CrunchBang Linux Forums » Feedback & Suggestions » OK, here's my list...
...of improvements so far:
- when you select "submit package statistics" in the installer, that does seem to get overwritten again later (dunno if this is an Ubuntu bug or if it's #! specific)
- do we have some kind of update manager at all or do I need to use aptitude?
- why do we have a Desktop folder in the home directory if we have no desktop manager anyway?
I hope I'm not showing my n00b-ness too much here... 
- when you select "submit package statistics" in the installer, that does seem to get overwritten again later (dunno if this is an Ubuntu bug or if it's #! specific)
Not sure about this one, first time anyone has mentioned it. I will look into it.
- do we have some kind of update manager at all or do I need to use aptitude?
Ubuntu's update manager does not work too well at the moment with CrunchBang. I think it is something that can be fixed, again I will need to look into it. If I remember correctly, originally CrunchBang did ship with the update manager, but there were issues with not having any of the major desktop meta-packages installed?! Current workaround:
sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade
- why do we have a Desktop folder in the home directory if we have no desktop manager anyway?
This one is more annoying than anything else. I think I maybe able to fix this as I am sure there is a standards file somewhere which defines folders. Whether Thunar, or any other app for that matter, respects this is another thing entirely. You can try deleting the folder, but it will probably appear again at some point when an application tries to access it. Personally, I live it, but it would be nice to fix, if for no other reason than I do not like directories beginning with an uppercase letter 
Good call on all of the above, needs work. Thanks.
Cool! Thanks for the infos!
Personally, I live it, but it would be nice to fix, if for no other reason than I do not like directories beginning with an uppercase letter
Oh I feel your pain, mate! I really do. And looking at the default home folder, I had a feeling that was exacly your reasoning. 
Note-to-self department: Further to the above "Desktop" folder discussion, I believe the package I was thinking of is called "xdg-user-dirs". Details here: http://packages.ubuntu.com/intrepid/xdg-user-dirs - I will look into this some more when I get chance.
Interesting. I'll check that out...
Have yet to install CB -- still double-checking my split backup tar file to make sure I don't lose anything, but re: the aptitude matter:
Personally, I prefer updating/upgrading manually through aptitude. I've been using Mint for a while, and while some might find Mint Update (similar to Ubuntu Update) rather easy to use, I prefer having control over when my system is updated, thereby knowing what is updated/upgraded and when. I personally have no qualms with the absence of an ubuntu update equivalent -- some newer users might take exception, but it seems to me that #! is inherently oriented toward a slightly more savvy linux user.
In response to #3, the Desktop folder annoys me as well. From my quick experimenting with a dummy user, it appears that firefox creates the directory the first time it downloads a file or saves a page (simply going to the save page menu created it for me). Other GTK apps (I must admit, I only tried abiword) defaulted to the home directory as a storage place.
I had a strange experience with aptitude recently. I can't remember what program that I needed to install but I was doing it from the cli and without X running. I forgot that wicd hadn't fired up for my wireless connection so aptitude was unable to connect and the package install failed. It then proceeded to automatically identify and remove 108 packages that I use often and didn't want uninstalled. It wasn't a big hassle to find the aptitude log and then put them back but it was a bit of a shock to see a long line of packages being uninstalled before my eyes.
I've since removed aptitude and just use apt from the cli or synaptic.
I had a strange experience with aptitude recently. I can't remember what program that I needed to install but I was doing it from the cli and without X running. I forgot that wicd hadn't fired up for my wireless connection so aptitude was unable to connect and the package install failed. It then proceeded to automatically identify and remove 108 packages that I use often and didn't want uninstalled. It wasn't a big hassle to find the aptitude log and then put them back but it was a bit of a shock to see a long line of packages being uninstalled before my eyes.
I've since removed aptitude and just use apt from the cli or synaptic.
Weird. I wonder what that was all about? Hmm. I have never used aptitude, so I am really not qualified to give an opinion on it. I know some people rave about it, but to be honest, I am quite happy using apt and it has never given me a reason to go looking elsewhere. Anyhow, good to read to managed to get it sorted without too much hassle
Note-to-self department: Further to the above "Desktop" folder discussion, I believe the package I was thinking of is called "xdg-user-dirs". Details here: http://packages.ubuntu.com/intrepid/xdg-user-dirs - I will look into this some more when I get chance.
