- This topic has 79 replies, 11 voices, and was last updated Nov 11-11:15 am by PPC.
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PPC
Tip: how to tint2 to add more features to antiX , making it even more similar, both in appearance and functionality to Windows 10, with practically no increase in resource expenditure (or even some free memory gain!)
This tutorial is not dedicated to merely trying to make antiX look like a copy of Windows 10. Linux is not Windows, but the familiarity and availability of features e can greatly increase the comfort of using antiX. It can run on few requirements, but it doesn’t have to look ugly or be difficult to use…
1.- Installation requirements:
1.1- The only essential element in the “transformation” of the antiX’ appearance is a taskbar program called “tint2”. It’s small and, when running, consumes only about 3 Mb of RAM. It replaces the default fluxbox toolbar, adding many features (at the cost of losing some features, unfortunatly…)
To install it, you can use Synaptic or use the terminal, with this command:
sudo apt install tint2
1.2- A great visual element, although not fundamental, is a small program called “skippy-xd”-it is a visual window switcher (or task switcher). If you ever used Windows 10, an android or Apple devices or a computer with MacOS, you should be used to seeing previews of running windows, to choose which window to use… That’s exactly what skippy-xd does, with a tiny size and it doesn’t take up memory when it’s not running!
To install it, you can use Synaptic or the terminal, with the command:
sudo apt install skippy-xd
1.3-Completely optional (because antiX already has ways to search for documents and applications), you can install another small program called “Drill”. Drill performs fast file searches (by name contents only) in the folders where users usually keep documents. Besides that, when you run Drill, it initially displays an (almost) alphabetical list of the applications available in the system, which you can click to launch! It’s more or less like the Windows 10 bar’s search field, but without the creepy inclusion of web searches… If I want to search the Internet, I’ll open a browser and search there!
Unfortunately, for now, Drill is not officially available for antiX, although it runs perfectly well on it. Therefore I recommend downloading the Drill appimage file
1.3.1- Download the Drill appimage, available at https://github.com/yatima1460/Drill/releases/download/v566/Drill-v566-x86_64.AppImage , directly to your Home folder
1.3.2- Open the Home folder, where the file is, with SpaceFm, click with the mouse button on the file > Properties > Permissions > Put a tick in each of the 3 “Execute” fields > Click on “OK”
Now, when you click on the Drill icon, it runs and perform searches by the name of the documents or programs.
1.4- Even more optional is a small script to list recent files, which I created and which was adapted by the “MX-Linux Fluxbox” (or MXFB to simplify) team. You can, if you want this functionality in the menu, download it:
1.4.1- Open the following page: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/jerry3904/mxfb-goodies/master/mxfb-recent-files
1.4.2- Right click on the page and save it with the name “recent_files.sh” in your “home” folder.
1.4.3- Make the file executable by adapting the steps indicated in 1.3.2. to the “recent_files.sh” file2- After installing tint2 (and the optional requirements, if you wish), we have to switch to the “Fluxbox” desktop (or “rox-fluxbox”, if you wish to see icons on your desktop). You can do it via Menu > Desktop > and switch between desktop environments. The change is instantaneous.
2.1- To properly configure the fluxbox, in order to be able to use all the features of tint2:
Menu > Control Centre > Edit Fluxbox Settings > click on the “init” tab
On the last line of the file add the following four lines and save the file:
` ### configuration changes to use Tint2 in fluxbox (delete these lines if you want to use fluxbox only as usual, and restart fluxbox)
session.screen0.allowRemoteActions: true
session.screen0.toolbar.tools: rootmenu, iconbar, clock
session.screen0.toolbar.visible: false`2.2.- In the text editor, click on the “startup” tab.
In the first line of the file add the following line and save the file (to allow tint2 to automatically start with your system):
tint2 &2.3- To finish editing the configuration files, one last step (to make sure that when you minimize all the windows, you do not minimize the tint2 bar either): Menu > terminal >
geany /.fluxbox/apps
And insert the following lines at the end of the text and save the file:
`[app] (name=tint2)
[Layer] {12}
[end]`Note: if a error occurs because the file does not exist, do this in the terminal and then try the previous step again:
cd ~/.fluxbox touch apps3- Restart your computer (it is the least complicated way for the settings to come into effect)
You now have to configure Tint2…
- This topic was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by PPC.
