Pandora Desktop Environment Prototype Try 2 (screenshots And Videos)

[barnesy]

Is it possible to make firefox use as much of the screen as possible and only have the icons and address bar visible? Frustratingly IE can do that, but firefox seems to insist on having the menus take up one line and the icons another, such wasted space! (I know it can do a full screen mode, but you will lose the task list).

Am I the only one who gets really annoyed by applications taking up way more space than they need and wasting screen real estate with empty spaces?

Look at that picture of firefox adamorjames posted, over 25% of the screen is wasted! This is the sort of area we need to look at on the Pandora to max the LCD use, due to poor screen use on larger screens we could get the same level of use from our lower res with some tweaking.

Yeah, I'm another of those people. First thing I do with a new Firefox install is get rid of the extra toolbars and combine the buttons and URL bar into one bar.

This eeeuser wiki post is really helpful - I've done most of that on my first gen eee, and it needed it!

edit - If FF is going to be installed as part of the stock OS, perhaps using some of those tips would help with first impressions and usability - I'm sure that many people won't bother to do that sort of thing themselves however useful it is.

 

[Coder_TimT]

Is it possible to make firefox use as much of the screen as possible and only have the icons and address bar visible? Frustratingly IE can do that, but firefox seems to insist on having the menus take up one line and the icons another, such wasted space! (I know it can do a full screen mode, but you will lose the task list).

...

Just wanted to emphasize, you won't lose the task list in fullscreen mode. You will just have to bind it to a key/key combo...

 

[CyruzDraxs]

Know of any good tutorials for installing Matchbox in Arch? I have a spare laptop laying around not being used...it'd be nice to try and install matchbox on it and give it a little trial run. Maybe even make a theme, if I can get the theming system figured out.

The way I got the older versions of Matchbox in Arch Linux was by using AUR and changing the PKGBUILD files to download different versions (and commenting out the md5 line). If you're new to Linux do what that one guy up above said with Debian since it probably is a bit easier. I was just saying Arch Linux isn't too hard. :lol:

EDIT: In Arch Linux once you "makepkg PKGBUILD" you then become a superuser and "pacman -Up file-version-xxx.tar.gz" to install the file. For Matchbox Window Manager I used 1.0 since 0.9 didn't want to work and I didn't want to figure it out (lazy sometimes).

P.S. Check out the Arch Linux wiki if you are still interested. I still suggest that you use Debian or a Debian-based distro if you are new to Linux and don't want to know how Linux works from the starting gate.

I've used Arch Linux before. Had it as my main OS for about a month. I just haven't used AUR before and I don't really know much about which version of Matchbox to use or how it's installed. Thanks for your input though. I think I'll try it later--need to go Christmas shopping first.

 

[adamorjames]

I've used Arch Linux before. Had it as my main OS for about a month. I just haven't used AUR before and I don't really know much about which version of Matchbox to use or how it's installed. Thanks for your input though. I think I'll try it later--need to go Christmas shopping first.

Try to use 0.9 if you can. Like I said, I used 1.0 for the window manager because 0.9 didn't compile. AUR is very simple. You just download the tarball and put the folder somewhere, edit PKGBUILD in this case (version number and comment out md5) and then makepkg PKGBUILD and pacman -Up the i686 or w/e tar.gz that is created. I put all my AUR stuff in ~/code/aur/

 

[wesbrown18]

There are different components to Matchbox, all of which have different versions.

Currently installed on my Ubuntu system:

matchbox-window-manager - 1.2
matchbox-panel - 0.9.3
matchbox-panel-manager - 0.1
matchbox-desktop - 0.9.1
matchbox-themes-extra - 0.3
matchbox-keyboard - 0.1

 

[adamorjames]

There are different components to Matchbox, all of which have different versions.

