Not software, but accessibility enhancements

[PeacebyJesus]

I was looking for a place for suggestions on improving this very viable distro, and though i am one who is still new at Linux, but learning, i hope i could make some. I run Puppy 4.3.1 and 5.1.1 on two computers.

One is the Menu, which is good but i think it would be better is there was an option to "show all" apps (as in Linux Mint).

Also therein, it would be helpful if a right click resulted in an option that would show and or lead one to the source, make a shortcut to the Desktop, add to panel, etc.

I like the latter for favorites, and go hunting in bins, etc.* (interesting) for the file to drag to the DT, and the option for making keyboard shortcuts for them is very good, as is Search monkey for finding icon.pngs, for the "set" icon function. (made shortcut for that also)

But also concerning shortcuts , there should be a Desktop icon for Shutdown. I did find the file and made one.

One little thing on the DT that i had to find how to do was to eliminate the battery charge icon (/root/Startup/powerapplet_tray) from showing in the system tray, but i could not make the clock show seconds.

A more major thing would be to improve Font rendering (esp. in Sea Money and Firefox), or make it easier to do so, and provide more (esp. Liberation fonts) in the repo.

The Rox file manager is good, but i would find an address bar useful, that you could paste a location in, and i cannot find where to deselect some of the details in that view. While in the system I did change the name of the fsckme.err to ckme.err, as i did not like what it conveyed.

Regarding repos, and it should be easier to add more repos (I did find some pets for things unlisted in repos at other sites, thought i had to find the puppy linux un and pword). Or perhaps all that is needed is to make the http://www.diddywahdiddy.net/LupuNews/ update page (and the Puppy version) more evident for new users, (GUI in http://puppylinux.org/wikka/LucidPuppyUpdate does not work for my 5.1.1) with its details on how update to the lastest repo. r

And lastly, would an option to opt out of the second check for missing libs be too dangerous (takes a long time on a slow cpu)?

Again, i am not programmer, but i do like to tweak things, and i hope i maybe these suggestions could help make Puppy better.

*(/openoffice/openoffice.org3/program/swriter)
(/root/.usr/bin/firefox)
(/seamonkey/program/seamonkey)
(/root/.wine/drive_c/Program Files)
(/usr/bin/programchooser)
(usr/bin/wmpoweroff)

[disciple]

One is the Menu, which is good but i think it would be better is there was an option to "show all" apps (as in Linux Mint).

Currently all applications that provide a menu entry (these are kept in /usr/share/applications) are shown. There are hundreds of command line programs which don't have a menu entry, since they are designed to be used on the command line, or with a graphical front-end of some sort.
Do you mean there are currently too many applications in the menu? Or that you want even more applications in the menu?

Anyway, I don't think that sort of feature is supported by any lightweight window managers, so it is unlikely to be included in Puppy. If you want you could build a separate menu with just the programs you use often.

Also therein, it would be helpful if a right click resulted in an option that would show and or lead one to the source, make a shortcut to the Desktop, add to panel, etc.

That's also unlikely to happen. If you want that sort of thing you should install a desktop environment that supports it. Does anyone remember if XFCE does? It's reasonably lightweight.

I like the latter for favorites,

Hmmm... that gives me an idea.

A more major thing would be to improve Font rendering

Yes, I agree. Have you fixed your font rendering, or do you need to be pointed to some instructions?

The Rox file manager is good, but i would find an address bar useful

You need to discover the rox minibuffer. Press the / key in a rox window.

While in the system I did change the name of the fsckme.err

I have a feeling a new copy of that file will be created at some stage.

I did find some pets for things unlisted in repos at other sites

Yes, the repository is the main problem with Puppy. Traditionally most programs aren't available in the Puppy repo, but are posted to this forum, which kind of serves as our real repository.

[PeacebyJesus]

Do you mean there are currently too many applications in the menu? Or that you want even more applications in the menu?

Thank you very much for your reply and its information. As for the menu, i want more, and listed both in categories as well as one long list. Thanks for the /usr/share/applications source though, such is valuable.

As for the desired right click options, i do not even knmow which one comes with Puppy by default, or if there is one that is more like other distros which enable that.

Yes, I agree. Have you fixed your font rendering, or do you need to be pointed to some instructions?

No fixes, but i did find some fonts outside the repos, and the browsers (SM and FF) are what really need improving.

You need to discover the rox minibuffer. Press the / key in a rox window.

I will try it! How would anyone know?:)

Yes, the repository is the main problem with Puppy.

And thus the http://puppylinux.org/wikka/PageIndex page is useful.

[disciple]

I will try it! How would anyone know?

Well... I think there might be an option in the right-click menu that shows it (you might like to know that you can change the shortcut keys used in rox simply by pressing the key you want to use while a command is highlighted in the right click menu). Otherwise I guess someone would have to read the manual. At least there is a manual. I don't know how Windows users are supposed to find out about hidden features - even basic ones like shift-clicking and control-clicking

As for the desired right click options, i do not even knmow which one comes with Puppy by default, or if there is one that is more like other distros which enable that.

