Set up my desktop environment

Hi and hello.
I wanted to try a light-weight environment, so I decided to give Archlinux a try. I really want a keyboard-oriented environment, and have installed Awesome, pretty vanilla right now. What else should I do now? Any apps I should install, any settings (for looks or functionality)? I saw some pretty cool screenshots in the screenshot thread, but I'm totally lost what configs people are exchanging there.
So far, I guess I should install conky (done, but now what?). You know, all that configuration stuff. Is there a guide?
Thanks.

Ranguvar wrote:Do you have a desktop environment installed (KDE, GNOME,
I really wouldn't consider one of these when creating a leight weight, keyboard oriented environment .
At topic
If you want to stick with awesome http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Awesome would be another possible place to start. Apart from that, think about what you want to have - you can use the Screenshots Threads for inspiration - then, when you have a list of specific features (transparency, fancy CPU monitor, pink toasters with wings flying through your background, ...) go through it and try to find out how to get each one, searching the forums, the wiki, google and reading documentation.
I admit the toasters could be difficult.
I know it is possible to set up a keyboard orientet environment in kde/gnome but I don't think they should be the first choice to do so.

Similar Messages

[Solved] Setting my own desktop environment

Hi, I'm trying to setup my own desktop environment with the following packages:
* slim
* metacity
* compton
* wbar
This is my slim conf:
# Path, X server and arguments (if needed)
# Note: -xauth $authfile is automatically appended
default_path /bin:/usr/bin:/usr/local/bin
default_xserver /usr/bin/X
xserver_arguments -nolisten tcp vt07
# Commands for halt, login, etc.
halt_cmd /sbin/shutdown -h now
reboot_cmd /sbin/shutdown -r now
console_cmd /usr/bin/xterm -C -fg white -bg black +sb -T "Console login" -e /bin/sh -c "/bin/cat /etc/issue; exec /bin/login"
#suspend_cmd /usr/sbin/suspend
# Full path to the xauth binary
xauth_path /usr/bin/xauth
# Xauth file for server
authfile /var/run/slim.auth
# Activate numlock when slim starts. Valid values: on|off
numlock on
# Hide the mouse cursor (note: does not work with some WMs).
# Valid values: true|false
# hidecursor false
# This command is executed after a succesful login.
# you can place the %session and %theme variables
# to handle launching of specific commands in .xinitrc
# depending of chosen session and slim theme
# NOTE: if your system does not have bash you need
# to adjust the command according to your preferred shell,
# i.e. for freebsd use:
# login_cmd exec /bin/sh - ~/.xinitrc %session
login_cmd exec /bin/bash -login ~/.xinitrc %session
# Commands executed when starting and exiting a session.
# They can be used for registering a X11 session with
# sessreg. You can use the %user variable
# sessionstart_cmd some command
# sessionstop_cmd some command
# Start in daemon mode. Valid values: yes | no
# Note that this can be overriden by the command line
# options "-d" and "-nodaemon"
# daemon yes
# Set directory that contains the xsessions.
# slim reads xsesion from this directory, and be able to select.
sessiondir /usr/share/xsessions/
# Executed when pressing F11 (requires imagemagick)
screenshot_cmd import -window root /slim.png
# welcome message. Available variables: %host, %domain
welcome_msg Bienvenido a %host
# Session message. Prepended to the session name when pressing F1
# session_msg Session:
# shutdown / reboot messages
shutdown_msg The system is halting...
reboot_msg The system is rebooting...
# default user, leave blank or remove this line
# for avoid pre-loading the username.
#default_user simone
# Focus the password field on start when default_user is set
# Set to "yes" to enable this feature
#focus_password no
# Automatically login the default user (without entering
# the password. Set to "yes" to enable this feature
#auto_login no
# current theme, use comma separated list to specify a set to
# randomly choose from
current_theme archlinux-slim-theme-whitey
# Lock file
lockfile /var/lock/slim.lock
# Log file
logfile /var/log/slim.log
Now, my desktop entry for the sessions, which is located $HOME/.config/joelDE/joelDE.desktop:
[Desktop Entry]
Name=joelDE
Comment=Mi entorno de escritorio
Exec=/home/joel/.config/joelDE/joelDE
TryExec=/home/joel/.config/joelDE/joelDE
Icon=/home/joel/.config/joelDE/joelDE.png
Type=Application
I made the symlink: ln -s /home/joel/.config/joelDE/joelDE.desktop /usr/share/xsessions/joelDE.desktop and it DOES appears in slim sessions (F1), now jolDE script:
#!/bin/bash
# mi propio entorno
(sleep 1s && metacity --replace &)
bash $HOME/.fehbg &
xscreensaver -no-splash &
(sleep 1s && compton --config $HOME/.config/compton.conf -b) &
(sleep 1s && wbar) &
and finally my .xinitrc:
#!/bin/bash
# ~/.xinitrc
if [[ ! "$1" ]]; then
WM_Name=startxfce4
else
WM_Name=$1
fi
setxkbmap -layout latam
if [ -z "$GTK_PATH" ] ; then
GTK_PATH="/usr/lib/gtk-2.0"
else
GTK_PATH="$GTK_PATH:/usr/lib/gtk-2.0"
fi
export GTK_PATH
if [ -z "$GTK_MODULES" ] ; then
GTK_MODULES="canberra-gtk-module"
else
GTK_MODULES="$GTK_MODULES:canberra-gtk-module"
fi
export GTK_MODULES
export LANG=es_MX.UTF-8
echo ${WM_Name} >$HOME/DE_name.txt
if [ ${WM_Name} != "startxfce4" ]; then
export DESKTOP_SESSION=${WM_Name}
export GTK2_RC_FILES=$HOME/.gtkrc-2.0
exec dbus-launch --sh-syntax --exit-with-session ${WM_Name} >$HOME/xinitrc-log.txt 2>&1
else
exec ${WM_Name} >$HOME/xinitrc-log.txt 2>&1
fi
# :~ EOF
This is the thing: after choosing "joelDE" in slim sessions it shows a black screen and rerun slim...
1.- Doesn't SLim run x11?
2.- If not, how do I call it?
Thanks!
Last edited by Joel (2014-07-14 04:37:30)