- This topic was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by PPC.
…
4. You now have the new taskbar available! But, by default, it doesn’t have any “start menu”, nor provides icons for skippy-xd or drill
You can configure Tint2 by clicking on the “Panel Manager” icon it displays, but there is a faster way, using my configuration file…
4.1- click on an empty desktop space with the right mouse button to see the menu and run the terminal and execute this command:
geany ~/.config/tint2/tint2rc
The window with the tint2 setup text file will appear.
Delete all the content of that file and then paste the following content (there are more than 300 lines):link to file: https://pastebin.com/hkX09Zzs
5- Change the Fluxbox Menu:
This step is completely optional. One of the beauties of the 3 working environments included in antiX is that they all have a menu with the same structure, which allows you to switch between the different desktops without major adaptation problems.
I poked around and generated a menu that seems to me a little more simple and intuitive (and yes, even a little similar to Windows 10)
Menu > Control Center > Edit Fluxbox Settings > click on “menu” tab
Make a backup of this menu file, saving it with the name, for example “menu.bak”.
Close the text editor window and repeat the previous step, to edit the menu…
Select all the content of the text and delete it by pasting the following content:#################################Start the "menu" file (about 50 lines)################# [begin] [exec] (Search for applications...) {app-select} [exec] (MOST USED:) [exec] (Recent Documents) {~/recent_files.sh} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/actions/document-open-recent.png> [exec] (Audio player) {desktop-defaults-run -a} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/64x64/apps/audio-player.png> [exec] (Calculator ) { galculator } </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/64x64/apps/galculator.png> [exec] (E-mail) {desktop-defaults-run -e } </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/64x64/apps/xfce-mail.png> [exec] (File manager) {desktop-defaults-run -fm} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/apps/file-manager.png> [exec] (Internet Browser) {desktop-defaults-run -b} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/apps/web-browser.png> [exec] (Image viewer) {desktop-defaults-run -i} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/64x64/apps/image-viewer.png> [exec] (LibreOffice Calc ) { libreoffice --calc } </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/64x64/apps/libreoffice6.0-calc.png> [exec] (LibreOffice Writer ) { libreoffice --writer } </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/64x64/apps/libreoffice6.0-writer.png> [exec] (Text editor) {desktop-defaults-run -te} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/apps/text-editor.png> [exec] (Terminal) {desktop-defaults-run -t} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/apps/terminal.png> [exec] (Video player) {desktop-defaults-run -v} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/64x64/apps/video-player.png> [separator] [submenu] (Applications) </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/actions/application-menu.png> [begin] (Applications) [exec] (Update Menu) {gksudo desktop-menu --write-out-global} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/apps/update-manager.png> [submenu] (Desktop) </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/places/user-desktop.png> [submenu] (Switch between Working Environments) </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/places/user-desktop.png> [begin] (Switch between work environments) [include] (/usr/share/desktop-session/wm-menus/fluxbox-wm-menu) [end] [exec] (RoxPanel on/off) {paneltoggle.sh} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/apps/gnome-panel.png> [exec] (Conky on/off) {conkytoggle.sh} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/apps/utilities-system-monitor.png> [end] [include] (~/.fluxbox/menu-applications) [end] [exec] (Run...) {gexec} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/actions/debug-run-cursor.png> [exec] (Kill a window) {xkill} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/actions/gtg-tags-none.png> [exec] (Control Centre) {antixcc.sh} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/actions/cm_options.png> [submenu] (Fluxbox settings) </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/actions/cm_options.png> [config] (Configuration) [submenu] (Styles) [stylesdir] (~/.fluxbox/styles) [stylesmenu] (Fluxbox Styles) {/usr/share/fluxbox/styles} [end] [workspaces] (Workspaces) [separator] [reconfig] (Reconfigure) [restart] [end] [separator] [exec] (Exit) {desktop-session-exit} </usr/share/icons/papirus-antix/48x48/actions/exit.png> [exec] ( ) [end] ################################# End of "menu" file #################6- Using antiX fluxbox + tint2:
6.1- To open an application you can:
– click an icon in the bar,
– if you have icons on your desktop, you can click on those too,
– use the menu: by left-clicking on the menu button in the bar (or right-click on the desktop). If you can’t find the desired application, you can click on “The first item of the menu” and search for it.
