Using FLUXBOX as a Window Manager

[ozitraveller]

Without trying it, doesn't fbpager or bbpager do something like screen switching? Maybe I'm totally wrong too. 

[PackRat]

They are pagers like the Xfce workspace switcher.

fbpager is no longer developed and is actually discouraged by the fluxbox devs on the website and wiki. I don't think bbpager or obpager (blackbox and openbox pagers) are being developed anymore either. There are some other pagers out there, but I never really cared for them from an aesthetic standpoint.

It's actually pretty easy to set up tint2 in pager only mode for fluxbox and get to match up with your fluxbox theme and transparency; doesn't use a lot of resources.

[VastOne]

It's actually pretty easy to set up tint2 as a pager only for fluxbox and get to match up with your fluxbox theme and transparency; doesn't use a lot of resources.

Hmmmm...  I need to look into that and use those resources.  I have been using FluxBox for quite sometime I still have not delved into all of what it is capable of

Thanks for the tip

[PackRat]

Just set up tint2 to display multiple desktops only; tinker with the padding and some basic math and tint2 will function as a pager and be scaled to your screen's aspect ratio. Kind of stylish. The main difference is that the tint2 icons will be aligned with the taskbar, they don't float in their relative positions like they do on an authentic pager.

edit - picture is worth 1000 characters:



and the tint2rc

Code Select Expand

# Tint2 config file
# Generated by tintwizard (http://code.google.com/p/tintwizard/)
# For information on manually configuring tint2 see http://code.google.com/p/tint2/wiki/Configure

# Background definitions
# ID 1
rounded = 0
border_width = 0
background_color = #000000 0
border_color = #FFFFFF 0

# ID 2
rounded = 3
border_width = 2
background_color = #DAD7D0 10
border_color = #575238 66

# ID 3
rounded = 3
border_width = 2
background_color = #DAD7D0 10
border_color = #AE573C 66

# ID 4
rounded = 2
border_width = 0
background_color = #DAD7D0 0
border_color = #A52A2A 66

# ID 5
rounded = 2
border_width = 0
background_color = #DAD7D0 66
border_color = #111111 66

# ID 6
rounded = 2
border_width = 1
background_color = #A52A2A 4
border_color = #7C2E21 100

# Panel
panel_monitor = all
panel_position = top center horizontal
panel_items = T
panel_size = 40% 36
panel_margin = 0 32
panel_padding = 0 0 12
panel_dock = 0
wm_menu = 0
panel_layer = bottom
panel_background_id = 1

# Panel Autohide
autohide = 0
autohide_show_timeout = 0.3
autohide_hide_timeout = 2
autohide_height = 2
strut_policy = none

# Taskbar
taskbar_mode = multi_desktop
taskbar_padding = 1 1 4
taskbar_background_id = 2
taskbar_active_background_id = 3

# Tasks
urgent_nb_of_blink = 8
task_icon = 1
task_text = 0
task_centered = 1
task_maximum_size = 64 36
task_padding = 6 2
task_background_id = 4
task_active_background_id = 4
task_urgent_background_id = 6
task_iconified_background_id = 1
task_tooltip = 1

# Task Icons
task_icon_asb = 50 0 0
task_active_icon_asb = 90 0 0
task_urgent_icon_asb = 100 0 0
task_iconified_icon_asb = 50 0 0

# Fonts
task_font = sans 7
task_font_color = #FFFFFF 68
task_active_font_color = #FFFFFF 83
task_urgent_font_color = #FFFFFF 83
task_iconified_font_color = #FFFFFF 68
font_shadow = 0

# System Tray
systray = 1
systray_padding = 0 4 5
systray_sort = ascending
systray_background_id = 0
systray_icon_size = 16
systray_icon_asb = 70 0 0

# Clock
time1_format = %H:%M
time1_font = sans 8
time2_format = %A %d %B
time2_font = sans 6
clock_font_color = #FFFFFF 74
clock_padding = 1 0
clock_background_id = 0
clock_rclick_command = orage

# Tooltips
tooltip_padding = 2 2
tooltip_show_timeout = 0.7
tooltip_hide_timeout = 0.3
tooltip_background_id = 2
tooltip_font = sans 10
tooltip_font_color = #000000 80

# Mouse
mouse_middle = none
mouse_right = close
mouse_scroll_up = toggle
mouse_scroll_down = iconify

# Battery
battery = 0
battery_low_status = 10
battery_low_cmd = notify-send "battery low"
battery_hide = 98
bat1_font = sans 8
bat2_font = sans 6
battery_font_color = #FFFFFF 74
battery_padding = 1 0
battery_background_id = 0

# End of config


[ozitraveller]

Thanks for the feedback PackRat. 

