How to change order of icons within the taskbar in PL528?

[benny7440]

I wanted to make a search for this before posting but it didn't occur to me how to make that search, sorry! I'm guessing that this can be done... & it isn't too hard to do.

Prelude: I've been having some difficulties with the onboard screen (9x16) of this notebook (see signature) & I'm using an Acer 4x5 external screen. Recently, I found a way to view all the icons that appear in the taskbar by using one of the utilities that come with this Puppy (Fbpanel (default panel) configuration) under Desktop.

The problem I wish to solve is that the Memory icon is too far to the right & can't see the Free space it reports when I put the pointer over it; so I wish to move it to the far left of this group. The icon for cpu usage isn't important for me at the moment, the clock & its associated data is. The battery icon, I can do without it.

Another issue that I've been experiencing is that the desktop icons, some of them are moved out of sight after each Power on & I've to fish for them every time. How can I make desktop icon placement persistent?

Thanks for any tip/help on these issue!

[SFR]

Hey benny7440.

Since I don't really know how to control the order of icons, I would like to propose you a slightly different solution.

/usr/sbin/pfbpanel script, almost at the end, around line 1096 there's such block of code:

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  echo Plugin \{ >> $DEFAULT
  echo    type = space >> $DEFAULT
  echo    config \{ >> $DEFAULT
  echo           size = 1 >> $DEFAULT
  echo              \} >> $DEFAULT
  echo              \} >> $DEFAULT
 fi

 if [ "`pidof fbpanel`" != "" ];then

I just modified size = 50 (fbpanel needs to be reloaded then) and the effect is a blank space at the right end of the panel; thanks to that all icons+clock are moved 50 pixels to the left.

Would it be sufficient for you?

Anyway, I've found that if you rename freememapplet_tray (in /root/Startup) to, for instance, z_freememapplet_tray and restart X server, it will be moved more, but not completely, to the left side of the tray area (it seems that alphabetical order counts, partially ).

Also, you can play with the pfbpanel script more, it's quite easy to customize.

Greetings!

[benny7440]

Thanks for responding SFR!

I had the idea that somewhere there were a script with all the possible icons in a predetermined order &, once found, I was going to be able to transpose them at will changing in this way how it would appear on the screen. Maybe that that you say is the one but I don't know the format it's written on. I'll inspect it with a little care after the already drunk coffee start to make some effect.

I'll post anything interesting that I might find here.

[`f00]

hi benny7440

Here's a nice tutorial..

.. if you like, you can also set up fbpanel profiles to sort of mimic jwm trays - call them by cmd, menu item or a ~/Startup/<script>

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fbpanel -p <profilename>

(it may help to comment out a line or so in .xinitrc that loads lxpanel or fbpanel for wms without a taskbar if you go this route) - if I recall correctly, the 'default' profile that pfbpanel uses may be in /.fbpanel dir with syms elsewhere pointing there That's what you get with a straight

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fbpanel

cmd and it's also the one that's refreshed/configured-by-gui/$DEFAULT in /usr/sbin/pfbpanel ..

At the top of a profile is a 'global' block that sets various parameters, followed by (what you appear to be interested in) the plugins and stuff in top->bottom or left->right (depending on vertical or horizontal orientation) order. The only plugin that's unique is the systray (only one instance allowed), so bear that in mind if you want to try using a few custom profiles at the same time (like one for just a pager, another for a tasklist, launcher bar and so on). You can defeat the alphabetical ordering used in stuff like the menu, but then updating can become a bit of a chore

Oya, some of the icons are systray items (freememapplet_tray, sound mixer and so on)

hth cuppa2

[benny7440]

Thanks for responding & for the links, SFR & 'foo!

I thought at the beginning it was going to be much more simple than I've found. Since I'm using an almost square external screen with this 9x16 on board (not working) VAIO, I wanted to maximize the desktop area usage & thought just to change the order in which these icons appear. Obviously, they don't have the same importance to all all the time.

I still can move the right-hand side of the taskbar farther to the left & in doing so I would be able to see all the appropriate text but at the expense of taking out some available space there for my lunched applications.

I saw the code of the shell script for pfbpanel & it occurred to me that by moving (swapping) selected code blocks it might be done but refrained myself of tweaking with this, for the moment. I would like to have more info before attempting to do it; for example, what's the code langauge (i.e., c, c++, python, etc.)?

