For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

ShadowKyogre · 2009-04-10 00:39:39

Okay...I've narrowed down my choices to two desktop environments:

Openbox: I'm willing to do the configuration...it's just managing the files that will be a pain. I've listed some apps that I would use if I choose to go to Openbox. a/b indicates a waivering desicion between the programs in the slashes.

Configuration: lxappearance/switch2, gnome-color-chooser, mmaker, obconf, obmenu
Browser: Swiftweasel/Firefox/Seamonkey
File Manager: Thunar, PCManFM
Login Manager: GDM + xlock (for locking screen)
Panel: tint2-svn/simdock/some other dock-like thing
Clipboard Manager: desktop-data-manager, parcellite:
Color picker: gpick
Additional Menus/Launchers: Launchy/suggestions
Music Player: Amarok/Exaile
Firewall: Guarddog/some other suggestion
Web Design: Quanta Plus/Seamonkey/Kompozer
Archive extract/make: xarchiver/suggestions
PDF Reader: xpdf
Audio control: gvtray/qamix
Printer Configuration: system-config-printer-gnome
Drop-down terminal: Guake/Tilda
Tabbed terminal: sakura/roxterm/whatever Guake's dependent on

Suggested list:

Configuration: lxappearance/switch2, gnome-color-chooser, mmaker, obconf, obmenu [OK]
Browser: Opera(opera-snapshot package from [archlinuxfr]), Midori
File Manager: Thunar, PCManFM  [OK]
Login Manager: GDM + xlock (for locking screen) [OK]/ SLiM + xscreensaver [OK]
Panel: pypanel
Clipboard Manager: desktop-data-manager, parcellite: [OK]
Color picker: gpick [OK]
Additional Menus/Launchers: gmrun
Music Player: Audacious
Firewall: Guarddog/some other suggestion [OK]
Web Design: Aptana Studio(heavyweight IDE), geany(very lightweight editor-IDE)
Archive extract/make: xarchiver/suggestions [OK]
PDF Reader: epdf-view/foxitreader
Audio control: gvtray/qamix [?]
Printer Configuration: system-config-printer
Drop-down terminal: yeahconsole+[urxvt or mrxvt]
Tabbed terminal: sakura/roxterm/whatever Guake's dependent on [OK]

E17: Also familiar, but file management will still be a pain...and it randomly crashes.

KDEMod3: Already familiar with.

I also have school right now...so considering the factors, which one should I use permanently?

Last edited by ShadowKyogre (2009-04-11 16:00:51)

zeratul289 · 2009-04-10 00:56:37

I guess it depends a little on what apps you use. But personally I find the beauty of Openbox is that once it's set up, and you have your workflow it won't get in your way and is rock solid. And really, there are only 3 config files to care about (~/.config/openbox/{autostart.sh,rc.xml,menu.xml}). The first two of which are pretty much one-shot, once they're done they're done.

But... if you're using KDE apps, most of which end up loading practically the entire DE anyway, in which case it's probably more time-efficient to stick with KDE.

Last edited by zeratul289 (2009-04-10 00:59:17)

ShadowKyogre · 2009-04-10 00:58:00

Ah, okay. I will use KDEMod3 then as I have before if I can't find some good alternatives for my KDE apps. I would want to try an Openbox configuration on a laptop that I'll get sometime

Last edited by ShadowKyogre (2009-04-10 00:58:40)

zeratul289 · 2009-04-10 01:00:10

Well.. your edit answered the first part before I'd even replied =P. My only real suggestion is: try Openbox for a while concurrently with KDE, if it's not to your liking then no harm done and just pacman -R openbox.

ShadowKyogre · 2009-04-10 01:08:50

Ah. Last time I tried open a Openbox-KDEMod3 session, it did not allow me to get there

zeratul289 · 2009-04-10 01:20:02

I've never really had much luck with openbox-kde/gnome-session. It might be worth trying openbox-session on it's own, there's a pretty decent Openbox-screenshots thread in the Art and Screenshots section with some good .configs that may be handy to quickly set up a decent working desktop.

tjwoosta · 2009-04-10 01:47:30

Openbox: I'm willing to do the configuration...it's just managing the files that will be a pain. I've listed some apps that I would use if I choose to go to Openbox. a/b indicates a waivering desicion between the programs in the slashes.

E17: Also familiar, but file management will still be a pain...and it randomly crashes.

whats the pain with managing files?

by the sounds of your first post youd already made up your mind about using KDE before even posting...

Last edited by tjwoosta (2009-04-10 01:48:35)

Ronin-Sage · 2009-04-10 02:10:34

You could always just disable the [alpha-ish] file manager module in e17 and use PCManFM or maybe Thunar(though it lacks tabbed browsing, much to my chagrin).

