Release Switch GUI: Openbox
- Thread starter freamon
- Start date
MarkW
Member
I tried a really quick and very dirty fix - cloning the pnd_run script, with a different name and location - no luck - still ignored. So, this looks like a limitation of OpenBox - or at least our version .... unless someone knows differently......
I would gently suggest it's a limitation of the PND system, rather than of Openbox. PNDs take a little while to mount, so if you launch one, and then try to launch another straight afterwards, the second one will fail.
One thing you could try is to put a 'sleep' command after each call to the pnd_run script (e.g. 'sleep 5' would mean it would wait 5 seconds).
Another thing you could try is to mount the PND manually and copy the contents into a folder on an ext2-formatted SD card. Assuming that the PND has been made in a portable way (i.e. doesn't depend on being in a /mnt/utmp/ location), then your autostart script could call the PND's startup script directly, without the overhead of launching a PND.
I'd probably want to go with this option if I always wanted 2 PNDs running at startup anyways, since I don't think I've ever been able to have more than 3 PNDs running at once (it runs out of loop devices). So even if you got 2 PNDs running at startup, you might find yourself unable to launch any more.
One thing you could try is to put a 'sleep' command after each call to the pnd_run script (e.g. 'sleep 5' would mean it would wait 5 seconds).
Another thing you could try is to mount the PND manually and copy the contents into a folder on an ext2-formatted SD card. Assuming that the PND has been made in a portable way (i.e. doesn't depend on being in a /mnt/utmp/ location), then your autostart script could call the PND's startup script directly, without the overhead of launching a PND.
I'd probably want to go with this option if I always wanted 2 PNDs running at startup anyways, since I don't think I've ever been able to have more than 3 PNDs running at once (it runs out of loop devices). So even if you got 2 PNDs running at startup, you might find yourself unable to launch any more.
MarkW
Member
Tried the sleep trick. Got to sleep 15 and, well fell asleep! No, in all seriousness, the sleep thing doesn't seem to work. Just have to accept that I'll have to manually launch the second pnd, as I don't like breaking out a PND or the other possibilities. Thanks for the input though.
Not had any issues with regularly running multiple pnds though. I regularly have at least three on the go, often 4...
Try something like
pnd_run <first_pnd> & ( sleep 5; pnd_run <second_pnd> )
and not something like
pnd_run <first_pnd> & sleep 5 & pnd_run <second_pnd>
because the ampersand means it will start the first pnd and sleep in the background while starting the second pnd (so the sleep doesn't do anything at all), which does not solve the original problem at all.
@freamon: you can have way more than 3 PNDs mounted at the same time, at least 13 or so. I can start the game soundtracks PND, make it mount 10 game PNDs and one PND for playback (so 12 PNDs total), without any problem. It starts running out of loopback devices when you try to mount a few more, which is why I limited the game soundtrack thing to 10.
pnd_run <first_pnd> & ( sleep 5; pnd_run <second_pnd> )
and not something like
pnd_run <first_pnd> & sleep 5 & pnd_run <second_pnd>
because the ampersand means it will start the first pnd and sleep in the background while starting the second pnd (so the sleep doesn't do anything at all), which does not solve the original problem at all.
@freamon: you can have way more than 3 PNDs mounted at the same time, at least 13 or so. I can start the game soundtracks PND, make it mount 10 game PNDs and one PND for playback (so 12 PNDs total), without any problem. It starts running out of loopback devices when you try to mount a few more, which is why I limited the game soundtrack thing to 10.
MarkW
Member
Oooh, that worked a treat - thanks!
Silent-Hunter
Hardcore Member
- Joined
- May 29, 2010
- Messages
- 3,485
Is there an uninstall option, in case I decide I don't care for Openbox?
Yep. The PND includes 3 'apps' - install, uninstall, and the background setter. "Uninstall Openbox" will be in the System menu.
Yes, but you can also just keep it installed and not use it - it's just an extra option in the GUI menu (besides MiniMenu and XFCE), so you don't need to uninstall it to go back to your previous GUI.
fusion_power
Advanced Member
I want to try this GUI, is it beginenr friendly and "save"? I've read something about bugs in combination with the codec pack. I also try to avoid terminal-stuff as far as possible. ^^"
Go for it, mate. It can do no harm. You don't need to be an 'advanced user' or anything like that.
Re: the codec pack - it's true that if the PND is on a SD card, the 'system' menu in Openbox won't output correctly. However, once you've used the Codec Pack PND to install the codecs, you don't need it anymore, so you can delete it, and Openbox will work ok.
Re: the codec pack - it's true that if the PND is on a SD card, the 'system' menu in Openbox won't output correctly. However, once you've used the Codec Pack PND to install the codecs, you don't need it anymore, so you can delete it, and Openbox will work ok.
dsleaf67
Member
Thats Why I keep install pnds (like timidy and codec_pack) in an install folder and browse to them through mini menu after after a flash, this way those installs don't clutter my menu either.
Just wish some pnds would allow this better. I.E. the Openbox gui for example doesn't allow this since browsing I don't see the multiple scripts and can only run the first. I personally don't like the multiple icons generated by some pnds. I usually only want one and can't hide the rest. Just my personal opinon though.
