• rsw
  • #! CrunchBanger
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  • Registered: 2009-08-26
  • Posts: 100

Topic: Default Openbox menu

#! is a great distro and I can't think of many ways to improve something already so spectacular, but when I booted up there was one thing I instantly knew had to be changed:

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/4320/c91024.png

When I first saw that all I could think was holy crap, there's like 20 things on the root menu!  I get all flustered when trying to find stuff on a menu that big.  I know it's simple enough to run obmenu and organize everything to according to our individual preferences, but does that colossal menu really fit in with the minimalist aesthetic of #!?  It was certainly a strange and unexpected surprise. Just my opinion (of course), and I may be wrong.  What does everyone else think?

Last edited by rsw (2009-08-30 01:10:24)

  • koral
  • #! Member
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  • From: UK
  • Registered: 2009-08-24
  • Posts: 58

Re: Default Openbox menu

At first I was the same as you. I thought it's ot comfortable at all.
But now I got used to it. Maybe a lot of stuff at the begining, but as you said "simple enough to run obmenu and organize everything" wink

It's preety comfy for me just hit win+space and get access to everything i need. I don't need icons or anything like that smile

There's just one kind of man than you can trust, that's a dead man. Or a gringo like me!
  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: Default Openbox menu

I have no problem with and its rather similar length to the Xfce menu.

Note: ** Please read before posting **

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  • From: Lincoln, UK
  • Registered: 2008-11-20
  • Posts: 4,429

Re: Default Openbox menu

anonymous wrote:

I have no problem with and its rather similar length to the Xfce menu.

+1, although I can imagine it might seem to be a little on the large side when you first encounter it. For what it is worth, CrunchBang Lite contains a much smaller menu, but then it does not have as many installed applications.

My website | Follow me on Twitter | CrunchBang on DistroWatch

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  • Registered: 2009-01-07
  • Posts: 306

Re: Default Openbox menu

You can configure your menu to your liking via preferences -> openbox config -> GUI menu editor.

Sheng-Chieh

Tux's Links
http://shengchieh.50webs.com/tuxslinks.html
  • wuy
  • #! Member
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  • Registered: 2009-02-05
  • Posts: 74

Re: Default Openbox menu

Hi, I'm using #! lite. I may install some things like the standard edition etc. so could anyone please attach a copy of its menu.xml ? (it's easier  to just comment or delete what I won't use)
Thanks.

  • From: USA
  • Registered: 2009-01-10
  • Posts: 65

Re: Default Openbox menu

Why not use the OB GUI menu? Just highlight and delete.

smile Free your Software -- Free your Life smile

    ASUS eee pc 1005HA -- awesome#!
  • rsw
  • #! CrunchBanger
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  • Registered: 2009-08-26
  • Posts: 100

Re: Default Openbox menu

toor58 wrote:

Why not use the OB GUI menu? Just highlight and delete.

Because I was talking about the default (out-of-the-box) menu, one of the first things a new user will see.   Obviously customizing the menu is something everyone is going to want to do, I just thought the default root-menu had too much redundancy and could have been further condensed for aesthetic and practical appeal without sacrificing usability.

It's not a matter of "I want my menu shorter," I've already taken care of it on this end.  It's more a question of "Which one of these things does not belong" on the default #! setup.

  • omns
  • #! Die-hard
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  • From: non-local
  • Registered: 2008-11-25
  • Posts: 4,406

Re: Default Openbox menu

rsw wrote:

It's not a matter of "I want my menu shorter," I've already taken care of it on this end.  It's more a question of "Which one of these things does not belong" on the default #! setup.

Perhaps you could put together some ideas and share them here for discussion smile

A Creative Commoner | My images at Google+ | A Waldorf Review

Silence is sometimes the best answer - Dalai Lama.

10 Reply by rsw

  • rsw
  • #! CrunchBanger
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  • Registered: 2009-08-26
  • Posts: 100

Re: Default Openbox menu

omns wrote:
rsw wrote:

It's not a matter of "I want my menu shorter," I've already taken care of it on this end.  It's more a question of "Which one of these things does not belong" on the default #! setup.

Perhaps you could put together some ideas and share them here for discussion smile

I was just going to let it go since most folks seemed OK with the default menu, but since you insist... smile  I'll now shower you with opinions without a hard fact in sight. Starting from the top:


Run Program/terminal - There's keyboard shortcuts a couple inches to the right in conky for accessing dmenu and this already.  Whoever's opened this root menu could have more quickly and conveniently used one of those shortcuts instead.  Chances are if they're opening this menu it's because they don't know the command they need, or they want to browse...