Try moving the metacity line in joelDE to the end of the file and remove the last '&':
#!/bin/bash
# mi propio entorno
bash $HOME/.fehbg &
xscreensaver -no-splash &
(sleep 1s && compton --config $HOME/.config/compton.conf -b) &
(sleep 1s && wbar) &
sleep 1s && metacity --replace
With startx, and I think that this is true for SLiM as well, your X session will last as long as your ~/.xinitrc (or, I think more technically, the exec $whatever that may be at the end of the file). So if everything in ~/.xinitrc forks (or in your case, your joelDE script), that script will complete immediately, and the X session will exit with it.

What's a good desktop environment/general system UI for a television?

So right now I just upgraded to Arch (without planning to do so, but that's another story) on my media station, and I'm trying to figure out what desktop environment to use with it. It is hooked up to an old analog TV as the only display (I do most of my configuration via ssh and the command line), and my wife (who's not a Linux user by any stretch) uses it a lot.
I'm finding Gnome 3 (since it had Gnome on it before I just went with that) is really not suited to this purpose. It seems to want things like a higher resolution than what can be readable easily on the TV, and if I set it to a lower resolution setting menus will get pushed off the screen. I also prefer something where I can do all the configuration from the command line, because I'm usually going to be configuring it remotely.
What the media station does normally is play videos in VLC (either saved video files or DVDs), play YouTube videos in a browser, and move around and delete files on the desktop with a mouse. The way the keyboard is set up it's hard to use as well. So I'm wanting something that makes all of those really simple with the constraints of a low resolution TV, and avoids needing the keyboard if at all possible.
Any suggestions?
Bonus points if people can come up with a way that someone can easily move around and delete the files from a browser on a Windows machine, as that's what my wife has with her a lot when she's sitting at the couch. She doesn't want to install anything on that computer or use things like Windows filesharing though.

LXDE isn't optimal if CLI configuration matters to you... but does this really matter if you expect to set it up once and be done with it?
Openbox' XML syntax is needlessly annoying if you don't want to use the optional GUIs or other little helpers, I'd go with a simple window manager rather than a DE.
Fluxbox is easy, text-friendly and doesn't require a DE on top to meet modern expectations. Personally, I think a well-tweaked FVWM beats the pants off anything else.
Nevertheless, debugging the wife seems to be a higher priority for now... with good suggestions already.