– click on the magnifying glass icon in the bar and scroll the application in the list, or type and search for it
– Or use the terminal and run your application directly
6.2- To add/remove an icon to the bar:
6.2.1- left-click the panel manager icon (or right-click the start menu). This opens the two Tint2 configuration windows. In the window that opens in second place, “Proprieties”, click on the “Launcher” tab. Choose the application you want to add from the list on the right and click the “left arrow” button to send it to the leftmost list, which displays the available icons in the bar. You can use this window to also remove any application from the left-hand list of icons by selecting it and clicking the “right arrow” button. You can move any application from the bar up or down (by selecting the application and using the up and down keys)…
When you finish your changes click the “Aplly” button and you can close the two windows.
6.3- To preview all open (not minimized) windows – left-click the skippy-xd button then click on the window where you want to go.
6.4- To minimize all windows and display the desktop, right-click the skippy-xd button.
6.5- To search for applications or files by name, quickly, use the magnifying glass icon.
6.6- To connect to a wireless network – Click on the “Internet” icon, next to the clock and then on the “Wireless” tab on the left. Check if the wireless is active, in the button to the direct and select the network to which you want to connect. “Passphrase” is the password of the wi-fi network you want to connect to.
Note: this “Internet” icon is fixed – it does not change to indicate whether or not it is connected to the Internet, nor does it indicate the position of the wi-fi signal.
6.7- To exit/suspend, etc- click the “Exit” button to the right of the clock (or in Menu > Exit) and select your option.
6.8- If you do not see the volume control icon next to the clock: Menu > Run > volumeicon
Note: to save memory you can turn off the volume control icon by right clicking on it and selecting “Exit”.
6.9- If you are not seeing the background image of the desktop or want to change it: Menu > Run > wallpaper.py
NOTE: if you are using only the “fluxbox” desktop and you are not seeing the desktop background image:
Menu > Control Center > Edit Fluxbox Settings > click the “startup” tab, insert the following line at the beginning and save the file. When restarting, you should already see the last chosen desktop background image
~/.fehbg &7- To select the default applications: File Manager, Email Client, Web Browser, Video Player, Audio Player. : Menu > Control Center > Preset applications to use > Click the field you want to change, select the .dekstop file of the application you want to use > Open > Ok
I suggest, for a more “familiar” use of antiX that you choose as file manager “spacefm.desktop” and as video viewer “io.github.celluloid_player.celluloid.desktop” [or to install and use VLC (install from the package installer)] . As audio player, I recommend that you install Deedbeef (also via package installer) and use it as standard audio player.
8- Several considerations:
Note: To save memory I do not run by default neither antiX automatic updater nor volumeicon.
If you choose only “fluxbox” (not “rox-fluxbox” or “space-fluxbox”) as your desktop, memory consumption will be a little lower, but you will have no desktop icons (or, probably, a desktop background image).
Differences in RAM usage (results may vary):
– antiX “rox-fluxbox” + tint2 (64 bit system, with nvidia driver installed): RAM usage, indicated by Conky, at startup: 170Mb
– antiX “fluxbox” + tint2 (64 bit system, with nvidia driver installed): use of RAM, indicated by Conky, at startup: 150MbWhy did I choose to customize “antiX fluxbox” and not in standard “antiX IceWm”? Simply because I do know how to put the fluxbox menu on the start button, but I don’t know how to do it with IceWM, besides, the idea was a bit “stolen” from “MX-Linux Fluxbox”, that uses Tint2 in it’s “traditional” bar mode…
Most styles (window, menu and original bar decoration themes) of the Fluxbox have a strange or archaic appearance. I prefer to use “Numix”, “zimek_darkblue” or “ModernBlueFlux”. You can choose the “style” you like best from Menu > Fluxbox Settings > Styles
IMPORTANT NOTE AND DISCLAMER:
I did not write this “how-to” on an english OS- I had to translate everything to English. Some menu entries, etc, may not match their original english versions. Take particular care with the “menu” file. ALWAYS BACKUP system files before performing any change!!!P.
- This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by PPC.
BobC
It sounds interesting, but is this just for Fluxbox?
I don’t see what features it adds when using IceWM?
It sounds interesting, but is this just for Fluxbox?
I don’t see what features it adds when using IceWM?