Just wish some pnds would allow this better. I.E. the Openbox gui for example doesn't allow this since browsing I don't see the multiple scripts and can only run the first. I personally don't like the multiple icons generated by some pnds. I usually only want one and can't hide the rest. Just my personal opinon though.
bsp
Very Active Member
- Joined
- Dec 2, 2006
- Messages
- 314
Just installed OpenBox.
First impression: Yeah, this is a keeper. But why-o-why does the Pandora key open the app.menu but does not close it when it is pressed again (only fn+q (esc) does that) (same gripe like with XFCE, wrote a script to fix that the day I got my Pandora a few weeks ago). Anyhow, this should replace XFCE in the SZ firmware, IMHO.
EDIT: and the entire "System" menu is gone. How am I supposed to launch e.g. SysInfo ?
EDIT#2: First impressions cont.: Having the main program categories in the root app.menu (like in XFCE) is better, IMHO, and long app.menu lists handling is better in XFCE (the menu scrolls -- OpenBox uses paging / submenus which requires you to press csr right at the right entry).
EDIT#3: "Toggle Tint2 Panel" and "Toggle Warlock Bar" settings are not saved when switching WMs (have to re-disable them each time I start OpenBox)
First impression: Yeah, this is a keeper. But why-o-why does the Pandora key open the app.menu but does not close it when it is pressed again (only fn+q (esc) does that) (same gripe like with XFCE, wrote a script to fix that the day I got my Pandora a few weeks ago). Anyhow, this should replace XFCE in the SZ firmware, IMHO.
EDIT: and the entire "System" menu is gone. How am I supposed to launch e.g. SysInfo ?
EDIT#2: First impressions cont.: Having the main program categories in the root app.menu (like in XFCE) is better, IMHO, and long app.menu lists handling is better in XFCE (the menu scrolls -- OpenBox uses paging / submenus which requires you to press csr right at the right entry).
EDIT#3: "Toggle Tint2 Panel" and "Toggle Warlock Bar" settings are not saved when switching WMs (have to re-disable them each time I start OpenBox)
Last edited by a moderator:
I need to update this, to fix some of these problems. I've been doing lots of overtime at work a lately, but I should get a chance next week.
The Pandora key doesn't toggle the menu because, to do so, I'd have to modify the source of Openbox itself. I'm not a programmer, so it's not normally the kind of thing I look into. I did look at it recently though, and I'm fairly sure I know how to change it so that: 1) the menu closes with a second press of the Pandora key, and 2) it opens at a fixed position, without moving your mouse cursor.
The system menu is normally there (including SysInfo). If it's missing, it's because of a non-standard PND breaking the menu (as mentioned, the Codec Pack is the main offender, but there may be others).
Program categories can't be in the root menu, because they're generated dynamically (e.g. if you don't have any Office software, there's no Office category). To update the root menu, you have to change menu.xml, and then run '/usr/bin/openbox --reconfigure' (which isn't something you want to do every time a new PND is added).
The "Toggle Tint2 Panel" and "Toggle Warlock Bar" are intended to be temporary: i.e. they're something you have running, but kill off when you want the screen space. If you always want them disabled, use Root Menu -> Openbox Config -> edit autostart, and comment out the relevant entries.
Anyways .. now I must sleep ...
The Pandora key doesn't toggle the menu because, to do so, I'd have to modify the source of Openbox itself. I'm not a programmer, so it's not normally the kind of thing I look into. I did look at it recently though, and I'm fairly sure I know how to change it so that: 1) the menu closes with a second press of the Pandora key, and 2) it opens at a fixed position, without moving your mouse cursor.
The system menu is normally there (including SysInfo). If it's missing, it's because of a non-standard PND breaking the menu (as mentioned, the Codec Pack is the main offender, but there may be others).
Program categories can't be in the root menu, because they're generated dynamically (e.g. if you don't have any Office software, there's no Office category). To update the root menu, you have to change menu.xml, and then run '/usr/bin/openbox --reconfigure' (which isn't something you want to do every time a new PND is added).
The "Toggle Tint2 Panel" and "Toggle Warlock Bar" are intended to be temporary: i.e. they're something you have running, but kill off when you want the screen space. If you always want them disabled, use Root Menu -> Openbox Config -> edit autostart, and comment out the relevant entries.
Anyways .. now I must sleep ...
I've thought about it, but never gone through with it, mostly because I don't need the nand space for anything, and it's good to have a backup GUI.
It depends how confident you are with opkg. Most xfce stuff will be tied into top-level meta-packages, so you'd need to use --force-depends a lot.
Off the top of my head: xfce4-panel could be removed; but don't remove xfce-notify (also used by openbox), and don't remove xfwm (also used by minimenu)
It depends how confident you are with opkg. Most xfce stuff will be tied into top-level meta-packages, so you'd need to use --force-depends a lot.
Off the top of my head: xfce4-panel could be removed; but don't remove xfce-notify (also used by openbox), and don't remove xfwm (also used by minimenu)
BAFelton
Well-Known Member
When i install Openbox, a window opens, I type exit and then nothing else. In switch GUI, there's no new option.
Am I doing something wrong ?
Thanks.
Am I doing something wrong ?
Thanks.
