diff -rau -x '.git*' stumpwm/color.lisp a/color.lisp
+++ stumpwm/color.lisp	2011-07-16 17:37:13.311664657 -0700
--- a/color.lisp	2011-07-16 17:50:51.531173860 -0700
@@ -69,6 +69,18 @@
 (defun lookup-color (screen color)
   (xlib:lookup-color (xlib:screen-default-colormap (screen-number screen)) color))
 
+(defun make-color-hex (hex)
+  "Converts a hexadecimal representation of a color to a decimal from [0,1)."
+  (labels ((convert (x)
+               (/ (read-from-string (concat "#x" x)) 256.0)))
+    (assert (and (eql (elt hex 0) #\#) (= (length hex) 7)))
+    (let ((red (subseq hex 1 3))
+          (green (subseq hex 3 5))
+          (blue (subseq hex 5 7)))
+      (xlib:make-color :red (funcall convert red)
+                       :green (funcall convert green)
+                       :blue (funcall convert blue)))))
+
 ;; Normal colors are dimmed and bright colors are intensified in order
 ;; to more closely resemble the VGA pallet.
 (defun update-color-map (screen)
@@ -76,15 +88,19 @@
   (let ((scm (xlib:screen-default-colormap (screen-number screen))))
     (labels ((map-colors (amt)
                (loop for c in *colors*
-                     as color = (xlib:lookup-color scm c)
-                     do (adjust-color color amt)
-                     collect (xlib:alloc-color scm color))))
-      (setf (screen-color-map-normal screen) (apply #'vector (map-colors -0.25))
+                  as color = (handler-case (xlib:lookup-color scm c)
+                               (xlib:name-error (ne)
+                                 (make-color-hex c))) 
+                  do (adjust-color color amt)
+                  collect (xlib:alloc-color scm color))))
+      (setf (screen-color-map-normal screen) (apply #'vector (map-colors 0.0))
             (screen-color-map-bright screen) (apply #'vector (map-colors 0.25))))))
 
 (defun update-screen-color-context (screen)
   (let* ((cc (screen-message-cc screen))
-         (bright (lookup-color screen *text-color*)))
+         (bright (if (stringp *text-color*)
+                     (lookup-color screen *text-color*)
+                     *text-color*)))
     (setf
      (ccontext-default-fg cc) (screen-fg-color screen)
      (ccontext-default-bg cc) (screen-bg-color screen))
diff -rau -x '.git*' stumpwm/contrib/wifi.lisp a/contrib/wifi.lisp
+++ stumpwm/contrib/wifi.lisp	2011-07-16 17:37:13.314998003 -0700
--- a/contrib/wifi.lisp	2011-07-16 17:33:40.924260233 -0700
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
            #:*wireless-device*))
 (in-package :stumpwm.contrib.wifi)
 
-(defvar *iwconfig-path* "/sbin/iwconfig"
+(defvar *iwconfig-path* (run-shell-command "which iwconfig" t)
   "Location if iwconfig, defaults to /sbin/iwconfig.")
 
 (defvar *wireless-device* nil
diff -rau -x '.git*' stumpwm/mode-line.lisp a/mode-line.lisp
+++ stumpwm/mode-line.lisp	2011-07-16 17:37:13.324998038 -0700
--- a/mode-line.lisp	2011-07-16 17:33:40.924260233 -0700
@@ -358,8 +358,10 @@
 (defun update-mode-line-color-context (ml)
   (let* ((cc (mode-line-cc ml))
          (screen (mode-line-screen ml))
-         (bright (lookup-color screen *mode-line-foreground-color*)))
-    (adjust-color bright 0.25)
+         (bright (if (stringp *mode-line-foreground-color*)
+                     (lookup-color screen *mode-line-foreground-color*)
+                     *mode-line-foreground-color*)))
+    ;; (adjust-color bright 0.25)
     (setf (ccontext-default-bright cc) (alloc-color screen bright))))
 
 (defun make-head-mode-line (screen head format)