No, tint2 runs great on any desktop, including IceWM- but I found no easy way to make tint’s “start menu” icon show the menu (if I set icewm toolbar to off, and use xdo do simulate pressing the “windows” key, the menu simply pops up on the upper left corner of the screen, not near the mouse pointer)
The main feature the fluxbox toolbar lacks is allowing quick launch icons (icewm does allow that)- but tint2 allows real time preview of running windows when the mouse passes over the icon/title of the window on the taskbar, just like Windows10. Unlike icewm’s toolbar it also allows items to be placed to the right or to the left of the toolbar’s clock (like jwm)- so I added an “internet” icon to the left of the clock, to summon connman, and an “exit” button to the right of the clock (just like JWM) has…
The only “worthwhile” feature, in my opinion is really having a real start menu and quick launch icons on fluxbox, but all the above features mixed together make antiX, at least to my own personal use, a tiny bit better to use…
Also, I like the look and feel of my menu- but that you can test even without installing tint2- it’s at the same time more minimal, looks less overcrowded, showing different style of icons for system entries and applications- and shows all the default apps on the menu (does not show the personal menu, and help menu, that I don’t use, and I moved the update menu and desktop menu to the “applications” menu- just to save space (if you really thing about it, the update menu should really be there anyway, in my opinion- because it refers to the applications menu, not the first level of the menu).P.
olsztyn
Thank you PPC for this How-To.
I am intrigued by this idea I am trying to follow steps to implement and test under Fluxbox.
One question though, assuming this ends up working nicely under Fluxbox: There has been lots of additional enhancements done to IceWM by antiX team, such as mapping hardware sound volume keys to manage volume, screen brightness, etc., which I do not think has been done for Fluxbox, apparently due to priority given to IceWM – is there any function in Tint2 to accomplish things like this?Live antiX Boot Options (Previously posted by Xecure):
https://antixlinuxfan.miraheze.org/wiki/Table_of_antiX_Boot_ParametersI think the same keybindings apply to fluxbox… Use Control Centre > Edit… fluxbox > keys to take a look at the keybinfings… for audio, for example:
# volume settings, using common keycodes # if these don't work, use xev to find out your real keycodes 176 :Exec amixer sset Master,0 1+ 174 :Exec amixer sset Master,0 1- 160 :Exec amixer sset Master,0 toggleI only used fluxbox on this setup because I can’t figure out how to make the icewm menu appear near the start menu, when I click it… But I also love fluxbox- I just didn’t use it because it’s taskbar does not allow the placement of quick launch icons…
If you add tint2 to a icewm desktop, but configure it (using it’s gui) to leave the icewm menu in view, you can use the taskbar with icewm’s taksbar below (if you manage to place it “below” tint2’s taskbar)
But fluxbox’s menu is also, in my opinion, more easily configurable than icewm’s… And I do love my very personalized menu!P.
ile
Hello PPC, BobC, olsztyn
“is this just for Fluxbox? ” Oh Please I want to jump in with the highlight pen.
“tint2 runs on any desktop;” this is for fluxbox. Here is the highlighting qualification. systray. This introduction of tint2 wants to control systray. Notice step 2.1 takes the systray out of fluxbox toolbar, and incapacitates the fluxbox toolbar. to avoid conflict. ((personally i think i might like a fluxbox toolbar showing only minimized windows; i might trial that.))
Again when applied in IceWM, this case, trial
that is why the response included “set icewm toolbar to off, ” replacing.is that right? PPC?
this tint2 jumps in with systray.
wanting sole, One systray. One toolbar in place where you like your toolbar.olsztyn ” manage volume, screen brightness, etc., ” Make that list for us and we will find out how to control each one on your list. is it keyboard control you want? or any access? menu? panel? systray? slit? dock? app? icon? control centre? key+mouse? Maybe you can shape those missing.
olsztyn ” manage volume, screen brightness, etc., ” Make that list for us and we will find out how to control each one on your list
@ Ile:
Are you saying what has been done on antiX IceWM to make it work better than Fluxbox, namely hardware key mapping to control sound volume and brightness can also be done on Fluxbox? Or I misunderstood your statement?
Specifically: The enhancements done on antiX for IceWM were e.g. that I can use volume control keys on keyboards to control sound volume, not any artificial combination of other keyboard keys. Same for screen brightness. I do not think this enhancement has been done for Fluxbox (my conjecture was antiX leaders promote IceWM). So if my observation is correct, are you saying the same mapping can be done for Fluxbox?
