i need lots of help with fluxbox


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Thread: i need lots of help with fluxbox

  1. #1
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    Talking i need lots of help with fluxbox

    so i saw some screenshots of fluxbox and said "i have to have that" well now i have it and its nowhere near as cool as it looks in the pictures.. i logged in and i had a plain gray background and when i right click on the desktop i have 3 options.. restart, xterm, and quit. where are all the other options that people have? why arent there any icons on the desktop. how do i run any programs? ive read through the documentation on the fluxbox website and havent really come up with many answers.. is anybody sorta willing to take me under their wing and help me out? thanks!

    brandon

  2. #2
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    http://gentoo-wiki.com/HOWTO_Fluxbox
    http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fluxbox
    http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/fluxbox-config.xml


    I just started playing with fluxbox too. These links helped my out alot

    (and je_fro)

    soule
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  3. #3
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    thanks for the links.. they look pretty helpful so far but i havent been able to try them.. i am running fedora core 3 though.. do you happen to know if there are any big differences in the commands or the syntax on diff distros?

  4. #4
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    you will need to install things like feh probably

    soule
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  5. #5
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    what is feh?

  6. #6
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    ya, whats fah? Folding et Home??

    Some things that will help learn Fluxbox and teach you how to make it look good are
    Fluxbox FAQ
    Fluxbox documentation

    I recommend reading those through at least once, or look for some Fluxbox themes (which can also give good examples of how things are done since there is no GUI for Fluxbox and it is all done by modifing config files)

  7. #7
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    The first thing I do when setting up fluxbox is change the menu it uses in ~/.fluxbox/init

    session.menuFile: ~/.fluxbox/user.menu

    Then I cp the regular menu file to user.menu and start building from there...here's mine:

    Code:
    [begin] (Fluxbox)
            [exec] (Aterm) {aterm -fg white -tr -trsb} </usr/share/pixmaps/gnome-color-xterm.xpm>
            [exec] (Firefox) {firefox} </usr/share/pixmaps/firefox-icon.xpm>
            [exec] (Nautilus) {nautilus --no-desktop} </usr/share/pixmaps/nautilus/nautilus-mini-logo.xp$
            [exec] (Beep) {beep-media-player}
    
    [submenu] (Office)
            [exec] (Lyx) {lyx}
            [exec] (Jabref) {jabref}
            [exec] (Bibus) {bibus}
            [exec] (Gnumeric) {gnumeric}
            [exec] (OO Writer) {oowriter2}
            [exec] (Open Office) {ooffice2}
            [exec] (OO Calc) {oocalc2}
            [exec] (OO Impress) {ooimpress2}
            [exec] (OO Draw) {oodraw2}
            [exec] (OO Math) {oomath2}
            [exec] (xpdf) {xpdf}
            [exec] (Calculator) {calculator}
            [exec] (KTouch) {ktouch}
            [exec] (xclock) {xclock}
    [end]
    [submenu] (Multimedia)
    [submenu] (Video)
            [exec] (MythTV) {mythfrontend}
            [exec] (gmplayer) {gmplayer}
            [exec] (DVDStyler) {dvdstyler}
            [exec] (avdemux) {avidemux2}
            [exec] (Ogle) {ogle}
            [exec] (Gnomemeeting) {gnomemeeting}
    [end]
    
    [submenu] (Graphics)
            [exec] (Gimp) {gimp-2.2}
            [exec] (Dia) {dia}
            [exec] (blender) {blender}
            [exec] (inkscape) {inkscape}
            [exec] (xv) {xv}
    [end]
    
    
    [submenu] (Audio)
            [exec] (Beep) {beep-media-player}
            [exec] (Grip) {grip}
            [exec] (AlsaMixer) {xterm -e alsamixer}
    [end]
    
    
    [submenu] (X-utils)
            [exec] (xscreensaver-demo) {xscreensaver-demo}
            [exec] (xfontsel) {xfontsel}
            [exec] (xfig) {xfig}
            [exec] (xman) {xman}
            [exec] (xload) {xload}
            [exec] (editres) {editres}
            [exec] (viewres) {viewres}
            [exec] (xclock) {xclock}
            [exec] (xmag) {xmag}
            [exec] (gkrellm2) {gkrellm2}
    [end]
    
