OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

JawsThemeSwimming428 · 2009-02-15 23:59:50

I am trying openbox for the first time. I have it installed and running. I am in OBMenu trying to add Mousepad under the editors section. I renamed Kate to Mousepad so it shows the correct name in my menu, the action is set to Execute, and I put /usr/bin/mousepad in the Execute section. When I click Save and close OBMenu, I try to launch mousepad from the menu and nothing happens. However, if I open xterm and type /usr/bin/mousepad it opens Mousepad. Not sure what I am doing wrong. Thanks for any help.

Xyne · 2009-02-16 00:08:06

Have you tried manually editing ~/.config/openbox/menu.xml?

*edit* to check if it's been updated with your changes

I just wanted to clarify that this wasn't a "GUIs are for f#%^%, do it manually" reply.

Last edited by Xyne (2009-02-16 00:09:58)

cdwillis · 2009-02-16 00:17:34

You said you renamed Kate to Mousepad. Did you capitalize Mousepad?

JawsThemeSwimming428 · 2009-02-16 00:33:41

Xyne wrote:

Have you tried manually editing ~/.config/openbox/menu.xml?
*edit* to check if it's been updated with your changes
I just wanted to clarify that this wasn't a "GUIs are for f#%^%, do it manually" reply.

Just checked the menu.xml and it changed the item label to Mousepad but didn't change the command. The <command> section still says kwrite. I thought I did kate but I must have done kwrite. When I edit the menu in OBMenu I am supposed to put the command in the Execute section right? That is what I did but it didn't change it. Why would it change the label but not the command?

Lilim · 2009-02-16 10:58:24

Delete the old entry for Mousepad/Kwrite, create new one with Label 'Mousepad', action 'Execute' and execute command 'mousepad'. Works for me.

As for OBmenu changing only label in menu.xml - it seems that it's not perfect (and what is? ). When I tried to create an entry for 'xcalc', after saving the changes and using it in the menu I got gcalctool executed instead. Editing the menu.xml manually did the trick.

Paper Lawyer · 2009-02-16 11:59:55

On a related note, is it possible to execute two commands when you click one choice in the menu? I am playing with Conky within LXDE and I wanted to create a "Restart Conky" option within the obmenu (which is one of the choices in the menu within Crunchbang Linux). I've inserted the Execute command and inserted two commands (on two different lines) of:

<command>killall conky</command>
<command>conky</command>

It kills conky but does not restart it. If I use the commands within lxterminal then it works fine. Clearly I'm getting the xml syntax wrong! Can anyone help?

Lilim · 2009-02-16 12:48:01

EDIT: Nope, my solution does not work

Last edited by Lilim (2009-02-16 12:56:27)

biagio · 2009-02-16 13:29:19

I put this in the <menu id="system-menu" label="System"> of ~/.config/openbox/menu.xml and I think that this is faster than using obmenu:

<item label="Openbox Menu">
  <action name="Execute">
    <command>mousepad ~/.config/openbox/menu.xml</command>
  </action>
</item>

Dethredic · 2009-02-16 15:33:26

Hey guys, I am having this problem as well. I opened obmenu and changed some stuff (a variety of things) and hit save but the changes didn't work. I did this numerous times, and I also manually edited "~/.config/openbox/menu.xml" with the changes. I saved the file, but no changes are taking place in my menu. I reopened "~/.config/openbox/menu.xml" and the changes are still there. I then opened obmenu and the manual changes are not there.

bgc1954 · 2009-02-16 15:39:39

Don't want to seem obvious but did you do a Reconfigure Openbox. The changes won't take effect until after you restart openbox.

Inxsible · 2009-02-16 15:52:55

bgc1954 wrote:

Don't want to seem obvious but did you do a Reconfigure Openbox. The changes won't take effect until after you restart openbox.

+ 1 I read through the thread and I was wondering why no one had suggested that the OP Reconfigure openbox.

Inxsible · 2009-02-16 15:56:22

Paper Lawyer wrote:

On a related note, is it possible to execute two commands when you click one choice in the menu? I am playing with Conky within LXDE and I wanted to create a "Restart Conky" option within the obmenu (which is one of the choices in the menu within Crunchbang Linux). I've inserted the Execute command and inserted two commands (on two different lines) of:
<command>killall conky</command>
<command>conky</command>
It kills conky but does not restart it. If I use the commands within lxterminal then it works fine. Clearly I'm getting the xml syntax wrong! Can anyone help?

biagio wrote:

I put this in the <menu id="system-menu" label="System"> of ~/.config/openbox/menu.xml and I think that this is faster than using obmenu:
<item label="Openbox Menu">
  <action name="Execute">
    <command>mousepad ~/.config/openbox/menu.xml</command>
  </action>
</item>

Have you guys heard of keybindings? Its the greatest of things. One key for killing conky (W-S-c) and another(W-c) for starting it up. You can also set up keybindings like W-o to edit menus W-r to edit the rc.xml etc etc.

