MX-21 MX-Fluxbox

[Eadwine Rose]

I'll leave that to @Jerry3904, whether he wants to

[Jerry3904]

Ok. But I hope @Eadwine Rose doesn't "fish slap" us as these are off-topic: "Fluxbox" :)

What ever would make you think that?!

[LionelZaylan]

Sorry for that off-topic post .
I put that thinking it would be helpful to MX-21 ( I didn't pay heed to the "Fluxbox" bit as I thought XFCE and Fluxbox are on same ISO release and I thought that all preinstalled apps are part and parcel of it )
BTW: I don't understand what is meant by "fish-slap"

[PPC]

Hi all, I've come back just to say that MX-Fluxbox 21 is great!

I've been away from MX (due to some personal situations I had to pick and choose in what I invested my free time), but every now and then I take a peek at the forum.

The (very) positive side:
1- Yes, Jerry, finally an "All Apps" menu out of the box- it's better to just have it available to everyone - more advanced users that don't like it can just edit it away from the menu config file

2- Using Tint2 out of the box, with a very nice setup?- very, very nice investment on system resources and also good looks, in my opinion. Why? Easy- it solves Fluxbox's toolbar greatest "fail" - it does not allow (not the main current Fluxbox package) to have "quick launchers"- much less quick launcher icons (you can use a altered fluxbox package that allows for text quick launchers, and use text or glyphs made to look like icons, but I found no real away to have icons. Also- "menu" button- the default fluxbox toolbar allows a rootmenu button- but it's fixed, just a default arrow, that may be confusing for the average user...)

Tint2 toolbar has a real menu button, quick launchers that can be managed via a GUI, and it's very customizable.
Having quick launch icons means that you have no real need to have desktop icons or even a dock- saving resources on low RAM pc's- and still have your app's icons just one click away. The fact it can display script's output also means it can display system resources directly on the toolbar, without any need for a conky

3- Great job on the GUI to use several different tint2 toolbars! Am I too late to the party to offer my own tint2 config file, that id very similar to windows 10 toolbar (it displays only icons on the taskbar, highling the window with focus- and showing a preview of the window, and it's title when you over the mouse pointer above it)?

4- Yeah, the "psedo tiler"- via keyboard is very useful, if you like neat windows or have low res screens and need a fast away to see all the windows contents- I'm glad that idea stuck

5- Turning off everything I don't need (dock, desktop icons, conky, etc) makes Mx Fluxbox run on the 256MB of idle RAM in my virtual machine- very nice for a fully fledged OS

The less positive side:
- Only the first layer of the fluxbox menu is localized to pt-pt (I read the warning that the All Apps's entries where not localized, no biggie, but no other sub-menus where localized except the "leave" submenu.
I found no other way to localize the categories other than having they set by variable that have different contents depending on the default system language... If you know how, you can, when you package it, make it use a localization file (I do not know how to do that)
- Hum... you have several "toolbar" configuration option available out of the box, unfortunatly they all refer to the default fluxbox toolbar (size, position, auto-hide)- I have some small yad scripts that can be used to set all that basic stuff withou entering the extra powerful tint2 config menu)
I also have a small GUI to add or remove quick launch icons, choosing them from a list of all detected .desktop files. - as you may notice I love tint2, but I consider that the tint2 config GUI to be too heavy for "regular" users,
- No close window available on tint2 (I have right click configured for that- why? Because most of the time I click a window on the taskbar is to close it from it's contextual menu)
- also the default dock looks great- but uses way to much system resources- the dock was needed when MX fluxbox was using the default fluxbox toolbar.- The dev was great, even altered it so it worked better with MX, and MX's dev team created a GUI to allow to more easily edit the icons, it's position and auto-hide it, etc... But now MX has tint2 out of the box- it uses about 10% of the RAM that the default dock does to show the very same icons- and, like I said- some small yad scripts can be used to manage it tint2 like it's just a dock (managing it's icons and position, size and auto-hide status)- This is just my opinion, I respect the choices that the dev team makes- if an user disagrees it's just a matter of tweaking MX until it fits our needs.

Suggestions:
-Basically replace the default dock with a tint2 toolbar- also implies offering easy GUI to manage it in a friendly way- but it can be managed, via the massive Tint2's config GUI...
-If you keep the current GUI to manage the MX's toolbar- warn users that those settings are fluxbox's default toolbar settings, do not apply to the toolbar that's presented out of the box
-Veryyy out there suggestion- use a custom jgmenu as tint2's "menu"- it can be configured to show automatically localized categories and a search field- it can be configured to not stay resident on RAM, to show fixed buttons (like always available icons power, configuration, file manager or web browser icons, etc)- it can look very modern, and, at the same time be full featured and incredibly fast and low on resources...

