HOWTO: A Blackbox Guide

[bluevoodoo1]

A Blackbox Guide.


After searching the internet, I found there was really no easy, all-in-one guide for the new Blackbox user. Although some of this information has been listed elsewhere, here's an attempt at putting together all the information I found most useful. This guide assumes you are using Gnome, and are familiar with the GDM. Much of this uses the terminal, but can also be done with Nautilus. I have included some of my configuration files and a screenshot. Blackbox isn't terribly hard to install and configure. It can be very fast, as long as you don't mind typing some commands. Here we go!


I. INSTALLATION
II. CONFIGURATION
III. OTHER USEFUL PROGRAMS
IV. STARTUP
V. EYE CANDY
VI. FURTHER READING and SOURCES


I. INSTALLATION:

1. You will have to enable the Universe repositories... https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Repositories/Ubuntu

sudo apt-get install blackbox blackbox-themes

Or use Synaptic and give it a search, they should be all there.


That's it!!! A few of the following will help with customizing.

================================================== ====

Now, the following will move some folders to your home folder to make editing easier.

2. See if there is a .blackbox folder in your home directory. "ls -a" If yes, skip skep 3. If not...

3.

cd
mkdir .blackbox

4.
We need a .blackboxrc file.

gedit .blackboxrc

paste this in... replacing bluevoodoo1 with your username.

session.styleFile: /usr/share/blackbox/styles/Gray session.menuFile: /home/bluevoodoo1/.blackbox/menu session.screen0.slit.placement: CenterRight session.screen0.slit.direction: Vertical session.screen0.slit.onTop: False session.screen0.slit.autoHide: False session.screen0.toolbar.onTop: False session.screen0.toolbar.autoHide: False session.screen0.toolbar.placement: BottomCenter session.screen0.toolbar.widthPercent: 66 session.screen0.enableToolbar: True session.screen0.workspaces: 4 session.screen0.workspaceNames: Workspace 1,Workspace 2,Workspace 3,Workspace 4 session.screen0.strftimeFormat: %I:%M %p session.windowSnapThreshold: 0 session.autoRaiseDelay: 400 session.placementIgnoresShaded: True session.focusLastWindow: True session.opaqueMove: True session.changeWorkspaceWithMouseWheel: True session.imageDither: OrderedDither session.windowPlacement: RowSmartPlacement session.shadeWindowWithMouseWheel: True session.opaqueResize: True session.toolbarActionsWithMouseWheel: True session.rowPlacementDirection: LeftToRight session.maximumColors: 0 session.disableBindingsWithScrollLock: False session.fullMaximization: False session.colPlacementDirection: TopToBottom session.doubleClickInterval: 250 session.edgeSnapThreshold: 0 session.focusNewWindows: True session.focusModel: ClickToFocus

(of course the path can be to any location you prefer)

II. CONFIGURATION

-Menu/Styles:

1.Menu:
Since we changed the path of the menu file, we have to add our own menu. If you don't paste in some sort of menu then nothing will appear with a right click on the desktop.

gedit .blackbox/menu

Here is an example of my menu. [nop] () = a space

[begin] (b l a c k b o x )
	[exec] (Eterm) {Eterm -x -0 --trans --scrollbar=off --buttonbar 0 --geometry 79x35+13+495 --font-fx none -f lightgrey}
	[nop] ()
	[submenu] (terminals) {terminals}
		[exec] (aterm) {aterm -tr -bg black -fg lightgrey -fn 7x14 -fb 7x14 +vb +sb -geometry 79x32+13+495}
		[exec] (gterm) {gnome-terminal}
		[exec] (kterm) {konsole}
		[exec] (xterm) {xterm -ls}
	[end]
	[submenu] (gnome) {gnome}
		[exec] (nautilus) {nautilus --no-desktop}
		[exec] (gnome-theme-manager) {gnome-theme-manager}
		[exec] (gnome-settings-daemon) {gnome-settings-daemon}
		
