Attachment 106185 Details for Bug 161107 – xfce-config.xml

xfce-config.xml

xfce-config.xml (text/plain), 17.38 KB, created by nm (RETIRED) on 2007-01-09 11:40:23 UTC

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><?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
>
>
>
><!DOCTYPE guide SYSTEM "/dtd/guide.dtd">
>
><guide link="/doc/en/xfce-config.xml">
>
><title>The Xfce Configuration Guide</title>
>
><author title="Author">
> <mail link="nightmorph@gentoo.org">Joshua Saddler</mail>
></author>
>
><abstract>
>This guide provides an extensive introduction to Xfce, a fast, lightweight,
>full-featured desktop environment.
></abstract>
>
>
>
><license/>
>
><version>1.0</version>
><date>2007-01-09</date>
>
><chapter>
><title>Introduction</title>
><section>
><title>The Xfce desktop environment</title>
><body>
>
>
><uri link="http://www.xfce.org">Xfce</uri> is a fast, lightweight desktop
>environment for Unix-like operating systems. It is designed for productivity,
>and is quite configurable while still adhering to the <uri
>link="http://www.freedesktop.org">Freedesktop</uri> specifications.
>
>
>
>Unlike heavier desktop environments, such as Gnome and KDE, Xfce uses far fewer
>system resources. Additionally, it offers greater modularity and fewer
>dependencies; it takes up less space on your hard disk and takes less time to
>install.
>
>
>
>This guide will not only show you how to install and configure a minimal Xfce
>environment, but will also explore options to create a full-featured desktop in
>keeping with the Xfce philosophy: light, fast, and modular.
>
>
></body>
></section>
></chapter>
>
><chapter>
><title>Installing Xfce</title>
><section>
><title>The basics</title>
><body>
>
>
>Before we install our fully-functional yet minimal desktop, let's take a moment
>to review the basic packages we'll be emerging.
>
>
><table>
><tr>
> <th>Name</th>
> <th>Description</th>
></tr>
><tr>
> <ti>xfce4</ti>
> <ti>The base Xfce desktop environment</ti>
></tr>
><tr>
> <ti>xscreensaver</ti>
> <ti>
> A screensaver with powersaving features and the ability to lock the screen
> for security
> </ti>
></tr>
><tr>
> <ti>hal</ti>
> <ti>
> A Hardware Abstraction Layer. HAL enables desktop applications to locate and
> use hardware devices. This makes it easy for you to work with removable
> media, such as USB sticks and CD/DVD drives. Installing <c>hal</c> will also
> install <c>dbus</c>, a simple way for applications to talk to each other.
> </ti>
></tr>
><tr>
> <ti>gamin</ti>
> <ti>
> This file alteration monitor keeps track of file changes; it's very handy
> when used in conjunction with a graphical file browser.
> </ti>
></tr>
></table>
>
>
>You're free to install any other packages you wish, but for now, we'll stick
>with these suggestions for a fast, minimal working environment. Double check
>your USE flags in <path>/etc/make.conf</path> to suit your needs, though you'll
>probably at least want <c>USE="-gnome"</c> to avoid pulling in unnecessary
>dependencies.
>
>
><pre caption="Installing Xfce">
># emerge -avt xfce4 xscreensaver hal gamin
></pre>
>
>
>Next, add your regular user(s) to the following groups, so that they can take
>full advantage of <c>hal</c> and be able to mount and use devices such as
>cameras, CD-ROMs, CD-RWs, and USB sticks:
>
>
><pre caption="Adding users to the hardware groups">
><comment>(Remember to replace username with your actual user)</comment>
># gpasswd -a username plugdev,cdrom,cdrw,usb
></pre>
>
>
>Next, update your environment variables:
>
>
><pre caption="Updating environment variables">
># env-update &amp;&amp; source /etc/profile
></pre>
>
>
>Now start up <c>hald</c> and add it to the default runlevel:
>
>
><pre caption="Starting hald">
># /etc/init.d/hald start
># rc-update add hald default
></pre>
>
></body>
></section>
></chapter>
>
><chapter>
><title>Configuring Xfce</title>
><section>
><title>Starting Xfce</title>
><body>
>
>
>Now that Xfce is now installed, we'll configure it to be the default desktop
>environment when we issue the <c>startx</c> command. Exit your root shell and
>log on as a regular user.
