• Toolz
  • #! Die-hard
  • Offline
  • From: Asia
  • Registered: 2009-02-02
  • Posts: 937

Topic: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

Here's my report/review/jottings - along with a few questions - from my install of Crunchbang Statler Openbox.

I installed on a Eee netbook. I've installed Crunchbang so many times that I have my 'songsheet' prepared and I just followed that to get it pimped out and ready to go. I found I skipped a lot of steps with Statler.

First impressions:

* Extremely low memory use. Ridiculously so!
* Still looks great.
* It's great going to Synaptic and getting the latest versions of all your apps!
* Gnome almost banished and I see significant XFCE about the place - some aspects of which can be a little garish and take away from CB's charming simplicity.
* Boot up is probably slower than we're used to with Ubuntu.
* Glad the flash, music, video work. Well of course they do!
* Glad the sound's gone!
* Conky - glad about the own window yes option (allow right click on top of Conky) - saves a little work.
* Thunar - I like the custom actions - they correspond almost exactly to my own list!
* And ... this has been covered I think ... it can be quite a challenge to install from a USB device.
* That XScreensaver dialog is ... a tad fugly.
* Install from 'live' would be 'nice'.


The first thing I do with any install is get NTP installed by looking for the 'Time/Date' app and changing from manual to synchronised. That doesn't exist now. The 'time-admin' program belongs, I guess, to gnome-system-tools and we don't want all that just to change the time. I went to Synaptic searched for ntp, installed both packages, and now just hope it works - perhaps there's a log file somewhere. Any suitable GUI to replace the Gnome one?

On the subject of Synaptic, any chance of getting it like Ubuntu's - ie with the inline search and the nicer Software Sources? Yeah I guess the answer's no but it doesn't hurt to ask.

Second thing I do is change to one desktop - easy enough in the OpenBox GUI config.

Gmrun opens up its dialog in the middle of the screen rather than where you clicked - I definitely have a strong preference for the latter behaviour.

I installed a few programs: lxpanel, pidgin (big one, that), mousepad (pulled in 2MB dependencies), gigolo, powertop, macchanger, gawk, mesa-utils, fortunes, blueman, update-manager, scim, asian fonts, gnome-nettool, gnome-specimen, parcellite, startupmanager, bleachbit, computer-janitor, gnome-system-monitor (glorified conky), gucharmap gsmartcontrol, speedcrunch, gnote, comix, xchm, osmo

I also unpacked Firefox 3.6.2 into ~/home/bin - I'll also get around to installing Opera and perhaps Chromium and a decent image viewer/manipulation program. Maybe beagle. Some kind of remote-access service/client. A download manager (d4x or wxdfast). Still got tint2 for now although lxpanel is there and waiting.

Oh I also installed dhcp3-server, firestarter - never know when you need to provide wired LAN access through a crossover cable.

A lot of stuff missing from the 'System' menu - although in checking out the items missing I realised how little I used them anyway.

Sound - no channels selected by default. Have to select the speaker channel and move it up from 50% to 100% to make any sound audible.

Blueman - this app has now come of age. I think GPRS/2.5G/3G/4G should be considered the third form of networking now and something included. (MintX is using Chestnut dialer which I've never tried.) If Blueman is shipped with the distro it could allow some to get online when they have no wired/wireless access. Is it correct that no bluetooth applet is shipped now - I didn't see anything in autostart.sh

Gigolo - as mentioned in another thread, it doesn't work. None of the internal partitions show up.

Polkit - I'm used to using a GUI, polkit-gnome-authorization. I don't see anything here. Synaptic shows a few libs with polkit in the name but no applications.

Parcellite - no longer included. I installed it. I think there are a few other choices - is Clipman better?

Fonts - I can never differentiate between commas and full stops in text boxes on web pages. Changed to verdana like I usually do but not sure how effective it was this time.

The theme - glad Network Manager shows secured networks with different icons. In the Xubuntu beta all but one of the themes don't differentiate. Is it possible to make the icons clearer and ... different icons for WEP/WPA? As nobody else has done it I'm guessing not. I must use Network Manager as I depend on Internet access through my phone.

Default keyboard is GB on every start - I guess this has been covered?

I note exo-preferred-applications is still there and is handy.

update-manager - on running it says 'Invalid implementation name Crunchbang' - maybe I'm daft to even try this on Crunchbang Debian?

And the live mode bootup really hates my NTFS partition and every machine gives the error 'failed to change the mode of /etc/passwd- to 0600' - on vbox I believe it's the first error.

Hope this is useful. Looking forward to the next pre-release - go on call it a beta! smile

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

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

Toolz wrote:

The first thing I do with any install is get NTP installed by looking for the 'Time/Date' app and changing from manual to synchronised. That doesn't exist now. The 'time-admin' program belongs, I guess, to gnome-system-tools and we don't want all that just to change the time. I went to Synaptic searched for ntp, installed both packages, and now just hope it works - perhaps there's a log file somewhere. Any suitable GUI to replace the Gnome one?