Is fbpanel no longer maintained as well? 

[PackRat]

Last version is 2010 so I would say it is no longer maintained. Looks like bmpanel2 isn't maintained either.

[ozitraveller]

@PackRat - thanks, what are the options without composting : tint2, lxpanel, ... ?   

[PackRat]

What are you trying to do? Are you replacing fluxbox's native panel, or just want to add a pager?

If you just want a pager app, there is netwmpager: http://crunchbanglinux.org/wiki/netwmpager_howto

If you want a launcher there is wbar - https://code.google.com/p/wbar/
That is the default launcher in siduction, has animations like increased icon size and movement.

Adeskbar is another launcher - http://adeskbar.tuxfamily.org/

lxpanel is the only complete panel I know of that is probably still developed. The Xfce panel should have at least partial functionality in fluxbox, or you may still be able to use fluxbox as the window manager for xfce.

edit - The xfce panel appears to work just fine in fluxbox - I was thinking it lost a lot of funtionality. If you're just looking for a pager, you can create a panel that has the xfce pager as the only item.



edit 2 - the xfce logout dialog is what does not work, so you would need to exit from fluxbox.

[ozitraveller]

Hi PackRat I'm just look for alternatives to tint2 that are still being maintained. I'm happy with xfce and fluxbox, but always on the look out for any improvements. Thanks for you reply Ozi

[PackRat]

found a pager app called neap - sits in the system tray:

neap pager app

[jedi]

Nice find PackRat.  I'll definitely check it out...

[AaronCaldwell]

I am an avid Fluxbox WM user ...

The Fluxbox Window Manager is closely based on Blackbox WM.

Fluxbox WM and Openbox WM - can use the xorg-system-core, with NO desktop environment.  Much like what Crunchbang and Archbang have done.

Fluxbox is still closely based on Blackbox.  Some say that, Fluxbox is the natural progression of Blackbox.  Fluxbox is a basic Blackbox; with a few more things added for user-friendliness.  Not to take anything away from the base-Blackbox build ... the BB-Devs did an awesome job.  I use many of the BB scripts, themes/styles and apps with Fluxbox -- they seems to be pretty much forward and backward compatible.

Openbox, was also, based on Blackbox but has grown more separate from the BB-base, with using and building it's own configs and apps.  Although, Openbox seems to be growing in popularity, with more Linux OS-distro systems using Openbox - as the default Window Manager.

There are advantages, pros and cons, to using either Openbox and/or Fluxbox.

Fluxbox has:
A self-updating 'right-click' Menu
It's own Fb-panel/taskbar (no need for tint2)
A built-in Composer
Does not use a GUI or .xml files but everything is a simple Script
Easy to use and Configure.
There are already hundreds of fb-styles (themes) available.
As light-weight on resources (or led light) than using Openbox.

Very impressive indeed.. Never thought like this but now I will surely use Fluxbox WM.. Thanks for the information

[dizzie]

Ya know... quoting an entire thread doesnt make you state a fact, it just make you look dumb, so please state what you want to say, without quoting a page full of what we've already read. Thank you 

[PackRat]

Messing around with adding pseudo tiling behavior in fluxbox while downloading V-raptor.

Getting mixed results:



The code if anyone interested wants to tinker with it. Started out as an exercise in using MacroCmd and ToggleCmd for some keybindings:

Code Select Expand

Mod1 Shift l :MacroCmd {MoveTo 0 0 UpperLeft} {ResizeTo 683 200} {MaximizeVertical}
Mod1 Shift r :MacroCmd {MoveTo 0 0 UpperRight} {ResizeTo 683 200} {MaximizeVertical}
Mod1 Shift t :MacroCmd {MoveTo 0 0 UpperLeft} {RezizeTo 200 393} {MaximizeHorizontal}
Mod1 Shift b :MacroCmd {MoveTo 0 0 LowerLeft} {ResizeTo 100 393} {MaximizeHorizontal}

Mod4 Shift h :MacroCmd {ResizeTo 682 364} {MoveTo 0 0 UpperLeft}
Mod4 Shift j :MacroCmd {ResizeTo 682 364} {MoveTo 0 0 UpperRight}
Mod4 Shift k :MacroCmd {ResizeTo 682 364} {MoveTo 0 0 LowerLeft}
Mod4 Shift l :MacroCmd {ResizeTo 682 364} {MoveTo 0 0 LowerRight}

[VastOne]

Wow!  That is really nice.  I am curious as to what the tiling users will see in this

Thanks for sharing!