>
>
><pre caption="Setting Xfce as the default desktop environment">
>$ echo "exec startxfce4" &gt; ~/.xinitrc
></pre>
>
>
>Now start your graphical environment by typing <c>startx</c>:
>
>
><pre caption="Starting Xfce">
>$ startx
></pre>
>
>
>Congratulations, and welcome to your new Xfce desktop environment. Go ahead,
>explore it a bit. Then continue reading to learn how you can configure Xfce to
>suit your needs.
>
>
></body>
></section>
><section>
><title>Program access</title>
><body>
>
>
>You might notice right-clicking on the desktop shows you the menu of all your
>applications. It's useful, but your desktop can easily be completely obscured by
>open windows, making it hard to to launch a new program. So, one of the first
>things you may wish to do is give yourself a handy application menu on your
>panel. Right click on this panel, and choose "Add New Item". Scroll through the
>list of choices and select "Xfce Menu". You can choose where you want it to be
>displayed on your panel. When clicked, it displays the application/preferences
>menu, providing a nicely categorized list of your installed programs.
>
>
></body>
></section>
><section>
><title>Sessions &amp; startup</title>
><body>
>
>
>If you've installed (or plan to install) popular Gnome or KDE applications such
>as <c>k3b</c>, <c>nautilus</c>, <c>kmail</c>, <c>evolution</c>, etc. then you
>should make sure that Xfce launches the appropriate services for these at
>startup. Navigate to Menu --&gt; Settings --&gt; Sessions &amp; Startup. On the
>"Advanced" tab, select the appropriate checkbox. This might slightly increase
>Xfce startup times, but it decreases load times for KDE and Gnome applications.
>
>
>
>Xfce has the ability to save your session settings and running programs from the
>"General" tab in the Sessions &amp; Startup menu. They can be automatically
>saved when you logout, or Xfce can ask you each time. This feature is
>particularly useful for undoing configuration mistakes. Accidentally killed a
>panel? Just select "No" when prompted to save your current session, and the next
>time you start Xfce, your old desktop is restored. Want to automatically launch
>your open webbrowser, terminal, and email client the next time you login? Just
>save your session before logging out.
>
>
>
>You've now got a basic working environment installed and configured. But if
>you're interested in doing more, then continue reading!
>
>
></body>
></section>
></chapter>
>
><chapter>
><title>Additional Applications</title>
><section>
><title>Panel plugins</title>
><body>
>
>
>In this chapter, we'll discuss some useful plugins and applications for everyday
>use within Xfce.
>
>
>
>There are many plugins for the panel available in Portage; see for yourself with
><c>emerge --search xfce</c>. Though for the most part their names are self
>explanatory, a few deserve some attention, as they are quite helpful. To use
>them, simply <c>emerge</c> them. They'll be added to the list of available items
>in the "Add New Item" menu.
>
>
><ul>
> <li>
> <c>xfce4-mount</c> gives you a handy method of mounting devices listed in
> <path>/etc/fstab</path> just by clicking your mouse
> </li>
>
> <li>
> <c>xfce4-taskbar</c> can replace the windowlist panel entirely. It's
> useful if you want to conserve screen space (for small monitors), or don't
> want your desktop cluttered with more than one panel. Add the taskbar to
> your main panel, and then you can remove the separate windowlist panel by
> running <c>killall -9 xftaskbar4</c> from an xterm, thus displaying your
> application launchers, Xfce menu, clock, etc. all on just one panel.
> </li>
> <li>
> <c>xfce4-battery</c> is perfect for laptop users. It displays battery
> percentage, time remaining, power source (AC or battery), fan status,
> warnings, and can even be configured to execute commands at certain power
> levels. This feature can be used to put the laptop into hibernate mode when
> the battery is almost exhausted.
> </li>
> <li>
>
> <c>xfce4-minicmd</c> is a small command line embedded into the panel. It's
> quicker than opening up another terminal when you want to run a command.
> </li>
></ul>
>
></body>
></section>
><section>
><title>Useful programs</title>
><body>
>
>
>Now let's see about adding some useful yet lightweight applications, in keeping
>with Xfce's philosophy.
>
>
>
>First, let's replace the plain, boring old <c>xterm</c> with
><c>xfce-extra/terminal</c>. <c>Terminal</c> is far more configurable and useful
>than xterm, and supports Unicode text, pseudo-transparency and accelerated
>transparency via Xfce's built-in compositor, all out-of-the-box. At the time of
>writing, it is still in ~arch, so you will need to add it to
><path>/etc/portage/package.keywords</path> before emerging it.
