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bud_ferret 03-05-2002 06:24 PM

How do I start Blackbox?
 
I just installed the Blackbox RPM package to my RedHat 7.0 distribution. Rpm –U blackbox-0.61.1*. The files have been installed in their appropriate directories, OK, but RPM did not configure Blackbox to start as my default Window Manager. Thus, when I enter startx, I get my old default desktop. BTW, I purposefully did not install KDE nor Gnome, because I was trying to conserve disk space and I find that those two managers are too slow and bloated for my liking... just my opinion.

Before I decided to install Blackbox I had been running Afterstep, which was acceptable, but Blackbox seemed more of what I wanted. I read the Man pages on how to start Blackbox. It says to modify the script in the .xinitrc file by adding “exec blackbox” at the end of the script, but this file does not exist in my current configuration. So I tried making a “blackbox” entry in the /root/.wm_style file, instead, but that didn’t work either. It just reverted back to Twm, default Window Manager (I don’t have any other Window Managers installed). When I exited Twm, I could read the error messages on the console stating that it did not recognize that (blackbox) Window Manager. I also noticed it rewrote the .wm_style file to read “Fvwm95” but when I tried startx again it still proceeded to load Twm, and on exit the warning message that I selected Fvwm95 as my Window Manager but the executable was not found.

So… how do I start Blackbox, now that it is installed?

Bud

pbharris 03-05-2002 06:31 PM

in the file ~/.Xclients-default add the line exec blackbox and make sure all the other lines used to start window managers are commneted out i.e. have a # in front

bud_ferret 03-05-2002 06:54 PM

pbharris,

Thank you for your prompt reply.

I just did a search for .Xclients-default on my system but could not find it. Can I start my own default file and will startx look for it? Can you supply an example file?

Thanks

Bud

taz.devil 03-05-2002 07:16 PM

The particular file you are looking for is in your home directory. Just do;

cd ~
ls -a

All of a sudden you'll see a bunch more files that were 'hidden'. the -a and -A list options show 'all' files in a dir. -a shows all, even the current . .. but -A omits those. It's not a big enough difference to matter.

bud_ferret 03-05-2002 07:31 PM

taz.devil,

I just looked in my home directory "/root/", using Midnight Commander... ncurses version, and the file was not there. MC shows all the files, including the dotted system files. When I did the initial search I used: find / -name .Xclients-defaults.

Bud

taz.devil 03-05-2002 07:38 PM

Are you logging in as your user or root? You'll wanna do this as your user. In that case the file(s) will be in the /home/(username) directory.

bud_ferret 03-05-2002 07:53 PM

taz.devil,

I just checked my /home/user_name directory... not there either. There are four files there:

.bash_history
.bash_logout
.bash_profile
.bash_rc

Maybe the RedHat 7.0 distribution has it's own configure setup that is not typical. Maybe I need to install KDE or something before the .Xclient_default file is made? Who knows?

Bud

hanzerik 03-05-2002 07:54 PM

I had to create .xinitrc on my redhad and slack boxes.

I did this to get mine working. As normal user type:

cd (to get you back to your home directory)
vi .xinitrc , press i to start insert text, if you use xscreensaver then add the line " xscreensaver & " then press enter to start new line and add " exec blackbox " Then to save the file press esc and then shift+: then type wq! and it should save it. Then you should be able to type startx and blackbox should start and if you put xscreensaver in your .xinitrc file then you'll see the splash screen for it apper then go away.

mine looks like:

xscreensaver &
exec blackbox

bud_ferret 03-05-2002 08:09 PM

Hanzerik,

BINGO!!!! You da man….

I did exactly what you suggested and got Blackbox up and running.

Many thanks!

MUAH!!!! .... hehe

Bud

bud_ferret 03-05-2002 08:09 PM

Hanzerik,

BINGO!!!! You da man….

I did exactly what you suggested and got Blackbox up and running.

Many thanks!

MUAH!!!! .... hehe

Bud

bud_ferret 03-05-2002 08:36 PM

To all,

Just got done tinkering around with Blackbox! So far… MAN OH MAN!!!! This desktop is DYNOMITE!!!! I love it! And, just as advertized: FAST!!!!

I want to take this time to thank all of you on this FORUM for your help. You GUYS are the GREATEST!!!! If it weren’t for this FORUM, I’d still have a long face, and searchin’… searchin’ …. searchin’

Special thanks to hanzerik. You made my day!

Happily,
Bud

hanzerik 03-05-2002 08:54 PM

Thanks glad I could help out.

heres a little help with the menu's

cd (get back to home dir)
mkdir blackbox (create a directory to keep your custum menu file in)
more .blackboxrc (look for the line that is pointing to the shared menu file ie: /usr/<path to>/menu )
cp /usr/< path to >/menu /home/<username>/blackbox/

open the menu file that you copied to your black box directory

you should see some lines that look like this:

[begin] (Blackbox) #title of menu, change the info in the ( ) to whatever you want.
[exec] (XTERM) {xterm -ls} # the [exec] execute programs (XTERM) name of proggy, can be anything you want{xterm -ls} what you would type on the command line.
[exec] (RXVT) {rxvt}
[exec] (ETERM) {Eterm}
[exec] (GFTP) {gftp}
[submenu] (GRAFIX) # to create a submenu ( name of sub menu )
[exec] (The GIMP) {gimp}
[exec] (Image Magick) {display}
[end] # needed to end submenu

[submenu] (BROWSERS)
[exec] (MOZILLA) {mozilla}
[exec] (NETSCAPE) {netscape}
[end]

[submenu] (X Utilities)
[exec] (Xfontsel) {xfontsel}
[exec] (Xman) {xman}
[exec] (Xcalc) {xcalc}
[exec] (Xload) {xload}
[end]
[end] # needed to conclude menu

The info in the { } is whatever you would normally type at the command line to start the program.
Hope that helps.

Oopps forgot to tell you you will have to edit .blackboxrc to get it to work. edit the line that is point to the shared menu /usr/<path to>/menu to be /home/<username/blackbox/menu

hanzerik 03-05-2002 09:10 PM

also, if you put xscreensaver & in your .xinitrc file then do this so its easy to start.:

add a line like this to your menu file:

[exec] (Screensaver setup) {xscreensaver-demo}
[exec] (Screensaver lockdown) {xscreensaver-command -lock}

you can put [exec] items anywhere in the menu. just make sure that if you create a [submenu] that you also put a [end] after the items in the submenu. The [end] at the end is also important as it completes the whole menu.


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