Deepin Desktop Environment on Arch

I've finnaly made it work on my arch! :-)
Here are my PKGBUILD files and repo for most of the packages if anyone is interested.
First things first...
- I'm using "compiz-ubuntu" from unity-for-arch repo because "deepin-compiz" still needs old boost (1.53) version...
OF COURSE THE USUAL WARNINGS APPLY: IT WILL EAT YOUR CAT, HAMSTER... BLAHBLAH :-)
[home_metakcahura_arch-deepin_Arch_Extra]
SigLevel = Never
Server = http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/metakcahura:/arch-deepin/Arch_Extra/$arch
#Server = http://anorien.csc.warwick.ac.uk/mirrors/download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/metakcahura:/arch-deepin/Arch_Extra/$arch
And some obligatory screenshots... (those are "deepin-movie" player and deepin-terminal below... btw)
UPDATE: After contacting FaSheng (one of the developers on Deepin team) and showing him the current progress I made, he pointed out that I forgot to add python2 to makedepends and that's why those packages wouldn't build (startdde and deepin-desktop-environment). Now, they're all in OBS repo and available for testing.
Last edited by metak (2014-05-26 01:46:53)

rAX wrote:
Yeah, I figured it out. I just wanted you to know.
But After installing deepin-desktop-environment, I login from GDM and it freezes, nothing happen.
I haven't tried it with GDM so I don't know... can you try installing lightdm from this repo that has greeter set to lightdm-deepin-greeter? It works for me that way.
systemctl start lightdm and I get that fancy animation.
BTW many packages have been updated and rebuilt. OBS has some weird tricks and when it rebuilds package the service file automatically sets the version in PKGBUILD which is great in theory and works for most part, BUT the problem is when version doesn't change and package is just rebuilt, it doesn't do pkgrel bumps which would trigger update. Not that I know anyway... That's why you're getting those errors about downloaded packages. Removing the old package in /var/cache/pacman/pkg and re-downloading fixes this issue in most cases if the OBS mirrors are synced.
Last edited by metak (2014-05-27 00:26:01)

Recommend me a desktop environment, please ;)

Hi! I just installed xorg and it looks like it is set up. Now I have to choose a desktop environment. I'd like something simple (and small in terms of download), yet offering great amount of functionality. What could it be?

When I started using Linux in 2002, there wasn't the plethora of window managers available as they are now. I used to use GNOME 2 in those days (not even HAL was there!); then I used KDE for sometime too.
After I discovered Arch, I moved through many DEs and WMs.... XFCE, Gnome, KDEmod, openbox, fluxbox, ion3, wmii, dwm and finally xmonad. I find tiling window managers really easy on me as I tend to have many windows open at some time; and though openbox is really cool (it has one of the best theme collections), with 10 windows open, manually managing them becomes a chore. With the tiling WMs, I can concentrate on my work, rather than moving windows around all day.
If you stick with XFCE, I suggest you try out Compiz; it has a nice feature which shows you all the windows at once.

Tty & Desktop Environment in azerty, but slim in qwerty o_0

Hi Archers
I've a little problem
On my system, TTY arent in azerty, my desktop environment is in azerty too, but slim login is still in qwerty mode...
Do you know how can i fix it ?
Thx !

EvasiveFR wrote:
Hi Archers
I've a little problem
On my system, TTY arent in azerty, my desktop environment is in azerty too, but slim login is still in qwerty mode...
Do you know how can i fix it ?
Thx !
You need to set your keyboard layout in a HAL information file. See the Dvorak Wiki for the relevant instructions, but put azerty there, instead.
Last edited by Wintervenom (2009-07-27 15:45:13)

