By default, FunOS is configured so that clicking the left, middle, or right mouse button on an empty area of the desktop opens the JWM desktop menu. While some users appreciate having multiple ways to access the menu, others prefer behavior that is more consistent with desktop environments such as Xfce, GNOME, KDE Plasma, Cinnamon, and MATE, where the desktop menu is typically opened only with the right mouse button.
Fortunately, JWM makes it easy to customize which mouse buttons can activate the desktop menu. In this tutorial, you will learn how to modify the JWM configuration so that only the right mouse button opens the desktop menu, while left-clicking and middle-clicking on the desktop no longer trigger the menu.
Understanding Desktop Menu Mouse Buttons in JWM
JWM uses the <RootMenu> element to determine which mouse buttons can open the desktop menu.
In FunOS, the default configuration can be found in the following file:
~/.config/jwm/menuWithin this file, you will find a line similar to the following:
<RootMenu onroot="123" height="20">The value assigned to the onroot attribute determines which mouse buttons activate the desktop menu:
1represents the left mouse button.2represents the middle mouse button.3represents the right mouse button.
Since the default value is 123, all three mouse buttons can be used to open the desktop menu when clicking on an empty area of the desktop.
If you want only the right mouse button to open the menu, you simply need to change this value from 123 to 3.
How to Configure the Desktop Menu for Right-Click Only
Step 1: Open a Terminal
First, open a Terminal window. You can do this using any of the following methods:
- Click Menu in the lower-left corner of the screen, then click Terminal.
- Click the Terminal icon in the Tray.
- Press Ctrl+Alt+T on your keyboard.
Step 2: Open the JWM Menu Configuration File
Next, open the JWM menu configuration file using Mousepad:
mousepad ~/.config/jwm/menuAfter running the command, the configuration file will open in the Mousepad text editor.
Step 3: Modify the RootMenu Setting
Locate the following line:
<RootMenu onroot="123" height="20">Replace it with:
<RootMenu onroot="3" height="20">This change tells JWM to respond only to the right mouse button when opening the desktop menu.
After making the modification, save the file.
Step 4: Save the File
In Mousepad, click File → Save, or press Ctrl+S on your keyboard.
Once the file has been saved, the new configuration is ready to be loaded.
Step 5: Restart JWM
To apply the change, restart JWM by running the following command:
jwm -restartThe screen may briefly refresh while JWM reloads its configuration.
Testing the New Behavior
After JWM restarts, test the new configuration by clicking on an empty area of the desktop.
You should observe the following behavior:
- Left-clicking on the desktop does not open the menu.
- Middle-clicking on the desktop does not open the menu.
- Right-clicking on the desktop opens the JWM desktop menu.
If the menu appears only when using the right mouse button, the configuration change was successful.
Restoring the Default Behavior
If you later decide that you prefer the original behavior, you can easily restore it.
Open the configuration file again:
mousepad ~/.config/jwm/menuChange:
<RootMenu onroot="3" height="20">back to:
<RootMenu onroot="123" height="20">Save the file and restart JWM:
jwm -restartOnce JWM reloads, the desktop menu will again be accessible using the left, middle, and right mouse buttons.
Conclusion
JWM provides a simple and flexible way to customize how the desktop menu is activated. By changing a single setting in the JWM menu configuration file, you can prevent left-click and middle-click actions from opening the desktop menu and reserve menu access exclusively for the right mouse button.
This small customization can make the desktop behave more like other popular Linux desktop environments while helping to prevent accidental menu activation during normal desktop use.