	[end]
	[submenu] (audio) {}
		[exec] (xmms) {xmms}
		[exec] (gnome-volume) {gnome-volume-manager}
	[end]
	[submenu] (internet) {}
		[exec] (firefox) {firefox}
		[exec] (gaim) {gaim}
		[exec] (gftp) {gftp}
		[exec] (bluefish) {bluefish}
		[exec] (firestarter) {gksudo /usr/sbin/firestarter}
		[exec] (virus scanner) {aegis-virus-scanner}
	[end]
	[submenu] (graphics) {}
		[exec] (the gimp) {gimp}
	[end]
	[submenu] (office apps) {}
		[exec] (oo.o writer) {ooffice2}
	[end]
	[submenu] (video) {}
		[exec] (gmplayer) {gmplayer}
		[exec] (vlc) {vlc}
		[exec] (xine) {xine}
	[end]
	[submenu] (system monitor) {}
		[exec] (monitor start) {conky}
		[exec] (monitor stop) {killall conky}
	[end]
	[nop] ()
	[workspaces] (workspace list)
	[config] (configuration)
	[nop] ()
	[submenu] (startup) {}
		[exec] (gnome-settings-daemon ) {gnome-settings-daemon &}
		[exec] (conky) {conky &}
		[exec] (Esetroot) {Esetroot .blackbox/backgrounds/Complex_2.jpg}
		[exec] (wmbutton) {wmbutton &}
		[exec] (wmweather) {wmweather -w -s KROC &}
		[exec] (wmcpuload ) {wmcpuload &}
		[exec] (wmclock) {wmclock -12 -led white &}
	[end]
	[nop] ()
	[reconfig] (reconfigure)
	[restart] (restart) {}
	[exit] (exit)
[end]

2. Styles:
You can edit the styles by hand. Open your /usr/share/blackbox/styles/ files with your favorite text editor and edit away (colors/borders/fonts... etc.). To have a wallpaper install "eterm" to use its "esetroot" utility. Add/Replace this command to your current style file for a wallpaper/background

rootCommand: Esetroot /usr/share/blackbox/backgrounds/wallpaper.jpg

Log out. And it should be in the gdm! Some other neat styles can be found here. http://snkmchnb.no-ip.com/bbstyles.php



III. OTHER USEFUL PROGRAMS:

-conky: Used to monitor your system. Neat because it sits on the desktop as if it were part of it, displaying useful system information... CPU temps, RAM, swap, CPU+MEM usage, networking info...

1.

sudo apt-get install conky

or

You can download the newest version from http://conky.sourceforge.net/ and do the following: (you can add all or none of the following options during ./configure. I highly recommend --enable-double-buffer [more on that in a bit])

./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-xft --enable-mpd --enable-seti --enable-double-buffer --enable-own-window --enable-proc-uptime
make
sudo checkinstall

If you don't have checkinstall... I recommend getting it, especially for removing a package that is manually installed.

2.
You can edit what appears by changing the .conkyrc file. (Make a backup first)

cp .conkyrc ~/.conkyrc_backup
gedit .conkyrc

for conky variables... http://conky.sourceforge.net/variables.html

-Potential problems with conky: Flickering.
To get rid of the flicker from conky you will to manually install it and make sure, make sure the following are true:

In .conkyrc

double_buffer yes

and in /etc/X11/xorg.conf (make a backup first!!)

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

add the following...

Section "Module" Load "dbe"

Restart the computer, start conky, and it should not flicker!

CONKY EXTRA: weather

From what I've read METAR support was stopped after version 1.3... but here's somewhat of a workaround (not the greatest, hopefully something better will work)

get python-pymetar...

sudo apt-get install python-pymetar

Then add the following line to your .conkyrc file (replacing KROC with your 4-digit code) (a HOW-TO for finding your code is listed under 'wmweather'). The number 60 refers to the time in seconds before updating. You can change it to anything you wish.

${texeci 60 pymetar KROC}

or

${execi 60 pymetar KROC}

The texeci works for me, others say that execi works for them, but I suggest you experiment and see which works for you.

