got a screenshot? it sounds a bit useless if none of the bits work... although the start menu in gnome itself is really crap, so I barely use that either.
Sure, here (http://www.politicalcrossfire.com/temp/enderavsig/themes/Screenshot-3.png).
Then, I set it up so that little bar in the lower left hand corner is my panel that shoots out with just the Main Menu, and the lower right hand corner is my System Tray.
Here's my GnomeBar.display file, you can edit it how you wish...I did!
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<display id="win" anchor="ne"
window-flags="sticky, below" desktop-borders=",0">
<meta name="GnomeBar 2"
version="2.22"
preview="preview.png"
author="Mark Dillavou and Sparrowhawk"
description="A Replacement for the Gnome Panels"
category="toolbar"/>
<!-- ************************************************** ******************** -->
<group id="border" y="0cm">
<group id="slider"
on-click="if (vc_behavior == 'click'): slide(self, SC_IN, SC_OUT)"
on-doubleclick="if (vc_behavior == 'double'): slide(self, SC_IN, SC_OUT)"
on-enter="if (vc_behavior == 'enter'): slide(self, SC_IN, SC_OUT)"
on-leave="if (vc_behavior == 'enter'): slide(self, SC_IN, SC_OUT)">
<group id="panel" width="560" height="60">
<!-- ************************************************** ******************** -->
<!-- the background image -->
<group id="bg" width="100%" height="100%" bg-uri=""/>
<group id="info_group" y="0" width="100%">
<!-- ************************************************** ********************
* This is the main area of the display.
* Put your stuff in here:
************************************************** ******************** -->
<!-- Left image with menu -->
<!--<image id="menuBg" uri="gfx/menubg.png"
x="0" y="0"
width="667" height="60"/>-->
<!-- Foot Icon -->
<!--<image id="logo" uri="gfx/menu.png"
x="4" y="3"
image-width="1" image-height="1"
on-enter="self.scale = 1"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>-->
<!--<label id="timelabel" font="Sans 10" color="black" x = "135" y="1"/>
<label id="datelabel" font="Sans 10" color="black" x = "135" y="18"/>-->
<!--embed oafiid="OAFIID:GNOME_ClockApplet"
x="130" y="2"
width="100" height="48"/-->
<!-- Taskbar -->
<image id="taskBarBg" uri="gfx/middle.png"
x="77" y="0"/>
<image id="taskbarEndBg" uri="gfx/middle-end.png"
x="539" y="0"/>
<!-- Icons -->
<image id="iconbarBg" uri="gfx/iconbar-middle.png"
x="77" y="28"
width="403"/>
<image id="icon1" x="80" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/home/eric/.icons/Nuovo/scalable/apps/file-manager.svg"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"
on-release="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon2" x="110" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/home/eric/.icons/Nuovo/scalable/apps/firefox-icon.svg"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon3" x="140" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/home/eric/.icons/Nuovo/scalable/apps/thunderbird-default.svg"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon4" x="170" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/home/eric/.icons/Nuovo/scalable/apps/gaim.svg"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon5" x="200" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/home/eric/.icons/Nuovo/scalable/apps/gnome-terminal.svg"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon6" x="230" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/home/eric/.icons/Nuovo/scalable/apps/gftp.svg"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon7" x="260" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/home/eric/.icons/Nuovo/scalable/apps/gnome-gimp.svg"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon8" x="290" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/home/eric/.icons/Nuovo/scalable/apps/inkscape.svg"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon9" x="320" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/home/eric/.icons/Nuovo/scalable/apps/rhythmbox.svg"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon10" x="350" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/home/eric/.icons/Nuovo/scalable/apps/gnome-devel.svg"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon11" x="380" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/usr/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/ooo-writer.png"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon12" x="410" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/usr/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/ooo-calc.png"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<image id="icon13" x="440" y="30"
width="20" height="20"
uri="/usr/share/icons/hicolor/48x48/apps/ooo-impress.png"
on-enter="self.scale = 1.2"
on-leave="self.scale = 1"/>
<!-- Bonobo wickets -->
<group id="bonobo" height="100%" width="100%">
<!--<embed id="menu" oafiid="OAFIID:GNOME_Panel_Applet" height="50" width="50" x="4" y="3" />-->
<embed id="workspace" oafiid="OAFIID:GNOME_PagerApplet!prefs_key=/schemas/apps/workspace_switcher_applet/prefs;size=50;orient=PANEL_ORIENTATION_BOTTOM"
x="3" y="3"
width="72" height="48"/>
<!--embed id="taskbar" oafiid="OAFIID:GNOME_GWeatherApplet"
height="24" width="48"
x="135" y="31"/-->
<embed id="taskbar" oafiid="OAFIID:GNOME_WindowListApplet"
height="24" width="460"
x="82" y="2"/>
