Is there a Debian or Debian-based distro that installs openbox with dynamic (self-updating) menus?

This is a great question.

I have Debian testing with OB installed on here along with several other installs of different DEs and distros.

That is something that has bothered me for some time.

I know of no Debian based OB distros.

So I have been looking into it in my spare time. Only thing I can offer currently is this link to the OpenBox site;
http://openbox.org/wiki/Help:Menus

Which does have a section specific to Debian.

If you have the package obmenu installed you can use it to edit the OB menu. This will not edit, as far as I know, the Debian menu. I personally don't like obmenu as I find it easier to simply edit the menu directly. This is covered on that link under Static Menus.

As much as I like Debian I must admit this menu business in OB is terrible.

I use Thunar as my file manager and have placed a "bookmark" or shortcut in my left pane for "Applications" which points to /usr/share/applications. I use it as my menu as a very crappy work around.

While I haven't looked at it recently the best OTB OB configuration I have seen is by Manjaro. Menu works there nicely. Intend to get that and see what they are doing differently. Should be able to use that info to correct the Debian implementation.

1 members found this post helpful.

Ê: you can install anything you want from a "netinst" (and maybe Aptitude? (It's menu is [Ctrl]+t ... )) I have Debian 8 with Openbox and installed Debian menus, could also add lot's of different panels like Lxpanel but I used Conky instead: http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...ml#post5513512
they do make Openbox forks like Crunchbang (if it is still kept up?)

A Debian DVD can install it too as "Advanced install" ... have fun!

Glad to see someone thought my question was a good one. Since starting the original thread, I have learned about the following:

https://sourceforge.net/projects/nelum-os/

http://sparkylinux.org/openbox-menu-generator/

Thanks for the interest.

Keep in mind regular personal data backups even with LTS (or testing &c) from one of the top reputable distros or other.

So what did you do that caused you to mark this "Solved"?

May sound silly but for 2 things;
1>Users may, as they should, use the forum search tool to look for this very problem. They will find this thread and the "solution" is not explained.

2>I would really like to know.

Marked this thread as unsolved again at the request of Widget. When he believes the thread is solved, he'll let us know.

you should try bunsenlabs.
not a self-updating menu, but that is easily achieved with e.g. obmenu-generator.

I would just like to know what you did and how it worked. I am sure I am not alone.

There is no satisfactory, precise solution, Widget. Sparky has the best ready-made answer, as noted, unless one wanted to go with a one-person distro like Nelum. Neither is what I wanted. One person suggested Bunsenlabs, which I was already familiar with, but it is offers nothing that is a precise fix. None of the generators work flawlessly.

Thanks.

I am continuing to work on this on my own too. It is the only thing really holding me back from using OB a LOT more.

Here are some distros that default to OpenBox. They are all in some way descendants of CrunchBang, which is defunct. I can't speak to the dynamic menu issue.

https://www.bunsenlabs.org/

https://crunchbangplusplus.org/

https://sourceforge.net/projects/crunchbangmonara/

You may have better results with stretch https://www.debian.org/releases/ or even more with sid if you're good at backing up your personal data and\or configs.

Then:etc...

Try [Alt]+[F2] managers or other bits and pieces from maybe Xfce, LXDE, KDE and so on.

Like above and I also have used /usr/share/applications (or to add elsewhere) or a distros that does it for you^ like maybe CrunchBang++ *?
I personally like it minimal so just use a terminal to launch stuff then hit [Tab]

Puttingin your title ("Thread Tools" near top left on this page) may help? Tho the average user may think GNU\Linux does not our hands we hold it's. Try no pun but fun, ratpoison. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ratpoison

OK, thanks Widget and all. Let me know if you have a breakthrough.