Newbie question about adjusting fluxbox 8 mint

[wassm.]

Hi,
i tested fluxbox and i like it. Still there are few thing that i would like to have. So:

1) Can i add to fluxbox panel bar/dock one menu tab (so that i can open fluxbox menu clicking on that icon in bar)?
2) is it possible to add program launchers in fluxbox panel bar/dock?
3) opening menu, is it possible to add app icons by the program names (saw it on some fluxbox screenshots)
4) can i arrange desktop with launchers and files/directories/places as in gnome/kde distros?

That´s for starters...

Thanks

[richyrich]

http://www.linuxmint.com/wiki/index.php/Fluxbox_Edition

http://fluxbox-wiki.org/index.php?title ... ish_howtos

[wassm.]

Thanks for suggestion-but for me as newbie-too many terminal codes,..

I think that i should take little bit more time to adjust these thing, if possible...

[Kendall]

You can add app icons in the menu by going to "System -> System Tools -> Toggle Menu Icons".

Fluxbox does not natively support desktop icons of any sort. If you want them you'll need to install something like idesk or fbdesk to gain that functionality.

If you're bent on having icon support, a start menu, and a full featured panel then you may want to wait for the XFCE release. Fluxbox makes extensive use of the right click menu, keyboard shortcuts, and configuration using text file editing. As a result it can take some getting used to. However if you take the time to learn it, it can be VERY rewarding. The Fluxbox wiki and the Fluxbox entries in the Mint wiki are two very good places to start. Also, don't be afraid of the command line.

[wassm.]

Thanks for answer. So, right click menu is not a problem-xfce has something similar and i used it. I noticed that gnome-do can work in fluxbox. Maybe there i can use it as quick launcher (as docky). Or?

[Kendall]

Thanks for answer. So, right click menu is not a problem-xfce has something similar and i used it. I noticed that gnome-do can work in fluxbox. Maybe there i can use it as quick launcher (as docky). Or?

Basically everything done graphically is done through the right click menu. Honestly on a Fluxbox setup, I would look at making keyboard shortcuts to launch apps instead of worrying with a launcher. I put in a tool for this at "System -> Preferences -> Keybindings" so that it would be a little easier than straight up editing the text files.

[wassm.]

Well, i do not have problems with keyboard shortcuts, but my wife will also use this computer, and she is definitely more interested in have some dock or menu.
But as said-installation of gnome do docky shouldn´t be a problem?
Thanks

[shane]

Well, i do not have problems with keyboard shortcuts, but my wife will also use this computer, and she is definitely more interested in have some dock or menu.
But as said-installation of gnome do docky shouldn´t be a problem?
Thanks

If you are looking simply for a dock that has launchers, a more Fluxbox-y solution would be wbar; fewer dependencies, very lightweight and configs stored in a simple text file.

http://packages.ubuntu.com/karmic/wbar
http://images.google.com/images?client= ... =en&tab=wi

[wassm.]

Well, i do not have problems with keyboard shortcuts, but my wife will also use this computer, and she is definitely more interested in have some dock or menu.
But as said-installation of gnome do docky shouldn´t be a problem?
Thanks

If you are looking simply for a dock that has launchers, a more Fluxbox-y solution would be wbar; fewer dependencies, very lightweight and configs stored in a simple text file.

http://packages.ubuntu.com/karmic/wbar
http://images.google.com/images?client= ... =en&tab=wi

Thanks, i tested few days ago crunchbang-i think it uses also openbox/fluxbox-and i found there one simple and efficient dock-adeskbar:
http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/topic ... r-openbox/

Still, i have some more questions:

1) how can i activate compositing (is there any integrated in mint fluxbox)?
2) can i put on fluxbox panel menu tab (that is usually on right mice click)
3) i tried to use idesk, but it was not so responsive-i made desktop directory, i even saw it on desktop, but couldn´t make any shortcuts to folders/files, and after restart i lost it.

I know i could go for xfce-but it seems that fluxbox is working faster than other window managers. And i like it a lot.
Just want to have some to me known functionalities that i had in gnome...

Regards and thanks

[Kendall]

1) how can i activate compositing (is there any integrated in mint fluxbox)?

Install xcompmgr. Then add "xcompmgr &" to your startup script, preferably fairly early on in it. Don't expect any crazy compiz-style effects or anything. Most people use xcompmgr for it's transparancy support.

2) can i put on fluxbox panel menu tab (that is usually on right mice click)

I've never seen this done before, but if you can figure it out you should make a note in the Fluxbox wiki.

3) i tried to use idesk, but it was not so responsive-i made desktop directory, i even saw it on desktop, but couldn´t make any shortcuts to folders/files, and after restart i lost it.

You have to add "idesk &" to your startup script for it to automatically startup when you log in.

I know i could go for xfce-but it seems that fluxbox is working faster than other window managers. And i like it a lot. Just want to have some to me known functionalities that i had in gnome...

Presuming all the same underpinnings, Fluxbox is lighter and faster than XFCE. What you do have to take into consideration is that Fluxbox is a "window manager" whereas XFCE, Gnome and KDE are all "desktop environments". The primary difference there being that a "desktop environment" will give you all the features and settings in a familiar layout where a "window manager" basically just stays out of your way as much as possible. I've tried to put together as complete a package as possible, but it stands that do to the nature of Fluxbox there are going to be some things you simply cannot accomplish.

