Openbox
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Contents |
Openbox
Openbox is a free window manager for the X Window System, licensed under the GNU General Public License.penbox was originally derived from Blackbox 0.65.0, but has been totally rewritten in the C programming language and since version 3.0 is not based upon any code from Blackbox.
Installation
Installing Openbox, the config manager and the menu generator:
Screenshot
With this tutorial, you can obtain a desktop like this :
Slim configuration
Slim is a lightweight login manager which is adequate with OpenBox. Run this command to install Slim :
Actually, Slim is not configure, you must configure it with :
Change this lines as :
numlock on login_cmd exec /bin/bash -login /usr/bin/openbox-session %session sessions openbox
OpenBox configuration
Run a program at startup
To run a program at startup, you must create this file :
~/.config/openbox/autostart.sh
This is an example :
#! /bin/bash pypanel & # A configurable taskbar numlockx on & # Add the numlock ivman & # Mount system parcellite & # A paper-weight
Don't forget the & to the end of each line, otherwise, the load going to stop.
Change the mod of this file to executable :
Enjoy !
Menu configuration
The default menu is empty, but you can modify him easily !
First, create a copy of the menu.xml which is in your personnal folder (~/.config/openbox/). Use this command :
To configure him, there are two ways :
Graphical method
This is a easy to use application. The menu is corrected after save.
Manual method
You can also edit the file ~/.config/openbox/menu.xml
Add a panel
The panel is a bar which contain the taskbar, the systray and the time.
We going to install Pypanel which is light and complete (You can use also tint2, BMPanel, Fbpanel or Gnome-panel).
If you want to configure it, go here :
If you want to test it, type pypanel in a terminal. To add pypanel at startup, add the line pypanl & in the startup applications file.
Manage Openbox theme
Run obconf and choose your theme, font size, focus, etc…
GTK theme
By default, Openbox don't use GTK for the GNOME apps.
To have the GTK theme in OpenBox, you have many way but one of them is easy to use.
Install lxappearance.
And run it with lxappearance.
Choose your theme, your icon pack and apply. Enjoy !
This application put the configuration in ~/.gtkrc-2.0.
Have a wallpaper
Install nitrogen.
Run it with the wallpaper folder :
After, choose the wallpaper that you want.
To have the wallpaper at startup, add the following line in the startup applications file: nitrogen –restore &.
deviantArt is a good website for wallpaper.
Icons
By default, OpenBox don't manage the desktop, also, we can't create easily a desktop icon.
You can create your desktop icons with Idesk or use a desktop manager.
With Idesk
Install idesk.
The file configuration is here : ~/.ideskrc
To add your icons :
In this folder you can create your desktop icons with the extension '.lnk'
Example :
Add this lines :
table Icon Caption: Firefox # The name which appear under the icon Command: firefox # The command to run Icon: /home/user/icones/firefox.png # Icon path Width: 64 # Width icon Height: 64 # Height icon X: 37 # X position Y: 17 # Y position end
The icon picture is obligatory, whitout this picture you can't see anything. You can found some icons on http://www.gnome-look.org.
You can write what you want for the icon position because you can move it with the mouse if you have change the Locked option to false in ~/.ideskrc.
When it done, restart OpenBox to see them.
With a desktop manager
If you want a fastest method, you can choose a desktop manager but this is more heavy.
Install and run PCManFM (he is complete, light and easy to use) :
pcmanfm &
Going in Éditions → Préférences → Desktop and tick Manage the desktop and show files icons and Show menus provided by WM when desktop is clicked. Without it you can't have the menu.
External links
- Official website : http://openbox.org/wiki/Main_Page
- Phollow's guide (french) : http://phollow.fr/2009/01/openbox-le-guide/