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Please post all comments and suggestions in the documentation section of the antiX forum.
What window managers are available in antiX?Two different window managers come installed and ready to use:
Both window managers can be run with or without:
How do I change from one WM to another?
And how to set the default one?antiX CC --> XWindow --> Edit Login Options. In the line that reads"XINITRC_DEFAULT="icewm-session"", change “icewm-session” for “startfluxbox” or whatever other environment you may have installed that you want to be default. Toggling Conky on/off:
How do I get out of antiX?
What is this?The desktop is run by IceWM, a lightweight window manager for the X Window System whose goal is speed, simplicity, and not getting in the user's way. Where are the icons?IceWM does not use icons, but antiX has three different applications that can manage desktop icons: ROX, PCManFM and iDesk. ROX comes already preconfigured with some icons in antiX, open it in Menu --> Desktop --> Settings --> ROX-Pinboard on/off. For more information on ROX-Desktop's operation, including icon management, see section below. For icon management through PCManFM, open Menu --> Desktop --> Settings --> PCManFM icons. It can also manage the desktop background. For using iDesk for it, open either Menu --> Desktop --> Settings --> IDesk icons or Control Center --> Desktop --> Manage idesk Icons. This brings tidesktool which is a GUI for iDesk and allows for the creation of the desired icons or for managing the desktop background ( see here). In all three above cases it's needed to set the respective apps in ~/.icewm/startup for them to start automatically at session's start. Open CC --> Configure Icewm --> startup and uncomment the line of the application you chose, be it pcmanfm, idesk or rox, below the line: ## Set desktop icons What's that stuff in the upper left corner?That is the output of Conky, a light-weight system monitor that gives you real-time information on various aspects of your computer. And that bar at the bottom?That is called the toolbar or panel, and it displays (L --> R) the start button, Show Desktop, Home Folder, Terminal, Browser, Volume, Control Center, Quit, Workspaces 1-4 (or desktops), and on the far right, the date/time. (Note: If you hover your mouse pointer over the items in the toolbar you will see the names, and we will refer to the start button as Menu, or Favorite Applications or start button.)
How do I set up a wireless connection?There are 3 options, all found in the antiX Control Center: Wicd, rutilt and ceni.
What about a DSL connection?Control Center --> Network --> DSL Connection opens the PPPOE configuration tool. Input your username and password for your Internet provider and choose if you'ld like or not to start the connection when the system boots. Answer 'yes' (default) for any question you don't know the answer yourself. What about dial-up?Control Center --> Network-->Configure Dial-Up Connection. This brings up Gnome PPP, a graphical frontend for the excellent WvDial tool. Intuitive interface makes it easy to use. How do I set up printing?Unless you have an HP printer (see next entry), do one of the following:
How do I set up an HP printer?The easiest method is to use the Metapackage-Installer, located Applications -->Accessories--> metapackage-installer, then click on the arrow for Office and tick the check box for HP_printing, then Install. If you prefer to do it yourself, then do the following, (Warning! This may be incomplete due to subsequent changes in packages —use at your own risk!) You will need to install (see installing software) some additional packages: hpijs You should then be able to set up your printer by opening up a browser (Menu --> Browser), and entering: http://localhost:631/ What about a scanner?This one should be easy. Connect your scanner to the computer, and click Menu --> Applications --> Graphics --> Scan (xsane) or you can dl via synaptic Xscanimage where, after installing and updating the menu, launch Xscanimage, then selecting from the scanners it has found (it may have multiple entries for your one scanner, so try them all until one works), you will see a very basic screen which is pretty self-evident. To adjust the values of your scanner, click Menu --> Run and type xcam. You can then edit the scan in Geeqie (Menu --> Applications --> Graphics). For details on using Geeqie, check its User Manual. What application should I use for system setup?antiX comes with two of the MEPIS Assistants to make system configuration or managing users easier. They can be found in the antiX CC --> System--> Configure System or Manage Users. Details on these utilities can be found in the MEPIS Wiki. I want to configure my monitor--how do I do that?The easiest method is to use the Set Screen Resolution in antiX CC --> Hardware--> Set Screen Resolution. This will launch the application grandr. Are there any other MEPIS Assistants I should know about?The MEPIS User Assistant unites a number of tools having to do with user management. Found in antiX CC --> System For details on this application, see the MEPIS Wiki. Can I use a MP3 player such as an iPod with antiX?You can play MP3 files with XMMS, and you can