website annotate en/doc/handbook/desktop.html @ rev 327

en: Update Hdbk (V2)
author Paul Issott <paul@slitaz.org>
date Wed Mar 25 12:51:05 2009 +0000 (2009-03-25)
parents aaae78c15e2a
children 181e51e86dd6
rev   line source
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paul@134 5 <title>SliTaz Handbook (en) - Desktop</title>
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paul@135 21 <a href="enlightenment.html">Enlightenment</a> |
paul@134 22 <a href="index.html">Table of contents</a>
paul@134 23 </div>
paul@134 24 <h1><font color="#3E1220">SliTaz Handbook (en)</font></h1>
paul@134 25 </div>
paul@134 26
paul@134 27 <!-- Content. -->
paul@134 28 <div id="content">
paul@134 29 <div class="content-right"></div>
paul@134 30
paul@134 31 <h2><font color="#DF8F06">SliTaz Desktop</font></h2>
paul@134 32
paul@134 33 <ul>
paul@327 34 <li><a href="#intro">Introduction.</a></li>
paul@327 35 <li><a href="#openbox">Openbox.</a></li>
paul@327 36 <li><a href="#config">Configure Openbox.</a></li>
paul@327 37 <li><a href="#themes">Themes.</a></li>
paul@327 38 <li><a href="#menu">Context Menu.</a></li>
paul@327 39 <li><a href="#autostart">Applications started automatically.</a></li>
paul@327 40 <li><a href="#bg-icons">Wallpaper and icons.</a></li>
paul@327 41 <li><a href="#lxpanel">LXPanel.</a></li>
paul@327 42 <li><a href="#effects">Visual effects.</a></li>
paul@134 43 </ul>
paul@134 44
paul@134 45 <a name="intro"></a>
paul@134 46 <h3>Introduction</h3>
paul@134 47 <p>
paul@327 48 The default SliTaz desktop is brought to you using different components
paul@327 49 of the LXDE project. Openbox, PCmanFM and LXPanel combine to provide a
paul@327 50 Desktop providing simplicity and functionality.
paul@134 51 </p>
paul@134 52
paul@327 53 <a name="openbox"></a>
paul@327 54 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Openbox</font></h3>
paul@134 55 <p>
paul@327 56 Openbox is a fast, simple, themeable window manager that doesn't
paul@327 57 consume all your system resources, it is the window manager
paul@327 58 by default on SliTaz. A window manager is an application that runs
paul@327 59 on top of the X server to control the appearance of windows, open
paul@327 60 a X terminal or display applications. It can then place, cut and
paul@327 61 resize windows at will.
paul@327 62 </p>
paul@327 63 <p>
paul@327 64 Openbox provides a context menu via a right click on the desktop,
paul@327 65 this menu can be changed by editing a configuration file. The key
paul@327 66 combinations <code>ALT + TAB</code> allow you to list and navigate
paul@327 67 through open windows. Obconf can be used to graphically configure
paul@327 68 the window manager and various small tools specific to SliTaz allow
paul@327 69 you to have a simple, stylish and coherent desktop. By default,
paul@327 70 SliTaz uses 4 virtual desktops.
paul@327 71 </p>
paul@327 72 <p>
paul@327 73 The Desktop provided by SliTaz complies with the Freedesktop standards, the
paul@327 74 file manager PCmanFM allows for management of desktop icons, drag and drop
paul@327 75 (drag and drop) and the mounting of devices with a click.
paul@327 76 The panel menu, taskbar, icons, etc are powered by LXpanel.
paul@134 77 </p>
paul@134 78
paul@327 79 <a name="config"></a>
paul@327 80 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Configuring Openbox</font></h3>
paul@134 81 <p>
paul@327 82 Most options can be configured graphically using the Obconf utility
paul@327 83 located in the "Preferences" menu. The configuration file can also
paul@327 84 be modified using your favorite text editor, this is located in your
paul@327 85 home directory <code>~/.config/openbox/rc.xml</code> and is a XML file.
paul@327 86 The keyboard shortcuts are defined in the &lt;keyboard&gt; section of the
paul@327 87 configuration file.
paul@327 88 </p>
paul@327 89
paul@327 90 <a name="themes"></a>
paul@327 91 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Themes</font></h3>
paul@327 92 <p>
paul@327 93 Openbox supports themes through a single file using syntax specific to the
paul@327 94 window manager. Several default themes are provided, they can be selected
paul@327 95 via Obconf and are found in <code>/usr/share/themes</code>. Each system user
paul@327 96 can install their own themes in the directory <code>~/.themes</code> either
paul@327 97 manually or via Obconf. If you want to create your own themes for SliTaz,
paul@327 98 then the easiest way is to copy and rename an existing theme and then
paul@327 99 edit the file <code>themerc</code>. Optional themes can also use images for
paul@327 100 buttons, icons, etc. These images can be created or modified via an image
paul@327 101 editor such as the Gimp or mtpaint.
paul@134 102 </p>
paul@134 103 <p>
paul@327 104 On the Internet you will find many more themes created by the Openbox community.
paul@327 105 More information can be found on the official Openbox
paul@327 106 <a href="http://icculus.org/openbox/index.php/Openbox:Themes">website</a>.