I don't know of a GUI but maybe this will help you:

http://www.computerbob.com/guides/guide … ian_pc.php

Toolz wrote:

On the subject of Synaptic, any chance of getting it like Ubuntu's - ie with the inline search and the nicer Software Sources? Yeah I guess the answer's no but it doesn't hurt to ask.

You are correct: no.

Toolz wrote:

A lot of stuff missing from the 'System' menu - although in checking out the items missing I realised how little I used them anyway.

Well Statler no longer has gnome-system-tools installed so that takes away a few items.

Toolz wrote:

Polkit - I'm used to using a GUI, polkit-gnome-authorization. I don't see anything here. Synaptic shows a few libs with polkit in the name but no applications.

I think its part of the policykit-gnome package. Edit: it doesn't seem available on testing.

Toolz wrote:

Default keyboard is GB on every start - I guess this has been covered?

Just click the language icon in the tray (it says GB) to change it. If your language is not available, you can further edit the autostart.sh (Openbox).

Last edited by anonymous (2010-03-25 15:17:11)

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.
  • Toolz
  • #! Die-hard
  • Offline
  • From: Asia
  • Registered: 2009-02-02
  • Posts: 937

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

Thanks for your interest, anonymous.

anonymous wrote:
Toolz wrote:

Any suitable GUI to replace the Gnome one?

I don't know of a GUI but maybe this will help you:
http://www.computerbob.com/guides/guide … ian_pc.php

That's an interesting resource - I'll check it out when the Eee is free.

anonymous wrote:
Toolz wrote:

On the subject of Synaptic, any chance of getting it like Ubuntu's - ie with the inline search and the nicer Software Sources? Yeah I guess the answer's no but it doesn't hurt to ask.

You are correct: no.

There's just no way of installing Ubuntu's Synaptic huh? Never mind, at least I found netselect-apt

anonymous wrote:
Toolz wrote:

A lot of stuff missing from the 'System' menu - although in checking out the items missing I realised how little I used them anyway.

Well Statler no longer has gnome-system-tools installed so that takes away a few items.

Full list is:
system-update
lxrandr
grandr - this exists in Statler
update-alternatives - I think this does too
gdmsetup
network-admin ... alternative is network-config brings wireless-tools - not at all as useful as network-admin, maybe not at all
seahorse ... available as a 3MB download
system-config-printer ... available, brings CUPS - 9MB download
jockey-gtk
services-admin
shares-admin
htop ... available, quick download
gnome-system-log ... gnome-util - 7MB download ... gives baobab, gnome-dictionary, gnome-search-tool, gnome-screenshot (which I like)
time-admin
users-admin

Guess the *-admin ones came with gnome-system-tools

anonymous wrote:
Toolz wrote:

Default keyboard is GB on every start - I guess this has been covered?

Just click the language icon in the tray (it says GB) to change it. If your language is not available, you can further edit the autostart.sh (Openbox).

Yep, as I'm using a US keyboard I edited autostart.sh and commented out the two lines

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

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

Toolz wrote:

system-update

http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/topic … m-updates/

Toolz wrote:

gdmsetup

I've previously reported this to Philip.

Toolz wrote:

jockey-gtk

Doesn't exist in Debian.

Toolz wrote:

Guess the *-admin ones came with gnome-system-tools

Correct.

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.
  • Toolz
  • #! Die-hard
  • Offline
  • From: Asia
  • Registered: 2009-02-02
  • Posts: 937

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

I'm using Statler on a day-to-day basis and I'm referencing this thread because I want to keep tabs on how far Statler is 'behind' Crunchbang Jaunty - even for features I don't often use - I might have to use them at short notice sometime.

First a correction from first post: I think bluetooth-applet is still there, just like in CB Jaunty.

Also I do believe gconf-editor is there as well. Link to that in next version please, Philip.

Might be the best place to mention I had issues with powertop and macchanger-gtk. Despite Synaptic showing them installed, the files don't seem to exist. Really strange. (I hated Macchanger GUI last time I saw it - just wondering if it had changed.)

My current focus is on getting to browse my other machines via bluetooth, shall report. And trying to get bootchart running.

Oh another little quibble - I think the 'guided' partitioning during install uses ext3, rather than ext4

Oh, those notifications that the app opened without needing you to enter root credentials - great feature on a *personal* computer, by the way smile - they often open in the background, behind the application itself.

Overall I think it's much quicker getting Statler into shape after a fresh install than CB Jaunty so I'll be enthusiastically testing any up-coming alphas and betas.

  • Toolz
  • #! Die-hard
  • Offline
  • From: Asia
  • Registered: 2009-02-02
  • Posts: 937

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

Toolz wrote:

Might be the best place to mention I had issues with powertop and macchanger-gtk. Despite Synaptic showing them installed, the files don't seem to exist. Really strange. (I hated Macchanger GUI last time I saw it - just wondering if it had changed.)