This would be great accomplishment as I regard Fluxbox equally great WM and possibly with additional complement of Tint2 or something else it can be made an equal alternative to IceWM, regardless of IceWM being promoted as predominant WM for antiX…
Thanks and Regards…Live antiX Boot Options (Previously posted by Xecure):
https://antixlinuxfan.miraheze.org/wiki/Table_of_antiX_Boot_Parametersile
Hello PPC and olsztyn
antix19.3 has the volume keys and mx19 has volume and brightness keys, so maybe there is an available answer? maybe you can put <backlight-brightness> on a pager button or keys; it is in fluxbox menu.
or something to make you happy trials with tint2Maybe you can duplicate the keys entries I made for IceWM to add the standard keys
Here are the multimedia keys I added to IceWM in antiX 19. I don’t see anything there for brightness, but the audio controls do work on all of my keyboards that have those keys. I’m not sure how this would need to be coded for Fluxbox
###Added the more common multimedia keys
###Multimedia keys
key “XF86AudioLowerVolume” amixer sset Master 5%-
key “XF86AudioRaiseVolume” amixer sset Master 5%+
key “XF86AudioMute” amixer sset Master toggle
key “XF86AudioPlay” xmms –play-pause
key “XF86AudioStop” xmms –stop
key “XF86AudioPrev” xmms –rew
key “XF86AudioNext” xmms –fwd
key “XF86AudioRecord” simplescreenrecorder
key “XF86HomePage” desktop-defaults-run -b –new-window
key “XF86Search” desktop-defaults-run -b http://www.duckduckgo.com
key “XF86Eject” unplugdrive.sh
key “XF86Calculator” /bin/sh -c “galculator || gnome-calculator || xcalc || ( type bc >/dev/null 2>&1 && xterm -e bc -l)”
key “XF86Mail” desktop-defaults-run -eHere are the multimedia keys I added to IceWM in antiX 19. I don’t see anything there for brightness, but the audio controls do work on all of my keyboards that have those keys. I’m not sure how this would need to be coded for Fluxbox
Thanks BobC.
I know your enhancements/mappings work great for IceWM. I will try to see how to retrofit them to Fluxbox. I also realize there are many more other enhancements done for IceWM, such as maintenaance of quick launch objects on taskbar. I do not remember if they were also yours, but something to retrofit to Fluxbox as well. Unless this Tint2 does this…
Thanks again and Regards…Live antiX Boot Options (Previously posted by Xecure):
https://antixlinuxfan.miraheze.org/wiki/Table_of_antiX_Boot_ParametersI wonder if the IceWM devs could add a configurable pop up window view based on hovering over a taskbar icon. It would work the same as if you clicked that taskbar icon to activate that window, and when you move off it, it would work as though you clicked it again to deactivate it…
TaskBarHoverActivateWindow = 0
TaskBarHoverActivateWindowDelay = 250Anonymous
I wonder if the IceWM devs could
This is you (cheapy_bob_wild_guatelahara_nights), right?
https://github.com/bbidulock/icewm/issues?q=is%3Aissue+author%3Acheapy
How receptively has the dev (singular, AFAIK) (named Brian) handled your previous feature requests?They have really been pretty nice on bug fixes, but adding features is probably a lesser priority, unless it’s something they think would be really cool and not extremely messy or risky to add, IMO.
I was kinda trolling here for some folks like you to come along and help me find the flaws in my idea before I would ask. For example, if I’m hovering that icon and click, let it stay active and turn off hover mode until I hover over something else.
Once before, I was asking for Disk Space monitors, and it never happened, but I consider it my fault for not asking “well”, ie idea not completely thought out to where it would be something they would “Enjoy” writing the code to add, and “Proud” to see on the screens. I was selling the idea as something the old desperate machines needed, which was/is very true, but not the right sales pitch if you are hoping to get someone to put their heart and soul into it at 3 am.
I need to think more like myself when people ask me for things that I didn’t think of…
PS: There is another person there that has been quite helpful. I don’t pretend to be an expert with Linux type stuff. LOL, I’d probably STARVE if programming it was my trade. As time goes by I just try pick more things up and get better at this or that… I have always loved “beating the machine”, since the days of mechanical pinball machines and DECWriters, even.
- This reply was modified 2 years, 6 months ago by BobC.
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