<!--<embed id="notification" oafiid="OAFIID:GNOME_NotificationAreaApplet"
x="434" y="29"
height="24" width="110"/>-->
<embed oafiid="OAFIID:GNOME_Panel_TrashApplet"
id="trash"
x="480" y="29"
height="24" width="20"/>
<embed oafiid="OAFIID:GNOME_MixerApplet"
id="volume"
x="500" y="29"
height="24" width="20"/>
</group>
<script><![CDATA[
tb_border = 0
def border_chg(key, value):
Dsp.win.desktop_borders = [Unit(),Unit(value,PX)]
Dsp.icon1.on_click = "launch('nautilus')"
Dsp.icon2.on_click = "launch('firefox')"
Dsp.icon3.on_click = "launch('mozilla-thunderbird')"
Dsp.icon4.on_click = "launch('gaim')"
Dsp.icon5.on_click = "launch('gnome-terminal')"
Dsp.icon6.on_click = "launch('gftp')"
Dsp.icon7.on_click = "launch('gimp')"
Dsp.icon8.on_click = "launch('inkscape')"
Dsp.icon9.on_click = "launch('rhythmbox')"
Dsp.icon10.on_click = "launch('tkcvs')"
Dsp.icon11.on_click = "launch('ooffice2 -writer')"
Dsp.icon12.on_click = "launch('ooffice2 -calc')"
Dsp.icon13.on_click = "launch('ooffice2 -impress')"
]]></script>
<!--<image id="iconbarEndBg" uri="gfx/middle-end.png"
x="400" y="28"/>-->
<!-- Notification Area -->
<!--<image id="systrayBg" uri="gfx/iconbar-middle.png"
x="430" y="28"/>-->
<image id="systrayEndBg" uri="gfx/middle-end.png"
x="520" y="28"/>
<!-- ************************************************** ******************** -->
</group>
</group>
</group>
</group>
<!-- the preferences dialog -->
<prefs callback="vc_prefs_cb">
<page label="GnomeBar">
<enum label="Stay on top:" bind="vc_on_top">
<item label="Never" value="never"/>
<item label="Always" value="always"/>
<item label="When slid in" value="whenin"/>
<item label="When slid out" value="whenout"/>
</enum>
<title label="Sliding"/>
<enum label="Orientation:" bind="vc_side"
help="The orientation of the display.">
<item label="Up" value="up"/>
<item label="Down" value="down"/>
</enum>
<integer label="Delay:" bind="vc_slide_timer"/>
<enum label="Behavior:" bind="vc_behavior">
<item label="Slide on mouse click" value="click"/>
<item label="Slide on double click" value="double"/>
<item label="Never slide" value="never"/>
</enum>
<title label="Desktop Border" help="Set to -60 to cover entire desklet.
Set to -45 to cover up to slid-in part."/>
<integer label="Vertical Border Placement:"
min="-500"
bind="tb_border" callback="border_chg" help="Set to -60 to cover entire desklet.
Set to -45 to cover up to slid-in part."/>
<title label="Background"/>
<uri label="Background image:" bind="Dsp.bg.bg_uri"/>
<boolean label="Show background" bind="Dsp.bg.visible"/>
</page>
<page label="General">
<boolean label="Show Trash" bind="Dsp.trash.visible"/>
<boolean label="Show Volume" bind="Dsp.volume.visible"/>
</page>
<page label="Applications">
<string label="Application 1:" bind="Dsp.icon1.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 2:" bind="Dsp.icon2.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 3:" bind="Dsp.icon3.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 4:" bind="Dsp.icon4.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 5:" bind="Dsp.icon5.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 6:" bind="Dsp.icon6.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 7:" bind="Dsp.icon7.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 8:" bind="Dsp.icon8.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 9:" bind="Dsp.icon9.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 10:" bind="Dsp.icon10.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 11:" bind="Dsp.icon11.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 12:" bind="Dsp.icon12.on_click"/>
<string label="Application 13:" bind="Dsp.icon13.on_click"/>
</page>
<page label="Icons">
<title label="Program Icons:"/>
<uri label="Icon 1 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon1.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 2 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon2.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 3 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon3.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 4 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon4.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 5 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon5.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 6 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon6.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 7 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon7.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 8 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon8.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 9 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon9.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 10 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon10.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 11 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon11.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 12 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon12.uri"/>
<uri label="Icon 13 Image:" bind="Dsp.icon13.uri"/>
</page>
<!-- ************************************************** ******************** -->
</prefs>
<!-- this loads the VerticalCandy magic -->
<script uri="candy.script"/>
</display>
Note that I took my icons from my theme (Nuovo) :-D