Openbox users group

[Anonymous]

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from [...] netinstall and core releases
You can quickly achieve a satisfactory result by starting with the antiX 17.1base version instead of the “intended for experts” core/netinstall versions.
While running the LiveUSB+persistence, you can install openbox, edit /etc/slim.conf (and /usr/share/slim/slim/template ), purge any unwanted applications
then save persistence and/or install to hard drive.

[Member burnt noodle]

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Anonymous wrote:

from [...] netinstall and core releases
You can quickly achieve a satisfactory result by starting with the antiX 17.1base version instead of the “intended for experts” core/netinstall versions.
While running the LiveUSB+persistence, you can install openbox, edit /etc/slim.conf (and /usr/share/slim/slim/template ), purge any unwanted applications
then save persistence and/or install to hard drive.

Well, I’ve actually just tried the base system…added Openbox (and a few applications), and it’s running great. Still a bit confused about the netinstall and core. I’ve done many Debian/Devuan .netinstalls in the past, and have had no issues. Still, I sincerely don’t mean that as a cut toward antiX…please believe that. I’m just a bit confused as to the difference. 🙂 My goal was to has a systemd-less system with only Openbox. However, I’m happy to use what I have now. Long live antiX!

[Member nonico]

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Hello! I’ve recently installed antiX 17.1 (testing) with Openbox on my 32 bit computer. I can’t begin to imagine what all has gone into this. This laptop is 12 years old, but it’s now booting up at 54 MBs of RAM! W…O…W…!!! I haven’t seen anything like this except for SliTaz (which booted up at 48 MBs of RAM). After much searching, I’ve finally found what I’m looking for, and it’s antiX with Openbox! Thank you! I’ll try to post a screenshot soon to show that it’s actually using the RAM that I claim…when I find the “screenshots” forum. Until then, I bow to anticapitalista, marvel at his work, and thank him for all that he’s doing to provide a debian-based system that’s free of systemd.

…now where’s that stinkin’ donate button? 🙂

[Member fungalnet]

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Tell us, how did you find out about anti-x and what took you so long?
😛

anti-X - Adélie - obarun - systemd Free Space

[Member nonico]

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fungalnet wrote:

Tell us, how did you find out about anti-x and what took you so long?

It’s a long story, but here goes…

Tell me, O muse, of that ingenious hero who travelled far and wide after he had sacked the famous town of Troy. Many cities did he visit, and many were the nations with whose manners…

Oops, that’s “The Odyssey” by Homer…wrong story. :p

My good friend fungalnet (you may know him) kept stirring my interest in antiX. So I finally decided to try it…twice. To make a long story short, I’ve been completely antiXified now. 🙂

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by anticapitalista.

[Member fungalnet]

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So a new iso from you?
I can’t wait

• This reply was modified 5 years, 1 month ago by anticapitalista. Reason: removed some content as requested by nonico

anti-X - Adélie - obarun - systemd Free Space

[Member stevesr0]

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I have a NON problem with Openbox. I installed it from the repositories and it works. I boot to a command line and then use startx to launch my GUI.

My reason for posting is that the “exec openbox” that supposedly is needed to make it work doesn’t exist in the xinit or .xinitrc files. All the documentation I have read about launching Openbox point to the need for an entry in xinit or .xinitrc.

I do have an openbox-session file that does have an exec line in it. However, I don’t understand what launches it. When I use htop without launching X, it is not listed.

So my question is how does startx use openbox-session to launch openbox? htop shows dbus as involved with openbox-session, but I am unclear how openbox-session is automagically recognized as a program that should be launched when startx is invoked.

I am aware that this reflects my great ignorance of how things get launched – that is fine if I can gain some enlightenment <g>.

In my “defense”, I have spent the past hour searching for an explanation. If there is some “tag” that identifies openbox-session as a file that should be launched by dbus when startx is invoked, then that would enable me to search in a more focussed fashion.

Thanks in advance.

stevesr0

[Moderator christophe]

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@ stevesr0
Unless/Until someone who uses openbox has something “exact” – look at this:

https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=114602

(When you type startx, .xinitrc is run automatically.) It’s saying to start openbox-session from .xinitrc, then that script starts the “startup” programs.