Web Browser/File Manager/Text Editor/Media Player - This whole block is redundant considering these applications are all available both in dmenu and in the keyboard shortcuts and in the submenus below, even in the Places menu if you think about it.  I can sort of understand firefox and pcmanfm since they are commonly executed by all, but the gedit and vlc can safely be cut since they are most often launched in the context of opening a file. 

Internet/Graphics/Office/Sound & Video/Terminal Apps/Tools & Utilities - These could be condensed into a single submenu since they all serve basically the same function of "launching some program."

Places - Love this entry.  Sooo useful smile

Preferences/System/Help - could all be made into a single submenu as well.
---

That's what I think about it.  There's lots of fat that can be trimmed to cut that monster down to size, if corenominal was so inclined.  But maybe I'm just being particular, and I could be wrong smile

  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: Default Openbox menu

rsw wrote:

Internet/Graphics/Office/Sound & Video/Terminal Apps/Tools & Utilities - These could be condensed into a single submenu since they all serve basically the same function of "launching some program."

...

Preferences/System/Help - could all be made into a single submenu as well.

If you move the items into just one menu, you will get one long submenu. And if you move the menus into a seperate menu, then you get just too many submenus.

You cannot make both the main menu and submenus shorter unless you remove items entirely.

Note: ** Please read before posting **

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12 Reply by rsw

  • rsw
  • #! CrunchBanger
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  • Registered: 2009-08-26
  • Posts: 100

Re: Default Openbox menu

I guess I have what you would call "too many submenus" then... it's a matter of preference I suppose.  This discussion inspired me to take a look at how this issue is typically handled.  Let me share with you smile

Gnome menu:
http://lifehacker.com/assets/resources/2007/06/Gnome-Menu.png

K menu:
http://scotttesterman.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/kmenu.png

Openbox (Fedora):
http://lewk.org/img/obfedora.png

E17:
http://wiki.enlightenment.org/images/5/52/Main_menu.jpg

IceWM:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4d/Icewmstartmenu.png

Win95:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d1/Windows-95-Start-Button.png

And just for fun:
http://www.techchee.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/original-windows-start-menu-120908.jpg

  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: Default Openbox menu

Don't forget Xfce:

http://img70.imageshack.us/img70/8563/screenshota.png

This is similar to #!'s Openbox setup.

BTW is the picture of Fedora's Openbox menu similar to what you'd like?

Note: ** Please read before posting **

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14 Reply by rsw

  • rsw
  • #! CrunchBanger
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  • Registered: 2009-08-26
  • Posts: 100

Re: Default Openbox menu

I haven't changed mine much since I first installed #!, I mostly wanted to keep the default setup intact while reducing the vertical space taken up, so I just rearranged submenus a bit:

http://img12.imageshack.us/img12/5210/2009092112535790471280x.png

Now that you mention it though, I do so like Fedora's openbox menu and am considering making some more personalized modifications now smile

By the way that XFCE menu is terrible big_smile

Last edited by rsw (2009-09-22 00:31:09)

  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: Default Openbox menu

I like Fedora's Openbox menu because it uses pipemenus (for Applications/Preferences/Administration) tongue

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  • Registered: 2009-01-07
  • Posts: 306

Re: Default Openbox menu

anonymous wrote:

If you move the items into just one menu, you will get one long submenu. And if you move the menus into a seperate menu, then you get just too many submenus.

You cannot make both the main menu and submenus shorter unless you remove items entirely.

Amen.  The menu and sub-menu should be about equal.

Sheng-Chieh

Tux's Links
http://shengchieh.50webs.com/tuxslinks.html
  • Registered: 2009-09-19
  • Posts: 108

Re: Default Openbox menu

I like the filosophy of the out-of-the-box-menu. It says: "I'll give you everything, now customize".

You know, there are people who don't like conky and just remove it or who are not comfortable with keyboard shortcuts. This way you can remove what you find to be useless that's easier and faster than add new items.

Now my menu is different from the one i started with, but i think that the base was good.

  • craigh
  • #! CrunchBanger
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  • From: UK
  • Registered: 2009-08-02
  • Posts: 209

Re: Default Openbox menu

My menu just keeps getting bigger and bigger, I need to make it smaller.

Running Crunchbang on eee pc 701 and Dell Mini 10v.
  • From: Orléans - France
  • Registered: 2009-09-03
  • Posts: 234

Re: Default Openbox menu

anonymous wrote:

I like Fedora's Openbox menu because it uses pipemenus (for Applications/Preferences/Administration) tongue

It's fun ! smile

Do you know where I can find this "menu.xml" with those "pipemenus" ?

wink

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  • Awebb
  • #! Die-hard
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  • Registered: 2009-07-23
  • Posts: 2,478

Re: Default Openbox menu

Kookaburra wrote:

Do you know where I can find this "menu.xml" with those "pipemenus" ?