view and edit ID3 tags by installing the program EasyTAG. But there is no simple way to synchronize your player with your host computer without installing Amarok and the KDE files it depends on. Is there a way to interact with a digital camera?The easiest method is to just treat it as a storage device by using a USB card reader. Then when you connect it to the computer, it will be mounted and available as an entry in the directory /media. You can either click Menu --> Files to examine and move or delete the contents, or click Menu --> Applications --> Graphics and choose to bring up Gtkam or UFRaw or Geeqie to manipulate your images with the program of your choice. How do I install nvidia/ATI driver for antiX?The best way to do this is via the smxi script. Can I use a webcam?Many web cams will work with antiX, see the discussion in the Mepis Wiki. Cheese Webcam Booth is located Applications-->Multimedia-->Cheese Webcam Booth
Where are my files?As in all Linux versions, personal files are located in antiX by default in the /home directory of the Linux file system. How are files managed?antiX has two graphical file managers, one of them is PCManFM which can be opened clicking on the Home Folder icon in IceWM's taskbar or from Menu --> Home. The other one is ROX-Filer, found under Menu -->Tools --> Filers --> Rox Filer. It is a graphical file manager that is at the heart of the ROX desktop (see ROX FAQ section). It opens to your home directory, where you can change the view to include hidden system files by clicking on the eye icon up on the menu bar. Right-click a file to see management options. Among them is Options..., which manages ROX's settings. For a command-line file manager, click Menu --> Tools --> Filers --> MC File Manager, which brings up Midnight Commander, whose main interface consists of two panels displaying the file system with numbered commands on the bottom. Press F1 for help. Can I synchronize files/folders?Go to antiX CC --> Discs --> Synchronize Directories or to Menu --> Applications --> System tools --> Grsync.What if I need to edit a text file?You have five good options in antiX, from the lightest, to the simplest, up to a full-featured one. Two are available by clicking Menu --> Tools --> Editors.
You can open any text for editing in the file managers Rox-filer and MC. Also to be found at the same location as Leafpad is PCMan File Manager. What if a file is compressed in some format such as tar, etc?Click Menu --> Applications --> Accessories--> to bring up Xarchive, migrate to the file location, highlight the file and click Extract on the icon bar. How do I install and manage software?There are a number of methods of managing software in antiX, the most common of which are the command-line application Apt and the graphical user interface for it known as Synaptic.
How do I keep the system up-to-date?Before either updating the system or installing software for the first time, it's necessary to update the package database. Do this by opening Synaptic (see above) and clicking on the Reload button or opening a root terminal (Menu --> Applications --> Accessories --> Root Terminal) and type: apt-get update Do not use Synaptic for a system upgrade! To upgrade software you will have to use the terminal, either with Apt, Aptitude or smxi. antiX is based on MEPIS which is based on Debian, but unlike MEPIS, antiX defaults to Debian 'testing' repositories. So to update the system (in a root terminal) type: apt-get dist-upgrade If you receive any kind of error messages during the update, check antiX forums at http://antix.freeforums.org or at Mepislovers.org to see if someone already posted a solution for it. If not, please don't be shy and ask for help. For an off-line overview of Apt usage and resources open the terminal and type man apt. Feel free to explore its subsections: man apt-get, man apt-cache, man sources.list etc. After Installing new programs how do I find them and how do I get them on the menu?
How can I get my email?Clicking Menu -->Applications--> Network-->Iceape Mail Composer? You enter setup by following the wizard that pops up the first time you use the application, or any time by clicking on the menu bar Configuration --> Create new account... and filling in the blanks with the information for your email account(s). What does antiX offer for web browsing?The default browser is the full-featured Iceape, a fork of Seamonkey made with free software. Click Menu --> Browser or the taskbar icon to launch it. It's compatible with many Firefox extensions. See addons for seamonkey at mozilla.org. Two other lightweight browsers are also included under Menu --> Applications --> Network -->. Dillo is a fast, minimalistic multi-platform web browser that is highly secure, while the Links2 browser is a graphics and text mode web browser that is also very fast and safe and has pull-down menus available by clicking on the top bar. By launching the script exoodles from a root terminal it's possible to install Google Chrome, Opera and Swiftfox browsers, among other multi-media options. Can I chat with antiX?There are three chat programs that come installed with antiX, the first two are located under Menu --> Applications --> Network-->
What can I use to burn a CD/DVD?