[wassm.]

Hi,
thanks for answers. Well i do not need any candy effects-but when i tested crunchbang you can activate compositing my clicking on one tab in menu-and this is needed to make adeskbar (really nice app-dock) working/looking nice.

I do not know if i am clear with this question: 2) can i put on fluxbox panel menu tab (that is usually on right mice click)-i want to have under in panel (where stays one, two... one tab menu which would open menu by clicking on it. But this is no big issue for me.

I need one stable and fast system and i think that fluxbox is giving me that. Just i am not used to see empty desktop-i leave lots of stuff there...

I am using openoffice, adobe reader, vlc and chrome mostly, and it seems that in fluxbox all apps work very fast. And of course, external display is very important to me, because i am using netbook as main computer for my work (dissertation).

Thanks

[shane]

2) can i put on fluxbox panel menu tab (that is usually on right mice click)

I saw a hack a long time ago that made this possible. But I never tried it. Here found it: http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php? ... ost3130878 It involves compiling from source

[wassm.]

Hi,
thanks for answers. I installed mint fluxbox on my Dell Mini 10v and it is really responsive and fast. Still i have some other questions:

1) is there some battery applet to be show in panel? (someting like gnome-power-manager)
2) sometimes i have some messages by logout/reboot-even couldnt shut down once or twice the computer.

Thanks

[Kendall]

1) is there some battery applet to be show in panel? (someting like gnome-power-manager)

I elected not to install something like gnome-power-manager in order to keep things as light as possible. Of course, you are more than welcome to install it on your own system (you'll need to add it to your Fluxbox startup script). Instead I wrote a tiny script to show the remaining battery power, hit Alt+F3 too run this script.

2) sometimes i have some messages by logout/reboot-even couldnt shut down once or twice the computer.

I had to fight to get the splash screen to work at all when shutting down so expect a little bit of text. Did you update mint-fm2? If you update mint-fm2 the process that reads the shutdown triggers will be killed until the next time you start the computer, as described in the update thread stickied at the top of this forum. If you update it, then you'll either need to log out and shutdown using F6, or shutdown from the command line. Note that it's likely there will be another mint-fm2 update in another day or two and I think that'll should cover it for a while except for perhaps some translation updates in the coming months.

[wassm.]

1) is there some battery applet to be show in panel? (someting like gnome-power-manager)

I elected not to install something like gnome-power-manager in order to keep things as light as possible. Of course, you are more than welcome to install it on your own system (you'll need to add it to your Fluxbox startup script). Instead I wrote a tiny script to show the remaining battery power, hit Alt+F3 too run this script.

2) sometimes i have some messages by logout/reboot-even couldnt shut down once or twice the computer.

I had to fight to get the splash screen to work at all when shutting down so expect a little bit of text. Did you update mint-fm2? If you update mint-fm2 the process that reads the shutdown triggers will be killed until the next time you start the computer, as described in the update thread stickied at the top of this forum. If you update it, then you'll either need to log out and shutdown using F6, or shutdown from the command line. Note that it's likely there will be another mint-fm2 update in another day or two and I think that'll should cover it for a while except for perhaps some translation updates in the coming months.

Well, in figured it itself-talking about the battery-so i installed it and added in startup script-works fine. I am using for the first time karmic, and waking up computer is really fast-but i mean, really fast.

Other thing though-Chrome is not working properly-it flickers when i start it and it won´t open almost no page-linuxmint, gmail... Should i open new thread about that, or it is maybe chrome thing?

Thanks a lot for the help-and yes-external display-as i saw-works perfectly-no issues for now

[shane]

The Chrome flicker is because Chrome is not using Fluxbox's window decorations. If you disable Chrome's title bar so that you have Fluxbox's buttons for maximize, minimize and close, the flicker will stop. I know it kind of defeats a lot of things about the Chrome UI but that's Chrome's fault for thinking out of the box

[wassm.]

Thanks again.

But i will push it fort: can i reduce font size in shiki theme: the menu font is little bit too big for me? (i tried in settings/appearance-but no change there)

Sorry for so many questions, but i am using fluxbox for the first time-just get used on gnome...and changing again...

[Kendall]

You'll find the configuration for the shiki style at /usr/share/fluxbox/styles/shiki/theme.cfg and you'll see a section for settings the fonts. You'll need to change themes and change back, or reload the config for the changes to take place.

[wassm.]

Well, i changed there the font size-but i only get changed main menu size (right mice click). It works after reload config, but after reboot old settings are back.

Still, my problem is not the main menu font size, but font size in programs-i just noticed that after every reboot i have bigger fonts-see picture below. And in virtualbox i have no such problems-font seeems to be just the right size. The same theme.
[img][IMG]http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/9154/27888661.jpg[/img][/img]
http://yfrog.com/5g27888661j

[wassm.]

One more thing-i added to fluxbox menu chrome, but after restart it is gone. It seems that after restart i can´t get any changes saved.
And do i have to log in after every reboot? I checked by installation auto login, but it seems not to do that.