Modifying and Improving the ROX-filer

What features/apps/bugfixes needed in a future Puppy
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mistfire
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Modifying and Improving the ROX-filer

#1 Post by mistfire »

Since the ROX-filer irreplaceable as a file manager on the main stream of puppy releases. Well the overall performance of puppylinux is good, However the file management in Puppy tends to be difficult for some linux newbies or Windows refugees due to the ff:

1. The Rox filer interface is lack of address bar, back and forward button it has only upward button, zoom, show hidden files, and home button which was hard to navigate within the files easily)

2. Different keyboard shortcuts (one good example is the CTRL+X , for most users known as CUT but on rox-filer it means DELETE, and also if you press DELETE button on the selected file it erase the file permanently instead of moving to trash or recycle bin).

3. The ROX filer has no Desktop Folder, it means that you cannot saved files on desktop. It creates only shortcuts.

4. The ROX-filer uses one-click system which has hard to control the mouse pointer on laptops because of false click.

These are possibles hindrances that makes the puppy can't bloom or grow further.

In order to make the puppy more user friendly on file management. It is as honor to submit this suggestions.

"Modify or Fork the ROX-Filer."

1. It is better to improve the rox filer by changing its Interface (patterned on thunar interface). Remodify the keyboard shortcut (set CTRL+X as CUT, CTRL+V as PASTE, DELETE as MOVE TO TRASH, etc.)

2. Add Desktop Folder to make the users allowed to save files on desktop.
3. Improved the OPTIONS, when you right click the selected file on ROX it shows a unnecessary options such as rox-filer settings, languages, etc. before file actions. If We move the rox-filer preferences on the menu bar and necessary file actions (such as OPEN, OPEN WITH,CUT,PASTE, TRASH, DELETE, SET RUN ACTION, CREATE SYMLINK, RENAME) on the OPTIONS when right click the selected file, then it is more easily to manage the files.

4. Improved the Drag and Drop control of the files, If we notice that if we drag and rop the files on rox, it shows an option to move, copy, and link. Instead of these Just if we drag and drop the file from a removable storage devices to certain location, its just copies the file, if the files is from a non-removable storage devices, its just move the files.

5. Hide the file extension settings ( At default, the file extensions is hidden to avoid accidental changing the file extension when renaming the file). It is optional to user to show the file extension.

FOR THE PUPPY DEVELOPERS, I hope these suggestions improve the file management on Puppy. Puppy rocks!

P.S: If I committed mistakes, you are free to post the corrections.
Last edited by mistfire on Thu 07 Jan 2010, 02:02, edited 1 time in total.

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Flash
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#2 Post by Flash »

I'd like to add a few things about ROX that could use improving.

First, when I click the back arrow, the ROX window does not go back to the exact ROX window as it was before. I then have to scroll to find the file or directory I had before, and resize the ROX window back to the size it was. Windows goes back to the same size window as before, if I remember right, but it does not go back to the exact same contents as they were before in the window.

Maybe I've been spoiled by browsers that go back to the exact same window (if it can be done) when I click the back arrow. I can't help wishing ROX would do the same thing.

rokytnji
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Desktop file

#3 Post by rokytnji »

2. Add Desktop Folder to make the users allowed to save files on desktop.
Running Rox in AntiX which also has Pacman got me used to certain ways of managing Rox. I am not a developer. Just a Linux Biker. I agree with all your points. I am just going to show what I do with a fresh puppy install and what I do to rox.

In ~ I start making new directories with right click in empty space in Rox and select new, then directory. The ones I make or add in there are
1.Home
2. Desktop
3.Downloads
4.Screenshots
5.Animations
6. Icons

In 1.Home I have (I create new directories in there)
a.Birthday
b.My Docs
c.PDFs
d.Pictures
e.Videos
f. Music
g. Pets
h. Backups (I have /etc/X11/xorg.conf, Jwm,conky.rc,/boot/grub/menu.lst) and anything else I figure on tweaking I backup into this file by copy,paste,rename like /boot/grub/menu.lstbk

Like I said. I agree for first time users Rox can be a pain. Especially for anyone not used to it. AntiX made learning Rox easy for me because Pacman was there to fall back on if I got lost. I prefer rox for symlinking to the point to where I install rox on any Linux Distro I use. I use a Rox Pinboard Desktop also. I just posted what I do in case some new user might want to use my way of doing things.

If anybody can make Rox simpler like the points you mentioned. I am all for it :D

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Aitch
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#4 Post by Aitch »


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mikeb
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#5 Post by mikeb »

Hmm some of those criticisms can be fixed by using the older gtk1 rox...we were discussing it elsewhere with regard to file copying efficiency. The general mood was that rox had not progressed in a positive way ...some good new features but the loss of others and quirky behaviour....eg not restoring itself fully when coming out of a folder (actually try the debian etch version...it does that correctly so perhaps a further complication is a bad compile being used aka gtk2)

As suggested perhaps a puppy fork of Rox is needed as its basic concept is sound and I find it much simpler to use than all these other file managers so I'm against making it like something else..why bother...just use something else.

just my 20 dracmas

mike

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mikeb
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#6 Post by mikeb »

1. The Rox filer interface is lack of address bar, back and forward button it has only upward button, zoom, show hidden files, and home button which was hard to navigate within the files easily)
see the window titile bar and press /.
arrow = up...folder = down

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Flash
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#7 Post by Flash »

Another problem I have with ROX, that I forgot to mention: When I drag an mp3 book from my hard disk to my mp3 player, ROX copies the files in reverse numerical order (last to first.) Every mp3 player I've used (4 of them, if I remember right,) ignores the file names and plays them in the order they were loaded. Windows copies the same files in the correct numerical order.

