• Registered: 2008-11-27
  • Posts: 9

Re: Auto update menu?

arpbook wrote:

@NeOnxKuLL
hi,
just install obmenugen and it works fine. i think it's very usefull for base to work with: i explain:
i don't use thunar , so the entry "file manager" doesn't work. but using obmenugen give me a really good menu to work with obmenu. i just have to install whatever .deb i want and run obmenugen, then, i customize with obmenu.
really useful, thanks a lot smile

OK, I knew it's bad documented. Have you readed the README.txt file? There are FISRT TIME CONFIG instructions.
Follow this steps:
1.- Install obmenugen: 'sudo cp bin/obmenugen /usr/bin/'
2.- Run it with desired params. I recomnend (dinamically generated menu): 'obmenugen -p'
3.- Edit config file to your needs: 'nano ~/.config/obmenugen/obmenugen.cfg'
4.- 'Reconfigure' OpenBox
5.- Enjoy an always up-to-date menu (if you passed the '-p' param)
6.- If you want to exclude any menuitem, In "OpenBox Settings" submenu, click "Edit obmenugen exclusions". The exclusions file ("~/.config/obmenugen/exclusions") will be opened with the "editor" you defined in your configuration.

From this point you don't need to edit files from console anymore, except if you get wrong one of the config files.

See you

  • Registered: 2008-11-27
  • Posts: 9

Re: Auto update menu?

omns wrote:
NeOnsKuLL wrote:

Have you tried obmenugen yet? Did you received my email?

I gave it a try and to be honest I didn't like that it replaced the default menu structure for crunchbang completely. It also seemed to just do a very similar job to the Debian menu and I already have a panel applet for that.

First of all,  sorry obmenugen is bad documented, I'm working on that now. I don't know which are the features of debian-menu, but obmenugen have a short yet really useful features list, like exclusions, ultra-fast menu generation, etc. I think you should give it a second try. Maybe you should wait for the 0.2 stable release, and contribute with some recommendations or feature request, always keeping in mind that one of the main goals is KISS.

Thanks for trying obmenugen

See you

  • Registered: 2008-11-24
  • Posts: 8

Re: Auto update menu?

corenominal wrote:

I would be interested to know whether or not the Debian menu should be enabled by default, or left up to the user to decide? Personally, I would leave it off, but that is just me.

Personally, after having used Fluxbuntu (which does have the auto-updating menu), I really prefer the way that #! does not have auto-updating menus.  It seems to me like about 60-70% of the time, my applications would be placed somewhere other than where I felt they should go (in the menus).  I would much rather have control how my menus are organized.  Sure, it takes a little bit of extra effort, but not much, and I would rather have the menu organized to the way my brain thinks rather than to have to retrain my brain to think in the way that the menus were organized for me.   

@corenominal, I prefer the way that you have set up OpenBox.

  • From: Oregon
  • Registered: 2009-01-25
  • Posts: 8

Re: Auto update menu?

corenominal wrote:

Hi hakimaki

I think you are looking for the debian-menu. It is disabled in the default CrunchBang install. Follow these instructions to enable it:

1. Open the file ~/.config/openbox/rc.xml and find the following section near the bottom:

    <!-- system menu files on Debian systems 
    <file>/var/lib/openbox/debian-menu.xml</file>
    <file>debian-menu.xml</file> -->

Change it to look like this:

   <!-- system menu files on Debian systems  -->
    <file>/var/lib/openbox/debian-menu.xml</file>
    <file>debian-menu.xml</file>

Save the file and exit.

2. Install the menu package with the following terminal command.

sudo apt-get install menu

3. Add the following line to ~/.config/openbox/menu.xml where you would like the menu to appear:

<menu id="Debian" />

4. Restart or reconfigure your Openbox session.

Hope this helps smile


when trying to edit the file I get this error:

davek@davek-desktop:~$ gedit /.config/openbox/rc.xml
davek@davek-desktop:~$ sudo gedit /.config/openbox/rc.xml
[sudo] password for davek:

** (gedit:6448): WARNING **: Could not write gedit state file: Failed to create file '/root/.gnome2/gedit-2.MO35NU': No such file or directory

I/O error : No such file or directory
I/O error : No such file or directory
davek@davek-desktop:~$


it shows up empty. how do you edit the the rc.xml file?

Last edited by vinoman2 (2009-01-25 18:55:48)

  • From: Scotland, Cold
  • Registered: 2009-01-17
  • Posts: 850

Re: Auto update menu?