Personal note- I've been, for many months using only fluxbox antiX- you may consider antiX ugly as sin, but my user interface is this: no desktop icons and no Conky (to save RAM), a tint2 toolbar with a start menu (that launches a jgmenu configured to show all apps I have, a search field and power, config, file manager and recent files icons), quick launch icons- file manager and browsers, etc; search apps/files icon; a skippy-xd icon; a manage toolbar icons icon; taskbar, CPU and RAM indicator, tray, clock an power icon (so, very similar to the current MX Fluxbox toolbar)
This means I hardly notice any change between my default OS and MXFB- MXFB ticks most of my "I love it" boxes!!!

P.

[Jerry3904]

Nice to see you again! Thanks for the good words about this Beta--which already contains some of your scripts.

Let me quickly speak to your "less positives"

The less positive side:
1. Only the first layer of the fluxbox menu is localized to pt-pt (I read the warning that the All Apps's entries where not localized, no biggie, but no other sub-menus where localized except the "leave" submenu.
I found no other way to localize the categories other than having they set by variable that have different contents depending on the default system language... If you know how, you can, when you package it, make it use a localization file (I do not know how to do that)
2. Hum... you have several "toolbar" configuration option available out of the box, unfortunatly they all refer to the default fluxbox toolbar (size, position, auto-hide)- I have some small yad scripts that can be used to set all that basic stuff withou entering the extra powerful tint2 config menu)
I also have a small GUI to add or remove quick launch icons, choosing them from a list of all detected .desktop files. - as you may notice I love tint2, but I consider that the tint2 config GUI to be too heavy for "regular" users,
3 No close window available on tint2 (I have right click configured for that- why? Because most of the time I click a window on the taskbar is to close it from it's contextual menu)
4. also the default dock looks great- but uses way to much system resources- the dock was needed when MX fluxbox was using the default fluxbox toolbar.- The dev was great, even altered it so it worked better with MX, and MX's dev team created a GUI to allow to more easily edit the icons, it's position and auto-hide it, etc... But now MX has tint2 out of the box- it uses about 10% of the RAM that the default dock does to show the very same icons- and, like I said- some small yad scripts can be used to manage it tint2 like it's just a dock (managing it's icons and position, size and auto-hide status)- This is just my opinion, I respect the choices that the dev team makes- if an user disagrees it's just a matter of tweaking MX until it fits our needs.

1. We're using Transifex now to do this, and the lower layers are currently being translated--please jump in if you have time and interest, since the pt's are lagging behind!
https://www.transifex.com/anticapitalis ... mxfb-docs/
2. Good point. I would be interested in seeing those, thanks. Time is pressing so please get them to me ASAP either through PM or jerryATmxlinuxDOTorg
3. There are keys to take care of that function (Alt-F4, Alt-D). Doesn't seem to me to be something that should be added by default to the panel.
4. I know some users will want to go that way, but it's just not going to be default. People report Beta 1 running at around 320 once it settles down, which will work for most average users IMO.

[PPC]

Hello again, Jerry!

I'm glad to help: my Tint2 management scripts are over at https://gitlab.com/antix-contribs/ft10- ... mation-lib

Most were not created by me from stratch, but adapated from very old brazilian scripts I found on-line (from before the time tint2 had a config GUI)

I hope that taking a look at them may help improve this great OS!

I may also suggest- as optionally only, for devices with lower RAM, to offer a tint2 config file that emulates the default dock...
something simple, like this (just a very basic example, made in a hurry):

Code: Select all

#---- Generated by tint2conf e352 ----
# See https://gitlab.com/o9000/tint2/wikis/Configure for 
# full documentation of the configuration options.
# Backgrounds
# Background 1: Button, Launcher
rounded = 5
border_width = 1
border_sides = TBLR
border_content_tint_weight = 0
background_content_tint_weight = 0
background_color = #111111 100
border_color = #333333 100
background_color_hover = #111111 100
border_color_hover = #333333 100
background_color_pressed = #111111 100
border_color_pressed = #333333 100

# Background 2: Default task, Iconified task, Launcher icon
rounded = 0
border_width = 3
border_sides = TBLR
border_content_tint_weight = 0
background_content_tint_weight = 0
background_color = #111111 100
border_color = #111111 100
background_color_hover = #111111 100
border_color_hover = #555555 100
background_color_pressed = #333333 100
border_color_pressed = #555555 100

# Background 3: Active task, Active taskbar, Panel
rounded = 5
border_width = 1
border_sides = TBLR
border_content_tint_weight = 0
background_content_tint_weight = 0
background_color = #222222 100
border_color = #777777 100
background_color_hover = #222222 100
border_color_hover = #777777 100
background_color_pressed = #333333 100
border_color_pressed = #777777 100

# Background 5: Tooltip
rounded = 2
border_width = 1
border_sides = TBLR
border_content_tint_weight = 0
background_content_tint_weight = 0
background_color = #ffffaa 100
border_color = #999999 100
background_color_hover = #ffffaa 100
border_color_hover = #999999 100
background_color_pressed = #ffffaa 100
border_color_pressed = #999999 100