paul@134 107 </p>
paul@327 108
paul@327 109 <a name="menu"></a>
paul@327 110 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Context Menu</font></h3>
paul@327 111 <p>
paul@327 112 The menu is in the file <code>~/.config/openbox/menu.xml</code>, the syntax
paul@327 113 of the XML file is simple and easy to understand. It also possible to edit
paul@327 114 this file with <code>obmenu</code> (not installed by default). Add an
paul@327 115 example for an application in a sub menu:
paul@327 116 </p>
paul@327 117 <pre class="script">&lt;item label="File Manager"&gt;
paul@327 118 &lt;action name="Execute"&gt;&lt;command&gt;pcmanfm&lt;/command&gt;&lt;/action&gt;
paul@327 119 &lt;/item&gt;
paul@134 120 </pre>
paul@134 121 <p>
paul@327 122 The subumenus are defined at the end of the file using the <code>menu</code>
paul@327 123 tag. The tag menu can use a <em>pipe</em> to display the menu entries,
paul@327 124 ie. a script that creates entries on the fly. SliTaz offers by default
paul@327 125 a <em>pipe menu</em> that allows you to directly open your Favorites folder
paul@327 126 with the file manager PCmanFM. The script is in <code>/usr/lib/openbox</code>
paul@327 127 and can be used as an example.
paul@134 128 </p>
paul@134 129
paul@327 130 <a name="autostart"></a>
paul@327 131 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Applications started automatically</font></h3>
paul@134 132 <p>
paul@327 133 When starting in graphical mode, Openbox allows many applications to start
paul@327 134 automatically via the <code>~/.config/Openbox/autostart.sh</code> script.
paul@327 135 By default, using this script, SliTaz starts the file manager PCmanFM for the
paul@327 136 management of screen and desktop icons, the panel (LXpanel) for the menu,
paul@327 137 and dbus and Ivman for the management of devices or media such as USB keys.
paul@327 138 To add or remove applications launched at startup of the session, you can edit
paul@327 139 the script or use the small SliTaz GUI located in the menu "Preferences" &rarr;
paul@327 140 "Auto started applications":
paul@134 141 </p>
paul@134 142
paul@327 143 <img
paul@327 144 src="images/screenshots/desktopbox-autostart.png"
paul@327 145 alt="desktopbox autostart"
paul@327 146 style="width: 552px; height: 267px;" />
paul@327 147
paul@327 148 <a name="bg-icons"></a>
paul@327 149 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Wallpaper and icons using PCmanFM</font></h3>
paul@327 150 <p>
paul@327 151 Openbox doesn't manage the screen natively, you can use
paul@327 152 an external tool, this allow more freedom of choice. The default desktop
paul@327 153 on SliTaz uses the file manager PCmanFM to display pictures as wallpaper
paul@327 154 and have desktop icons. Alternatively, you can use the package
paul@327 155 <code>hsetroot</code> to display a picture or <code>xsetroot</code> for
paul@327 156 a solid color. PCmanFM is started with the Openbox session as a daemon;
paul@327 157 ie, it runs in the background and launches faster. To change the current
paul@327 158 background image, you can go through the file manager preferences or
paul@327 159 "Preferences" menu &rarr; "Wallpaper".
paul@327 160 </p>
paul@327 161 <p>
paul@327 162 The icons are displayed via a simple text file (<code>.desktop</code>),
paul@327 163 following the Freedesktop standards, you can create your own or customize
paul@327 164 using your favorite text editor. To add icons to the desktop, SliTaz provides
paul@327 165 a tiny graphical <em>box</em> accessible via the menu "Preferences" &rarr;
paul@327 166 Desktop icons or alternatively, you can use the Openbox context menu
paul@327 167 "Desktop files &amp; Icons" &rarr; "Add new icon":
paul@327 168 </p>
paul@327 169
paul@327 170 <img
paul@327 171 src="images/screenshots/desktopbox-add-icons.png"
paul@327 172 alt="desktopbox add-icons"
paul@327 173 style="width: 432px; height: 314px;" />
paul@134 174
paul@134 175 <a name="lxpanel"></a>
paul@134 176 <h3>LXPanel</h3>
paul@134 177 <p>
paul@327 178 LXPanel forms part of the LXDE project and handles the taskbar, menus,
paul@327 179 icons etc. Menus are dynamically generated by adding <code>.desktop</code>
paul@327 180 files to the <code>/usr/share/applications</code> directory.
paul@134 181 </p>
paul@134 182 <p>
paul@134 183 The system configuration file is located in <code>/etc/lxpanel</code>
paul@169 184 and can also be stored locally in <code>~/.config</code>, though it is
paul@134 185 recommended that you configure LXPanel graphically by using the
paul@327 186 "Panel Settings" entry on the taskbar.
paul@134 187 </p>
paul@134 188
paul@327 189 <h4>Panel Preferences</h4>
paul@134 190 <p>
paul@134 191 The LXPanel configurator has 3 tabs:-
paul@134 192 </p>
paul@134 193 <ul>
paul@134 194 <li><code>General</code> handles the position, size - either dynamic
paul@134 195 or fixed, panel background and properties.</li>
paul@327 196 <li><code>Panel Applets</code> lets you add, remove, edit and move
paul@327 197 plugins around on the panel.</li>
paul@327 198 <li><code>Advanced</code> allows you to set preferred applications
paul@134 199 like the file manager, terminal and logout command.</li>
paul@134 200 </ul>
paul@134 201 <p>
paul@134 202 The official website for the LXDE project and LXPanel can be found
paul@134 203 <a href="http://lxde.org/">here</a>.
paul@134 204 </p>
paul@134 205
paul@327 206 <a name="effects"></a>
paul@327 207 <h3><font color="#6c0023">Visual effects</font></h3>
paul@327 208 <p>
paul@327 209 SliTaz provides several tiny tools to give effects to the Openbox windows
paul@327 210 and menus. You can have transparent windows or use shadows to create
paul@327 211 depth on the Desktop. The effects are achieved via <code>xcompmgr</code>
paul@327 212 (<em>composite manager</em>) and <code>transset-df</code>
paul@327 213 (<em>transparency</em>) and can be both activated at the same time on the
paul@327 214 session using the Openbox context menu &rarr; "Desktop Effects".
paul@327 215 </p>
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