What do I use for a news (RSS) reader?You have a few good options:
How do I play music?To play an audio CD, pop it in your CD player, then (there is no autoplay) click Menu --> Music Player. This brings up XMMS, a multimedia player for Unix systems. Click on the forward button (second from left) to start the CD. It may be necessary to point the player to the correct device, i.e. /media/cdrom. (note: This “ ../ ” means “move up one directory level”.) You can select a different source of the audio files to play in XMMS. To do this, right-click on the XMMS player top bar, and from the pop-up menu select Play File to select the audio file to play. To play an audio mp3 or ogg vorbis file, simply left-click on it and XMMS opens automatically and starts playing the file. There is also a mixer available by clicking Menu --> Control Centre--> Hardware Tab --> Adjust Mixer. The application is AlsaMixer and it is pretty evident how to use it. (For more info click on the external website link.) If you want to use a CLI console music player for your music on hard drive: Menu--> Terminal Apps--> Music Player will launch moc. (external website link) What about playing music from an internet source?If you want to be able to play an audio file from the Internet, open XMMS and select Play Location, then enter the Internet location (URL) of the file. Alternatively, you can use Menu --> Applications--> Multimedia --> Stream Tuner, which offers hundreds of thousands of music resources in a fast and clean common interface. A nifty Music Manager is also installed: Goggles Music Manager (external website link)
Can I rip music with antiX?
The movie DVD I put in did not work. How can I watch movies?There is no autoplay feature, so after you put in your DVD you can play it with either gxine, xine, GNOME MPlayer or MPlayer. Menu --> Applications --> Multimedia --> GNOME MPlayer: navigate to File --> Disc to start playback. Menu --> Applications --> Multimedia --> MPlayer Media Player: right-click over the app then Open... --> Play DVD. Also Menu --> Applications --> Multimedia --> gxine or xine. They look for the DVD at /dev/dvd. Since antiX may identify your DVD player as a different device, please check if /dev/dvd exists and in case it doesn't create a link from your DVD device to /dev/dvd (you may use ROX-Filer as root for that). It may also be useful to check for which region the DVD is set. In gxine: File --> Configure --> Preferences... --> media --> dvd. In xine, right-click the screen and Settings --> Setup... --> media. MPlayer can also be used for playing DVD's when launched from the command line (see man mplayer for an in-depth help). To play a video file (e.g., avi, mpeg etc.), simply left-click on it and GNOME MPlayer or MPlayer will open automatically and start playing the file. If playing with MPlayer, use the keys p or space to pause it, any key to restart it and q or Esc to stop it and close the program (run mplayer --help for more details). Is there a screensaver?Yes, it defaults to a black screen, with or without locking. Alternatively, use the lock option in Exit. If you want you can add xscreensaver from synaptic, or of course the CLI. How do I manipulate an open window?In addition to the standard operations with the three buttons in the upper-right corner (and in some themes also a fourth rollup/rolldown), other possibilities (tray icon, layers etc.) are available by right-clicking the titlebar. Double-clicking the title bar restores/maximizes. You can also resize it by dragging the lower right corner. What applications are available for standard office use?All office applications are found by clicking Menu --> Applications-->Office. antiX comes with a lightweight spreadsheet called Gnumeric and a lightweight word-processor called AbiWord, both of which are capable of opening MS Office files. For greater functionality, install openoffice.org from the repositories —make sure your machine has the hard disk drive capacity. Other office apps include a PDF reader, a calculator and a personal information manager called OSMO.
How do you customize IceWM?It is done by directly editing the configuration files to create your own preferences. Files are found in antiX CC --> Desktop --> Edit IceWM Settings. To change your IceWM preferences go to: Menu --> Desktop --> IceWM --> IceWM Control Center. Here you can adjust Taskbar, Applets, Workspaces, and Windows. Note: for editing the menu, see here. What can I change?You can change anything you want, following the guidelines in IceWM Manual. What are the most common changes people make to the panel?Let's focus on four common changes to what you see and how it functions. Open ROX-Filer as described earlier, click on the eyeball to see hidden files, click on .IceWM, and finally on Preferences to open that file in a text editor. When you are done with your changes, save and exit. They will take effect the next time you log into IceWM, or if you restart IceWM: Menu-->Logout--> Restart IceWM.