File Association - Common Desktop Environment

I have set up a NEdit.dt file in my .dt/types directory to recognise *.v* files to use NEdit. However, I want to include other file types and cannot see how to do this.
my file looks like this:-
#     Common Desktop Environment (CDE)
#     Action and Data Type Definition File
#     Generated by the CreateAction Tool
# $Revision: 1.0
# $KEY: 4570
ACTION NEdit
     LABEL     NEdit
     TYPE     COMMAND
     EXEC_STRING     /public/nedit_v511/nedit %Arg_1%
     ICON     Dtpenpd
     WINDOW_TYPE     NO_STDIO
     DESCRIPTION     NEdit text editor
DATA_ATTRIBUTES NEdit_FILE_1
     ACTIONS     Open
     ICON     Dtdata
DATA_CRITERIA NEdit_FILE_1A
     DATA_ATTRIBUTES_NAME NEdit_FILE_1
     MODE     !d
     NAME_PATTERN     *.v*
ACTION Open
     ARG_TYPE     NEdit_FILE_1
     TYPE     MAP
     MAP_ACTION NEdit
     LABEL     Open

You use command line, as root user.
Then I found the easiest way to restart X was to exit CDE and relaunch CDE.
For Solaris x86, review the man page for kdmconfig.
For Solaris SPARC, review the appropriate man page for
whichever utility is appropriate for the frame buffer chipset.
( fbconfig, afbconfig, pfbconfig, m64config, ffbconfig, etc )

[SOLVED] X server and desktop environment?

ok I have 2 Q now I've been studding this quite a long time
well 1. Q
if I want to have a desktop I have to install X server and Desktop environment?
well2. Q
according to this article:
http://en.gentoo-wiki.com/wiki/Intel_GMA
I'd ask do I have to create a new file or is this an old topic for an old X server?
as I have now like this:
/etc/X11/
/twm
system.twmrc
/xinit
xinitrc
xserverrc
/xorg.conf.d
10-evdev.conf
10-monitor.conf
10-quirks.conf
Last edited by psihokiller4 (2010-08-07 13:50:03)

psihokiller4 wrote:
1. ok thanks
2.
it's sad:
X11 Configuration
If you find yourself needing to tell X11 to use the intel driver, set Driver to "intel" in /etc/X11/xorg.conf as in the example below,
File: /etc/X11/xorg.conf
Section "Device"
Identifier "My Intel Video Card"
Driver "intel"
EndSection
but I don't have it there so... do I need to create a new file or do I get this 4 lines in to
/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/10-evdev.conf
Depends what works for you. You should do away with xorg.conf, but some setups are easier to pull off with it.
How about creating a new file named 20-intel.conf, just as you do with nvidia?

My awesome WM(desktop environment) with sound problem!

I'm a newer to awesome .there's only one window manager awesome in my linux without any desktop environment(KDE GNOME...) or display manager(gdm kdm...etc) ,but I encountered a problem : there's no sound when playing music in the awesome environment ,but it sounds when switch to anoter tty on which the user of awesome DE has logined.
It's really strange.... beg for help .
Here's my rc.lua about volume:
vicious = require("vicious")
volumewidget = widget({ type = "textbox"})
volumewidget:buttons(awful.util.table.join(
-- awful.button({ }, 1, function () awful.util.spawn("amixer -q set Master toggle", false) end),
awful.button({ }, 2, function () awful.util.spawn("xterm -e alsamixer", true) end)
-- awful.button({ }, 4, function () awful.util.spawn("amixer -q set Master 2dB+", false) end),
-- awful.button({ }, 5, function () awful.util.spawn("amixer -q set Master 2dB-", false) end)
vicious.register(volumewidget, vicious.widgets.volume," $1% ", 2, "Capture")
supplement : I entered awesoem DE by typing in : /bin/su will -l -c "/bin/bash --login -c xinit" (issue "startx" makes no difference) in tty1, then awesome startup on another tty (tty2 ,tty7 e.g.).
Here's the processes after login in awesome:
[will@will-laptop ~]$ pstree
systemd─┬─NetworkManager─┬─dhclient
│ └─3*[{NetworkManager}]
├─4*[agetty]
├─atd
├─auditd─┬─audispd─┬─sedispatch
│ │ └─{audispd}
│ └─{auditd}
├─chrome─┬─chrome
│ ├─chrome-sandbox───chrome─┬─chrome─┬─10*[chrome───3*[{chrome}]]
│ │ │ └─chrome───12*[{chrome}]
│ │ └─nacl_helper_boo
│ └─25*[{chrome}]
├─chronyd
├─crond
├─2*[dbus-daemon]
├─dbus-launch
├─login───bash───su───xinit─┬─X
│ └─awesome
├─login───bash
├─mcelog
├─modem-manager
├─polkitd───{polkitd}
├─pulseaudio───2*[{pulseaudio}]
├─roxterm─┬─bash───sudo───vi
│ ├─bash───pstree
│ ├─gnome-pty-helpe
│ └─{roxterm}
├─rsyslogd───3*[{rsyslogd}]
├─rtkit-daemon───2*[{rtkit-daemon}]
├─system-setup-ke
├─systemd-journal
├─systemd-logind
├─udevd───2*[udevd]
└─wpa_supplicant