~/.config/openbox/rc.xml
not
/.config/openbox/rc.xml

The tilde (~) tells it to go from your home directory (rather than having to type /home/usernamehere/.config/openbox/rc.xml

Ex-KDE user.
Collects old PC's (Coz he can't afford new ones =P)
Crunchbang @ Distrowatch
My Blog (updated infrequently, and on the #! Planet too.)

Mehall's Website

  • From: Oregon
  • Registered: 2009-01-25
  • Posts: 8

Re: Auto update menu?

OK I did that but when I added the Debian line to the file I remmed out the other line. How are you supposed to do it?

So there is no Synaptic or other program to install programs? Only apt-get at the command line?

I installed K9copy and it runs of I go to the run box. But I still don't understand how to get it listed on the menu. How is that done?

  • From: Scotland, Cold
  • Registered: 2009-01-17
  • Posts: 850

Re: Auto update menu?

How did you install K9copy?

and there is a gui for package management.

It's under System in the openbox menu, I believe. (Labelled "Package Manager")

Ex-KDE user.
Collects old PC's (Coz he can't afford new ones =P)
Crunchbang @ Distrowatch
My Blog (updated infrequently, and on the #! Planet too.)

Mehall's Website

  • From: Oregon
  • Registered: 2009-01-25
  • Posts: 8

Re: Auto update menu?

to install k9copy:

$ sudo apt-get install k9copy

Good to know that there is Synaptic on the menu.

now my file shows this for menu:

<menu>
    <!-- You can specify more than one menu file in here and they are all loaded,
       just don't make menu ids clash or, well, it'll be kind of pointless -->
    <!-- default menu file (or custom one in $HOME/.config/openbox/) -->
    <!-- system menu files on Debian systems -->
    <file>/var/lib/openbox/debian-menu.xml</file>
    <file>debian-menu.xml</file>
     
    <file>menu.xml</file>

Was this the lines? it's a big file, hard to find the correct line to change.

Is this correct? Will new programs be added to the menu?

Thanks for your help.

  • From: Scotland, Cold
  • Registered: 2009-01-17
  • Posts: 850

Re: Auto update menu?

Aye,t hats the correct entry.

Did you also add the "<menu id="Debian" />" line to menu.xml?

Ex-KDE user.
Collects old PC's (Coz he can't afford new ones =P)
Crunchbang @ Distrowatch
My Blog (updated infrequently, and on the #! Planet too.)

Mehall's Website

  • From: Oregon
  • Registered: 2009-01-25
  • Posts: 8

Re: Auto update menu?

Yes, but I wasn't sure exactly where it was suppose to go. I remmed out the other line. But after running the one command, now it looks like this:

<!-- You can specify more than one menu file in here and they are all loaded,
       just don't make menu ids clash or, well, it'll be kind of pointless -->
    <!-- default menu file (or custom one in $HOME/.config/openbox/) -->
    <!-- system menu files on Debian systems -->
    <file>/var/lib/openbox/debian-menu.xml</file>
    <file>debian-menu.xml</file>
     
    <file>menu.xml</file>
   
    <hideDelay>200</hideDelay>
    <middle>no</middle>
    <submenuShowDelay>100</submenuShowDelay>
    <applicationIcons>yes</applicationIcons>
  </menu>
  <applications>

So it's completely different now.

Will it add new programs to the menu now? That should be done by default, like most other distros.

  • From: Oregon
  • Registered: 2009-01-25
  • Posts: 8

Re: Auto update menu?

I just installed X-chat via Synaptic and it installed and added itself to the menu. smile

  • From: Scotland, Cold
  • Registered: 2009-01-17
  • Posts: 850

Re: Auto update menu?

Excellent! [=

Ex-KDE user.
Collects old PC's (Coz he can't afford new ones =P)
Crunchbang @ Distrowatch
My Blog (updated infrequently, and on the #! Planet too.)

Mehall's Website

  • From: Oregon
  • Registered: 2009-01-25
  • Posts: 8

Re: Auto update menu?

I installed K3b and it didn't get listed on the menu. would X-chat get listed and K3b not?

  • From: Montana, USA
  • Registered: 2009-01-26
  • Posts: 27

Re: Auto update menu?

Hello, new guy.
I'm not the most experienced linux user, and yet I'm not the worse (An intermediate user), and I really love the very simple, yet clean look this distro offers. However, I'm not the kind who likes to mess with things too much, and was wondering if the creator of this distro could please insert a function that allows the user to choose whether or not the menu will auto update, or not (For the power users/control freaks)
Just a thought for those of us who either are lazy (raises hand) or for those new to linux.

