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Old 12-31-2011, 01:56 PM   #1
aquaboot
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No preferences in gnome 2.30.2


Hi All,

I installed Debian Testing with Gnome 2.30.2. I can't locate the "preferences" section on the desktop. It used to be system/preferences, but no longer. I'm trying to edit startup programs.

Thanks,

ab

Last edited by aquaboot; 12-31-2011 at 02:24 PM.
 
Old 12-31-2011, 05:15 PM   #2
widget
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Gnome has decided that you really don't want to configure things so they left out most tools.

They did, do to some "pressure" from users release "gnome-tweak-tool". You may want to install that.

I took this from synaptic here on my testing install;
Quote:
GNOME Tweak Tool (pronounced [kræptuːl]) allows the adjustment of a
number of GNOME configuration settings that is felt would not be of
interest to ordinary users. This includes things like the fonts used in
user interface elements, alternative user interface themes, changes in
window management behaviour and others.
It might be what you are looking for.

Good luck. There really is a reason why a bunch of us are using a different DE. Really don't mind learning something new, as is the usual accusation, Gnome just sucks. I used it for years. Use Xfce now.

I do have gnome over on my Sid install to keep an eye on it. If you study the community developed extensions you can actually make the thing kind of work.

If you get frustrated, try Ubuntu with Unity. Makes GS look a whole lot better.
 
Old 12-31-2011, 05:29 PM   #3
k3lt01
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aquaboot View Post
Hi All,

I installed Debian Testing with Gnome 2.30.2. I can't locate the "preferences" section on the desktop. It used to be system/preferences, but no longer. I'm trying to edit startup programs.

Thanks,

ab
I thought Testing had Gnome 3 and Gnome-Shell now. Looking at Debian Package Search I am correct.

Can you post a screenshot.
 
Old 12-31-2011, 10:05 PM   #4
aquaboot
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Thanks Widget! Please tell me more about why you like xfce. I've considered using it due to it being easier on resources (my box is a bit older than most). I'll look into Unity as well.

-ab
 
Old 12-31-2011, 10:27 PM   #5
k3lt01
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aquaboot View Post
I'll look into Unity as well.
I think you'll find Widget was being sarcastic
 
Old 12-31-2011, 11:31 PM   #6
lowlux
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aquaboot View Post
Hi All,

I installed Debian Testing with Gnome 2.30.2. I can't locate the "preferences" section on the desktop. It used to be system/preferences, but no longer. I'm trying to edit startup programs.

Thanks,

ab
Gnome thinks that stupid people should not able to mess with the desktop, Becouse the crackhead assholes at gnome think there gods.
 
Old 01-01-2012, 12:08 AM   #7
k3lt01
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lowlux View Post
Gnome thinks that stupid people should not able to mess with the desktop, Becouse (sic) the crackhead assholes at gnome think there (sic) gods.
At least they can spell!
 
Old 01-01-2012, 01:36 AM   #8
widget
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aquaboot View Post
Thanks Widget! Please tell me more about why you like xfce. I've considered using it due to it being easier on resources (my box is a bit older than most). I'll look into Unity as well.

-ab
Xfce is a well thought out DE. The development has been cautious, fairly slow but very steady.

The current iteration of panels and the launchers you can use on them is very good.

Gnome3 has a lot of changes.

While I do not know what the Gnome developers are thinking and would not go near as far as lowlux does in the opinion stated above, that opinion is certainly not unique.

Nautilus has been accused for years of being bloated. One mans bloat is another mans feature. I have always really liked Nautilus. In the new iteration they have worked on the "bloat". As far as I can see it is just as hard on resources as it was but without the features that made that acceptable.

Thunar is not a real feature packed file manager. No split screen, no tabs. You have always been able to right click on a directory in it and open a terminal in that directory (saves having to "cd" your terminal). In Nautilus you had to install "nautilus-open-terminal" to get this.

You could also install "nautilus-gksu" and have the option to open a directory in another window with a root version of Nautilus. I used this a lot. It is gone for good I think.