Well, if you don't necessarily need pulseaudio, I'd just uninstall it. I've never had any problems with alsa and awesome wm. However, if you need pulseaudio, like I did, then some applications are going to throw errors. Is the sound muted for any sound or just when you use a specific application? If its all applications, try just using alsa and see if the problem persists. If its a specific application, you might not be able to do anything about it depending on the application. Either way, install pavucontrol, which is a great gui for pulseaudio. You might notice that the channel is muted or something else through pavucontrol. Check that dbus is started in the daemons in /etc/rc.conf. Check the troubleshooting section here: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Pu … figuration.

Picking a Desktop Environment

I have just installed Archlinux: took a long time, but it was very pleasant. And now is time to add a Desktop Environment to it.
Having little experience with linux, realizing how time consuming testing each option can be and maybe missing something important, I come here for suggestions.
Currently, my "requirements" are:
- Big set of options
- Good interaction with small home-made programs (especially wxPython)
- Intuitive
- Following the Arch Way
The last two are way subjective, but I think it deserves mention.
Also, I have tested GNOME. It tripped often (probably my fault), but the main problem was the lack of options: the "win" key couldn't be used in shortcuts; the autohide option on panels was slow and the still visible line was unnecessarily big; I found no quick way to change workspaces (like forcing the mouse through a side, Xfce-style); every opened folder in the default file manager used a new window and there was no visible option to change it...
Did I miss an important configuration file in GNOME? Are the eye-candy and multiple flying widgets on the new KDE worthwhile? Should I go with something more simple like XFCE? Or even more simpler?

BoppreH wrote:
Also, I have tested GNOME. It tripped often (probably my fault), but the main problem was the lack of options: the "win" key couldn't be used in shortcuts; the autohide option on panels was slow and the still visible line was unnecessarily big; I found no quick way to change workspaces (like forcing the mouse through a side, Xfce-style); every opened folder in the default file manager used a new window and there was no visible option to change it...
Did I miss an important configuration file in GNOME? Are the eye-candy and multiple flying widgets on the new KDE worthwhile? Should I go with something more simple like XFCE? Or even more simpler?
FYI:
- You can change the speed and size of autohide in gconf-editor.
- Change workspaces with ctrl+alt(+shift if you want to move a window) + arrow.
- In the options of nautilus (file manager) you go to the tab "behavior" and tick "Always open in browser windows": http://tinyurl.com/af257t
Don't know about binding the win key to do anything, because I don't use it

HT2478 how do you make the setting to change desktop background every time you shut down your mac

how to make setting to change desktop background every time you close your mac
because i want to make it if anybody tries to change my dekstop picture i want it to go backto set desktop picture

Don't let other people access your Mac in admin mode - they might change something a lot more important than the Desktop picture.
However you can use Automator: create an Application in it, and select 'Set the Desktop Picture' from the Library. Choose the picture you want. Save the application, then go to System Preferences>Accounts>Login Items and select the Automator application you just created. This will then run at startup and set your chosen picture.