Here in the forums. Perfom a search on "pipemenu". You'll find plenty.

I'm so meta, even this acronym
  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: Default Openbox menu

Afaik no one has posted the pipemenus from Fedora. I would, but I don't have access to my Fedora LiveCD.

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.
  • From: Orléans - France
  • Registered: 2009-09-03
  • Posts: 234

Re: Default Openbox menu

anonymous wrote:

Afaik no one has posted the pipemenus from Fedora. I would, but I don't have access to my Fedora LiveCD.

I don't think about this solution ! I try to find the Fedora LiveCD in the internet, more simple way to resolve my question !

Thanks you smile

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  • From: Orléans - France
  • Registered: 2009-09-03
  • Posts: 234

Re: Default Openbox menu

I have find this here : http://cvs.fedoraproject.org/viewvc/rpms/openbox/F-11/

* "menu.xlm"

<openbox_menu>
<menu id="applications-menu" label="Applications" execute="_XDGMENU_ applications"/>
<menu id="preferences-menu" label="Preferences" execute="_XDGMENU_ preferences"/>
<menu id="administration-menu" label="Administration" execute="_XDGMENU_ system-settings"/>
−
<menu id="apps-term-menu" label="Terminals">
−
<item label="Rxvt Unicode">
−
<action name="Execute">
<command>urxvt</command>
</action>
</item>
−
<item label="Gnome Terminal">
−
<action name="Execute">
<command>gnome-terminal</command>
−
<startupnotify>
<enabled>yes</enabled>
</startupnotify>
</action>
</item>
−
<item label="Xfce Terminal">
−
<action name="Execute">
<command>xfce4-terminal</command>
−
<startupnotify>
<enabled>yes</enabled>
</startupnotify>
</action>
</item>
−
<item label="Konsole">
−
<action name="Execute">
<command>konsole</command>
−
<startupnotify>
<enabled>yes</enabled>
</startupnotify>
</action>
</item>
−
<item label="Xterm">
−
<action name="Execute">
<command>xterm</command>
</action>
</item>
</menu>
−
<menu id="root-menu" label="Openbox 3">
<separator label="Openbox"/>
<menu id="applications-menu"/>
<menu id="preferences-menu"/>
<menu id="administration-menu"/>
<separator/>
<menu id="apps-term-menu"/>
<separator/>
−
<item label="Reconfigure">
<action name="Reconfigure"/>
</item>
−
<item label="Exit">
−
<action name="Exit">
<prompt>yes</prompt>
</action>
</item>
<separator/>
−
<item label="Log Out">
−
<action name="SessionLogout">
<prompt>yes</prompt>
</action>
</item>
</menu>
</openbox_menu>

* "xdg-menu" :

#!/usr/bin/env python
#
# Copyright (C) 2008  Red Hat, Inc.
#
# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
#
# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
# GNU General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
# along with this program.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
#
# Author(s): Luke Macken <lmacken@redhat.com>
#            Miroslav Lichvar <mlichvar@redhat.com>


import gmenu, re, sys
from xml.sax.saxutils import escape

def walk_menu(entry):
    if entry.get_type() == gmenu.TYPE_DIRECTORY:
        print '<menu id="%s" label="%s">' \
            % (escape(entry.menu_id), escape(entry.get_name()))
        map(walk_menu, entry.get_contents())
        print '</menu>'
    elif entry.get_type() == gmenu.TYPE_ENTRY and not entry.is_excluded:
        print '    <item label="%s">' % escape(entry.get_name())
        command = re.sub(' [^ ]*%[fFuUdDnNickvm]', '', entry.get_exec())
        if entry.launch_in_terminal:
            command = 'xterm -title "%s" -e %s' % \
                (entry.get_name(), command)
        print '        <action name="Execute">' + \
            '<command>%s</command></action>' % escape(command)
        print '    </item>'

if len(sys.argv) > 1:
    menu = sys.argv[1] + '.menu'
else:
    menu = 'applications.menu'

print '<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>'
print '<openbox_pipe_menu>'
map(walk_menu, gmenu.lookup_tree(menu).root.get_contents())
print '</openbox_pipe_menu>'

wink

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  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: Default Openbox menu

Anyone know how to get Fedora's menus working under CrunchBang?

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.

25 Reply by wuy

  • wuy
  • #! Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2009-02-05
  • Posts: 74

Re: Default Openbox menu

Hi, could anyone please post the menu.xml of the standard #! for me to have a base on tweaking my #! lite menu?
Also I would like to suggest that the #! lite's menu come with the 'Tools & Utilities' entry so there's an entry to calculator, pcmanfm as root, file roller, file roller as root and any other tool that's installed but missing from the menu.
Thanks.