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
Or use Synaptic and give it a search, they should be all there.Code:sudo apt-get install blackbox blackbox-themes
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.
4.Code:cd mkdir .blackbox
We need a .blackboxrc file.
paste this in... replacing bluevoodoo1 with your username.Code:gedit .blackboxrc
(of course the path can be to any location you prefer)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
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.
Here is an example of my menu. [nop] () = a spaceCode:gedit .blackbox/menu
2. Styles:Code:[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]
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
Log out. And it should be in the gdm! Some other neat styles can be found here. http://snkmchnb.no-ip.com/bbstyles.phpCode:rootCommand: Esetroot /usr/share/blackbox/backgrounds/wallpaper.jpg
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.
orCode:sudo apt-get install conky
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])
If you don't have checkinstall... I recommend getting it, especially for removing a package that is manually installed.Code:./configure --prefix=/usr --enable-xft --enable-mpd --enable-seti --enable-double-buffer --enable-own-window --enable-proc-uptime make sudo checkinstall
2.
You can edit what appears by changing the .conkyrc file. (Make a backup first)
for conky variables... http://conky.sourceforge.net/variables.htmlCode:cp .conkyrc ~/.conkyrc_backup gedit .conkyrc
-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!!)
add the following...Code:sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf
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...
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.Code:sudo apt-get install python-pymetar
orCode:${texeci 60 pymetar KROC}
Code:${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
and place a # on the line you don't want to display. I commented out the following because the output was too long...Code:sudo gedit /usr/bin/pymetar
You can search for your METAR here...Code:#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."
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.
and paste this inCode:gedit ~/.bbstartup.sh
then make it executableCode:#!/bin/sh gnome-settings-daemon & conky & exec /usr/local/bin/blackbox
2. We change the path of exec blackbox in /usr/share/xsessions/blackbox.desktopCode:chmod +x ~/.bbstartup.sh
first a backup.
thenCode:sudo cp /usr/share/xsessions/blackbox.desktop /usr/share/xsessions/blackbox.desktop_backup
Before we change anything, It will look something like this...Code:sudo gedit /usr/share/xsessions/blackbox.desktop
then we change the Exec and TryExec to the path of the newly created script. Replacing bluevoodoo1 with your username.Code:[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
Logout, and hopefully you'll be all set.Code:[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
V. EYE CANDY: (more info on these topics can be found throughout the forums)
-Eterm: Terminal with many customizable features.
1.
2. Here's a sample. Please adjust geometry and -f color to your liking.Code:sudo apt-get install eterm
*yes it is "Eterm" not "eterm"Code:Eterm -x -0 --trans --scrollbar=off --buttonbar 0 --geometry 79x35+13+495 -f lightgrey
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...
*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.Code:Esetroot /usr/share/blackbox/backgrounds/yourpicture.jpg
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
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