Hello from a mouse clicker with delusions of grandeur

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dana
Posts: 2
Joined: 9. Feb 2021, 01:54

Hello from a mouse clicker with delusions of grandeur

Post by dana »

Hi there.

I first used Linux with Red Hat 6 that I found at the library. It was the only Linux book they had that included an installation cd. I started researching Linux, looking that the different options. I went with Slackware based on it's philosophy. I was duel booting with Slackware off and on for years since, never really diving deep into it. having Linux on my computers would come and go. I then found Salix at about the 13.37 or 14.1 era. tried the different DE options, stuck with XFCE. Been using Salix ever since. I even have my parents computer switched 100% to Salix for a few years now. I like the combination of a Slackware and a minimalist design philosophy.

I choose my Linux distribution and packages on 3 things.
1 - It's philosophy. ie. system.d - My understanding is it's really a compilation of different things packed together and doesn't follow the do one thing and do it well philosophy, so its bad. At my current computer skill level I could be running system.d right now and wouldn't even know it.
2 - Which way the wind blows. ie. yesterday XFCE was the greatest, today I watched a youtube video now JWM is the way to go.
3 - size. ie. smaller the better, at least to a certain degree.

Recently I've purchased a second hand computer for the sole reason of trying to actually learn some Linux, not just mouse clicking in a GUI. I'll try anything and reformat the computer without hesitation when I break it. I reformatted the computer the other day with the sole purpose just to time how quick I can have the system back up and running. fyi Format hdd and full Salix installation 4 min 38 sec. Connect to wifi and update system 4 min 40 sec. So from start to finish, 9 minutes and 18 seconds later I'm back surfing the web.

I've always liked the idea of creating my own Linux distribution, slim and purpose built, knowing every part used. But then the reality of my computer skill level and interest level sets in. I believe my current goal is more manageable. Installing and configuring JWM, then removing XFCE.

I'm sure I'll have lots of questions but from what I've already read on here the Salix community seems really helpful and friendly.

Dana
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gapan
Salix Wizard
Posts: 6238
Joined: 6. Jun 2009, 17:40

Re: Hello from a mouse clicker with delusions of grandeur

Post by gapan »

Hi Dana and welcome!

I really enjoyed your post! Thanks!

Mind you, trying out different WMs is like going down a rabbit hole. A very enjoyable one if you like that kind of stuff though. JWM is a nice WM, we already have a package for it in Salix, so all you have to do is:

Code: Select all

sudo slapt-get -i jwm
and then just select it in the gdm login screen instead of xfce.

Some pointers on next steps:
1. Try xdgmenumaker for creating application menus in JWM. Run

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man xdgmenumaker
and skip to the JWM section. You'll find this useful if you want to try other WMs too.
2. You'll need a way to easily mount removable drives, without having to have a "big" file manager from Xfce/MATE/KDE installed. Try gmountman with the -t option to also put it in the tray.
3. You'll probably need a way to autostart applications in your WM. fbautostart works fine in other WMs too, including JWM, not just Fluxbox.
4. You can remove everything Xfce related in your system with:

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cd /var/log/packages
sudo slapt-get --remove *xfce*
If you get stuck somewhere, don't be afraid to post here. Good luck and have fun!
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mimosa
Salix Warrior
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Joined: 25. May 2010, 17:02
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Re: Hello from a mouse clicker with delusions of grandeur

Post by mimosa »

Welcome! I too enjoyed your post and it reminded me of my earlier Linux days. Not that I know much more than I did then - on the contrary, I forget things more and more the less I tinker with them.

There are so many WMs out there and as with editors, there are really two different aspects to what it's like to use them. One is how steep the learning curve is, the other is how it feels once you are a bit more used to it. It would probably benefit everyone to try out something completely different once in a while, and perhaps discover new wheezes.

In that spirit my own journey has involved less and less mouse use ;) , though I'm not a purist and even just use Firefox these days like everyone else.

My favourite WM (and the one I still use daily) is Ratpoison, for which there used to be a Salix edition till a release or two ago. The packages still work with perhaps a tweak or two, if built in 14.2. I run it with a tiny tray containing applications for internet connectivity and bluetooth (thanks gapan for the tip about gmountman's -t switch which I wasn't aware of, I'll put it in my .xinitrc and try living with it for a week).

So for me distro-hopping gave way to WM-hopping, which sounds a bit like the path you are on. It's a lot of fun! Also a good example of the sort of thing Slackware makes it so easy to do, compared to the dreaded *buntus.

Smaller WMs like JWM can also give a new lease of life for older hardware.

There's a section in the Guide giving a whirlwind tour of Ratpoison in Salix:
http://guide.salixos.org/421Overview.html
Here is the website:
https://www.nongnu.org/ratpoison/
Many of the keybindings are the same as screen, which pairs nicely with Ratpoison .
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