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