(You might want to comment out some of the description or other features. Simply open the file (make a backup first if you would like) then type

sudo gedit /usr/bin/pymetar

and place a # on the line you don't want to display. I commented out the following because the output was too long...

#print "Weather report for %s (%s) as of %s" %\

#    (pr.getStationName(), station, pr.getISOTime())

#print "Values of \"None\" indicate that the value is missing from the report."

You can search for your METAR here...

http://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov...s/stations.txt

Find your code then replace my 'KROC' with your four digit code, or you will simply get the weather for Rochester, NY USA.


IV. STARTUP

1. We make a startup script.
2. We change the path of exec blackbox in /usr/share/xsessions/blackbox.desktop

1. We create a script.

gedit ~/.bbstartup.sh

and paste this in

#!/bin/sh

gnome-settings-daemon &
conky &
exec /usr/local/bin/blackbox

then make it executable

chmod +x ~/.bbstartup.sh

2. We change the path of exec blackbox in /usr/share/xsessions/blackbox.desktop

first a backup.

sudo cp /usr/share/xsessions/blackbox.desktop /usr/share/xsessions/blackbox.desktop_backup

then

sudo gedit /usr/share/xsessions/blackbox.desktop

Before we change anything, It will look something like this...

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=BlackBox
Comment=Highly configurable and low resource X11 Window manager
Exec=/usr/local/bin/blackbox
Terminal=False
TryExec=/usr/local/bin/blackbox
Type=Application

then we change the Exec and TryExec to the path of the newly created script. Replacing bluevoodoo1 with your username.

[Desktop Entry]
Encoding=UTF-8
Name=BlackBox
Comment=Highly configurable and low resource X11 Window manager
Exec=/home/bluevoodoo1/.bbstartup.sh
Terminal=False
TryExec=/home/bluevoodoo1/.bbstartup.sh
Type=Application

Logout, and hopefully you'll be all set.

V. EYE CANDY: (more info on these topics can be found throughout the forums)

-Eterm: Terminal with many customizable features.

1.

sudo apt-get install eterm

2. Here's a sample. Please adjust geometry and -f color to your liking.

Eterm -x -0 --trans --scrollbar=off --buttonbar 0 --geometry 79x35+13+495 -f lightgrey

*yes it is "Eterm" not "eterm"

This is my command for Eterm. It will produce a transparent, borderless terminal with lightgray text in the exact position I want. Type "man Eterm" or "Eterm --help" to get a full listing of what each command does. For Eterm to be transparent and not simply shuffle a random background on startup, you must use Esetroot to set the wallpaper before launching Eterm... everytime you start Blackbox*. Use Esetroot and the path to the wallpaper you want, for example...

Esetroot /usr/share/blackbox/backgrounds/yourpicture.jpg

*Either use it as a code upon startup (listed above in IV. STARTUP), type that command into a terminal before the use of Eterm, make a custom application command and run it from the menu before Eterm, or add that line to your current style file. I use the last.

VI. FURTHER READING and SOURCES

http://blackboxwm.sourceforge.net/

http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.p...light=blackbox
http://snkmchnb.no-ip.com/bbstyles.php
http://conky.sourceforge.net/variables.html
http://www.dotfiles.com/software/wmmp3/
http://home.nyc.rr.com/computertaijutsu/blackbox.html
http://www.dockapps.org/file.php/id/17
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=218928
http://adds.aviationweather.noaa.gov...s/stations.txt

[william_nbg]

Nice how to!

I've been getting blackbox set up on my computer for a week now, but there are a few useful things in your how to for me. Coming from bblean in my windows days I am used to bb conf - slowly getting better with Linux.

I spent a week playing around with a way to run a start-up script, so far, your solution seems to be the only way without really screwing things up for Gnome.

[johannes]

Yes, a very nice howto. Too bad you didn't post this a week earlier when I installed Blackbox.

