• Registered: 2011-07-29
  • Posts: 7

Topic: Does openbox have a desktop?

Hi All,

I'm new to crunch bang, and I've only messed around with openbox a little bit.

I have both openbox and XFCE installed right now, but I'm trying to learn openbox first.

Does it even have a desktop? I've been trying to drag files from thunar to the desktop with no luck and I'm confused...

  • From: Dusk Till Dawn
  • Registered: 2009-07-02
  • Posts: 4,427

Re: Does openbox have a desktop?

Hello, welcome to #!

openbox has no desktop, that's why you won't see the icons displayed. You can use PcmanFM as file manager which can 'manage the desktop' and show the icons. XFCE has an option for this, too.

I recommend XFCE4 if you want to have the self-updating menu, a panel which can inherit applets (opposed to #! openbox which uses the "tint2" panel) and probably easier configuration (because fully GUI-fied). You can still mix both (use tint2 but let xfwm4 manage the windows and decorations, or vice versa: xfce4panel in an openbox session)

Log out, choose "Session" in the GDM screen and try XFCE4. It looks and behaves very similar to the OB version.

Nothing right in the left brain. Nothing left in the right brain.
  • Registered: 2011-07-29
  • Posts: 7

Re: Does openbox have a desktop?

Thanks for the reply, I guess I'll start with XFCE. Out of curiosity, how to people who use WM/DEs like openbox and also tiling WM do file management? If you can't really drag and drop, do you use a lot of commandline file shuffling with cp and mv? Is it all keyboard shortcuts?

  • From: Dusk Till Dawn
  • Registered: 2009-07-02
  • Posts: 4,427

Re: Does openbox have a desktop?

I guess most of them use the command line. Anyway, the mouse does work in tiling WMs, too (even when they have names like ratpoison) - it is of course easier to have a file manager with two panes [1] or you open two instances of your filemanager(s) of choice. But command line is - thanks to tab-completion - easier/quicker/efficient.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comparison … ager_views

Nothing right in the left brain. Nothing left in the right brain.
  • From: 127.0.0.1
  • Registered: 2010-07-02
  • Posts: 1,272

Re: Does openbox have a desktop?

I love openbox, I won't even use a distro that doesn't work well with it for one reason or another. I drag and drop stuff from one thunar window to another all the time, and I don't miss desktop icons at all. I've tried tiling WMs before but ended up just switching back to openbox. Here's a thread on editing ~/.config/openbox/rc.xml, if you check out the one I pastebined, it has a lot of window management related shortcuts, like resizing windows, resizing them, moving them about the screen, maximizing them vertically/horizontally, etc. that allow you to "tile" your windows pretty efficiently, but it might take a few more key presses than in awesomeWM.

  • From: Dusk Till Dawn
  • Registered: 2009-07-02
  • Posts: 4,427

Re: Does openbox have a desktop?

hey mynis ^^

^ yeah, the window-resizer-keybindings, also called poor man's tiling WM big_smile

Last edited by machinebacon (2011-07-29 19:38:19)

Nothing right in the left brain. Nothing left in the right brain.
  • From: Dungeons of Doom
  • Registered: 2011-01-02
  • Posts: 657

Re: Does openbox have a desktop?

MycoRunner wrote:

Thanks for the reply, I guess I'll start with XFCE. Out of curiosity, how to people who use WM/DEs like openbox and also tiling WM do file management? If you can't really drag and drop, do you use a lot of commandline file shuffling with cp and mv? Is it all keyboard shortcuts?

No window manager does this, because they manage windows, not your files. That is what thunar and nautilus and others are for.

Last edited by AwesomeFist (2011-07-29 23:57:09)

"Of course it's happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?" -Albus Dumbledore
  • Registered: 2011-07-27
  • Posts: 892

Re: Does openbox have a desktop?

I luv WM's ... Ultra light, efficient and they stay da hades out of the way. As imo ... an operating system's gui should. Check the list of default keyboard shortcuts. Which there are others besides those listed. Am new to CB myself. Found out Super(aka: windows key ) +d will minimize everything and show the desktop. Sure there are others by default. Just haven't taken the time to find them yet.

Seems like much of what someone would use most is present and accounted for in the default right click menu too. If not with a lil research someone can easily rearrange the menu or add to it to suit their preferences. Once you have things laid out to fit the way you use your system. Might even be tough going back to the clutter of a regular DE. Only been using Linux for a few months ( #! for a few dys ) and already notice myself constantly trying to right click when using windows or other. It's super convenient and imo hugely user friendly. Not to mention feather light on system resources. So whether on low spec or high spec hardware it's going to be more responsive.

Just saying once someone spends a lil bit of time to learn just what's available with #! openbox by default. They'll be amazed at what they can do without touching their mouse. Super +spacebar ( main menu comes up ). Then just like in many OS's you hit the letter key for the menu item you want to select in the menu list and WHAM ... there it is babyyyyyy. Been through probably 20 distro's and CB is one of the best examples of nix I've found. It's tied for 1st in fact. big_smile Openbox is awesome. Keep finding myself moving towards WM's like open/fluxbox etc.

Even with the default way #! has it laid out think it's great as is. Once you've invested the time and effort in learning a bit about how to use it. Betting it'd be hard and dreary going back to a full desktop, shrugs. Haven't tried it yet, but betting #! xfce is top notch nix too though ... oh well.

Sorry for the book. big_smile

Last edited by CBizgreat! (2011-07-31 06:51:20)

Some common cbiz abbreviations. This will save me time and yet @ same time tell folks what the babble is supposed to mean.

Vll ! = ( Viva la gnu/Linux !)    Vl#!! = ( Viva la #! !)    Last but not least, UD ... OD ! = ( Use Debian ... or die !) tongue