Here, there is a sample .xinitrc file:

https://wiki.debian.org/Xinitrc

My understanding is to change the exec line in the .xinitrc to exec openbox-session then letting the openbox-session script take you to the desktop.

Again: if someone who actually uses openbox replies, then follow that. Othrwise, give this a go. 😉

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by christophe. Reason: code box

confirmed antiX frugaler, since 2019

[Anonymous]

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So my question is how does startx use openbox-session to launch openbox?

man startx
^---> SEE ALSO section also steers you read to "man xinit" "man X"...

https://wiki.debian.org/Xinitrc
https://wiki.debian.org/xinit
https://wiki.debian.org/Xsession

.

http://forum.mxlinux.org/search.php?keywords=xinitrc
good stuff, informative, especially the topic titled
“Can’t login to MX linux, possible Xsessions issue after typing ‘startx’ into terminal [SOLVED]”

[Anonymous]

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After you have it “working”, from a terminal editor within the session you should probably check to ensure that ‘something’ has populated the various XDG_* environment variables.

env | grep XDG

[Member stevesr0]

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[UPDATE: I believe the mechanism involves the file /etc/X11/Xsession.d/50×11-common_determine-startup, which references a user’s .xsession file. Since I don’t have a .xsession file, I believe openbox-session is used as a .xsession file. I found this info at https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/594213/xsession-and-startx-in-debian. Still interested in any comments, as I like to understand when things work in spite of not being built right <g>. (Also, this info might be helpful to people whose xsession DOESN’T work.) stevesr0]

To all respondents, I APOLOGIZE…for not being clear.

Openbox works GREAT!! — BUT it SHOULDN’T!!

because

I don’t have the “exec” calls in xinit or xinitrc. Nothing, NADA!

So, I am “complaining” WHY it WORKS when it SHOULDN’T!!

I type startx from a command line and BOOM – in one second, my (black) Openbox GUI is launched. I right click and I have a box listing a terminal, a browser, a file manager, a text editor.

Super terrific!!

So, as one might ask about a flying carpet – How come it is working??

Appreciate any enlightenment; thanks in advance.

stevesr0

P.S. in response to skidoo – I just looked at man startx and man xinit – I don’t have entries where it says I should. I also just checked man X, but that didn’t have specific configuration data.

• This reply was modified 1 year, 10 months ago by stevesr0.

[Anonymous]

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I just looked at man startx and man xinit – I don’t have entries where it says I should.

Okay, now revisit the manpage(s) and take note of the FILES section of doc.
In the absence of per-user config files, it will fallback to loading default init files located under /etc
.
Also, installation of the openbox package(s) may place additional config files and/or XDG -related files.
https://packages.debian.org/bullseye/amd64/openbox/filelist
Yes, just checked ~~ “/etc/X11/openbox” and “/etc/xdg/openbox/autostart”

If you REALLY want x-ray vision into what’s calling what…

sudo apt install strace (if it is not already installed)
man strace

Instead of directly launching startx, you can use a commandline like this (untested)
strace -e trace=process,open,read -o /tmp/startx_tracem.txt startx

then, from within the openbox session, inspect the content of /tmp/startx_tracem.txt

^— If you do, thanks in advance if you will publish the logfile content to pastebin.com and link the URL in a followup post here.

[Member stevesr0]

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hi skidoo,

I will check that out and report back. May take a couple of days.

thanks.

stevesr0

[Member stevesr0]

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Hi skidoo (and anyone else reading this post),

I looked at the files you mentioned (autostart and environment in the /etc/X11/openbox and /etc/xdg/openbox directories) they only contain the default text.

I used the strace command you provided and posted the resulting file to pastebin (URL: https://pastebin.com/rgDRCdWT).

I looked at the file, but even after looking at the man page and reading some guides to strace, really don’t get much out of it.

Interpretations of this file greatly appreciated <g>.

Thanks.

stevesr0

[Moderator BobC]

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Steve, if you are not a heavy duty coder, why don’t you try running an antiX respin that runs OpenBox?

Maybe you can learn more by digging into that.

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