Have made a rebbot from Time Machine, and now I lack a lot of pictures. Can see icons, but not enlarge them. Especially pictures where 2009 is included in the date is missing? When I set up my desktop, I can find some of the pictures. Where do They hide,

Missing Pictures.
Have made a rebbot from Time Machine, and now I lack a lot of pictures. Can see icons, but not enlarge them. Especially pictures where 2009 is included in the date is missing?
When I set up my desktop, I can find some of the pictures. Where do They hide, and what shall I do.
Have made back up, but unfortunately a little too late. What to do?
MacBook Pro 15 "late 2008, Processor 2.53 Ghz Intel Core 2 Duo, Graphics NVIDIA GeForce 9400M 256 MB, Software Mac OS X 10.7.4 Lion (11E53).

1. You did not get an error message telling you that your iPhoto library was getting full. You got a message telling you that your HD was getting full, right?
OS X needs about 10 gigs of hard drive space for normal OS operations - things like virtual memory, temporary files and so on.
Without this space your Mac will slow down as the OS hunts for space on the disk, files will be fragmented, also slowing things down, apps will crash and the risk of data corruption - that is damage to your files, photos, music - increases exponentially.
Your first priority is to make more space on that HD. Nothing else can be done until you do.
Purchase an external HD and move your Photos and Music to it. Both iPhoto and iTunes can run perfectly well with the Library on an external disk.
Your Library has been damaged from being run on an overfull disk.
How much free space on it now?

Setting up Remote Desktop Apps for access from a Mac with 2FA

Hi
Setting up Remote Desktop Apps for access from a Mac with 2FA.
I have a server 2012 remote access gateway, with remote apps published(which uses single signon), behind a 2FA connection (web based) and want to know if its possible to allow macs to connect to the remote Apps behind it. i cannot permanently remove any
of the above setup as it is a requirement.
When i connect from a mac i can login to both the 2FA and remote access web pages and see all the apps but when i click on any app it downloads it to the mac and when i try to run it using Remote Desktop App for MAC i get an error :
"httpendpointexception: 4, The non-proxy http connection failed to connect with the message: 500 internal Server Error."
I have tried with 2fa turned off for testing and get the same result.Does it support 2012 TSGW server? does it support Remote desktop apps? as i cant find a definitive answer on either.
Thanks in advance for any advice.

Hi,
Thank you for posting in Windows Server Forum.
From Error description it seems to be a communication issue between your Mac and your RD gateway server. If you connect from extranet, you may need Remote Desktop Gateway or a VPN/Direct Access connection to your intranet, or forward port 3389 on your router.
500 Internal Server Error seems to be a HTTP related error.
The HTTP status code in IIS 7.0, IIS 7.5, and IIS 8.0
Also, please double check the settings if you have a RD gateway implemented in you intranet.
http://redmondmag.com/articles/2013/12/24/rd-gateway-in-windows-server.aspx
In Windows Server 2012 R2 RD Gateway pluggable authentication is also introduced. This allows custom authentication routines to be used with RD Gateway. For example building a two-factor solution on top of RD Gateway is now possible which allows doing token-authentication
to the RD Gateway which works seamlessly with RD Web Access or RDP file launching.
Please check below article for more information.
Windows Server 2012 R2 is coming what does this add to RDS – VDI
In addition, please provide the log file from the client for further research.
Microsoft Remote Desktop -> About Microsoft Remote Desktop -> Send log via email
Hope it helps!
Thanks.
Dharmesh Solanki
TechNet Community Support

ISupplier - Setting up the Development Environment with JDeveloper 9.0.3

Hi friends,
Can you please tell me the steps involved in setting up the development environment for iSupplier Module with JDeveloper in my PC.
Please give me the details about what are the files to be downloaded from Apps, folder structure for development environment etc...
Gurus please reply ASAP.
Thanks,
San

You should better pick the class files from the JAVA_TOP appropraite to that product and add it to either myclasses in your project in jdev or add it to the classpath.
Once you have these required files then you can launch the pages by either using a test.jsp or use the xml files directly if you know what parameters to pass. I would suggest you to use a test.jsp and launch the first page in the flow which launches from the menu - function by picking it's web_html_call.

I have an unexpected error setting up iCloud desktop with my Outlook Celandar

Setting up iCloud desktop on my Windows 7 computer, I encounter an "unexpected error" when trying to set up the Outlook Calandar & Contacts. I don't see any indication on how to fix this issue.

Done. Same result. Tried re-installing the iCloud Desktop as well. Same result.

Set up my desktop environment

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