How do I change the menu and the toolbar?You can do it the same way you did with Preferences, or you can use installed application IceMC via Menu--Desktop--IceWM--> Edit Menu (manual) What about the keyboard shortcuts?CC --> Desktop --> Edit IceWM Settings --> keys. The syntax is simple. Alt+Ctrl is equivalent to the “Super” key. How do I change the desktop wallpaper?Via antiX CC --> Desktop --> Choose Wallpaper. Note you can set a different wallpaper for each WM! You can also use for that the same applications used for managing the desktop icons: ROX, PCManFM or iDesk. For configuring the desktop wallpaper with ROX, see here. For PCManFM, open Menu --> Desktop --> Settings --> PCManFM icons and check the Wallpaper box. To use iDesk for this, open it from Menu --> Desktop --> Settings --> IDesk icons or CC --> Desktop --> Manage idesk Icons, click on preferences and add the following lines after “tableConfig”: Background.File: image.jpg Background.Delay: 1 Background.Source: ~/Wallpaper Background.Mode: Scaled Background.Color: #C2CCFF The settings above will alternate every 1 minute the images in ~/Wallpaper as the desktop background. To change the periodicity (in minutes), change the value after 'Background.Delay:'. If you want a fixed image, put its path after 'Background.File:' and leave 'Background.Source:' empty. See here for more details. If you opt for ROX, PCManFM or iDesk for wallpaper management instead of antiX's default application, Nitrogen, uncomment their respective lines in ~/.icewm/startup (in the example below we're enabling iDesk). ## Set desktop icons #pcmanfm -d & idesk & #rox --pinboard=antiX & and comment Nitrogen's lines: ## Set wallpaper via nitrogen #rm $HOME/.config/nitrogen/bg-saved.cfg #ln -s $HOME/.config/nitrogen/bg-saved-icewm.cfg $HOME/.config/nitrogen/bg-saved.cfg #nitrogen --restore & If you use ROX or PCManFM, you will have to edit ~/.conkyrc (CC --> System --> Edit Conky) for Conky to be visible. Change “own_window no” to “own_window yes”. How do I turn off Conky?Click Menu --> Desktop --> Settings-->Conky on/off.
Is there a compression utility?Click Menu --> Applications --> Accessories to bring up Xarchive, a simple wrapper for whatever command-line tools such as tar, rpm, zip, etc. are installed. Are there other themes available?Lots! Check the Bookmarks Toolbar Folder in Iceape, where many good sources are already linked. What other customization can I consider?Almost anything you want. Again, the IceWM User's Manual is your best guide. Are there any development tools in antiX?A good selection is available:
What other system tools are provided?Click Menu -->Applications --> System Tools to get to System Profiler and Benchmark, and Htop, an interactive process viewer.
Where do I start? I don't see a Start or Menu button.Just right-click anywhere on the desktop and use the menu to open any application. What is this desktop?The desktop is run by Fluxbox, a lightweight window manager for the X Window System that provides the display resources and functions. Where are the icons?Fluxbox does not use icons, but antiX has two applications that can manage desktop icons for it: ROX and iDesk. ROX comes already preconfigured with some icons in antiX, open it in Menu --> Desktop --> Desktop --> ROX-Pinboard on/off. For more information on ROX-Desktop's operation, including icon management, see ROX FAQ section. For using iDesk for it, open Control Center --> Desktop --> Manage idesk Icons. This brings tidesktool which is a GUI for iDesk and allows for the creation of the desired icons or for managing the desktop background ( see here). In both the above cases it's needed to set the respective apps in ~/.fluxbox/startup for them to start automatically at session's start. Open CC --> Configure Fluxbox --> startup and uncomment the line of the application you chose, be it idesk or rox, below the line: ##Desktop icons What's that stuff in the upper left corner?That is the output of Conky, a light-weight system monitor that gives you real-time information on various aspects of your computer. And that bar at the bottom?That is called the toolbar or panel, and it displays current info such as the workspace, open applications, background applications and the date/time.
How do I set up a wireless connection?There are 3 options, all found in the antiX Control Centre (CC): Wicd, rutilt and ceni. Please see wireless connection instructions in the IceWM section What about a DSL connection? (link to IceWM answer)
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3. Fluxbox: Basic Operation |
Where's the sound volume control?
To change the volume level press the Alt key, point the mouse cursor over the desktop and roll the mouse wheel up or down.
Where are my files?
As in all Linux versions, personal files are located in antiX by default in the /home directory of the Linux file system.
Is there an easy way to find a specific file?
