Minimalism

[fistfullofroses]

I myself am very much a minimalist, and I am hopefully going to be creating a very minimalistic distro, simply because I think there should be one. Not sure 'bout the base yet, as I am still gather my ideas. My thoughts for it are either Debian/Ubuntu, Gobo, or Slack.

Anyway, what all console programs do you use?
What window manager do you use?
What graphical programs do you use?

[LaRoza]

I myself am very much a minimalist, and I am hopefully going to be creating a very minimalistic distro, simply because I think there should be one. Not sure 'bout the base yet, as I am still gather my ideas. My thoughts for it are either Debian/Ubuntu, Gobo, or Slack.

Anyway, what all console programs do you use?
What window manager do you use?
What graphical programs do you use?

If you want mininimalist OS's, try these:

0. Slax - Frodo edition
1. Puppy onebone
2. Minix
3. http://www.newsforge.com/os/02/10/27/1259241.shtml?tid=23

[stmiller]

Steve Reich?

I think blackbox is a good simple WM.

[kerry_s]

right now i'm using jwm, but i tend to bounce around all the light WM's from time to time.

current setup is debian base install+jwm
mc=file manager editor
iceweasel=web browser, i have enough juice i don't need to go less than the best.
conky=to monitor the usual stuff
vlc=all around player
xpdf=seems like i come across alot of pdf's, so if i have to this is light & fast
xzgv or gqview=got to view pics

[fwojciec]

More food for thought:

http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/3714/screenaugust07aa5.th.png (http://img339.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screenaugust07aa5.png)

Distro: Arch Linux (easy to keep it uber-minimal if you want to)
WM: Openbox
Conky (top right corner), Pypanel (top left), and Tint (bottom left)
Filemanager: mostly MC, but also Thunar if I need graphics
Terminal: rxvt-unicode (+ screen, usually)
Firefox, OpenOffice

[fistfullofroses]

I like your setup quite a bit. I used jwm for a while myself. Right now I am using GoboLinux with evilwm.

[pelle.k]

Arch linux = good minimalist alternative.

[K.Mandla]

+1 for Arch.

I use rtorrent, rxvt-unicode, elinks, htop, mc, cplay and alsamixer for console applications. For movies I run mplayer against the framebuffer. If I could find a good console CD burner and a good console id3 tag editor, I'd never use X at all.

Openbox is my window manager when I do use X. The newest version (3.4.4) is lightning fast and looks great. lxpanel is good for a panel; some people need it, I use it now and again.

[jseiser]

ubuntu server install, locale purge deborphan etc.
keep everything nice and trimmed.
Evilwm +xbindkeys/gmrun = full space desktop, fast, no menu needed.


"gmrun"
Alt +F2

"urxvt -e mc"
Alt +F3

"gksu synaptic"
Alt +F4

"links2 -g -mode 1280x1024x32K"
Alt +F5

"firefox"
Alt +F6

"urxvt -e cplay"
Alt +F7

"urxvt -e rtorrent"
Alt +F8

that is my whole desktop. I use nano most times so i just ctrl/alt/enter and type nano /what/file/here and im ready to type. I have leafpad installed but i do not use it enough to bind it to a key, so i just alt/F2 and type leafpad and if i need a fill word processor i have one. If i could figure out screen, i would just use screen and tell x to get lost. :)

for those interested here is my xinitrc.

numlockx &

# Merge X resources from ~/.Xdefaults
[ -f $HOME/.Xdefaults ] && xrdb $HOME/.Xdefaults

feh --bg-scale /home/justin/wall.png
xsetroot -cursor_name left_ptr
conky &
xbindkeys &
evilwm -term urxvt -snap 10 -fg black -bg black

the good thing about doing it this way, is when i want to change backgrounds i just save the image as wall.png and restart x, no editing of xinitrc to update the background.

[kerry_s]

hmm, sounds interesting, is it ugly or just good enough. can you post a pic? how is it on decorations?
it's pretty small synaptics says its 94.2kb, jwm is 213kb, but has the standard stuff.

here's mine still work in progress, i'm trying to keep it simple.

[pelle.k]

the good thing about doing it this way, is when i want to change backgrounds i just save the image as wall.png and restart x, no editing of xinitrc to update the background.

Sorry for the OT guys, but;
There's no need to edit .xinitrc if you use
eval $(cat ~/.fehbg)

[init1]

I myself am very much a minimalist, and I am hopefully going to be creating a very minimalistic distro, simply because I think there should be one. Not sure 'bout the base yet, as I am still gather my ideas. My thoughts for it are either Debian/Ubuntu, Gobo, or Slack.

Anyway, what all console programs do you use?
What window manager do you use?
What graphical programs do you use?
Console programs?
apt-get
syslinux
ls
cd
fdisk
robotfindskitten
links2 -g (does that count?)
mv
rm
make
nano
e3 (e3pi mainly)
joe (jpico mainly)
Lots others that I have forgoten

WMs?
Evilwm
Dwm
Lwm
9wm
Rat Poisen
Small stuff like that

GUIs?
Firefox
XMMS
Gparted
Not much else

I was thinking of making a minimal distro based on TTY Linux. It's a nice base: 5MB. I'll need to figure out how to add sound and better internet support.
http://www.minimalinux.org/ttylinux/showpage.php?pid=1

[jseiser]

i would love a minimal distro, ive been wanting to base one of debian but i do not have the knowledge, i have a thread going in other os about doing just this. Im stuck with xubuntu on my laptop, because the server install just wont work right :( i would really love to get all this **** off the laptop ubt xubuntu was better than vista ...