    [end]
    [submenu] (Scientific Apps) </usr/share/pixmaps/gnome-amusements.xpm>
            [exec] (VMD) {vmd}
            [exec] (chemtool) {chemtool}
            [exec] (ClustalX) {clustalx}
            [exec] (easychem) {easychem}
            [exec] (AutoDock) {source /opt/autodock/initPython.bash && adt}
            [exec] (Chimera) {chimera}
            [exec] (ghemical) {ghemical}
            [exec] (gperiodic) {gperiodic}
            [exec] (Grace) {xmgrace}
            [exec] (Labplot) {labplot}
            [exec] (pymol) {pymol}
            [exec] (gOpenMol) {rungOpenMol}
            [exec] (Jchempaint) {java -jar ~/fakeroot/bin/jchempaint-2.0.12.jar}
            [exec] (Scilab) {scilab}
            [exec] (foldingAtHome Start) {sudo /etc/init.d/foldingathome start}
            [exec] (foldingAtHome Stop) {sudo /etc/init.d/foldingathome stop}
    [end]
    [submenu] (Terminals)
            [exec] (Xterm) {xterm}
            [exec] (Eterm) {Eterm}
            [exec] (aterm) {aterm -trsb}
    [end]
    [submenu] (Net)
    
    [submenu] (Browsers)
            [exec] (Firefox) {firefox}
            [exec] (dillo) {dillo}
            [exec] (lynx) {aterm -e lynx www.google.com}
            [exec] (Mozilla) {mozilla}
    [end]
    
            [exec] (gaim) {gaim}
    
    [submenu] (Mail)
            [exec] (Thunderbird) {thunderbird}
            [exec] (mutt) {aterm -geometry 130x55 -e mutt}
    [end]
    
    
    [submenu] (IRC)
            [exec] (Xchat) {xchat-2}
            [exec] (irssi) {aterm -e irssi}
    [end]
    
    
    [submenu] (P2P)
            [exec] (giFTcurs) {aterm -e giFTcurs}
            [exec] (aMule) {amule}
    [end]
    
            [exec] (gftp) {gftp}
            [exec] (xnmap) {sudo xnmap --display $DISPLAY}
            [exec] (minicom) {sudo xterm -geometry 120x30 -e minicom}
    [end]
    
    [submenu] (Utilities) </usr/share/pixmaps/control-center2.xpm>
            [exec] (VMWare) {vmware}
            [exec] (qemu) {xterm -e qemu}
            [exec] (K3B) {k3b}
            [exec] (Ethereal) {sudo ethereal --display $DISPLAY}
            [exec] (usbview) {usbview}
            [exec] (gpa) {gpa}
            [exec] (Calculator) {calculator}
    [end]
    [submenu] (Editors) </usr/share/pixmaps/gedit-icon.xpm>
            [exec] (bluefish) {bluefish}
            [exec] (gedit) {gedit}
            [exec] (Jedit) {jedit}
            [exec] (nano) {aterm -e nano}
    [end]
    
    
    [submenu] (File utils)
            [exec] (xfe) {xfe} </usr/share/pixmaps/xfe.xpm>
    [end]
    
    
    [submenu] (Games)
            [exec] (Doom3) {/opt/doom3/doom.x86} </usr/share/pixmaps/doom3.xpm>
            [exec] (Doom3 Expansion) {/usr/games/bin/doom3 +set fs_game d3xp}
            [exec] (Quake 4) {quake4}
            [exec] (AmericasArmy) {/opt/americas-army/armyops} </usr/share/pixmaps/ArmyOps.xpm>
            [exec] (UT-2004) {/opt/ut2004-demo/ut2004-demo} </usr/share/pixmaps/ut2004-demo.xpm>
            [exec] (TuxRacer) {tuxracer}
            [exec] (Scorched Earth) {scorched3d}
            [exec] (Enemy Terrirory) {et}
    [end]
    [submenu] (root's utils)
            [exec] (aterm) {sudo -u root aterm -trsb -sr}
            [exec] (bluefish) {sudo -u root bluefish}
            [exec] (nautilus) {sudo -u root nautilus --no-desktop --browser}
            [exec] (gEdit) {sudo -u root gedit}
            [exec] (Reboot) {sudo /sbin/reboot}
            [exec] (PowerOff) {sudo /sbin/poweroff}
    [end]
    
    [submenu] (fluxbox menu)
          [config] (Configure)
    [submenu] (Styles) {Select a Style}
          [include] (/usr/share/fluxbox/menu.d/styles/)
    [end]
    