Click Menu --> System-->Tools-->File Tools-->Search for files or folders, Rox filer and MC File Manager are also located here.
How are files managed?
Click Menu --> Files to open a graphical file manager that is at the heart of the ROX desktop (see ROX section below). It opens to your home directory, where you can change to view to include hidden system files by clicking on the eye icon up on the menu bar. Right-click a file to see management options.
For a command-line file manager, click Menu --> System--> File Tools --> MC Filer to bring up Midnight Commander, whose main interface consists of two panels displaying the file system with numbered commands on the bottom. Press F1 for help.
What if I need to edit a text file? (link to IceWM answer)
What if a file is compressed in some format such as tar, etc? (link to IceWM answer)
How do I install and manage software? (link to IceWM answer)
How can I get my email? (link to IceWM answer)
What does antiX offer for web browsing? (link to IceWM answer)
Can I chat with antiX? (link to IceWM answer)
What can I use to burn a CD/DVD? (link to IceWM answer)
What do I use for a news (RSS) reader? (link to IceWM answer)
How do I play music? (link to IceWM answer)
What about playing music from an internet source? (link to IceWM answer)
Can I rip music with antiX? (link to IceWM answer)
The movie DVD I put in did not work. How can I watch movies? (link to IceWM answer)
Is there a screensaver? (link to IceWM answer)
How do I manipulate an open window?
In addition to the standard operations with the three buttons in the upper-right corner, other possibilities (Send To, Layer, etc.) are available by right-clicking the titlebar. Double-clicking the title bar will shade the window. You can resize it by dragging the lower right corner. You can also group several windows in the same title bar by dragging them with the middle mouse button.
What applications are available for standard office use? (link to IceWM answer)
4. Fluxbox: Basic Customization |
How do I change the Menu?
Menu--> Control Centre --> Desktop --> Edit Fluxbox Settings. For instance, you might want to remove the Install entry at the bottom of the Menu.
What about the keyboard shortcuts?
Menu --> Control Centre --> Desktop --> Edit Fluxbox Settings --> keys. Mod1 is the Alt key and Mod4 is the Super key.
How do I change the wallpaper?
Menu --> Control Center --> Desktop --> Choose Wallpaper. Click on image and then Apply.
You can also use for that the same applications used for managing the desktop icons: ROX or iDesk.
For configuring the desktop wallpaper with ROX, see here.
To use iDesk for this, open Control Center --> Desktop --> Manage idesk Icons, click on preferences and add the following lines after 'tableConfig':
Background.File: image.jpg Background.Delay: 1 Background.Source: ~/Wallpaper Background.Mode: Scaled Background.Color: #C2CCFF
The settings above will alternate every 1 minute the images in ~/Wallpaper as the desktop background. To change the periodicity (in minutes), change the value after “Background.Delay:”. If you want a fixed image, put its path after “Background.File:” and leave “Background.Source:” empty. See here for more details.
If you opt for ROX or iDesk for wallpaper management instead of antiX's default application, Nitrogen, uncomment their respective lines in ~/.icewm/startup (in the example below we're enabling iDesk).
##Desktop icons #pcmanfm -d & #rox --pinboard=antiX & idesk &
and comment Nitrogen's lines:
##Set wallpaper via nitrogen #rm $HOME/.config/nitrogen/bg-saved.cfg #ln -s $HOME/.config/nitrogen/bg-saved-fb.cfg $HOME/.config/nitrogen/bg-saved.cfg #nitrogen --restore &
If you use ROX, you will have to edit ~/.conkyrc (CC --> System --> Edit Conky) for Conky to be visible. Change “own_window no” to “own_window yes”.
How do I turn off Conky?
Click Menu --> Desktop -->Desktop-->Conky on/off.
How do I change the Settings?
Click Menu -->Desktop--> Fluxbox Settings --> Here you can auto update menu, Configuration, Styles, Wallpapers, Workspaces, Reconfigure, Restart.
How do I change the Panel?
Just right-click it to select whether it auto-hides, where it is placed, how wide it is, the clock format, etc.
5. Fluxbox: Advanced |
Is there a compression utility? (link to IceWM answer)
Are there other themes available? (link to IceWM answer)
What other customization can I consider?
Almost anything you want. Open antiX Control Center to see what is available.
Where are the configuration files for Fluxbox?
They are in /home/username/.fluxbox, and can be viewed by clicking Menu --> Files and then clicking on the eye symbol to show hidden files.
