Hi all,

I've been playing with the Enlightenment window manager for a week or so. I generally like it. It's fast and attractive.

I have a few reservations, though:

• It really needs a task bar. There's a Google summer of code project to create one that I may install, but I'd like to see it included by default soon.
• I really miss the automounting feature of KDE. I've tried to install Ivman and pmount, but I've run into a problem with them not working in Slackware 12.2 that I haven't fixed yet.
• I've looked, but haven't found an "align icons to grid" feature. I don't like how the desktop icons and icons in folders are spread out willy-nilly.

Overall I think it's neat, but I'm not ready to switch from KDE just yet. Formerly I've bounced between XFCE, Window Maker, and KDE. I like XFCE, but it doesn't do anything for me that KDE doesn't do. I really like Window Maker, but I lost a lot of my customizations during one of my Slackware upgrades. I'll get Window Maker set up again, but it's neat to check out other WMs. The bottom line is that Enlightenment is the first WM I've tried that might make me switch from KDE for good.

For those who use Enlightenment, what do you like about it? How do you work around some of the limitations? What themes, gadgets, etc. do you recommend?

Thanks,

-Drew

Well, first, are you using Enlightenment DR16 (stable) or DR17 (development)?

I haven't done a whole lot with 16. Just not a huge fan. (maybe haven't given it a chance?)

Anyway, 17 is a different story. If this is the version you use, then remember it is still in a development stage. I personally like it a whole lot, even though it isn't the most stable window manager around.

Also, have you given GNOME a try? I like it more than KDE. Gnome is faster than KDE and resembles XFCE. And it does automount your drives.

I have used GNOME, KDE, XFCE, and DR17 extensively. Every time I use DR17 though, I miss the fun parts of Gnome/Compiz .

If you would like more info, I'd be happy to give it.

Chris

I'm using DR17. I've used Gnome (though not with Slackware), and it's nice, but I'm much more of a KDE guy than a Gnome guy. :-D

Are any other Slackers using Enlightenment?

Regards,

-Drew

I started in linux with fedora and gnome then switched to slackware and was forced to learn something else. I was angry and windows and KDE at the time looked and felt exactly like it. Then I tried blackbox. No nonsense menu files and configuration with an easy right click to access the root menu and a useless taskbar at the bottom that I didn't use because you couldn't remove features from it, it was there or it wasn't. A year or two later I came to the conclusion that black box was never going to be updated again so I tried the variants openbox and fluxbox. You can go with Openbox which is virtually Nothing but a menu, key combo processor, and root window with the ability to manage windows and a new configuration system. Or you can go with fluxbox which is everything blackbox is plus every feature a blackbox user would want to implement. Needless to say fluxbox is simple and works for me.

But then all I need is a window manager to open and manage the programs I use. Enlightenment, Gnome, and KDE fall into a different category of desktop environment. With custom libraries to manage everything and simplify coding when a program chooses to use those libs... like .Net... not that the concept is bad but they often create tons of useless dependencies if a program or two is actually useful to somebody that doesn't like that environment; take GnuCash for example. It's probably the best cash program for linux. But yet it's so locked to Gnome that it requires 26+ dependencies to run.

Micro packages or monolithic packages, either way it can be annoying.

where was I...

Oh yeah. Enlightenment looks somewhat promising but I've never tested it. As long as it doesn't have something useless like gconf in it.

I've used Enlightenment for a little while but wasn't too crazy about it.
I can recommend IceWM. Fast, yet very powerfull.
You can overcome the automount issue by firing up Konqueror!

e17 has a taskbar which can even be added to the desktop as a gadget. e17 also has a system tray now. e17 also has a minimal compositor, bling . Current versions of e17 are even quite stable. Installing and updating e17 is easier than ever with the script, http://omicron.homeip.net/projects/#easy_e17.sh , which installs e17 to /opt/e17. Are you using a recent version of e17? I use The Dukes theme. I absolutely love it!

NOTES: If you use the easy_e17.sh script, you'll likely have to manually create a symbolic link from /usr/sbin/wpa_supplicant to /usr/bin/wpa_supplicant so the script finishes. After installation is complete, just delete the symbolic link in /usr/bin . Don't bother to fiddle with the script.

Also, once installed, just copy one of the /etc/X11/xinit scripts to something like xinitrc.e17 and then edit xinitrc.e17 to remove the old window manager and then add a final line like:
exec /opt/e17/bin/enlightenment_start
to the xinitrc.e17 script.
Also you can just manually move the edited xinitrc.e17 script to your home directory with the name, .xinitrc . Start X and you'll see your new e17 desktop. Good luck ... e17's a beauty!

All,

I've been using E17 for a while now and like it more and more. I downloaded and installed the Itask module from the Google code site. It works pretty well.

Contrary to my initial impression, Enlightenment does pop newly inserted CDs, DVDs, and USB devices up on the desktop so they can be mounted with just a click.

I'm not sure the e17 will replace KDE on my desktop permanently, but I really do like it.

Hello,

I installed E17 on my current yesterday.
Everything went smoot.
Today I want to boot current and nothing happens.
I see that current is loading and that the bios check is ok.
After that i see a black screen and my hard disk in running permantly.

How can i solve this problem ?

Roelof

Do you boot directly to runlevel 4? How did you install Enlightenment? Did you build it from the Slackbuild scripts at www.slackbuilds.org?

With a little more information, we can probably help you.

Regards,

-Drew

In the past I've used DR17 a bit and it was a fun window manager to play around with. To install it I compiled everything from source snapshots.

Hello,

I have been a litlle impacience.
I installed current again and also DR17.
I instal DR17 with the help of this script :
http://omicron.homeip.net/projects/#easy_e17.sh

The only problem i have now is that enchance can't be found and I think i can solve this.

Roelof

The following website is another great resource:

http://www.e17-stuff.org/

Although not as stable since it's still in development, e17 is as functional as any modern desktop including KDE or GNOME. I absolutely love it. I used to long for a system tray, but even that problem has been resolved. I have QuteCom running in the system tray, RSS feeds, etc. e17 is an absolute delight to use!

I'm glad things are working out for you.

Regards,

It's "entranced" and it should be in the sbin directory of your e17 install. So for example, if you installed into /opt/e17, it would be in:
/opt/e17/sbin/entranced

If you want to use it as your login manager (as opposed to kdm, xdm, gdm..) then you can edit your rc.4 init script (/etc/rc.d/rc.4) and add it as the first entry. Just follow the existing stuff as a template and set the path to entranced properly.

Oke,

I succeed in the installation.
But when i do sh easy_e17.sh --packagelist=full -i

I get this error :
That the file's can be found is correct. The default theme don't have this dir and the theme b_and_w doesn't exist. Therefore there's now a blingbling theme.

Roelof

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