[SFR]

Well, the language itself is Bash, but the syntax used inside is partially fbpanel specific.
The point is that pfbpanel script is a GUI application that allows user to choose certain options and then generates a config file for use by fbpanel (/root/.config/fbpanel/default).
Here's documentation:
http://fbpanel.sourceforge.net/docs.html#config

Example (from the link above):

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Plugin {
    type = mem
    config {
        ShowSwap = true
    }
}

It's enough to rewrite it like this:

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echo Plugin \{ >> $DEFAULT
echo type = mem >> $DEFAULT
echo config \{ >> $DEFAULT
echo ShowSwap = true >> $DEFAULT
echo \} >> $DEFAULT
echo \} >> $DEFAULT

and add it, for instance, between CPU and TRAY plugins, and you'll get memory monitor in tray area.
Note: this plugin, like few others, is not implemented in pfbpanel's GUI.

The idea to swap blocks works very well (see screenshot).

But, as `f00 has mentioned, some of the icons are systray items (from /root/Startup) and they are invoked by /usr/sbin/delayedrun script at system boot, but pfbpanel script is doing the same thing (but in different order), eg. during fbpanel refresh (last section with "killall" commands an so on).
I don't know why it's necessary, but apparently is...
That's why the order of icons isn't persistent.

Also, don't refrain yourself from experimentations - if anything will go wrong you can always retrieve the original pfbpanel file from /initrd/pup_ro2/usr/sbin/pfbpanel (if you have frugal install) or from within original ISO (if you're on full install).
Or simple backup will work either.

I hope it's more clear now and good luck with tinkering.

Greetings!

[benny7440]

Thank you for your encouragement, SFR!

I did try to tinker with it & managed to move the cpu icon to the extreme right by displacing the code just after the first 'Space' section after the clock section. I don't have an idea if it will be persistent or not after a reboot. I also tried some shell commands & they worked well.

Now, I'm still having trouble with finding after each reboot the Lock desktop icon, it moves away from the visible screen & forces me to fish around for it.

[bigpup]

Now, I'm still having trouble with finding after each reboot the Lock desktop icon, it moves away from the visible screen & forces me to fish around for it.

The Lock desktop icon should always be visible on desktop if you are using the proper display resolution for the monitor or the monitor is adjusted for the resolution you use.

[benny7440]

Thanks for responding, bigpup!

See my signature, with this notebook I'm not able to see the screens that the BIOS put on for configuration etc.. I'm forced to use an external monitor which isn't 9x16 so I don't see all the the graphical info the video card sends for display. I know of others that use external monitors & they do see everything right from the beginning to the end; it's not my case. I don't know if this's a notebook issue or a monitor issue.

If you look at the bottom of the graphic you'll see a rectangular box in black that is part of the real external screen area but unavailable as a source of video. The red rectangle at right appeared there when I resized the canvas in which I opened the snapshot for editing.

My REAL (viewed) desktop is the not-so-apparent rectangle made out by the desktop icons: (1) Lock @ Top-Left; (2) Zip @ Top-Right; (3) sda1 @ Bottom - Left; (4) Control @ Bottom - Right.

[SFR]

Hey, I'm glad there's some progress!

Now, I'm still having trouble with finding after each reboot the Lock desktop icon, it moves away from the visible screen & forces me to fish around for it.

If I understand correctly, you cannot reach it because returns to the far right edge at every boot?
If so, just open /root/.xinitrc hidden file and find the following line:

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/usr/sbin/fixPuppyPin /root/Choices/ROX-Filer/PuppyPin #v1.0.7

Simply comment this line:

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#/usr/sbin/fixPuppyPin /root/Choices/ROX-Filer/PuppyPin #v1.0.7

and you should be able to drag Lock icon somewhere else and preserve its new position.

The purpose of the fixPuppyPin script is to place Lock icon (and other icons which share the same X position) on the right side of the screen, regardless of the current screen resolution.

But frankly, the best solution would be to fix your monitor/resolution problem...
I can't help unfortunately, I know too little on that matter...but maybe someone else will do..?

Take care & Greetings!

[benny7440]

Thanks for responding, SFR!

I edited the file as you mention & today I checked it out & it's in fact persistent. Working as I hoped it would do. Good tip!

Edit: The previous post has a solution to the issue.