The future of desktop menus

Forum: Window Mangers
Topic: The future of desktop menus
started by: mikshaw

Posted by mikshaw on July 28 2007,12:20

There has just been an update to the stable line for the IceWM window manager, but before updating the myDSL package I'd like to know a little about the future of the desktop menus and/or icons in DSL.

The current icewm.uci MyDSL package includes a script that converts the Fluxbox desktop menu to an IceWM desktop menu, so when a new myDSL package is installed or removed the IceWM menu can be easily adjusted. Since I haven't yet seen how the desktop works in DSL 4.0, I don't know if this script will continue to be useful in the future. I assume that as long as MyDSL packages in general continue to be built in the same way, including "[exec] (label) {command}" menu files, the fluxbox menu will continue to be the primary focus of these menu files. Is this correct? Are there plans to change the MyDSL menu to a different format when the default window manager changes?

As a side note, I've noticed since testing on an older, slower machine that the menu conversion script is pretty slow, so it will be tweaked for the next icewm.uci regardless of whether or not the default DSL menu changes.

I'm also open to any suggestions for a better way to manage the IceWM menu in DSL.

Posted by roberts on July 28 2007,14:17

The fluxbox standard of "[exec] (label) {command}" is still valid. In fact, it is used to auto generate the dot app wrappers in 4.x for dfm. I could not try to change all the extensions, and end up breaking 3.x and all prior versions of DSL.

Posted by mikshaw on July 30 2007,00:12

Thank you. So I'll just try to fix the slowness of it =o)

Posted by jpeters on July 31 2007,04:09

Quote (mikshaw @ July 29 2007,20:12)

Thank you. So I'll just try to fix the slowness of it =o)

Thanks for continuing to work on iceWM. It's my favorite, since it allows me to hotkey aterm, etc.

Posted by lucky13 on July 31 2007,12:12

Quote

It's my favorite, since it allows me to hotkey aterm, etc.

You can do that with other window managers, including jwm. See exec command:
< http://joewing.net/programs/jwm/config.shtml#keys >

And :execCommand in fluxbox:
< http://fluxbox.sourceforge.net/docs/en/newdoc.keybindings.php#top >

Posted by jpeters on July 31 2007,20:44

Quote (lucky13 @ July 31 2007,08:12)

Quote

It's my favorite, since it allows me to hotkey aterm, etc.

You mean there's more than one way to skin a cat?

I tried execCommand with fluxback to load aterm. I finally got it working using the F keys (e.g., "Mod1 F12 :execCommand aterm").
It didn't work substituting "Control" for Mod1, or substituting a regular key for F12. I'm sure there's a way to do it, maybe using ascii numbers or something...... with IceWM it took 5 seconds to figure it out.

Posted by lucky13 on July 31 2007,22:40

I set the following in ~/.fluxbox/keys (dsl 4.0a1) and it works:

Code Sample

Control F1 :ExecCommand aterm

I'm not a fluxbox fan; I have jwm set up to launch apps by keystroke. I already know the jwm bindings work:

Code Sample

<Key mask="C" key="F1">exec: aterm</Key>
<Key mask="C" key="F2">exec: sudo aterm</Key>

Posted by jpeters on Aug. 01 2007,01:15

Quote (lucky13 @ July 31 2007,18:40)

I set the following in ~/.fluxbox/keys (dsl 4.0a1) and it works:

Code Sample

Control F1 :ExecCommand aterm

I'm not a fluxbox fan; I have jwm set up to launch apps by keystroke. I already know the jwm bindings work:

Code Sample

<Key mask="C" key="F1">exec: aterm</Key>
<Key mask="C" key="F2">exec: sudo aterm</Key>

Well, now its all working, even "Control R :execControl aterm" I did exactly what I did before, editing the ./fluxbox/keys and restarting. Maybe I'm just losing it.......