Are there any development tools in antiX? (link to IceWM answer)
What other system tools are provided? (link to IceWM answer)
6. Fluxbox: Links |
- Fluxbox wiki
- The thread “How I Did It” was written originally for antiX Spartacus but still contains some great in-depth information for the beginning antiX user.
- Additional options about editing the Menu are explained on this antiX Tips page.
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ROX |
1. ROX: First look |
What is this desktop?
This is the ROX Desktop, based around the Linux file system. Its core component is ROX-Filer, a powerful graphical file manager.
Other components available in antiX include the ROX-Panel and the ROX-Pinboard, toggled separately from Fluxbox under the submenu Desktop --> Desktop --> or from IceWM under the submenu Desktop --> Settings -->.
What can you do with the ROX-Filer?
Well, manage files of course! But it has many other capabilities that are covered below and in documents listed under Links. The ROX-Filer manual can be accessed off-line from Show ROX-Filer help in its menu.
What is the ROX-Desktop good for?
Its great benefit is to allow you to use icons for any item in the file system with a simple drag-and-drop. Note: if enabled ROX-Pinboard, Conky's settings (~/.conkyrc) must be changed to `own_window yes' and `own_window_type desktop'.
What use is the ROX-Panel?
Its primary function is to allow you to create and customize your own panel.
2. ROX: Basic Configuration |
How can I keep from having to toggle the ROX-Desktop every time?
ROX-desktop can be made permanent through a simple edit in Fluxbox or IceWM. In antiX CC --> Desktop --> Edit Fluxbox/IceWM Settings --> Startup to open Geany, remove the # from this line:
# rox --pinboard=antiX &
Save and logout/login to your antiX pre-customized ROX-desktop (see below) using the window manager of your choice. Restore the comment symbols to this line if you want to stop the permanent use of the ROX-desktop.
If you want to set the panel permanent too then add the following line to your IceWM/Fluxbox startup file:
rox -t=mypanel &
The -t option stands for 'top'; you can use -l for 'left', -r for 'right' and -B for 'bottom' (note the capital 'B'). Type rox -h in a terminal for all the options and their meanings.
Note: if you choose to have Rox-desktop permanent, then the pinboard/panel choices in Fluxbox's Desktop --> Desktop --> or IceWM's Desktop --> Settings submenus should no longer be used.
3. ROX: Basic Operation |
What are the basic moves to use with ROX-Filer?
- Left-click on the file/folder to open its contents.
- A middle-click on a folder opens it in a separate file-manager window.
- A middle-click on a file will open the file and close the file-manager window.
- Right-click on a file/folder will open the ROX dialog box, where you can view and set options.
These are the default options, they can be changed by right clicking an open filer's window and choosing Options...
How do I move files around?
This is probably best done by having 2 file-manager windows open, and just drag from the one to the other.
How do I put icons on my ROX desktop?
It's pretty easy! To add icons linking to devices, applications, folders and files to the desktop simply drag and drop from within ROX-Filer.
What about a device, e.g. a cdrom or floppy drive?
Open ROX-Filer and navigate to and open the /media folder. Left-click on the device you want, and drag and drop to wherever you want on the screen.
Can I link applications?
You can do that too, though you first need to know where the bin for the app is. Usually it is usr/bin, but you can find it by opening a terminal and typing:
which NameOfApplication
Once you know where it is, open ROX-Filer and navigate to its location. Left-click on the application file (if there is a symlink one, choose this) and--here we go again--drag and drop to where you want on the screen.
Even folders and files are done the same way?
You got it.
What are the tricks with ROX-Panel?
You use the same techniques as described above, just end up on the panel instead of the desktop. To remove again, right-click and select Delete item.
I can still see my Fluxbox panel even though I toggled to the ROX-Panel. What should I do?
It will disappear once your cursor is on the ROX-Panel, but there is an easy workaround: right-click the Fluxbox panel, and click on Auto hide to have it disappear when not in use.
4. ROX: Basic Customization |
How do I change the Rox wallpaper?
One method is:
- Click on the home folder, navigate to~/Rox and click Wallpaper.
- Click either Tiled images, Scaled images, Stretched images or Centered images according to which is best for the image you're going to use.
- Open another ROX-Filer window, navigate to where the image you want to use is and drag it to the Tiled/Scaled/Stretched/Centered images folder.
- If you want the background to alternate from time to time, drag some more images there (in any of the four directories above) and set Change every x minutes to your taste.
