Arch Linux

john.meikle37

Member

From: Glasgow, Scotland

Registered: 2009-01-03

Posts: 5

Desktop panel

What are the best and most popular desktop panels? I came across PyPanel in a screenshot on DeviantART but unfortunately development for it was discontinued a couple of years ago. I don't know if this will cause any sort of problem but I would feel much better if the software I was using is being actively developed.

Anyway, I would preferably like one that includes a system tray, clock and obviously a task/window list. Tint2 looked really good but I would like everything to be incorporated into one single bar without any additional software. I don't want anything heavy such as gnome-panel, it has to be "stand-alone" and not rely on too many dependancies.

So what are your recommendations for me?

moljac024

Member

From: Serbia

Registered: 2008-01-29

Posts: 2,676

Re: Desktop panel

pypanel, fbpanel, lxpanel, perlpanel, xfce4-panel, tint2 - take your pick

Pypanel still works fine though, so you don't have to worry about that too much.

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The day Microsoft makes a product that doesn't suck, is the day they make a vacuum cleaner.
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But if they tell you that I've lost my mind, maybe it's not gone just a little hard to find...

pogeymanz

Member

Registered: 2008-03-11

Posts: 1,020

Re: Desktop panel

IMO, they are all pretty much the same, functionally, except for XFCE-panel. XFCE-panel has a good menu when you right-click a task: Maximize, Hide, Shade, Stick, Send to Desktop X. It is just as light as the other panels (give or take a little) and has very few dependencies (like everything from XFCE).

So, there's my vote.

Super Jamie

Member

From: Brisbane, AU

Registered: 2008-12-15

Posts: 79

Website

Re: Desktop panel

PyPanel is still very popular, it's very tweakable and still does what most people need. You also can launch, say, the openbox menu with a left-click on an icon using xdotool, and google search for urukrama's dzen2 calendar script.

Tint2 is also commonly seen, it's in AUR. It doesn't incorporate a notification area (system tray), so people often use trayer or stalonetray with it.

xfce4-panel, lxpanel and gnome-panel are all i ever see.

soupcan

Member

From: ?

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 268

Re: Desktop panel

I recommend tint2. Pretty and functional.

Last edited by soupcan (2009-01-06 02:23:26)

cdwillis

Member

From: /home/usa

Registered: 2008-11-20

Posts: 294

Re: Desktop panel

I know you'd like it all in one, but I personally like Tint2 with trayer as the system tray.

skottish

Forum Fellow

From: Here

Registered: 2006-06-16

Posts: 7,942

Re: Desktop panel

lxpanel has the best calendar.

droog

Member

Registered: 2004-11-18

Posts: 877

Re: Desktop panel

I've tried them all and decided no panel is best for me but pypanel and bmpanel (from archer nsf) are the only 2 i used for any length of time.

you can find bmpanel in aur or by searching in user contributions forum, its a great panel second only to pypanel imo.

moljac024

Member

From: Serbia

Registered: 2008-01-29

Posts: 2,676

Re: Desktop panel

I actually liked the visibility idea.
Too bad it's pretty much dead, and that there is no other app like it...

I know there is a python version called visibility-python but last I checked it was still early in development...
Maybe you could check that out too.

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The day Microsoft makes a product that doesn't suck, is the day they make a vacuum cleaner.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But if they tell you that I've lost my mind, maybe it's not gone just a little hard to find...