>
>
><pre caption="Installing a better terminal">
># echo "xfce-extra/terminal" &gt;&gt; /etc/portage/package.keywords
># emerge -av xfce-extra/terminal
></pre>
>
>
>Once it's installed, you may want to change the default action of the terminal
>launcher on your panel to run <path>/usr/bin/Terminal</path> instead. Just
>right-click the launcher and choose "Properties" to change the command.
>
>
>
>You may want to replace the rather confusing default filemanager, <c>xffm</c>,
>with one that's more intuitive and helpful. The <c>rox</c> file manager is
>icon-based and behaves much more like a traditional file manager. If you're
>looking for something even more minimal, yet still extremely flexible, then try
>out the <c>gentoo</c> file manager. (The <c>gentoo</c> file manager is not
>related to the Gentoo Linux distribution.) Both file managers are lightweight
>and fully configurable, and are only a short <c>emerge</c> away.
>
>
>
>
>In the future, <c>thunar</c> will replace <c>xffm</c> as Xfce's default file
>manager, but it is still masked at the time of this writing. However, the most
>recent versions have been quite useful for daily work, and show great promise.
>If you're feeling brave, you can try out the release candidates. Please read
><uri link="doc/en/handbook/handbook-x86.xml?part=3&amp;chap=3#doc_chap3">Using
>Masked Packages</uri> to learn how to unmask it and its dependencies. Note that
>this software is still unfinished. You have been warned!
>
>
>
>Let's install a simple graphical text editor. It's easier to use than
><c>gvim</c> or <c>xemacs</c>, and has fewer dependencies.
>
>
><pre caption="Adding a text editor">
># emerge mousepad
></pre>
>
>
>If you need a full-featured word processor but don't want the bloat of
>OpenOffice, try emerging <c>abiword</c>. <uri
>link="http://www.abisource.com">AbiWord</uri> is lighter, faster, and is
>completely interoperable with industry-standard document types.
>
>
><pre caption="Adding a word processor">
># emerge -avt abiword
></pre>
>
>
>Need a nice email client/newsreader that isn't as demanding as
><c>mozilla-thunderbird</c> or <c>evolution</c>? Try <c>sylpheed-claws</c>:
>
>
><pre caption="Adding an email client">
># emerge -avt sylpheed-claws
></pre>
>
>
>For your internet chat needs, <c>irssi</c> is an excellent, tiny, incredibly
>configurable IRC client that runs in your terminal. If you prefer a compact
>all-in-one client that handles nearly all chat protocols, you may want to
><c>emerge gaim</c>.
>
>
>
>If you need movie and music players, look no further than <c>mplayer</c> and
><c>audacious</c>. They can play most every media format available quite nicely,
>and have a wealth of additional plugins available for additional functionality.
>
>
>
>Finally, you'll need a webbrowser. Nearly all graphical webbrowsers require more
>resources than most of your other desktop applications. Still,
><c>mozilla-firefox</c> (or <c>mozilla-firefox-bin</c>) is always a good choice.
>Alternatively, you may find <c>opera</c> to be quite fast. However, <c>opera</c>
>is not available on as many processor architectures as <c>mozilla-firefox</c>,
>and it has more dependencies unless you override them with a USE flag.
>
>
><pre caption="Adding a webbrowser">
><comment>(Installing Mozilla Firefox)</comment>
># emerge mozilla-firefox
><comment>(Installing Opera)</comment>
># echo "www-client/opera qt-static" &gt;&gt; /etc/portage/package.use
># emerge opera
></pre>
>
>
>Now that we've explored some good suggestions for rounding out your desktop
>applications, let's see what else we can do to enhance your Xfce experience.
>
>
></body>
></section>
><section>
><title>Graphical login</title>
><body>
>
>
>Remember when we added <c>startxfce4</c> to our <path>~/.xinitrc</path>? All you
>have to do to get into your desktop is type <c>startx</c> after logging in. This
>is fine if you prefer a completely text-based boot and login, but let's use a
>display manager that will automatically start Xfce after booting (so that you
>can login graphically). First, let's make sure Xfce loads at boot:
>
>
><pre caption="Adding xdm to the default runlevel">
># rc-update add xdm default
></pre>
>
>
>We aren't quite finished yet. We have to pick a display manager and set the
>appropriate variable. Though there are a few choices available in Portage, for
>this guide, we'll stick with two display manager options: <c>xdm</c> and
><c>gdm</c>.