Just found that the files do exist in /usr/sbin but that folder is no longer in the PATH

Powertop tells you that you'll get more info running as root and Machchanger-gtk requests root ... normally ... but without that folder in the path, and not using sudo/gksudo, you get a 'command not found'.

Odd, I suppose there's a reason for the trimmed-down PATH in Statler. And how is it that sudo/gksudo know about /usr/sbin?

Toolz wrote:

Also I do believe gconf-editor is there as well. Link to that in next version please, Philip.

Actually I'm guessing I must have installed myself ...

  • Registered: 2008-12-13
  • Posts: 269

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

@Toolz:
/sbin & /usr/sbin are in root's path, so when you sudo it finds them. I suppose, like most things in Debian, it's someone's aware decision to do it that way...

a.

  • From: Athens, Greece
  • Registered: 2009-10-22
  • Posts: 600

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

I would really like the ubuntu way, after all if a program needs super user rights it just won't run...how do we enable /sbin and /usr/sbin to user's path?

thanks

EDIT: never mind,

sudo gedit /etc/profile

# The file /etc/login.defs already sets the default PATH.
# if [ "`id -u`" -eq 0 ]; then
PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin"
# else
#   PATH="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/games:/usr/games"
# fi
export PATH

by the way in debian /sbin programs can be executed but if they have to change something you get a "permission denied". e.g. ifconfig will print the network configuration but if you try to set something it won't do it unless you execute it with su rights.

Last edited by slapfish (2010-04-01 16:46:12)

  • From: here
  • Registered: 2010-01-15
  • Posts: 192

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

slapfish wrote:

I would really like the ubuntu way, after all if a program needs super user rights it just won't run...how do we enable /sbin and /usr/sbin to user's path?

thanks

EDIT: never mind,

sudo gedit /etc/profile

# The file /etc/login.defs already sets the default PATH.
# if [ "`id -u`" -eq 0 ]; then
PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin"
# else
#   PATH="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/games:/usr/games"
# fi
export PATH

by the way in debian /sbin programs can be executed but if they have to change something you get a "permission denied". e.g. ifconfig will print the network configuration but if you try to set something it won't do it unless you execute it with su rights.

I have been looking into this myself as I find it frustrating issuing a command and getting a 'not found' message. Rather than changing /etc/profile or /etc/login.defs, I issued this command as normal user.

echo PATH=$PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin >> ~/.bash_profile

I'm not sure if this is the best solution but it works for me and I thought I'd share it.

Edited: spelling

Last edited by d2ogch3n (2010-04-19 19:55:32)

.signature
  • From: here
  • Registered: 2010-01-15
  • Posts: 192

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

d2ogch3n wrote:
slapfish wrote:

I would really like the ubuntu way, after all if a program needs super user rights it just won't run...how do we enable /sbin and /usr/sbin to user's path?

thanks

EDIT: never mind,

sudo gedit /etc/profile

# The file /etc/login.defs already sets the default PATH.
# if [ "`id -u`" -eq 0 ]; then
PATH="/usr/local/sbin:/usr/local/bin:/usr/sbin:/usr/bin:/sbin:/bin"
# else
#   PATH="/usr/local/bin:/usr/bin:/bin:/usr/local/games:/usr/games"
# fi
export PATH

by the way in debian /sbin programs can be executed but if they have to change something you get a "permission denied". e.g. ifconfig will print the network configuration but if you try to set something it won't do it unless you execute it with su rights.

I have been looking into this myself as I find it frustrating issuing a command and getting a 'not found' message. Rather than changing /etc/profile or /etc/login.defs, I issued this command as normal user.

echo PATH=$PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin >> ~/.bash_profile

I'm not sure if this is the best solution but it works for me and I thought I'd share it.

Edited: spelling

Actually this turned out not to be so good as creating ~/.bash_profile stopped ~/.profile being parsed and messed with my ~/.bash_aliases sad

If anyone has a better solution to adding /sbin:/usr/sbin on a per user basis I'd be grateful.

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

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

What if you specify PATH in your .bashrc instead of .bash_profile?

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.
  • From: here
  • Registered: 2010-01-15
  • Posts: 192

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

anonymous wrote:

What if you specify PATH in your .bashrc instead of .bash_profile?

Thanks anonymous, I added the lines below and that's got it smile

PATH=$PATH:/sbin:/usr/sbin
export PATH

.signature
  • From: Nagoya, Japan
  • Registered: 2009-01-07
  • Posts: 1,971

Re: Statler report/review/jottings - and a few questions

anonymous wrote:

What if you specify PATH in your .bashrc instead of .bash_profile?

or in your ~/.profile? That's what I generally use. (Don't seem to need to "export", though.)

Last edited by johnraff (2010-04-20 16:31:14)

John
------------------------
( a boring Japan blog , and idle twitterings )
“Good morning sir, which way up would you like your reality today?”  "As it comes, Jeeves, as it comes..."

johnraff's Website