Currently installed on my Ubuntu system:

matchbox-window-manager - 1.2
matchbox-panel - 0.9.3
matchbox-panel-manager - 0.1
matchbox-desktop - 0.9.1
matchbox-themes-extra - 0.3
matchbox-keyboard - 0.1

Ah, so you are using the newest version of the window manager. I'll do that too. Everything else looks like what I'm using (I think). When are you going to post the updated files?

 

[hobbyman II]

umm! for firefox customisation, right click on the menus bar, select customise, drag all your buttons and the address bar onto the menu bar, then deselect "navigation toolbar" from the right click menu and press f11 to toggle bar on/off

works on my wide-screen monitor ok, might have issues with only 800 pixels, anyway, there will be a plug-in for umpc small screens I should think.

 

[MDave]

Managed to get my theme up and running no point showing screenshots though, because it looks like the previous screenshots I posted except without the slighty glowing text and minus the time, battery and wifi signal icons If mine dosn't get used as the default, then it will be pretty much ready on the Pandora's launch

 

[wesbrown18]

Ah, so you are using the newest version of the window manager. I'll do that too. Everything else looks like what I'm using (I think). When are you going to post the updated files?

I reckon that I should re-release a new version, shouldn't I? I'll take the icons and background that I've been given, and integrate many of the changes that helpful forum members have suggested. (Thank you very much, a.tom, and Coder_TimT!)

I'll also see what I can do to use MDave's icons and background.

 

[wesbrown18]

Screenshot of desktop using MDave's provided background and icons.

Screenshot of xterm running with antialiased fonts set up.

I have also updated the default example theme tarball to include the icons, desktop, and some changes I made.

Matchbox Dot Files

Linux required

• Linux or a Unix variant is required.
• If you don't have one handy, here are directions to set up a VM for Matchbox.

Directions:

• Install matchbox-desktop, preferrably version 0.9, along with matchbox-window-manger of 1.2.
• Create a test account.
• Log into the test account.
• Open a terminal window.
• tar -zxvf location-of-matchbox-dotfiles-tarball into the home directory of the test account -- this is important: it needs to be from the ROOT of the test account home directory.
• Log out.
• Log back into the test account.

Mini-tutorial:

The important files and directories are:

• .Xsession - This is the startup script for the X environment which is run when you log in.
• .Xresources - This file controls X settings, includng Matchbox, antialiasing, and the like.
• .matchbox/mbdock.session - Controls what panel applets start up in the dock.
• .matchbox/vfolders/ - Contains the settings for each directory in Matchbox Desktop
• .applications/ - Application links that are scanned and put into Matchbox.
• .themes/Pandora/matchbox - The 'Pandora' theme for Matchbox. Images and XML file are here.
• .icons/Pandora/48x48 - These are icons. If you place an icon here for a theme, it will override whatever system defaults there are for that particular icon name.

 

[Mr.Gonzo]

Hey i got a question is there anyone that is into the retro style theme?
Because i won't do it if nobody wants it aha.
I'll just concentrate on the game im making .

 

[wesbrown18]

Hey i got a question is there anyone that is into the retro style theme?
Because i won't do it if nobody wants it aha.
I'll just concentrate on the game im making .

I think people are indeed interested in the retro style theme.

However, you should try it with an actual Matchbox installation rather than photoshop an image together. There's a lot more to it than just a screenshot of the purported theme.

 

[Mr.Gonzo]

-Photoshop?
Im not that fancy! its paint ( it works pretty good with pixel art though !
-I am actually coding dumb.
-And im still trying to figure out the design.
-And i need a font... that i will make if there's none.

i'll do all of this only if there is interest though.

Edit: wait what the hell is an RPM file.
aha.

 

[wesbrown18]

-Photoshop?
Im not that fancy! its paint ( it works pretty good with pixel art though !
-I am actually coding dumb.
-And im still trying to figure out the design.
-And i need a font... that i will make if there's none.

i'll do all of this only if there is interest though.

Edit: wait what the hell is an RPM file.
aha.

Seriously, it's not that hard. Take a look at the pngs and icons in the tarball.