Sorry, I've lost track of what you're talking about. Are you saying you don't know which window manager comes with Puppy (usually just JWM, but sometimes Icewm, and in custom puppies often XFCE or all sorts of other things)? Or you don't know which one to install to get a right click menu on the start menu (KDE or Gnome or maybe XFCE... I don't know about any others)? Or something else?

[disciple]

Yes, I agree. Have you fixed your font rendering, or do you need to be pointed to some instructions?

No fixes, but i did find some fonts outside the repos, and the browsers (SM and FF) are what really need improving.

See http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 748#309748
You might like to use one of Sit Heel Speak's (more recent) freetype packages instead of the antique one I posted. You might even prefer Sit Heel Speak's preferred settings... although I don't
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 190#326190
Depending on your browser version there might be something extra you need to change to get it looking right.

[PeacebyJesus]

I will try it! How would anyone know?

I did try it (i was under XP when i replied before) and that is neat., and works in the Thunar FM as well.

I don't know how Windows users are supposed to find out about hidden features - even basic ones like shift-clicking and control-clicking

Well, MS does assume users want large icons and do not need to (or are best not to) see file extensions, or all files and types, or other details (one of the first defaults i change when first installing) but due to the universality of things like Windows Explorer many universal shortcuts are easy to find, and which functionality usually passes from one OS to another. Windows and Pause/Break is one of my favorites, but more should be default. I would think it would save service call times if Control Panel was just Windows key and C, for instance.

In XP i use AutoHotKey to launch single or many apps at once by kbrd. shortcuts, including ones ending in .cpl, or individually, and as said, i like the ability to make ones in Puppy, like for Poweroff.

Sorry, I've lost track of what you're talking about. Are you saying you don't know which window manager comes with Puppy (usually just JWM, but sometimes Icewm, and in custom puppies often XFCE or all sorts of other things)? Or you don't know which one to install to get a right click menu on the start menu (KDE or Gnome or maybe XFCE... I don't know about any others)?

Both. I did find that i am using the JMW DT, and i did install the latest XFCE recently and wrote down how to start it, but have to find the slip of paper.

May God bless you for your help.

[PeacebyJesus]

See http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... 748#309748
You might like to use one of Sit Heel Speak's (more recent) freetype packages instead of the antique one I posted. You might even prefer Sit Heel Speak's preferred settings... although I don't
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewto ... 190#326190
Depending on your browser version there might be something extra you need to change to get it looking right.

Well, i installed both, and i see them there in XSet Global Font size, but i have yet to find a utility to change the font types. As for the rest of the procedure, the patent page states that "the TrueType bytecode patents have expired!", so i wonder if all this is necessary. I also read that "When Canonical unveiled Ubuntu's branding overhaul and new desktop theme earlier this year, the company also revealed that it had commissioned well-known type foundry Dalton Maag to design a new font specifically for Ubuntu. The font will likely be used by default in Ubuntu 10.10, which is scheduled for release in October." http://arstechnica.com/open-source/news ... graphy.ars

[disciple]

As for the rest of the procedure, the patent page states that "the TrueType bytecode patents have expired!", so i wonder if all this is necessary.

No, it shouldn't be necessary anymore, but I think 4.3.1 was made before the patents ran out, and I haven't heard that any of the more recent puppies have BCI hinting enabled.

and i see them there in XSet Global Font sizeand i see them there in XSet Global Font size

I'm not sure what you're saying there.

but i have yet to find a utility to change the font types

Or there.

Maybe I need to clarify - those posts were focussed on improving font rendering, not on changing the fonts being used. If you want to change the fonts being used, many programs have their own settings, some use the GTK settings in /root/.gtkrc-2.0 etc, and others use both

[abushcrafter]

One is the Menu, which is good but i think it would be better is there was an option to "show all" apps (as in Linux Mint).

This is possible. You will want to look in the folders: "/etc/xdg/menus" "/etc/xdg/templates" "/usr/share/desktop-directories". if you are using JWM or IceWM the commadn to rebuild the menus is "fixmenus" then restart the window manager. What puppy are you using and what window manager are you using? As I could/might do most of the work for you if you would need a lot of help.

[disciple]

Well, I'm using a different Puppy from you, but I counted, and there are 5 more applications in my menu than in /usr/share/applications (this is because a few show up twice).
So I think I'm correct in assuming that all of the applications with .desktop files should already be in your menu.
If you do want to display them in a single list instead of categories, that should be possible, as abushcrafter suggests.

[disciple]

I like the latter for favorites

I'm not certain what you were referring to there, but you might be interested in the bookmarks viewer I just wrote.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=60033

[disciple]

you might like to know that you can change the shortcut keys used in rox simply by pressing the key you want to use while a command is highlighted in the right click menu

Sorry, should say these days you need to enable this by adding this to ~/.gtkrc-2.0 or wherever

Code: Select all

gtk-can-change-accels = 1

[abushcrafter]

Well, I'm using a different Puppy from you, but I counted, and there are 5 more applications in my menu than in /usr/share/applications (this is because a few show up twice).
So I think I'm correct in assuming that all of the applications with .desktop files should already be in your menu.
If you do want to display them in a single list instead of categories, that should be possible, as abushcrafter suggests.

