Settings error

[njjbjhbjhbhjbjhb]

So this has been happening recently:

collin@collin-RX16:~/vtm_linux_x86_64$ vtm
 tty: Pseudoterminal /dev/pts/1 and how do I fix it?
  os: Terminal type: xterm-256color
  os: Color mode: xterm truecolor
  os: Mouse mode: VT-style
 vtm: v2025.07.28
args: vtm
apps: Update settings source files from 
      /etc/vtm/settings.xml
      ~/.config/vtm/settings.xml
apps: Loading settings from "/etc/vtm/settings.xml"...
      Not found
apps: Loading settings from "/home/collin/.config/vtm/settings.xml"...
 xml: Unexpected closing tag name 'item', expected: 'taskbar' at "/home/collin/.config/vtm/settings.xml":8
 xml: Inconsistent xml data from "/home/collin/.config/vtm/settings.xml":
 1: <config>
 2:   <desktop>
 3:     <taskbar>
 4:       <item splitter label='Favorites'/>
 5:       <item label='Carbonyl' title=label type='term' cmd='carbonyl'/>
 6:             <item label='btop' title=label type='term' cmd='btop'/>
 7:             <item label='mc' title=label type='term' cmd='mc'/>
 8:         <config/terminal/menu/item*/>
 9:       </item> Unexpected closing tag name 'item', expected: 'taskbar'
10:     </taskbar>
11:   </desktop>
12: </config>
13: 


      Loaded 368 bytes
      Merging settings from "/home/collin/.config/vtm/settings.xml"
collin@collin-RX16:~/vtm_linux_x86_64$ 

What does this mean and how do I fix it?

[o-sdn-o]

What does this mean

The previous <item> element was previously closed in one line:

The configuration format is based on the XML 1.1 standard. You can see the details here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/XML#Key_terminology.

The list of differences from the XML 1.1 standard can be found here: https://github.com/directvt/vtm/blob/master/doc/settings.md#differences-from-classical-xml.

Working configuration:

<config>
  <desktop>
    <taskbar>
      <item splitter label='Favorites'/>
      <item label='Carbonyl' title=label type='term' cmd='carbonyl'>
        <config/terminal/menu/item*/>
      </item>
      <item label='btop' title=label type='term' cmd='btop'>
        <config/terminal/menu/item*/>
      </item>
      <item label='mc' title=label type='term' cmd='mc'>
        <config/terminal/menu/item*/>
      </item>
    </taskbar>
  </desktop>
</config>

or you can use templates:

<config>
  <desktop>
    <taskbar>
      <item splitter label='Favorites'/>
      <no_def_menu>
        <config/terminal/menu/item*/>
        <type='term'/>
      </no_def_menu>
      <item=no_def_menu label='Carbonyl' title=label cmd='carbonyl'/>
      <item=no_def_menu label='btop' title=label cmd='btop'/>
      <item=no_def_menu label='mc' title=label cmd='mc'/>
    </taskbar>
  </desktop>
</config>

or

<config>
  <desktop>
    <taskbar>
      <item splitter label='Favorites'/>
      <no_def_menu title=label type='term'>
        <config/terminal/menu/item*/>
      </no_def_menu>
      <item=no_def_menu label='Carbonyl' cmd='carbonyl'/>
      <item=no_def_menu label='btop' cmd='btop'/>
      <item=no_def_menu label='mc' cmd='mc'/>
    </taskbar>
  </desktop>
</config>

[njjbjhbjhbhjbjhb]

What is the difference between all the configurations you gave?

[o-sdn-o]

These configurations are essentially the same. All of these configurations produce the same result. They differ only in the way the parameters of the elements are declared.

[o-sdn-o]

The second and third configurations use templates. This is not in standard XML, so I gave them to you separately. Templates allow you to reduce the boilerplate code.

<no_def_menu> is a template that can be applied to all <item>s using assignment <item=no_def_menu ... to avoid repeating the same attributes.

      <no_def_menu title=label type='term'>
        <config/terminal/menu/item*/>
      </no_def_menu>

[njjbjhbjhbhjbjhb]

Hello! Something weird happened when I copy-pasted the 3rd config. All the options, like the "Exclusive", "<" and ">" window title bar buttons disappeared (incuding all the other buttons). But the Terminal Emulator window title bar options still exist. Is this intentional?

[o-sdn-o]

All the options, like the "Exclusive", "<" and ">" window title bar buttons disappeared (incuding all the other buttons).
Is this intentional?

Yes.

[o-sdn-o]

In the following configuration the Carbonyl and btop have window menu buttons, but mc doesn't:

<config>
  <desktop>
    <taskbar>
      <item splitter label='Favorites'/>
      <item label='Carbonyl' title=label type='term' cmd='carbonyl'/>
      <item label='btop' title=label type='term' cmd='btop'/>
      <item label='mc' title=label type='term' cmd='mc'>
        <config/terminal/menu/item*/> <!-- Remove all window menu buttons. -->
      </item>
    </taskbar>
  </desktop>
</config>

[o-sdn-o]

But the Terminal Emulator window title bar options still exist.

I don't understand what you mean.

Perhaps you meant the presence of the built-in terminal 'Terminal Emulator' window menu buttons, which is configured by its own menu item.

Don't confuse the following configuration subsections which have the same name <config>:

The first <config> is a global subsection:

<config> <!-- The first: Global `<config>`. -->
  ...
</config>

The second <config> is a subsection of <config/desktop/taskbar/item> element:

<config> <!-- The first: Global `<config>`. -->
  <desktop>            <!-- Vtm desktop configuration. --> 
    <taskbar>          <!-- Desktop taskbar configuration. --> 
      <item>           <!-- Taskbar menu item definition. If using the inline syntax it would be: <item label='mc' title=label type='term' cmd='mc'> -->
        <label='mc'/>  <!-- Taskbar item label. -->
        <title=label/> <!-- Application window title. It refers to the value of the '<label=' (because it is without quotes). -->
        <type='term'/> <!-- Application host type is 'term' (aka built-in terminal). -->
        <cmd='mc'/>    <!-- Command to run application inside the host. -->
        <config>       <!-- The seconds `<config>`. --> <!-- If using the compact syntax it would be: <config/terminal/menu/item*/> -->
          <terminal>   <!-- Terminal settings for 'mc'. -->
            <menu>     <!-- Window menu settings for 'mc'. -->
              <item*>  <!-- An asterisk at the end of the name 'item' means that all previously defined window menu items (buttons) will be removed for 'mc'. -->
              </item>
            </menu>
          </terminal>
        </config>
      </item>
    </taskbar>
  </desktop>
</config>

The second <config> is passed to the running application ('mc' in this case) and becomes the global config for it (and only for it).

[njjbjhbjhbhjbjhb]

When I said buttons, this is what I mean:

My original config (the one with the error) had those buttons when I clicked the things such as "mc".

[njjbjhbjhbhjbjhb]

(I switched to the broken config but only temporary)

This is what I mean by buttons. (The ones in the window title bar) Did you remove something?

[o-sdn-o]

If you want to leave all the buttons of the window menu, then here is the configuration:

<config>
  <desktop>
    <taskbar>
      <item splitter label='Favorites'/>
      <item label='Carbonyl' title=label type='term' cmd='carbonyl'/>
      <item label='btop' title=label type='term' cmd='btop'/>
      <item label='mc' title=label type='term' cmd='mc'/>
    </taskbar>
  </desktop>
</config>

[njjbjhbjhbhjbjhb]

Hello! It is fixed now, thank you.