Also, if may edit your apps list with my preferences/recommendations(for an openbox setup):

Configuration: lxappearance/switch2, gnome-color-chooser, mmaker, obconf, obmenu [OK]
Browser: Opera(opera-snapshot package from [archlinuxfr]), Midori
File Manager: Thunar, PCManFM [OK]
Login Manager: GDM + xlock (for locking screen) [OK]
Panel: pypanel
Clipboard Manager: desktop-data-manager, parcellite: [OK]
Color picker: gpick [OK]
Additional Menus/Launchers: gmrun
Music Player: Audacious
Firewall: Guarddog/some other suggestion [OK]
Web Design: Aptana Studio(heavyweight IDE), geany(very lightweight editor-IDE)
Archive extract/make: xarchiver/suggestions [OK]
PDF Reader: epdf-view(yes, it's heavier than xpdf, but xpdf is unforgivably ugly )
Audio control: gvtray/qamix [?]
Printer Configuration: system-config-printer
Drop-down terminal: yeahconsole+[urxvt or mrxvt]
Tabbed terminal: sakura/roxterm/whatever Guake's dependent on [OK]

Last edited by Ronin-Sage (2009-04-10 02:26:12)

wrc1944 · 2009-04-10 02:27:49

You might like LXDE. http://www.lxde.org/ http://www.lxde.org/image_galleries/screenshots

http://wiki.lxde.org/en/Main_Page http://wiki.lxde.org/en/ArchLinux

I found it very nice to work in when I'm compiling a big kde-svn update on Gentoo.

Or, Xfce4.6 is really nice.

Last edited by wrc1944 (2009-04-10 02:34:29)

ShadowKyogre · 2009-04-10 02:59:00

@Ronin-Sage: Edited. Still can't figure out how to use gmrun XP

@wrc1994: *goes to look*

putte_xvi · 2009-04-10 04:54:32

You also might like Window Maker: http://www.windowmaker.info/
A short article which gives a good overview: http://maketecheasier.com/create-a-grea … 2009/02/14

It has a dock for launching/switching applications and housing dock applets, and you can fashion an auto-updating application menu with mmaker. Fairly light, very clean and usable. Everything can be configured in the GUI without editing configuration files (unless you want to).

In regard to browsers, I must say that Midori is very nice. It crashes at least once a day, but other than that...

XFire · 2009-04-10 06:42:00

I would recommend SLiM and XScreensaver over GDM and XLock if you are still going with openbox. Also, have you tried Songbird, its a good media player.

ShadowKyogre · 2009-04-10 15:46:00

@puttie_xvi: Ah, okay.
@Xfire: I have tried songbird, it seemed absurdly slow to me O___o *goes to look at xscreensaver and slim wiki articles*

Ronin-Sage · 2009-04-10 16:37:55

What issues are you having with gmrun? The default config file is /usr/share/gmrun/gmrunrc, afaik.

Also, I still stand by using Audacious as an audio player for your openbox setup(Mplayer for video, the GUI frontend, that is).

adamlau · 2009-04-10 16:56:56

Login Manager: None
Music Player: Mplayer 
Firewall: iptables
Web Design: Bluefish (middleweight IDE)
Archiver: Squeeze
PDF Reader: Foxit Reader
Tabbed Terminal: urxvt + URxvt.perl-ext-common: default,tabbed

ShadowKyogre · 2009-04-11 01:31:02

I will keep those into mind. I got the laptop now (Tis needs a battery) and am planning to put Arch Linux on it. It has 312 MB of RAM and a 20 GB hard drive. Thinking of Enlightenment or Openbox and the discussion is now considering what's going on my laptop.

Last edited by ShadowKyogre (2009-04-11 01:39:39)

thisllub · 2009-04-11 10:18:54

I have gmrun bound to Meta-Z with <keybind ="W-z">
As z is above the meta (Win) key it is the easiest shortcut.

For audio control I use mpd & relaxx. and I can control my music via wi-fi from my phone.

Web design changes daily.
Learn Vim to expert level then it depends on your platform.
NetBeans is pretty impressive. I have only just started using it.

I don't like Opera. Firefox / Vimperator is better even if flash still kills it occasionally.

ShadowKyogre · 2009-04-11 16:13:07

Okay, I'll keep those in mind. I'll probably replace Firefox with Swiftfox/weasel

Arch Linux

#1 2009-04-10 00:39:39

For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#2 2009-04-10 00:56:37

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#3 2009-04-10 00:58:00

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#4 2009-04-10 01:00:10

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#5 2009-04-10 01:08:50

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#6 2009-04-10 01:20:02

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#7 2009-04-10 01:47:30

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#8 2009-04-10 02:10:34

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#9 2009-04-10 02:27:49

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#10 2009-04-10 02:59:00

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#11 2009-04-10 04:54:32

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#12 2009-04-10 06:42:00

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#13 2009-04-10 15:46:00

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#14 2009-04-10 16:37:55

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#15 2009-04-10 16:56:56

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#16 2009-04-11 01:31:02

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#17 2009-04-11 10:18:54

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

#18 2009-04-11 16:13:07

Re: For the sake of lightness...I don't know which to permanently pick.

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