    [submenu] (Backgrounds) {Set the Background}
          [exec] (Random Background) {fbsetbg -r /home/jeff/files/images/backgrounds}
    [submenu] (Backgrounds 1) {Set the Background}
          [exec] (00095_flower_1600x1200) {fbsetbg -a "/home/jeff/files/images/backgrounds/00095_flower_$
          [exec] (00139_pinchbee_1600x1200) {fbsetbg -a "/home/jeff/files/images/backgrounds/00139_pinch$
          [exec] (00151_lloydinpurple_1600x1200) {fbsetbg -a "/home/jeff/files/images/backgrounds/00151_$
          [exec] (00166_mtfuji_1600x1200) {fbsetbg -a "/home/jeff/files/images/backgrounds/00166_mtfuji_$
          [exec] (00168_talltalltrees_1600x1200) {fbsetbg -a "/home/jeff/files/images/backgrounds/00168_$
          [exec] (00174_waspdaffodil_1600x1200) {fbsetbg -a "/home/jeff/files/images/backgrounds/00174_w$
          [exec] (00180_chinesetallow_1600x1200) {fbsetbg -a "/home/jeff/files/images/backgrounds/00180_$
          [exec] (031111-7250) {fbsetbg -a "/home/jeff/files/images/backgrounds/031111-7250.jpg" }
    [end]
    
    [end]
    
          [workspaces]   (Workspace List)
    
    [submenu] (Tools)
          [exec]   (fluxconf) {fluxconf}
          [exec]   (fluxkeys) {fluxkeys}
          [exec]   (fluxmenu) {fluxmenu}
          [exec] (Window name) {xprop WM_CLASS|cut -d \" -f 2|xmessage -file - -center}
          [exec] (Screenshot) {import screenshot.png && qiv -W 50 screenshot.png}
          [exec] (Run) {fbrun }
          [exec] (Regen Menu) {fluxbox-generate_menu}
    [end]
    
    
    [submenu] (Window Managers)
          [restart] (openbox) {openbox}
          [restart] (gnome) {gnome-session}
    [end]
    
          [exec] (Lock screen) {xscreensaver-command -lock}
          [commanddialog] (Fluxbox Command)
          [reconfig] (Reload config)
          [restart] (Restart)
          [exec] (About) {fluxbox -v 2>/dev/null  | head -n1 | xmessage -file - -center}
          [separator]
          [exit] (Exit)
    [end]
    [end]
    Desktop icons? No such thing in fluxbox, but if you have to have them perhaps iDesk is what you're looking for.
    Last edited by je_fro; 01-17-2006 at 11:56 AM.
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  8. #8
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    feh is a wallpaper setter (among other things). You'll need it or something like it to set the background in Fluxbox to something other than boring solid colors.

  9. #9
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    Ah, I've always just used fbsetbg to do that (and it's recommened in the Fluxbox docs as it is one of thier tools )

    There are a few GUI tools for configuring Fluxbox but I never found them very good and found it easier to edit the files by hand (once you learn the syntax it's pretty easy)

    fluxconf - edit basic settings of fluxbox

    fluxmenu - edit the menu
    Last edited by Icarus; 01-18-2006 at 09:11 AM.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Icarus
    Ah, I've always just used fbsetbg to do that
    So do I, but it requires something like feh or esetroot to be installed to set the background properly. Evidently you've already taken care of that.

  11. #11
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    heh.. what am i getting myself into?!?! ill be trying this stuff soon..

  12. #12
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    feh is an image viewer, but you can use it to set backgrounds.

  13. #13
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    heh.. what am i getting myself into?!?! ill be trying this stuff soon..
    Playing around with fluxbox isn't nearly as difficult as it sounds. IMO, I think it is one of the easiest WM to customize. iDesk will set icons on the desktop for you, and I believe it will set the background as well. At the iDesk usage page it shows how to configure for the background. I chose not to use iDesk because of a conflict between programs. Decided icons were not that important. Eterm will set the backgrounds without too much hassle. You can open /usr/share/fluxbox/styles/styleyourusing in an editor and edit each style to totally customize your desktop. Easy and cool! Good Luck!

    ...use this code to set background when editting your "style"...

    Code:
    rootCommand:    fbsetbg -f /dir/where/image/is/stored.jpg
    Chad

  14. #14
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    Chad, thats some good stuff man.. thanks for the knowledge.. im pulling for the broncos to go all the way.. awesome

  15. #15
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    Not really knowledge...just my $.02

    Once you get it up and running post it here so we can check it out!

    BTW, I hesitate to talk much about the Bronco's post season for superstitious reasons...season could end like the Bear's season ended... in a big heap of steamy...well you get the picture!

    Chad
    Last edited by LNXchd; 01-19-2006 at 04:57 PM.

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