I have been running this package on my notebook since I mentioned it on Saturday. It seems to be working, I think, at least the "Desktop" directory has not been recreated since I deleted it. Once installed, a system restart is needed and then the trick is to set the default directories in ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs
For anyone interested, here are the contents of my ~/.config/user-dirs.dirs:
# This file is written by xdg-user-dirs-update
# If you want to change or add directories, just edit the line you're
# interested in. All local changes will be retained on the next run
# Format is XDG_xxx_DIR="$HOME/yyy", where yyy is a shell-escaped
# homedir-relative path, or XDG_xxx_DIR="/yyy", where /yyy is an
# absolute path. No other format is supported.
#
XDG_DESKTOP_DIR="$HOME/"
XDG_DOWNLOAD_DIR="$HOME/downloads"
XDG_TEMPLATES_DIR="$HOME/"
XDG_PUBLICSHARE_DIR="$HOME/"
XDG_DOCUMENTS_DIR="$HOME/documents"
XDG_MUSIC_DIR="$HOME/music"
XDG_PICTURES_DIR="$HOME/images"
XDG_VIDEOS_DIR="$HOME/videos"How about installing gdebi by default?
fabsh wrote:How about installing gdebi by default?
+1 for gdebi
Agreed. Good call. It has been mentioned elsewhere too. The strange thing is, it really should have been installed by default, it has been in previous releases. I guess it somehow managed to slip through the net, maybe because it does not really require any menu entries as it is normally invoked via the file manager?!
Anyhow, I totally agree. It will be added to the list of packages to be included in the next release. Thanks
How about installing gdebi by default?
I'd support that one although there's probably a good reason it's not there. Going over 666mb maybe 
I'd support that one although there's probably a good reason it's not there. Going over 666mb maybe
Seriously, I am beginning to get a little bit worried about your obsession with the number of the beast!
LOL. Great! I was fearing there was a serious reason for not installing it.
omns wrote:I'd support that one although there's probably a good reason it's not there. Going over 666mb maybe
Seriously, I am beginning to get a little bit worried about your obsession with the number of the beast!
Number of the Beast appears on every barcode Mr Newborough B-)
Look closely at yours! They're called the 'guard' bars, to separate the numbers which are read. The three 'guard' bars, the hidden (unread) bars - they are an 'uneven parity code' binary 10100000 - 1 being black, 0 being white, you can see two thin vertical lines with a white area to the right.
Thus your self chosen alternative to the Serial Killer 
is the beast himself.
Trouble 'n Strife better start watching out, things seem to be going downhill rapidly!!!
refs: http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:VWb … ackets.gif
Last edited by ben (2008-12-29 16:47:49)
Did you ever consider Crunchbang with no internet? It is not so much a viable distro to boot and do a bit of office work because Office has gone, and Abiword can't open .doc files (as with Puppy linux).
Networking was fine - but I didn't have the password today, so I'll try again New Year. If this works, it maybe viable to install it on 4 machines at school as a dualboot option. Three of these machines are crippled by a basic XP install, and would work nicely with the basic 100MB Openbox boot I think.
It did boot to desktop (unlike ubuntu, which had problems getting X server going), and offered me GIMP - but I couldn't open any '.doc' files - with USB I can plug into Windows and use Open Office to make nice .odt format files everywhere and use Gimp to scan/crop/size pictures to drag onto my Word documents.
I need to get .deb files to install Office don't I?
I need to get .deb files to install Office don't I?
Hello ben
OpenOffice 2.x is available directly from the repositories. For OpenOffice 3 please see: http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/topic … eorg-debs/
I need to get .deb files to install Office don't I?
Hello ben
OpenOffice 2.x is available directly from the repositories. For OpenOffice 3 please see: http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/topic … eorg-debs/
Hi, yes - but repositories aren't available without internet on the 4 machines at school. I guess life's very much easier in civilised countries with real internet...
I'll get the debs and save them to my flashdrive, then have another go after New year.
Thanks for the link
Last edited by ben (2008-12-30 13:44:38)
Did you ever consider Crunchbang with no internet?
Honestly, there are not many distros that are viable with no reliable internet connection. That is the way of the world as it stands.
Michael
Posts [ 20 ]
CrunchBang Linux Forums » Feedback & Suggestions » OK, here's my list...
Forums powered by PunBB. Hosted by Linode.
Copyright © CrunchBang Linux.
Proudly powered by Debian GNU/Linux.
Debian is a registered trademark of Software in the Public Interest, Inc.