  • Registered: 2008-12-13
  • Posts: 1,480

Re: Auto update menu?

ok I wrote a python script to automatically turn on the debian menu, it's here http://www.crunchbanglinux.org/pastebin/131 . Download it to where you want and run it as

python menu.py

if you name it menu.py, it's only been tested on my machine so you may want to back up your menu.xml and rc.xml first, but it did run well on my machine.

Last edited by iggykoopa (2009-01-28 01:06:22)

I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may.
  • From: Montana, USA
  • Registered: 2009-01-26
  • Posts: 27

Re: Auto update menu?

iggykoopa wrote:

ok I wrote a python script for all you lazy people to automatically turn on the debian menu, it's here http://www.crunchbanglinux.org/pastebin/131 . Download it to where you want and run it as

python menu.py

if you name it menu.py, it's only been tested on my machine so you may want to back up your menu.xml and rc.xml first, but it did run well on my machine.

Eh, I already tried the Debian menu with the menu applet, but I much prefer the original menu. I just wish it would automatically update is all.

  • Registered: 2008-12-13
  • Posts: 1,480

Re: Auto update menu?

The problem is the original menu only has a couple of entries as it's setup to be minimal, to have an auto updating menu you have to use something like the debian menu. The way I set it up in my script still preserves the original menu, it just adds the debian menu above preferences so it's a good comprimise.

I say never be complete, I say stop being perfect, I say lets evolve, let the chips fall where they may.
  • Registered: 2008-11-24
  • Posts: 1,858

Re: Auto update menu?

Having a well designed, but non-auto-updating, menu is one of those quirks that I think makes CrunchBang brilliant and unique. smile

That being said, thanks for the script, iggykoopa!

  • From: Montana, USA
  • Registered: 2009-01-26
  • Posts: 27

Re: Auto update menu?

This is gunna sound so noobish, but I've never used scripts before. I've always used a graphical based distro (Ubuntu, Suse, Etc), and have no idea how to use the above supplied script.
*edit*
Nevermind, I got it.

Last edited by Maukel (2009-01-27 22:30:18)

  • Toolz
  • #! Die-hard
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  • From: Asia
  • Registered: 2009-02-02
  • Posts: 934

Re: Auto update menu?

I like the menu panel applet too! I like having the best of both worlds, as kestrel said - any idea how to roll back obmengen's changes, so you get the original #! right click menu back?

  • Toolz
  • #! Die-hard
  • Offline
  • From: Asia
  • Registered: 2009-02-02
  • Posts: 934

Re: Auto update menu?

I got the original menu back by booting from CD then copying .config/openbox/menu.xml over.

  • From: Scotland, Cold
  • Registered: 2009-01-17
  • Posts: 850

Re: Auto update menu?

You can also copy it from /etc/skel/.config/openbox/menu.xml from your system

/etc/skel is where the default profiles for users are contained.

Ex-KDE user.
Collects old PC's (Coz he can't afford new ones =P)
Crunchbang @ Distrowatch
My Blog (updated infrequently, and on the #! Planet too.)

Mehall's Website

  • Toolz
  • #! Die-hard
  • Offline
  • From: Asia
  • Registered: 2009-02-02
  • Posts: 934

Re: Auto update menu?

Thanks, that'll be useful to know.

  • From: Bloom County
  • Registered: 2009-02-13
  • Posts: 1,150

Re: Auto update menu?

this is an very interesting discussion, I have tried the debian menu,  at first I was very frustrated that the menu did not autoupdate, but after I really messed things up and reinstalled #! I think I will go for the original, those apps I will add I just run from Run Dialog, they are not many just five or six favorites, most of what I need is already here and since I have a lot of new things to learn (openbox is open sea for me) I think that for learning as much as possible I will stay with the original, but maybe it should be an choice for auto updating menu to enable for those that want it, it would certainly make things easier, but I like the non auto etc .....snowpine said it here and I totally agree

#!, all else is but a shadow!
  • From: U.S.A.
  • Registered: 2009-01-28
  • Posts: 531

Re: Auto update menu?

NeOnsKuLL wrote:

1.- Install obmenugen: 'sudo cp bin/obmenugen /usr/bin/'
2.- Run it with desired params. I recomnend (dinamically generated menu): 'obmenugen -p'

Having trouble getting past the first step. I'm assuming you want the obmenugen folder copied to usr/bin folder. I did that. How after that folder is in /usr/bin do I run obmenugen -p?

Also, you indicated that obmenugen uses the .desktop files located in /usr/share/applications to auto-update the menu. What if no .desktop file exists for an application that is installed (Which I find is often the case when new apps are installed). Will obmenugen be unable to update the menu without .desktop files for these apps?

Thanks.

Last edited by nabilalk (2009-03-04 04:01:19)

#! 10 “Statler” r20110207 32-bit & Openbox