One thing though, I think it is much easier to install the package "menu" which generates a program menu for practically all installed applications, and then delete the ones you don't want in it. "Menu" will also create a "Debian" entry in the Gnome menu, but if you don't want it you can easilly remove it with "Applications menu editor".

[bluevoodoo1]

Thank you for the kind words. I will have a look at the menu package. That "Debian" menu somewhat annoys me, but you're right that it can be turned off. I'll have to give that a try.


EDITS: Added how to manually install conky, get rid of flickering in conky and how to add weather reading to conky.

[george_apan]

Very nice HOWTO, thank you! I just installed blackbox in my ubuntu on an old Cyrix 200MHz with 96MB that I use as a headless fileserver/bittorrent downloader and it flies! The same PC was struggling with XFCE.

One thing that gave me some trouble is that there was no ~/.blackbox/menu file and when I created one blackbox refused to read from it. What I had to do was create a .blackboxrc file in my home folder and then add the following line in it:

session.menuFile:       /home/george/.blackbox/menu

That was it... I had my menu after that.

[bluevoodoo1]

Originally Posted by george_apan One thing that gave me some trouble is that there was no ~/.blackbox/menu file and when I created one blackbox refused to read from it. What I had to do was create a .blackboxrc file in my home folder and then add the following line in it: session.menuFile: /home/george/.blackbox/menu That was it... I had my menu after that.

Exactly! Hmm, I wonder why there wasn't a menu file? But your solution is perfect.

EDIT: george_apan, I added your suggestion.

[skymt]

One quick question: why Blackbox? Why not Fluxbox, or Openbox, or any of the other *boxen floating around? Is there anything special in BB that the others don't have yet?

[bluevoodoo1]

Originally Posted by skymt One quick question: why Blackbox? Why not Fluxbox, or Openbox, or any of the other *boxen floating around? Is there anything special in BB that the others don't have yet?

Both are based on older version of Blackbox code. Fluxbox is based on the Blackbox 0.61.1 code and Openbox is based on Blackbox 0.65.0 code. I'm currently running Blackbox 0.70.0.

I've had the most success with Blackbox compared to Open* or Flux*. Why not experiment with them? I had some trouble having Black* and Flux* on my system at the same time, but perhaps experimenting one at a time is an idea? They all have features unique to them. Read up on them, there is some information around the forums and also in these links....

http://blackboxwm.sourceforge.net/Ab...tAboutBlackbox
and
http://fluxbox.sourceforge.net/
and
http://icculus.org/openbox/about.php

[Maelgwyn]

Originally Posted by bluevoodoo1 sudo mv usr/share/blackbox/backgrounds ~/.blackbox/backgrounds sudo mv usr/share/blackbox/styles ~/.blackbox/styles sudo mv usr/share/blackbox/menu ~/.blackbox

when I try to mv the /menu file, I get this:

mv: cannot stat `/usr/share/blackbox/menu': No such file or directory

[bluevoodoo1]

Originally Posted by Maelgwyn when I try to mv the /menu file, I get this: mv: cannot stat `/usr/share/blackbox/menu': No such file or directory

Check to see if there actually is a menu file in the /usr/share/blackbox folder. Can't move something that doesn't exist! If it doesn't exist you can, with Nautilus (or Konqueror) create a new document in your /home/your-user-name/.blackbox folder named "menu" Then make sure the .blackboxrc file points to that menu path. Then you can either use bbconf to add to your menu (to open it, sudo bbconf) or edit the menu file by hand. (I have an example listed). Hope that helps...

EDIT: I also noticed that I had a typo, it should be...

sudo mv /usr/share/blackbox/backgrounds ~/.blackbox/backgrounds
sudo mv /usr/share/blackbox/styles ~/.blackbox/styles
sudo mv /usr/share/blackbox/menu ~/.blackbox

and NOT be...

sudo mv usr/share/blackbox/backgrounds ~/.blackbox/backgrounds
sudo mv usr/share/blackbox/styles ~/.blackbox/styles
sudo mv usr/share/blackbox/menu ~/.blackbox