Have a look in "/usr/local/share/applications".

[abushcrafter]

you might like to know that you can change the shortcut keys used in rox simply by pressing the key you want to use while a command is highlighted in the right click menu

Sorry, should say these days you need to enable this by adding this to ~/.gtkrc-2.0 or wherever

Code: Select all

gtk-can-change-accels = 1

The best place in puppy for that fantastic (Which should be a default in Woof.) setting is in the file: "/etc/gtk-2.0/gtkrc". This is so, when one changes their theme they don't lose this setting.

[PeacebyJesus]

Sorry for the delay.

i see them there in XSet Global Font size but i have yet to find a utility to change the font types

I am not sure what you're saying here.

I meant i saw they were installed, but am looking for a way to globally change what fonts are used. The XFCE DT offers some improvement in this (see next page). I am aware that individual apps allow that, though i have yet to find it in Sea Monkey 2.05.

And the odd thing is that i also have Puppy 4.3.1 installed on an HD in this same box, and the font rendering is much better, though i did nothing except add Liberation fonts to it.

I did what i was told in QuickPet regarding installing the recommended driver for the card in this old rig.

Thanks for your time and patience.

[PeacebyJesus]

You will want to look in the folders: "/etc/xdg/menus" "/etc/xdg/templates" "/usr/share/desktop-directories". if you are using JWM or IceWM the commadn to rebuild the menus is "fixmenus" then restart the window manager. What puppy are you using and what window manager are you using? As I could/might do most of the work for you if you would need a lot of help.

Thanks. I am using 5.1.1 now, and there is no xdg folders, and i have view hidden files on.

Edit: I did a .desktop search in SM and found xfce folders, as i install ed that desktop, but it places nothing in the JMW Desktop menu for switching to it, so i did a search for scripts on the forum as well as a launcher in the drive. xwin xfce4-session or xwin startxfce4 did nothing, but clicking on startxfce4 in /root/.usr/bin/ did. But it says "Xfdesktop is unable to hold desktop items because it is not a folder." Click OK on that and i can see it has much to offer, with more options than the JMW, though that Menuand task bar is still running, though the desktop background was Xfce, and the window manager. It includes setting global fonts types and size, with hinting as an option, though it seems to offer slight improvement. Still experimenting.

But not to worry, as this was just a suggestion.

But another is to make it more evident how to set global hot keys, such as the Alt+Tab to switch between windows. And how can you add things to the tray?

Thanks

[disciple]

And how can you add things to the tray?

Which window manager are you asking about?
I thought in 5.1.1 there's supposed to be a gui that handles this - part of the JWM settings manager or something. Maybe I'm wrong, but check the menu. Otherwise it is easy enough to add them by hand-editing ~/.jwmrc-tray
To change keyboard shortcuts you could edit ~/jwm/jwmrc-personal (or something like that).

[PeacebyJesus]

And how can you add things to the tray?

Which window manager are you asking about?
I thought in 5.1.1 there's supposed to be a gui that handles this - part of the JWM settings manager or something. Maybe I'm wrong, but check the menu. Otherwise it is easy enough to add them by hand-editing ~/.jwmrc-tray
To change keyboard shortcuts you could edit ~/jwm/jwmrc-personal (or something like that).

No actual GUIconfig. for that aspect - the "Application launch buttons in tray" option in the JMW configuration (Menu>Desktop>Desktop Settings>JMW configuration manager>JMW) results in a text file, which presumes the user knows how to edit it (which new users like myself would need to learn). However, i did find that the XFCE DT enables this, but it is limited to a few basic things it has preselected, and i was unable to add to it. Yet.

And launching the /root/.usr/bin/startxfce4 brought up an option to logout or launch a new session, but it froze after choosing the latter, or i could not type the name it asked for it, nor could it be killed, so i had to physically power off. And Puppy does not like that. Upon rebooting it messaged about an improper shutdown, and said rebooting, then loaded a bit more, and stopped at login tty1. I typed xorgwizard which failed (worked fine on install) and then used xvesa and (next i think) Ignore, and got in.

Next i found the WM Switcher switch between JMW and Icewm, and that it also has the XFCE DT as an option, and this time i was able to name and login to a new session. But I still get the error message about "Xfdesktop is unable to hold desktop items..."

I do like this DT, as it has more options and accessibility is improved, but among negative are that it still does not allow you to right click on Menu items and place shortcuts on the DT, and instead right click just launches them. It does have a right click option on files in folders to send a link to the desktop, but it results in nothing, while (unlike JMW) you cannot drag a file to the DT to create a link, as it lists the desktop as the same location the file is coming from. It also places 3 icons in the tray for every program.folder opened.

Aside from fonts, Puppy Lucid does look attractive with the citrus-cut theme, and the Beach-sunrise background. Thank God for beauty.