode to read
	components to be started.

-p, --pid [FILE]::
	Store session pid to [FILE].

-l, --log [FILE]::
	Log events to [FILE]. [FILE] can be 'stdout' or 'stderr' (literally) where logging
	will be to standard output or standard error output.

-h, --help::
	This help.


Details
-------

Evoke can be started with or without options. If started without options, it will do nothing
until external application send request to start something or to quit (here 'quit' means
to quit evoke, not some running application).

As you can see from options, there are two 'modes' (if parameteres for them are given):

  * autstart mode
  * startup mode

*Autostart mode* is used to run applications from 'autostart' directory. This directory is
usually located at $HOME/.config/autostart or if not exists, in /etc/xdg/autostart. Of course,
both directories can exists and evoke will run applications from both, but with one exception:
if application with the same .desktop name exists in both (and is valid desktop file), it will
be run only from prefered directory, which is $HOME/.config/autostart.

If you want some application to be run at EDE startup (implying evoke is started with '-a' option),
just copy it's .desktop file to autostart directory. Before that, make sure that .desktop file
confirms to http://freedesktop.org specification for Desktop Files.

On other hand if you want to disable running some application from autostart directory, you can
simply delete that file, or set this:
---------------
Hidden = true
---------------
Make sure that 'Hidden' key is under '[Desktop Entry]' section.

Autostart mode can be run in two ways: safe and unsafe. Safe way ('-u' or '--autostart-safe') will
popup window with programs that are 'registered' for starting, from where you can choose either to 
start some of them, start all of them or to start nothing. On other hand, unsafe way ('-a' or '--autostart')
will simply run all 'registered' items without any questioning (should I say that this can be very insecure).

These options are intentionally provided so you can choose startup policy depending on your security
options.

*Startup mode* is meant to be used when EDE is starting, running each component (or program)
from evoke.conf (or file specified with '-c' option). This configuration file must be in the following form:
--------------
# [evoke] section must be present
[evoke]
  # Startup key is used to notify evoke what to start
  # and program keys must be separated with comma (if multiple ones are given)
  Startup = program1, program2, program3 

  # ImagesDirectory is directory with icons used for splash screen
  ImagesDirectory = /some/path/some_dir_name

  # Splash is image used for splash screen (it will be searched in ImagesDirectory)
  Splash = image.png

# now comes each value from Startup key as separate key
[program1]
  # Icon is icon used in splash screen progress (searched in ImagesDirectory)
  Icon = icon1.png

  # Exec is program executable to be run
  Exec = program1

  # Description is used to describe what is starting
  Description = my cool program

[program2]
  Icon = icon2.png
  Exec = program2
  Description = my cool second program

...
--------------