#-------------------------------------
# Panel
panel_items = L
panel_size = 40% 32
panel_margin = 0 0
panel_padding = 7 1 2
panel_background_id = 3
wm_menu = 1
panel_dock = 0
panel_pivot_struts = 0
panel_position = center left vertical
panel_layer = normal
panel_monitor = all
panel_shrink = 0
autohide = 0
autohide_show_timeout = 0
autohide_hide_timeout = 0.5
autohide_height = 2
strut_policy = follow_size
panel_window_name = tint2
disable_transparency = 0
mouse_effects = 1
font_shadow = 0
mouse_hover_icon_asb = 100 -2 14
mouse_pressed_icon_asb = 100 0 -4
scale_relative_to_dpi = 0
scale_relative_to_screen_height = 0

#-------------------------------------
# Tooltip
tooltip_show_timeout = 0.5
tooltip_hide_timeout = 0.1
tooltip_padding = 2 2
tooltip_background_id = 5
tooltip_font_color = #222222 100
tooltip_font = sans 9

#-------------------------------------
# Launcher
launcher_padding = 0 0 2
launcher_background_id = 1
launcher_icon_background_id = 2
launcher_icon_size = 28
launcher_icon_asb = 100 0 0
launcher_icon_theme_override = 0
startup_notifications = 1
launcher_tooltip = 1
launcher_item_app = /usr/share/applications/xfce4-appfinder-mxfb.desktop
launcher_item_app = /usr/share/applications/thunar.desktop
launcher_item_app = /usr/share/applications/firefox.desktop
launcher_item_app = /usr/share/applications/galculator.desktop
launcher_item_app = /usr/share/applications/xfce4-terminal.desktop
launcher_item_app = /usr/share/applications/mx-welcome.desktop

P.

[Jerry3904]

Thanks. We're actually doing that now during our final review of the tint2 *collection* and will look at this as well.

[oops]

Hello again, Jerry!

I'm glad to help: my Tint2 management scripts are over at https://gitlab.com/antix-contribs/ft10- ... mation-lib
...

Hello,
Fi: I like your buttons #6 and #7 (button_tooltip = Volume and Weather)

[Jerry3904]

@PPC Not sure yet how I will use them, but I started by reducing ...outros to common uses: height, length, autohide. The two I left out (panel border and height when hidden) seem pretty specialized to me.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
# various configurarions of tint2

function _get_configs() {
	CURRENT_WIDTH=$(egrep "^panel_size =" ~/.config/tint2/tint2rc | cut -d'=' -f2 | cut -d'%' -f1)
	CURRENT_HEIGHT=$(egrep "^panel_size =" ~/.config/tint2/tint2rc | cut -d'=' -f2 | cut -d'%' -f2)
	AUTOHIDE=$(egrep "^autohide =" ~/.config/tint2/tint2rc | cut -d'=' -f2)
		[ $AUTOHIDE -eq 0 ] && AUTOHIDE='FALSE' || AUTOHIDE='TRUE'
}

_get_configs

while CONFIGS=$(yad --form --title='Configure Tint2' --width=400 \
	--field='Panel width':NUM $CURRENT_WIDTH!30..100 \
	--field='Panel height':NUM $CURRENT_HEIGHT!20..100 \
	--field='Auto-hide':CHK "$AUTOHIDE" \
	--button='X':1 --button='OK':0)
do
	NEW_WIDTH=$(echo $CONFIGS | cut -d'|' -f1 | cut -d'.' -f1)
	NEW_HEIGHT=$(echo $CONFIGS | cut -d'|' -f2 | cut -d'.' -f1)
	NEW_AUTOHIDE=$(echo $CONFIGS | cut -d'|' -f4)
	[ $NEW_AUTOHIDE == 'FALSE' ] && NEW_AUTOHIDE=0 || NEW_AUTOHIDE=1
	[ $AUTOHIDE == 'FALSE' ] && AUTOHIDE=0 || AUTOHIDE=1
	sed -i "/^panel_size =/s/$CURRENT_LENGTH%/ $NEW_LENGTH%/g" ~/.config/tint2/tint2rc
	sed -i "/^panel_size =/s/$CURRENT_WIDTH/ $NEW_WIDTH/g" ~/.config/tint2/tint2rc
	sed -i "/^autohide =/s/$AUTOHIDE/ $NEW_AUTOHIDE/g" ~/.config/tint2/tint2rc
	
	# restart the tint2
	killall -9 tint2
	tint2 &
	_get_configs
	
done

[Jerry3904]

I also simplified the dashboard to cover the two areas that interest me: configurations and position. But the scripts only look for one config, "tint2," and they really screwed up my desktop. There are many errors reported in the terminal that need to be looked at as well.

So there's hope, but they need some work if we are going to be able to use them.

Code: Select all

#!/bin/bash
# Configuration editor for tint2
#-------------------------------------------------
[ ! -f ~/.config/tint2/tint2rc ] && { 
	yad --title='aviso' \
	--text='The file ~/.config/tint2/tint2rc does not exist' --button='Ok' 
	exit 1
}

while yad --title='Configure Tint2 Toolbar' --form --width=300 \
--field='Toolbar Position':BTN "./panel-position" \
--field='Height/ Width / Auto-hide...':BTN "./panel-features" 
--button='X':1
do
	:
done