LinuxQuestions.org - Linux Distribution with generic program names

- Linux - Newbie (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/)

- - Linux Distribution with generic program names (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/linux-newbie-8/linux-distribution-with-generic-program-names-4175507611/)

Linux Distribution with generic program names

I'm not sure If this is the right thread to post in but here goes...

I'm trying to get some old XP computers outfitted with linux. Most of them are P4 (skt 478) or Pentium M processors, all with 1GB of RAM and 40GB hard drives. I know there are a bunch of low resource linux distros using LXDE or XFCE window managers. Heres the kicker, pretty much all that i've found have program names that sound nothing like their intended purpose. I've found this especially true with LXDE (which I would prefer to use as it runs better on the P4s).

The people these systems are meant for know nothing about linux and would be frightened to try it when they don't know what the programs do. Before people answer I already found 2 distros that change the program names in the application menus to generic names (like changing the name GIMP to Photo Editor). The 2 are Zorin OS and Linux Lite. The issue is that these distros are still to resource hungry for my tastes and I'm wondering if there are any other distros that can do what I mentioned above while running LXDE or something similar. Thank you ahead of time for any help.

The short answer is, any distribution you like really. Menus are simple text and just like windows you can replace the crap notepad with notepad++ and it just opens when called.

So pick one that you think meets your technical needs and change away :)

Quote:

Originally Posted by podcomp

I know there are a bunch of low resource linux distros using LXDE or XFCE window managers. Heres the kicker, pretty much all that i've found have program names that sound nothing like their intended purpose.

Quote:

I already found 2 distros that change the program names in the application menus to generic names (like changing the name GIMP to Photo Editor). (...)

Hi there, and welcome to LQ.

What you want to do is only indirectly related to distributions: it depends in fact on the particular desktop environment or window manager which you are actually using. For instance, many distributions include Xfce, and they might install it and run it by default, or they might not. They might also provide different default configurations, which of course you can change according to your needs. The same holds for LXDE, KDE, MATE, fluxbox, Window Maker, and for any other similar software.

Regarding generic application names, if you are using Xfce you can easily configure the main "Applications menu" in order to show them instead of specific names: to do that you have to right-click on the menu button, go to "Properties" and then check the option "Show generic application names". That's it, for any distribution that includes Xfce. LXDE and MATE might have to be configured differently, and so other DEs or WMs.

[EDIT] By the way, the program information used in desktop menus is not "invented" by the specific distribution or desktop environment, but is picked from the "<program>.desktop" files stored in "/usr/share/applications/". For example, this is part of a "gimp.desktop" file:

Code:

[Desktop Entry]

Version=1.0

Type=Application

Name=GNU Image Manipulation Program

GenericName=Image Editor

Comment=Create images and edit photographs

Exec=gimp-2.8 %U

Icon=gimp

Terminal=false

StartupNotify=true

I'd have a look at AntiX MX edition, which I've just reviewed on this site. One of my comments was "This seems to be the lightest Xfce distro, and I would suggest minimum requirements of a Pentium III, 256MB of RAM, and a 5MB HD." As Philip says, setting the Xfce menu to behave sensibly is very simple.