CrunchBang Linux Forums - Openbox vs XFCE?

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (FiniteStateMachine) — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 00:11:13 +0000

Oh, i didn't realize that anonymous. Alright then, well unless I find or make a dock that fits those requirements, you win :P
Also, i didn't even realize what thread this was in :lol:

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (anonymous) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 23:49:35 +0000

FiniteStateMachine wrote:

So /functionality/ wise, i think you can get pretty close. Is there any specific feature that I'm missing that really makes it impossible to use a dock+panel?

Of course not. Im just after the /aesthetics/ of the Windows 7 dock.

P.S. I am sorry for going off-topic in this thread.

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (FiniteStateMachine) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:34:50 +0000

I suppose, but really the windows 7 bar goes: Start Menu, Dock, Task List, Sys Tray
The start menu can be emulated by many docks, even adeskbar you could just make it a 'sliding drawer'.
The dock part is just part of a normal dock... and your list and sys tray is just tint2...
So /functionality/ wise, i think you can get pretty close. Is there any specific feature that I'm missing that really makes it impossible to use a dock+panel?

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (anonymous) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 22:04:45 +0000

I think having the dock and task list integrated is what makes it special. A dock and panel are simply that, a dock and panel. Thank you for sharing though.

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (FiniteStateMachine) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:57:18 +0000

anonymous wrote:

Whats so special about having a dock and panel side by side?

It just closely resembles the windows 7 dock, which is what you wanted.

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (anonymous) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:52:11 +0000

Whats so special about having a dock and panel side by side?

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (FiniteStateMachine) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:40:38 +0000

Ok, what do you think of this anonymous?

Kinda serves the same function as the windows dock. Granted, its not /integrated/ into tint2, and I have a tonne more items. But no reason you couldn't just have iceweasel + music player + term or something. Other, reaaalllly nice thing, i can hide adeskbar in the same margin tint2 is in. Before that, i had it on the side of my second monitor, which i couldnt put any margins on, so i had to have it set to hide. It was also pretty simple to set the backgrounds the same colour, and the border the same colour, so it matches pretty darn well.

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (FiniteStateMachine) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:31:27 +0000

anonymous wrote:

FiniteStateMachine wrote:
Because of windows 7, im kinda used to having a dock-like panel at the bottom of my screen. I also find it faster to (currently) just swing my mouse to the left of my screen and click, rather then opening the menu, opening a sub menu, and clicking.
I wish we could have Windows 7's dock in Linux but without Gnome dependencies a la DockbarX.
FiniteStateMachine wrote:
Though at the same time, the shortcuts are much faster than even that... and i'm getting back into using them lol.
Very true.

I kinda got used to the dock big-time... really only had firefox, songbird and msn on it... but just those 3 apps that I always used... it just felt normal to just click.
Thats why i installed adeskbar on statler this time around. I figured it could replace the windows version. And it kinda does. I'm actually about to experiment, try and get my dock sitting right beside tint2 and have tint2 only take up a percentage of the screen, not stretch across if I can.

But now that I've gotten back into crunchbang... I'm starting to use the shortcuts even more. At which point, neither a dock nor menu is really all that necessary.

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (anonymous) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:09:37 +0000

FiniteStateMachine wrote:

Because of windows 7, im kinda used to having a dock-like panel at the bottom of my screen. I also find it faster to (currently) just swing my mouse to the left of my screen and click, rather then opening the menu, opening a sub menu, and clicking.

I wish we could have Windows 7's dock in Linux but without Gnome dependencies a la DockbarX.

FiniteStateMachine wrote:

Though at the same time, the shortcuts are much faster than even that... and i'm getting back into using them lol.

Very true.

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (FiniteStateMachine) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 21:01:28 +0000

anonymous wrote:

FiniteStateMachine wrote:
Also for those who use a dock, sometimes a menu entry is pointless if you have it on the dock as well, so with openbox you can get rid of it.
I am the opposite, because everything can be put into the Openbox menu I have no more need for a dock. I miss the pretty icons but I am too accustomed to the Openbox menu.

Yep thats true as well. Because of windows 7, im kinda used to having a dock-like panel at the bottom of my screen. I also find it faster to (currently) just swing my mouse to the left of my screen and click, rather then opening the menu, opening a sub menu, and clicking. Though at the same time, the shortcuts are much faster than even that... and i'm getting back into using them lol.

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (anonymous) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 13:45:52 +0000

FiniteStateMachine wrote:

Also for those who use a dock, sometimes a menu entry is pointless if you have it on the dock as well, so with openbox you can get rid of it.

I am the opposite, because everything can be put into the Openbox menu I have no more need for a dock. I miss the pretty icons but I am too accustomed to the Openbox menu.

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (FiniteStateMachine) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:54:22 +0000

I like the option to do both. But i'm starting to sway more and more towards openbox. the XFCE menu is pretty static, not much you can do to change it (easily). The openbox menu is whatever you make of it. If you use the 'gui menu editor' feature, its pretty simple to figure out how to add what you want. But i can organize it however I like, and leave out the options I don't need. For example, I've got a 'dev' menu which holds geany, inkscape, gimp, amaya, blender and glade. In an XFCE menu, these programs would be mostly in separate categories. But because I'm in openbox, i can set it up how i like. Also for those who use a dock, sometimes a menu entry is pointless if you have it on the dock as well, so with openbox you can get rid of it.

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (jotapesse) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 09:48:46 +0000

alexander wrote:

i really like openbox better

I really like that #! Statler offers both! :)

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (alexander) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 04:16:00 +0000

i really like openbox better

Re: Openbox vs XFCE?

dummy@example.com (chillicampari) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 00:55:45 +0000

@Nickynak, it sounds like xfce and what you're looking for make a good match. :)

With Statler they look very similar and for the most part behave very similar, but as you've discovered, aren't the same thing (even though they are both Crunchbang). A lot of the differences are under the hood. But since ease of use is subjective (like our ideas of what's easy and what are frustrating are probably pretty different) I'm still not sure that Openbox in itself turns off new people.

But maybe... I'm wondering if a cheat sheet or something that highlights some of the basic differences between the two wouldn't be a bad idea.

@PoliticsOfStarving, I keep trying to right click on my XP box too. Someone here showed me how to switch it and I need to look that post up. :D