- Click Activate Random mode and then Close.
Another method is:
- Put your wallpaper in the Wallpaper folder in your home directory.
- Click on the home folder, navigate to Wallpaper, and drag and drop (left mouse) your chosen background to the desktop.
- Right-click on the dragged file and choose Backdrop, then drag the file into the space where it says Drop an image here. Select the image treatment at the top (tile, stretch, etc.).
- Right-click on the dragged image file, and select Remove Item(s).
More information can be found in the desktop customization guide.
5. ROX: Advanced |
How can I set the default opening application for a file?
If you wish to change the default application that will be used to open a file type, follow these directions.
- Right-click on the file you are interested in changing, and click File --> Set Run Action
- Type the name of the application in the box labeled Enter a shell command. Note: Leave a space between the last letter of the app and the " sign.
- Save. Now your file will open in the application of your choosing.
Is it possible to have more than one pinboard configuration?
Yes it is. The startup scripts in IceWM and Fluxbox open a customized pinboard (called antiX) while Menu --> Desktop --> Desktop --> ROX-Pinboard on/off (in Fluxbox) and Menu --> Desktop --> Settings --> ROX-Pinboard on/off (in IceWM)opens the default one (called just Pinboard) only slightly customized (background image). Their configuration files are in ~/.config/rox.sourceforge.net/ROX-filer/ under the names pb_antiX and pb_Pinboard respectively. If you open the default one from the menu and make whatever changes you would like, they will be saved to pb_Pinboard and will come back everytime you open it again. If you want to create yet another pinboard setup, open Menu --> Run and type:/p>
rox -p=mypinboard
(use the name you want in place of 'mypinboard'). It will open a default pinboard; set it up as you like and it will be automatically saved. Then you may want to add it to Fluxbox's/IceWM's menu (see below). Note that -p is the same as --pinboard (type rox -h in a terminal for all the options and their meanings).
Can I get ROX-Pinboard to open my own pinboard instead of the default one?
You can launch your personal pinboard by editing the Fluxbox menu as described earlier. Open ~/.fluxbox/menu in a text editor and add this line in a relevant place:
[exec] (My pinboard) {rox --pinboard=mypinboard}
For IceWM (~/.icewm/menu) it would be:
prog "My pinboard" /path/to/an/icon/or/a/dash/-/for/none rox --pinboard=mypinboard
Be sure to replace 'mypinboard' with the actual name of the pinboard you want to load. This is great if you use pinboard only occasionally and don't want to boot directly into it at startup. At the same time, it's faster than launching the command from terminal. In this fashion, multiple pinboards can be configured, named (mypinboard2, etc.), and entered into the Fluxbox/IceWM menu. Very convenient!
Can I customize the icons?
If you have added icons to the desktop, then:
- Right-click on the desktop icon type you want to alter then File (or Dir) --> Set Icon...
- Choose one of the displayed options (if only for that file/dir, for all of the same kind etc.)
- Now drag and drop the chosen icon from another ROX window into the box and voilà! The chosen icon now appears on the desktop (if set for all of the same kind then it's necessary to restart - close/open - ROX-Pinboard).
Note that by choosing any icon set for ROX-Filer it is set for the desktop icons too (not for any individual icons you may have modified). To do this, right click a ROX-Filer's window background, choose Options... --> Type --> Icon theme, choose one of the available then click OK (applies immediately to ROX-Filer but ROX-Pinboard must be restarted for the changes to appear on the desktop).
How do I edit the name of a file shortcut?
Right-click on the file's icon and click Edit Item and change the name displayed below The text displayed under the icon is... Then click OK.
What are ROX hotkeys?
Hotkeys in ROX allow a specific key sequence to open a folder or files with a single or at most 2 clicks. See this detailed explanation.
6. ROX: Links |
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Conky |
1. Conky: First look |
What is this stuff I see in the upper left corner?
That is the output of Conky, a powerful system monitor loaded by default in antiX.
What's it good for?
Conky can display just about anything you want to keep track of, either on your desktop or in its own window.
Can you give me some examples?
Sure: disk space, system load, wireless status, battery status, network download and upload speed, Internet connections by protocol, RAM usage, swap usage, running processes, weather report, etc.
2. Conky: Basic Configuration |
How do I set it up?
Conky comes already installed and configured by default in antiX to display basic system information. Open ~/.conkyrc in a text editor or antiX CC --> System --> Edit System Monitor (Conky) (which does that for you) and study the file. You will see that there are already some options set up for laptop users (like battery monitoring) which are commented out and if you want them displayed, just uncomment them and save.