>
>
>
><c>xdm</c> comes with your installation of <c>xorg-x11</c>, but it isn't pretty,
>and isn't really customizable. On the other hand, there's nothing further to
>install; it's ready to go. If you'd like to use it, then just edit the
>DISPLAYMANAGER variable in <path>/etc/conf.d/xdm</path>:
>
>
><pre caption="Editing /etc/conf.d/xdm">
>DISPLAYMANAGER="xdm"
></pre>
>
>
>While you can choose to stick with (the rather ugly) <c>xdm</c>, why not try
><c>gdm</c> instead? It's far more configurable, and much, much prettier. First,
>let's emerge it. Note that though it has a few dependencies, they're small, and
>they're not as nearly as numerous as other display managers.
>
>
><pre caption="Installing GDM">
># emerge -avt gdm
></pre>
>
>
>Next, change the DISPLAYMANAGER variable to use <c>gdm</c> instead of
><c>xdm</c>:
>
>
><pre caption="Editing /etc/conf.d/xdm">
>DISPLAYMANAGER="gdm"
></pre>
>
></body>
></section>
><section>
><title>Beautifying your desktop</title>
><body>
>
>
>A little customization of your desktop's appearance can go a long way. Xfce has
>all the options you'd expect from a modern desktop environment, font
>antialiasing settings, color schemes, dozens of window decorations, themes, and
>more. If these aren't enough, it's easy to install third-party themes, icon
>sets, mouse cursor themes, and wallpapers.
>
>
>
>A selection of nice Gentoo wallpapers in a variety of resolutions are hosted on
>the <uri link="http://www.gentoo.org/main/en/graphics.xml">Gentoo website</uri>.
>If you're looking for icon sets and complete Xfce themes, <uri
>link="http://www.xfce-look.org/">Xfce-Look</uri> has a huge collection. The
>important thing to remember about any third-party eyecandy you download is that
>it will usually first need to be unpacked and then installed to the proper
>directory. Icon sets go in <path>/usr/share/icons/</path>, and themes go to
><path>/usr/share/themes/</path>.
>
>
>
>If you installed GDM as your display manager, take a look at the many GDM themes
>available on <uri link="http://www.gnome-look.org">Gnome-Look</uri>. To install
>them, you can either unpack and move them to
><path>/usr/share/gdm/themes/</path> on the command line, or you can run
><c>gdmsetup</c> as root and drag'n'drop the archive into the GDM window.
>There are some <uri
>link="http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php?content=45575">very nice</uri>
>Gentoo <uri
>link="http://gnome-look.org/content/show.php?content=20071">themes</uri>
>available.
>
>
>
>Finally, Xfce has its own built-in compositor to manage window transparency.
>This option can be found in Menu --&gt; Settings --&gt; Window Manager. For best
>performance, you will need to be running a graphics card with drivers that
>support hardware-accelerated rendering, and you will need to enable
>compositing in <path>/etc/X11/xorg.conf</path> by adding the following section:
>
>
><pre caption="Enabling composite in xorg.conf">
>Section "Extensions"
> Option "Composite" "Enable"
>EndSection
></pre>
>
>
>This is the bare minimum configuration required for Xfce and Xorg-X11. However,
>setting up hardware-accelerated rendering depends on your individual graphics
>card, and is beyond the scope of this guide. Please see the other guides in the
><uri link="/doc/en/index.xml?catid=desktop">Desktop Documentation
>Resources</uri> list to learn about configuring hardware-accelerated rendering
>for your graphics card.
>
>
></body>
></section>
></chapter>
>
><chapter>
><title>Summary</title>
><section>
><body>
>
>
>Congratulations on making it this far! You've installed and configured a speedy
>desktop environment with a solid suite of applications for your computing
>needs.
>
>
></body>
></section>
><section>
><title>Resources</title>
><body>
>
>
>Need additional help on configuring and using Xfce? Need more lightweight
>application suggestions? Try asking the folks in:
>
>
><ul>
> <li><uri link="http://forums.gentoo.org">The Gentoo forums</uri></li>
> <li>#xfce on irc.freenode.net</li>
></ul>
>
>
>Finally, Gentoo's Xfce team is responsible for making Xfce available in Portage.
>Send comments, thanks, and suggestions to <mail>xfce@gentoo.org</mail>.
>
>
></body>
></section>
></chapter>
></guide>

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