[jseiser]

hmm, sounds interesting, is it ugly or just good enough. can you post a pic? how is it on decorations?
it's pretty small synaptics says its 94.2kb, jwm is 213kb, but has the standard stuff.
.

if thats in reference to the evilwm, there isnt anything to screen shot really, its would just show my background and conky, change windows with Alt/Tab, you can move windows with mouse1, resize with mouse2, send them down with mouse 3. You can also move windows with ctr/alt/hjkl to move left, up,down,right respectively. ctrl alt x fullscreens the window, ctrl/alt/= will verticly maximise the window which is how i normally run things. Say cplay/firefox split screened so i can surf and see my playlist. or, leafpad and firefox split so i can follow a tutorial etc. It is all about allowing oneself to use your whole display without any clutter.

[kerry_s]

if thats in reference to the evilwm, there isnt anything to screen shot really, its would just show my background and conky, change windows with Alt/Tab, you can move windows with mouse1, resize with mouse2, send them down with mouse 3. You can also move windows with ctr/alt/hjkl to move left, up,down,right respectively. ctrl alt x fullscreens the window, ctrl/alt/= will verticly maximise the window which is how i normally run things. Say cplay/firefox split screened so i can surf and see my playlist. or, leafpad and firefox split so i can follow a tutorial etc. It is all about allowing oneself to use your whole display without any clutter.

ohh, okay i think i tried that 1 then. if i remeber right it was to keyboard oriented for me. i like to kick back in my chair & put my feet up & just click away with the mouse sometimes. i might try it again anyway.
have you tried it with rox pinboard to add desk top icons?

okay tried it again, don't like evilwm, it's just to evil. :)

[jseiser]

never tried with icons, also, did you set up a xbindkeys? It really makes it awesome, no need to open the console, just hit your bound key and bam, there is your program :)

[kerry_s]

never tried with icons, also, did you set up a xbindkeys? It really makes it awesome, no need to open the console, just hit your bound key and bam, there is your program :)

didn't bother to, like i said, i like to put my feet up on the desk and click with the mouse, not be right up on it to press the keyboard shortcuts, that's just way to constraining. but if i needed the size i would put up with it. :)

[Epilonsama]

Why dont you try E17, is light on your resource and doesnt look like windows 95 :)

[init1]

i would love a minimal distro, ive been wanting to base one of debian but i do not have the knowledge, i have a thread going in other os about doing just this. Im stuck with xubuntu on my laptop, because the server install just wont work right :( i would really love to get all this **** off the laptop ubt xubuntu was better than vista ...
GRML Small is rather nice. I think it has an installer script. I think it is less than 100MB.
http://grml.org/

[init1]

ohh, okay i think i tried that 1 then. if i remeber right it was to keyboard oriented for me. i like to kick back in my chair & put my feet up & just click away with the mouse sometimes. i might try it again anyway.
have you tried it with rox pinboard to add desk top icons?

okay tried it again, don't like evilwm, it's just to evil. :)
evilwm is nice :evil:

[kerry_s]

evilwm is nice :evil:

it's okay, i just can't get use to it. i added idesk for some icons & and a rotating background, put my conky up. i have a bad memory so trying to remember the keys is really throwing me off.
to each his own, you enjoy, i played with it all day, back to jwm for me. :)

[fistfullofroses]

Yeah, I've messed around with GRML before. It came with an issue of Linux Format. I don't really remeber which one. I have a few laying around the room here, and I know there are a ton in the desk here. Hadn't thought about GRML in a long while. I might give it a spin again.

[fistfullofroses]

Does everyone but me have robotfindskitten installed or something? I here about it all the time.

[init1]

Does everyone but me have robotfindskitten installed or something? I here about it all the time.

sudo apt-get install robotfindskitten
robotfindskitten

I first found it on LNX-BBC. They have so many versions. DOS, Amiga, Debian, PSP, GBA, Flash, Java, Javascript.
http://robotfindskitten.org/
http://www.lnx-bbc.com/

[kyrhash]

flux box, enough said

[RAV TUX]

I myself am very much a minimalist, and I am hopefully going to be creating a very minimalistic distro, simply because I think there should be one. Not sure 'bout the base yet, as I am still gather my ideas. My thoughts for it are either Debian/Ubuntu, Gobo, or Slack.

Anyway, what all console programs do you use?
What window manager do you use?
What graphical programs do you use?

Wolvix Cub is nice and minimal (Slackware based)

You may want to consider an rPath base using rBuilder if you want an outstanding development environment.

[vinboy]

Yes we need a minimalist Ubuntu.
What I mean is a Ubuntu core, with Gnome, but exclude Firefox, Evolution and many many other applications.
that would be sweet.

[kerry_s]

Yes we need a minimalist Ubuntu.
What I mean is a Ubuntu core, with Gnome, but exclude Firefox, Evolution and many many other applications.
that would be sweet.

with gnome & you think it's going to be minimal. no mater how you go about it gnome has alot of crap. Firefox is still usefull even on the slow and if you use a older version it's even better.

558mb minimal :)

[bonzodog]

I have Zenwalk Core installed, added X, then Openbox, SLiM for a login manager, firefox, gtk engines, and a few other X apps as I went along.

It really is minimal, as when you finish the core install, you end up with about 200MB of installed stuff.

K.Mandla: try using Bashburn for burning CD's, and learn cdrecord -- it is amazingly powerful given the right options at the cli. I use Growisofs for command line DVD burning.

[urukrama]

SLiM for a login manager

What are the advantages of slim over gdm? I generally install gnome-core as well, so gnome-dependencies are not that big of an issue for me.

[fistfullofroses]

SLiM is lighter weight, easier to skin, and generally much much faster to load. With a minimalist approach it is the way to go.