# Restart

`Restart` window_manager params

Causes fvwm to restart itself if window_manager is left blank, or to switch to an alternate window manager (or other fvwm version) if window_manager is specified. If the window manager is not in your default search path, then you should use the full path name for window_manager.

This command should not have a trailing ampersand. The command can have optional parameters with simple shell-like syntax. You can use `~` (is expanded to the user's home directory) and environmental variables `$VAR` or `${VAR}`. Here are several examples:

     F1 R N Restart
     F1 R N Restart fvwm -s
     F1 R N Restart ~/bin/fvwm -f $HOME/.fvwm/main
     F1 R N Restart fvwm1 -s -f .fvwmrc
     F1 R N Restart xterm -n '"X console"' \
      -T \"X\ console\" -e fvwm1 -s

If you need a native restart, we suggest only to use Restart command without parameters unless there is a reason not to. If you still use an old command 'Restart fvwm2' that was correct in 2.2.x, all current command line arguments are lost. On a restart without parameters or with --pass-args, they are preserved. Here are some cases when 'Restart fvwm2' or 'Restart fvwm' cause troubles:

    * running fvwm under a session manager
    * running fvwm with multi headed displays
    * having command line arguments, like
      -f themes-rc or -cmd
    * if the first fvwm2 in the $PATH is a
      different one

This is why we are issuing a warning on an old usage. If you really want to restart to fvwm with no additional arguments, you may get rid of this warning by using "Restart fvwm -s" or "Restart /full/path/fvwm".

Note, currently with multi headed displays, restart of fvwms on different screens works independently.

`Restart``--pass-args` window_manager

The same as Restart without parameters but the name for the current window manager is replaced with the specified window_manager and original arguments are preserved.

This command is useful if you use initial arguments like

    -cmd FvwmCpp

and want to switch to another fvwm version without losing the initial arguments.

`Restart``--dont-preserve-state` other-params

The same as

    Restart other-params

but it does not save any window states over the restart.

Without this option, Restart preserves most per-window state by writing it to a file named `.fs-restart-`$HOSTDISPLAY`` in the user's home directory.