 

[Mr.Gonzo]

Okok so it HAS to be this layout right?
no fancy stuff?

 

[wesbrown18]

Okok so it HAS to be this layout right?
no fancy stuff?

You can change the layout, if you can edit the theme.xml file.

 

[Mr.Gonzo]

ok lets stick with the normal layout.
Because that's definitively a cant aha.

 

[hells_dark]

HI Mr Gonzo.
I'd really want to see what you could do with matchbox.
I'm waiting for your theme !

(btw, i've listened to your music on newground, made me laugh funky !)

 

[Brockway]

Th retro theme definitely looks neat!

 

[wesbrown18]

How To Build Your Own Matchbox VM

These are quick directions on how to set up your own VM image with Matchbox running in it so that you can play with the themes yourself.

Setting up the VM

• Install VMware Player
• Download the Debian businesscard ISO file
• Download Debian_VM.zip
• Unzip the Debian_VM.zip
• Drag debian-40r5-i386-businesscard.iso into the Debian_VM directory
• Double click on Debian_VM.vmx file within the Debian_VM file.
• The VM should now boot.

Installing Debian

• Hit enter at the Debian boot screen.
• The boot sequence will then load, and then it will come up with a dialog asking about international settings.
• Select your appropriate keyboard and language settings.
• Select your hostname and domain settings. The defaults are usually fine here.
• Select your local Debian archive, to your country.
• Set your usual network settings. Usually, the defaults are fine here as well.
• When it asks you what sort of disk partitioning to use, select 'Guided, Use Entire Disk'
• Select 'All files in one partition'.
• Confirm and finish partitioning.
• Select your timezone.
• It will ask you to give root a password. Do so. Remember it.
• It will then ask you for an account. Use your usual username or 'test'.
• Wait a while.
• After a while, it will ask you to select additional sets.
• Unselect 'standard system' -- everything should be unchecked.
• It will then ask you about the Grub bootloader. Answer 'yes'.
• It will tell you the installation is done and to reboot.
• A login prompt should appear after it reboots.

Installing Additional Packages

• Log in as root at the login prompt. Use the password you gave it. I hope you remember it.
• Type 'aptitude' at the root command prompt.
• Take note of the following aptitiude keys:/ - to search for a package
• n - to continue the search
• + - to add a selected package
• g - to begin installation

[*]Search for and add the following packages:

• matchbox - specifically, the meta-package -- search for this, and hit +
• matchbox-theme-extra
• xorg - just 'xorg' -- this is the meta-package
• ttf-bitstream-vera - font

[*] Once you have selected these packages, hit 'g' and confirm.
[*] Packages should be downloading and installing now.
[*] After a while, it will complete. Hit 'q'
[*] At the root prompt, type 'exit'
Installing and setting up the Matchbox theme

• Log in as yourself with the username that you gave at install. Not root.
• At the prompt, type: CODE
  wget http://cloud.dvrdns.org/~wbrown/omap/Pandora-Matchbox-Dot-Files.tar.gz
  
• This will drop the tarball into your current directory.
• Unarchive the tarball: CODE
  tar -zxvf Pandora-Matchbox-Dot-Files.tar.gz
  
• A minor fix needs to be done, due to Debian search paths acting oddly.
• Edit the desktop theme file: CODE
  pico .themes/Pandora/matchbox/theme.desktop
  
• Replace PandoraWallpaper.png with: CODE
  /home/username/.themes/Pandora/matchbox/PandoraWallpaper.png
  Replace username with the username you logged in as.
• Ctrl-O to writeout
• Ctrl-X to exit

Starting Matchbox

• Type: CODE
  startx
  

Additional stuff

• If you want to add packages, you may want to login as root and use aptitude.
• synaptic may be easier to deal with, being a GUI version of aptitude, however it introduces a lot of dependencies.

Caveats

• By default, it won't be the right resolution or aspect ratio for the Pandora. You may want to install Xephyr or use XOO.