Shift Lite - Flux work needed


Recommended Posts

Well, CrimsonRedMk helped me get virtualbox running, so I can fire up Shift .iso images for testing.

I booted into the XFCE Live environment, and did the install. Some problems were noted, and I had Crimson on MSN. so started telling him, but most everything I saw he was already aware of - so no real surprises there (other than first time I booted, there were no XFCE panels).

I performed the install, through several errors that were bothersome, but it seemed to be successful despite the errors. Then I started my first boot of the virtual hard drive install, and selected fluxbox.

Yikes! Work that needs to be done:

  1. Shift Wallpaper. This wasn't present in flux, but it can use the same default XFCE wall by doing an ls -s /usr/share/xfce4/backdrops/Shift.jpg ~/.fluxbox/backgrounds/Shift.jpg, and setting the ~/.fluxbox/lastwallpaper file properly as if the user had selected Shift.jpg during the last (non-existent if first booting flux) session
  2. feh. Not only is this a great lightweight (578kB) image display app, it does all the necessary adjustments to images that fluxbox expects to be handled when the user sets a background with the fbsetbg command. Doing an fbsetbg -i now to get information states that the current "display" app isn't adequate, and recommends feh, wmsetbg or Esetroot.
  3. Themes. Only the standard fluxbox themes are included, nothing Shift related. If there is a desired cross-DE theme that we will be using, I can "flux it all up" if someone can get post the source images used in creating the theme, and a screenshot for me to match up as much as I can.
  4. Menu. Needs a lot of work. I would recommend matching up the XFCE menus as much as makes sense. I don't think that flux can use the XFCE menus, so I will just have to create a starting point that matches XFCE at default install. Any changes by the user will require the user to also edit the menu file. Some apps are not appropriate in a flux environment (like the xfce4-about app) and would need to be removed or replaced with a close equivalent.
  5. Pop Open a Help Window. This would be like what DamnSmallLinux does, because an empty desktop with no start button will totally confuse any user not expecting fluxbox's right-click system. So a brief introduction to fluxbox basics presented on first boot would help make users a little more comfortable (if only on how to exit and get back to XFCE). This can be a simple RTF or HTML file opened in a simple browser window.

That's what I can think of from my first look at this.

What I do need is direction (and files for theming) on the desired menu structure to match - same general terminology like "system", "applications" and so forth. Setting the wallpaper symlink and including feh as a Lite package are trivial changes, as is having me write up a "Welcome to Shift Linux's Fluxbox" welcome screen.

Theming and the Menu will be the most work for me, and this is where I need the most help from the Shift Devs to set my direction. :yes:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Let me also use this thread as markjensen's scratchpad of ideas to consider for Shift that fall outside of my "fluxbox" area.

  1. Use a facebrowser for the GDM login, use a Shift logo as the default login photo. Need art person to create others, Neowin logo, whatever.
  2. Have a pre-created (or an easy bash script) "Guest" account, so user switching can be used for those who want to have such a beast. Guest must, of course, be prohibited from making changes, and not be a sudoer.
  3. Need to make sure we clear out all (x)ubuntu logos and references from Lite. Replace with Shift, of course.
  4. Use a current memtest. This was mentioned by a member in another thread. Just want to make sure it doesn't get forgotten.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm getting my virtual install set up with some of the basics (theme, wall). I can't do much on menus and such until the team gets together and they determine what the "common" setup across all environments will be. Then I will match that up as much as Flux is able.

My goal is to bring flux from the generic state that it is now, up into the "most improved" category. :cool:

I just don't know how to take what I am doing, and incorporate into an iso. :blush:

P.S. Once the team is set up again, I need to find out how to get VirtualBox to display higher than 800x600. I see that there is an addon pack that is supposed to be installed from an .iso image from within VirtualBox (from what I read on their site), but I don't have that file. Quick shot of what it looks like as of today:

post-36818-1207008245_thumb.png

Edited by markjensen
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.