I've found that if I open the directory containing the mp3 files, "select all" the files (ctrl+a) and click ROX's "Change sort criteria" button 12 times, the files will then transfer in the correct order when I drag them to the mp3 player. :?

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mikeb
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#8 Post by mikeb »

I'm not a drag and drop to application person but if I highlight and open with in the older rox then the order remains as in the filer window. But I find this a linux problem as in windows clicking and queueing tracks to a playlist one at a time is no problem but trying to do this with say beep or vlc or whatever is fiddly....any tips?...eg with beep sending a track to the player replaces what is playing and if sent as enqueue the play cannot be playing.
mike

bugman

#9 Post by bugman »

Flash wrote: First, when I click the back arrow, the ROX window does not go back to the exact ROX window as it was before.
flash, in 'options', under 'filer windows', select 'never automatically resize'

that might be the trick?

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mikeb
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#10 Post by mikeb »

My workaround for the window sizing annoyance was to enable auto icon size adjustment...ie more than 30 files small icons used...... and went back to auto windows sizing...this seems to behave better.
Rox is not jumpy on puppy 2.02...X11R6 is faster.
(but try the debian binary to see if that works better...ok paths are different but usable enough to see if resizing works as it should.)

mike

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Flash
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#11 Post by Flash »

Thanks, guys. I've poked around in the ROX options, but then forgot about them. I'll try your suggestions and report back--when I have time. :lol: I already found that the window contents still do not return to exactly the same as they were.

I didn't see anything in ROX's options that looked like it had to do with the order in which files are copied when a directory is dragged to another window.

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Lobster
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#12 Post by Lobster »

Here is where to bring up your potential modifications and improvements
http://roscidus.com/desktop/ROX-Filer

Let us know how you get on :)
Thanks for your help
Puppy Raspup 8.2Final 8)
Puppy Links Page http://www.smokey01.com/bruceb/puppy.html :D

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nubc
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#13 Post by nubc »

Please add the command "Move to trash" or "Send to trash" to the ROX context menu when a file is right-clicked. Notice I suggest two possible ways to word the command. Because I would further request that the command stand alone, that is, that the target, trash, should not be hidden under an arrow for multiple destinations. So the exact wording of the command should be unique for the command to transfer the file to trash.

See this thread for discussion:
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=50134

bugman

#14 Post by bugman »

mikeb wrote:My workaround for the window sizing annoyance was to enable auto icon size adjustment.
thanks mike, i've made the switch

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mikeb
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#15 Post by mikeb »

thanks mike, i've made the switch
Now sing to the tune of 'Robin Hood'
'Bodge and Tart, Bodge and tart...la la la la la'


(it's the dodgy builder song...)

mike

amigo
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#16 Post by amigo »

Unfortunately, upstream development of ROX has slowed to a crawl after years at a frantic pace. Dr. Leonard has had real-life encroach upon him, apparently.
BTW, for those that don't know it, he was/is one of the chief architects of the freedesktop.org standards.
i have hacked around on rox overthe years, but on the gtk1 version. It would be great if one of the forum members who are proficient in C and GTK would take an interest in making even small changes to ROX. However, the source code is pretty large, so dipping in there is no casual matter.

disciple
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#17 Post by disciple »

One feature I think would be good is a checkbox in the copy/rename/link dialogues, to show the target afterwards... I often find that I copy or move something somewhere and then immediately navigate to where I put it, so I would have been better off to open another window and drag-and-drop.
Do you know a good gtkdialog program? Please post a link here

Classic Puppy quotes

ROOT FOREVER
GTK2 FOREVER

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mikeb
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#18 Post by mikeb »

I forgot to mention that double clicking in a blank part of the window resizes it if it fails to do it automatically...

mike

aarf

#19 Post by aarf »

there are many annoying and could be done better things about rox but just one for now:
i have to save all internet pages twice. first to save and second to see if it has saved. why because when there are certain special characters in the title of the page the page wont save and rox wont tell you that it hasnt saved. example try and save this page with the default title. under opera10.10 in puppy to a FAT partition it will be

Code: Select all

Puppy Linux Discussion Forum :: View topic - Modifying and Improving the ROX-filer
and it wont save to the FAT partition because of the

Code: Select all

::
opera10.10 in windows will give the title as

Code: Select all

Puppy Linux Discussion Forum __ View topic - Modifying and Improving the ROX-filer
and will save.
cant we have this simple improvement
other non-save characters are the vertical line used in so many titles and also the question mark(?).

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mikeb
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#20 Post by mikeb »

Thats a FAT and browser issue surely

mike

just tried it....it saves as viewtopic.php.html in firefox

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