Thunar has the fairly easy capability to have "custom actions". My right click menu now gives the option to "Open As Hephaestus" which gives me that same feature and with a name I like (your choice on the menu entry).

The big problem is always to learn the new DE as fast as possible. Xfce has great documentation on their website and Debian (Xubuntu disables this by default) leaves the Xfce "tips" feature enabled by default. This is a box that pops up when you boot in. These have always pissed me off to no end as they are poorly written crap. This one is different. If you install Xfce, read the buggers. They are well written tips on setting up Xfce. They actually are informative and helpful.

I used 2 panels, both on top (hate bottom panels) under Gnome. With Xfce I have more launchers on the 1 panel I am using with less icons as you can have more than one launched from one location. I have one that holds things I don't use real often but do use regularly and all 7 of them are in one location.s

There are some Gnome packages that I use. Gnome-alsamixer is a must for me. I like Brasero to be on here, I have always liked to have it and Xfburn (Xfce default) and K3b (from KDE) because if I have a problem that one of them will not solve I am not going to continue fighting it. Those 3 work great together.

You really will not like Unity if you are not happy with the Gnome you have on there now. It is just a different shell as the DE for Gnome3. Extensions are harder to write for it so there are few. Somethings a lot of people want in Unity have been ruled out by Big Mark himself (such as being able to move the launcher somewhere else). Don't waste your time.

I think Gnome Shell will improve rapidly. It is too late for me. I really prefer the current Xfce as in Debian testing. The slightly older version in Squeeze does not blow my skirt up nearly as much, in Squeeze I am still using Gnome. That is Xfce4.6 and testing is running Xfce4.8 which is more easily configurable.
 
Old 01-01-2012, 06:15 PM   #9
aquaboot
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Well... Just for kicks and giggles I installed "gnome-tweak-tool." After it was installed via aptitude, it completely hosed my system- no icons, no desktop, no menus, nada. Now I have no useable desktop environment and will have to spend hours researching how to repair the damage. This really sucks. Time for another DE.

-ab
 
Old 01-01-2012, 07:06 PM   #10
widget
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Wow.

That is the tool recommended by Gnome and put out by them.

Boot to recovery mode.

Get to root prompt.

apt-get install xfce4

Should get you to a desktop and you can then install what ever else you need for full xfce4 (see synaptic).

Your hardware must be pretty marginal for Gnome3 anyway. I take it that it looks similar to the old style panels. If this is the case you are running in gnome fallback mode.

Come to think of it, if the gnome tweak tool ate your system you could get to the root prompt and run

apt-get purge gnome-tweak-tool

or aptitude.

Might help.
 
Old 01-01-2012, 08:37 PM   #11
k3lt01
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Before you do anything else you need to know what your system is. You initially said you had testing with Gnome 2.30.2 then you installed something intended for a different version. Now you have borked your system. By installing Gnome-tweak-tool you will have broken Gnome 2.30.2 and that is why you haven't got anything. You now need to stop and think for a bit before you do anything else. Plan it out and work through it methodically.

Ask yourself some questions.
1. What do you want?
2. How are you going to achieve this?

Make a plan, do the research, and implement your plan.
 
Old 01-04-2012, 06:33 PM   #12
Gomer_X
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Quote:
Originally Posted by k3lt01 View Post
I thought Testing had Gnome 3 and Gnome-Shell now. Looking at Debian Package Search I am correct.
Wheezy does have Gnome 3 now, but you have to do a full-upgrade (apt-get dist-upgrade) to get it, as it breaks Gnome 2.x in the process (obviously).
 
Old 01-05-2012, 02:19 AM   #13
k3lt01
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Gomer_X View Post
Wheezy does have Gnome 3 now, but you have to do a full-upgrade (apt-get dist-upgrade) to get it, as it breaks Gnome 2.x in the process (obviously).
Which is what has happened to the OP, he has added an application for Gnome 3 on a Gnome 2 system thus breaking Gnome 2.
 
  


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