3. Conky: Basic Operation |
How do I turn it off?
- IceWM: right click on Menu --> Desktop--> Settings--> Conky on/off Repeat to turn it back on.
- Fluxbox: right click on Menu --> Desktop --> Conky on/off
4. Conky: Basic Customization |
How do I change Conky's look or information?
Follow these steps:
- Open antiX CC --> System --> Edit System Monitor (Conky). This will bring up a text editor with your default .conkyrc script.
- Before you start editing, save a copy of your default conky script under a different name such as “conkyrc_default”. That way if you make a mistake or don't like your changes you can just reload your default script.
- Make any changes you would like to the conky setup, save and exit, then click Menu --> Desktop --> Settings--> Conky on/off twice to toggle it off and back on to see your changes. The options section in the .conkyrc file in your home folder supplies some useful tips.
Can I use the terminal to do this?
You can edit the Conky config file in a terminal by typing (substitute your actual username):
nano /home/yourusername/.conkyrc
This will bring up the config file in Nano.
That's a long file: where do I put my changes?
All style changes go above the word “TEXT” (toward the bottom), content changes go below.
5. Conky: Advanced |
What extra features does Conky have?
See this long list of the possible variables here or open a terminal and enter: man conky.
How can I make style changes such as color, boxes, etc?
Available style variables are listed here. or open a terminal and enter: man conky.
Can you give me a couple of examples of advanced use?
Sure, you might want to try these to begin with, changing colors as you wish:
- Monitor top processes:
${color white} Top processes (PID CPU% MEM%)
${color green}${top name 1}${color white} ${top pid 1} ${top cpu 1} ${top mem 1}
${color red}${top name 2}${color white} ${top pid 2} ${top cpu 2} ${top mem 2}
${color red}${top name 3}${color white} ${top pid 3} ${top cpu 3} ${top mem 3}
${color red}${top name 4}${color white} ${top pid 4} ${top cpu 4} ${top mem 4}
- Monitor a laptop battery:
${color red}battery state:${color white} ${battery}
${color red}battery strength:${color green} ${battery_bar 7,50}
- Add a wireless section (adjust interface as necessary):
${color white}Wireless:
${color green}essid: ${wireless_essid wlan0}
${color red}IP:${color white} ${addr wlan0}
${color red}link strength: ${color white} ${wireless_link_bar 7,50 wlan0}
For more examples, follow the links below and search the internet.
6. Conky: Links |
- Conky home page.
- Conky examples with some scripts.
- Variety of individual Conky config files.
- Conky setup for weather, gmail and audio.
- Conky Hardcore!
- Conky wiki at #! Linux.
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smxi |
1. What is smxi?
smxi is a script written by a programmer named “h2” that enables users to keep their antiX OS installation up-to-date and running as a rolling release.
2. What can smxi do?
When run, smxi allows users to install a new kernel, install ATI and nVidia graphics drivers, run apt-get upgrade or apt-get dist-upgrade safely, change antiX to a Sid-based or sidux-based system, and lots more!
The script is self explanatory. For usage options, execute smxi -h.
3. How do you use smxi?
smxi is already installed in antiX-M8.5 and ready to run. smxi must be run outside of the X (the window system). To get out of X when on your desktop, press Ctrl-Alt-F1 to get to a terminal prompt, log in as root, and then type:
smxi
smxi will stop X and ask a series of questions the first time it is run, including which system options you want to run (ie default, sidux, sid). antiX developer anticapitalista suggests selecting the continue-no-changes option, using apt-get (rather than aptitude) and apt-get dist-upgrade.
If you want to run smxi before booting to the desktop, add 3 to the end of the kernel line in GRUB's menu entry for antiX (type e when on the menu to be able to edit it) and it will boot directly to the console. After smxi has completed its operations it will ask if you want to start the desktop.
4. What about sgfxi? What does that do?
sgfxi is the script in smxi that deals with installing graphical drivers. As with smxi, it must be run out of X desktop. Logged as root, type:
sgfxi
5. What is inxi?
inxi: Also included in antiX is inxi, a script from h2 (the author of smxi and sgfxi). inxi is a convenient command line system information script. Run inxi -h for all the options available. To update, run inxi -U
6. smxi: Links |
For help or for more information about the smxi, sgfxi and inxi scripts see:
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