Hi all.
This HowTo propose a simple way to install a fresh and stable enlightenment, known as e17, compiled and updated from source, on Ubuntu or any Debian based distro.It's based on the SVN source repo
All it's done automatically from a single deb package, based
on a famous script, easy_e17.sh from morlenxus, one of the e17 developers.
This script it's well known for it's developer care for quality and continued maintenance, made it one of the best available (besides the fact that it's the one used "inside" for e developers tests).
This package should work with (X/K/Edu/G)Ubuntu from Edgy to Karmic (Dapper has dependency issues with some old libs and should be avoid) as with Debian and any recent Debian derivative.
WARNING:
This method it's not compatible with OpenGEU/Geubuntu, Maryan linux, elive, old gOS
or others distros with an already implemented e17.
Please do not try it with those distros.
So, what's the advantage of compile from source? well,
- you can be as updated as you wish,
- you can be as outdated as you wish (using the date or revision option you can go back to any specific date or revision... searching for specific features or avoiding a broken version)
- you will have everything installed on /opt/ directory. That's the correct location for testing/beta software. It will not mix libs and apps from enlightenment with your system. It's easier to clean and make backups or even run different versions side by side.
- you can make your own Ubuntu flavor, by installing a minimal base system (like MinimalCD or ubuntulite) and e17 over it.
- you can set your own compile options.
Essentially, what I propose is, reduce the number of available e apps to a minimum stable core, that gives the environment,
and use apps more stable to the common tasks like file-manager, terminal, etc., available at repos.
INSTALLATION
Add the following repos to your /etc/apt/sources.list:
To do it automatically, copy+paste the above to a command line:
Code:
sudo sh -c "echo 'deb http://cafelinux.org/Downloads/oz-os tinwoodman main' >> /etc/apt/sources.list"
and add the authenticated key with:
Code:
wget -q http://cafelinux.org/Downloads/oz-os/key.asc -O- | sudo apt-key add -
Update the repos:
Code:
sudo apt-get update
Install e17 it with:
Code:
sudo apt-get install e17-svn
And thats all.
NOTE To start enlightenment logout from your current Desktop Environment, and at Login Manger window
choose: Options/Session > choose: Enlightenment.
AN ALTERNATIVE METHOD (more control):
If wanted compilation can be done after the installation of e17-svn. Just do before install:
Code:
touch $HOME/_skip_easy_e17_install
and then:
Code:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install e17-svn
sudo easy_e17.sh -i
rm $HOME/_skip_easy_e17_install
Hope you enjoy it.
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If you want to try some of my themes you can also install:
Code:
sudo apt-get install e17-themes
UPDATES
After installed updates are handle with:
Code:
sudo easy_e17.sh -u
If you have any issues either on install or updates please check the second post for tips and suggestions.
NOTE:
If you had already installed with the old manual method or using Morlenxus script directly, no problem, it is fully compatible.
If you later want to try other enlightenment apps not installed by this package, you need to edit config file at /etc/easy_e17.conf or create a new ~/.easy_e17.conf that will overwrite the defaults sets.
Please see TIPS and NOTES below and check.
UPDATE FROM OLD METHOD
Default path for downloaded code has changed to /var/cache/e17_src.
REMOVE
If you decided that e17 it's not for you you can remove it:
Code:
sudo apt-get remove e17-svn
or
Code:
sudo apt-get remove --purge e17-svn
to delete all compiled/installed e17 files.
_____________________________________________
Don't forget to check the below section TIPS AND NOTES for any references on code breakage or specific issues of the moment
(i will try to keep it updated)
_____________________________________________
STARTUP APPLICATIONS
- Something very basic but not immediate is how to run an application automatically at start up.
One can edit the .order file under ~/.e/e/applications/startup/.order or just run from Main menu:
Settings -> Settings Panel -> Apps -> Startup Applications and choose what we want.
If the desired app don't exist on the list you need to create a .desktop launcher for it first.
At Enlightenment Configuration window, under Applications, there are an entry called 'New Application' to do exactly that
It's plain simple, so just 2 comments.
New launchers will be create under ~/.local/share/applications/ and will have an unfriendly name like _new_app-1.desktop... you can change the name manually (from command line or a file manager) if you want.
One nice trick to control start up apps is to make a script, make it executable and then create a .desktop for it like described above. That way you just run one startup "app" that can launch what ever you want and how you want and editable with any text editor. Here an example (start oofice quick launcher and numlockX):
Code:
#!/bin/sh
# <- this symbol makes the line just a comment, remove it to launch the app:
gnome-settings-daemon &
# gnome-volume-manager &
# ooffice -quickstart -nologo -nodefault &
CONFIGURATION LOOK
- Controlling the look of Applications is another aspect that it's not obvious.
E17 Apps use it's own controls/widgets, but gtk apps don't know nothing about it. That means they will have the look (kind of ugly) of default gtk/gnome.
There are 2 ways of tweak this.
1st way, if you have gnome or xfce installed, is simply run the daemons of those environment, gnome-settings-daemon or xfce-mcs-manager respectively, on startup (like described above). That will set the theme we choose for gnome/xfce for all gtk apps, runs some basic services and start a few things like screensaver. Appearance can then be tuned by running gnome-control-center or xfce-setting-show, according the daemon used.
The 2nd way is lighter. Simply create a file named: .gtkrc-2.0.mine on your home folder, that would control gtk look.
As an example of a possible .gtkrc-2.0 file:
Code:
gtk-theme-name = "Human"
gtk-icon-theme-name = "Tango"
gtk-font-name = "Bitstream Vera Sans 11"
You can tune the icon theme used for menu and desktop icons on:
Settings > Settings Panel > Appearance > Icon theme (that won't change icon theme used by gtk apps, see tip above)
Hope that helps make your e17 even more beautiful
-------------------
TIPS AND NOTES:
- On clean installs (no other DE) you will find that you have no Application menus.
On that case check my suggestions on this post here.
- If, for any reason, you need a previous version of e17, check here to get an idea on how to get it:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showpost.php...&postcount=461
(I will elaborate on this tip, if svn tree get broken one of this days)
- You can install original skipped packages, by editing /etc/easy_e17.conf file, remove them from --skip list and do:
sudo easy_e17.sh --only=<skipped_package_name>
- A situation that sometimes arise is that we want an application not listed on script.
What i do is simply add manually the app to the correct entry list on script (and check on script updates if that has been added or not)
Example:
I like to use the old e17setroot to make and set my backgrounds (.edj files) from jpg pics. That app is part of the obsolete e_utils package. It still compiles fine, so i add it to "apps" list on easy_e17.sh and install it normally.
- You can turn icon desktops visibility on/off by loading/unloading 'File Manager' module (on Configuration menu).
-------------------
For more information on e17, the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries and the applications that use them, please see:
http://www.enlightenment.org.
For browsing SVN code see here:
http://trac.enlightenment.org/e/browser/trunk
Information, themes, icons, eye-candy and alike:
http://exchange.enlightenment.org and http://e17-stuff.org
This Howto it's also in CafeLinux Forum (click here).
I posted too a mini-how on how to edit/change/create an e17 theme.
* check it here *
_________________________________________________
THE BELOW HOW-TO IT'S ONLY FOR SPECIAL INSTALLATIONS AND REFERENCE PURPOSES.
THE DEB PACKAGE MAKE INSTALL PROCESS MUCH SIMPLER.
latest_old_HOWTO.pdf
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HOWTO: installation of e17 from SVN code
Adv Reply
Originally Posted by Rui Pais
Re: HOWTO: installation of e17 from SVN code
anybody got an answer or sugestion? TIA 
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