• Registered: 2010-07-30
  • Posts: 56

Topic: Multiple Desktops Question

Hello:

I just installed Crunchbang and yes, I already have questions big_smile

I'm no stranger to Linux, but I'm trying to do some new stuff with the multiple desktops, and I'm not sure if/how I can do it.

First off, I've used Fluxbox and other managers in the past, and I always had up to four desktops to choose from. With the default setup, I only have two. I assume I can add more?

Also, just how customizable is each desktop? My dream situation is to have four different desktops with four different backgrounds, different icon setups, etc. Is this even possible? If so, what's the best icon manager to do something like that, or would I need different managers for each desktop, if that's even possible?

BTW, I did look for this in the wiki and elsewhere. Either it's not there, or I'm too stupid to spot it (either is equally possible).

  • pvsage
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Re: Multiple Desktops Question

To answer your second question first, I'm pretty sure Openbox only allows one GTK theme at a time, which would be applied to all desktops.  I could be wrong though, and I'd love to know it if I am.

To change the number of desktops, in your right-click menu go to Settings => Openbox Config => GUI Config Tool and click on the Desktops tab.  I think it will let you have as many desktops as you like; I just spun up to 41 with my scroll wheel over the spinbutton and Openbox barely even blinked.

while ( ! ( succeed = try() ) );
  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
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Re: Multiple Desktops Question

To have different wallpapers for each desktop, look here:

http://crunchbanglinux.org/forums/post/50579/#p50579

If you know how to change icon themes using the command-line, you can adapt the previous solution for that.

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  • Registered: 2010-07-30
  • Posts: 56

Re: Multiple Desktops Question

Thanks for the replies. Messing with key bindings got me thinking: Would it make more sense to set a specific wallpaper and icon setup to a specific key binding? Is that even possible?

  • pvsage
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Re: Multiple Desktops Question

^ You could write shell scripts for them.  Whatever you want to do, if you put it in a shell script, assigning the script to a keybinding is trivial.

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  • Registered: 2010-07-30
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Re: Multiple Desktops Question

Cool. All I gotta do is figure out how to change wallpaper from the command line. I've been hunting around various wikis, but no dice. Where can I find the syntax?

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Re: Multiple Desktops Question

man nitrogen

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  • Registered: 2010-07-30
  • Posts: 56

Re: Multiple Desktops Question

I looked in the man page, but there's no syntax listed for activating a wallpaper manually from the command line. Sorry to be so thick. I'm trying to figure it out. I even just tried typing nitrogen path/to/image and it said no such file or directory. Argh.

  • pvsage
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Re: Multiple Desktops Question

You need to use a command-line switch when running nitrogen from the command line (or within a script).

nitrogen --{command-line-switch} path/to/file

`nitrogen -h` will give you a slightly more complete list of switches than what you see in the man page.

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  • Registered: 2010-07-30
  • Posts: 56

Re: Multiple Desktops Question

Awesome! Thank you so much! Now I just gotta find an icon manager and start fiddling with those settings. Man, it feels like ages since I last messed with Linux. You guys have been a HUGE help!

  • Registered: 2010-08-17
  • Posts: 28

Re: Multiple Desktops Question

I'm giving this a boost because I have a similar question:

I'm not overly interested in running different environments (themes, wallpaper, etc.) but I wonder if it would be possible to run different applications on different desktops automatically on startup.

Ex:

running a desktop terminal on desktop 2, but not desktop 1
running different conky configs on different desktops
running tint2 on desktop 1, but not desktop 2

...that would make me extraordinarily happy.

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

Re: Multiple Desktops Question

aliceinmadness wrote:

running a desktop terminal on desktop 2, but not desktop 1

With Openbox, I think you can make apps open on a certain desktop.

aliceinmadness wrote:

running different conky configs on different desktops

For this you would have to kill or start conky everytime you switched desktops.

aliceinmadness wrote:

running tint2 on desktop 1, but not desktop 2

Again use Openbox. In your rc.xml:

<application name="tint2">
   <desktop>1</desktop>
</application>
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  • Registered: 2010-08-17
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Re: Multiple Desktops Question

anonymous wrote:

With Openbox, I think you can make apps open on a certain desktop.

in rc.xml, right?

anonymous wrote:

For this you would have to kill or start conky everytime you switched desktops.

hm...fiddlesticks.

anonymous wrote:

Again use Openbox. In your rc.xml:

<application name="tint2">
   <desktop>1</desktop>
</application>

You know I added those lines to the applications section, but it's not working. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that the rc.xml file hates me in general. I tried to change this keybind: 

    <keybind key="A-escape">
      <action name="Lower"/>
      <action name="FocusToBottom"/>
      <action name="Unfocus"/>
    </keybind>

to "A-F9" and it didn't want to do that either.

Though, looking at it, I think the issue with the desktop tag is that it's actually <firstdesk> since somewhere around line 107 it says 

    <number>2</number>
    <firstdesk>1</firstdesk>
    <names>
Oops.
  • From: California, USA
  • Registered: 2008-11-29
  • Posts: 8,647

Re: Multiple Desktops Question

aliceinmadness wrote:

in rc.xml, right?

Correct.

aliceinmadness wrote:

You know I added those lines to the applications section, but it's not working. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that the rc.xml file hates me in general. I tried to change this keybind: 

    <keybind key="A-escape">
      <action name="Lower"/>
      <action name="FocusToBottom"/>
      <action name="Unfocus"/>
    </keybind>

to "A-F9" and it didn't want to do that either.

Though, looking at it, I think the issue with the desktop tag is that it's actually <firstdesk> since somewhere around line 107 it says 

    <number>2</number>
    <firstdesk>1</firstdesk>
    <names>

After making any changes to the rc.xml file, you need to reconfigure Openbox. CrunchBang should have a menu item. Menu -> Preferences -> Openbox Config -> Reconfigure

Alternatively just open a terminal and run "openbox --reconfigure".

Note: ** Please read before posting **

BTW if you wish to contact me, send me an e-mail instead of a PM.
  • Registered: 2010-08-17
  • Posts: 28

Re: Multiple Desktops Question

anonymous wrote:

After making any changes to the rc.xml file, you need to reconfigure Openbox. CrunchBang should have a menu item. Menu -> Preferences -> Openbox Config -> Reconfigure

Alternatively just open a terminal and run "openbox --reconfigure".

still no dice even after a reboot. [sigh] it's the little things in life.

Oops.