Another option is that you can create an alias in your .bashrc like

alias rsCon='killall conky && conky'

alias obm='mousepad ~/.config/openbox/menu.xml

Last edited by Inxsible (2009-02-16 16:38:43)

Paper Lawyer · 2009-02-16 16:34:38

Inxsible, that's a helpful suggestion and it is something I'm going to explore (I only installed Arch on Friday ) as Crunchbang uses them extensively (and lists them in Conky for ease of reference).

Looking at your alias suggestion, can I use the following for my menu?

<command>killall conky && conky</command>

I'm unfamiliar with the usage of "&&"

Inxsible · 2009-02-16 16:37:04

Paper Lawyer wrote:

Inxsible, that's a helpful suggestion and it is something I'm going to explore (I only installed Arch on Friday ) as Crunchbang uses them extensively (and lists them in Conky for ease of reference).
Looking at your alias suggestion, can I use the following for my menu?
<command>killall conky && conky</command>
I'm unfamiliar with the usage of "&&"

I am not sure the <command></command> can parse the double ampersand, but you could try it out. I normally like to use the keyboard to get things done, rather than right click the menu and then select the option. -- especially for things that I do often.

&& basically is chaining the 2 commands -- ie it finishes the first one and then issues the next one...I think you can use multiple && and form a chain.

Last edited by Inxsible (2009-02-16 16:38:11)

soupcan · 2009-02-16 16:49:52

Sometimes Obmenu doesn't seem to save the changes to your menu.xml, especially if the command was manually written to the file.

biagio · 2009-02-16 16:53:04

Inxsible wrote:

Have you guys heard of keybindings? Its the greatest of things. One key for killing conky (W-S-c) and another(W-c) for starting it up. You can also set up keybindings like W-o to edit menus W-r to edit the rc.xml etc etc.
Even better you can create and alias in your .bashrc like

I use a lot the keybindings in rc.xml, for example

<keyboard>
...
  <keybind key="W-x">
    <action name="Execute">
      <command>gmrun</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>

  <keybind key="W-z">
    <action name="Execute">
      <command>xterm -e nano ~/.config/openbox/menu.xml</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>
...
</keyboard>

and alias in .bashrc, for example

alias e='eject'

Inxsible wrote:

I am not sure the <command></command> can parse the double ampersand, but you could try it out

can not, but you can write a script and call it from the menu or a keybinding

Last edited by biagio (2009-02-16 16:53:25)

SkonesMickLoud · 2009-02-16 17:15:24

Paper Lawyer wrote:

On a related note, is it possible to execute two commands when you click one choice in the menu? I am playing with Conky within LXDE and I wanted to create a "Restart Conky" option within the obmenu (which is one of the choices in the menu within Crunchbang Linux). I've inserted the Execute command and inserted two commands (on two different lines) of:
<command>killall conky</command>
<command>conky</command>
It kills conky but does not restart it. If I use the commands within lxterminal then it works fine. Clearly I'm getting the xml syntax wrong! Can anyone help?

One command will do what you want:

killall -SIGUSR1 conky

Paper Lawyer · 2009-02-16 23:18:09

SkonesMickLoud wrote:

Paper Lawyer wrote:
On a related note, is it possible to execute two commands when you click one choice in the menu? I am playing with Conky within LXDE and I wanted to create a "Restart Conky" option within the obmenu (which is one of the choices in the menu within Crunchbang Linux). I've inserted the Execute command and inserted two commands (on two different lines) of:
<command>killall conky</command>
<command>conky</command>
It kills conky but does not restart it. If I use the commands within lxterminal then it works fine. Clearly I'm getting the xml syntax wrong! Can anyone help?
One command will do what you want:
killall -SIGUSR1 conky

That comand worked a treat. Thank you!

Arch Linux

#1 2009-02-15 23:59:50

OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#2 2009-02-16 00:08:06

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#3 2009-02-16 00:17:34

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#4 2009-02-16 00:33:41

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#5 2009-02-16 10:58:24

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#6 2009-02-16 11:59:55

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#7 2009-02-16 12:48:01

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#8 2009-02-16 13:29:19

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#9 2009-02-16 15:33:26

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#10 2009-02-16 15:39:39

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#11 2009-02-16 15:52:55

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#12 2009-02-16 15:56:22

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#13 2009-02-16 16:34:38

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#14 2009-02-16 16:37:04

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#15 2009-02-16 16:49:52

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#16 2009-02-16 16:53:04

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#17 2009-02-16 17:15:24

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

#18 2009-02-16 23:18:09

Re: OBmenu doesn't save configuration changes

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