(old)Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

Hi,

I like my desktop icons, but only if I want to use them .

So I created this little program to switch all desktop icons on/off by just moving the mouse cursor to one side of the sceen.

New version SwapIcons-1.2 is out

With this version you can use the corners to switch icons on/off as well. Also it's now possible to use shortcuts (more explanations here).

Since version 1.1 (built by L18L) you are able to select 'Never hide drive icons' .

I don't expect problems, but you know, it's always good to have a backup of your save file .


Enjoy and have fun ,

Rolf

Hi rhadon,

Brilliant - Screen shots show Precise 5.4 Muliti-session live-CD
Screen resolution 1024 x 768.

I made an SFS from your pet.

My regards and thanks

Hi rhadon! Great app and works wonderful on my Puppy Precise 5.4.4 with a screen resolution of 1280x1024.

Two thumbs up from here! Should be yet another one of those default "must be included" desktop beautification apps in any/all versions/puplets of Puppy due to its usefulness IMHO.

Thank you for your contribution to the Puppy Community!

Cheers/Amicalement,

Eyes-Only
"L'Peau-Rouge d'Acadie"

Hi Jasper and Eyes-Only,

thank you for your kind words. I'm glad you like it and that it works for you. Credit belongs also to SFR and L18L for helping me .

Cheers

Rolf

Hi Rhadon, ( and company), thanks for this. I really like it. Using it with Racy Baby Barebones.

What a clever idea.

Tote wrote:Hi Rhadon, ( and company), thanks for this. I really like it. Using it with Racy Baby Barebones.

What a clever idea.

Hello, rhadon.

Indeed, very clever idea! Forgive me for not noticing before.

Is it possible to add a configuration so activation happens with < key > + < cursor on side of screen > ? Window managers pekwm and icewm use the < cursor + side of screen > to move to the next desktop.

In any case, thanks.

musher0

Hi musher0,

You also have the setting choice of moving the cursor off the bottom or off the top of your screen.

My regards

Jasper wrote:Hi musher0,

You also have the setting choice of moving the cursor off the bottom or off the top of your screen.

My regards

Hi, Jasper.

Thanks for the suggestion, but I had figured that one out.

Two reasons for the < key + cursor movement > instead of simply the
< cursor movement >:

1) The bottom is off limits because you almost always have the window manager there.

2) If you already have a panel (ROX-panel or window manager bar) on
any side, it is an annoyance to see your icons disappear when you
do not want to, simply because your cursor has slightly touched the side
of the screen.

Thanks in advance to radhon if he can come up with such a version.

musher0

Hi musher0,

thank you for your positive feedback. Yes, you are right, sometimes an additional key would be very useful. The right side is uncritically for me, so there was no need to change, but I run 2 other progs by moving the cursor to the upper edges and it's annoying to call a prog permanently by accident . Well, that's another story, because I use Compiz and could change it there easily, but I understand the problem. It shouldn't be difficult to change (at least in theory). Hopefully I come back with a solution during or after this this weekend.

Rolf

L18L has built SwapIcons-1.1 . You can find it here.

@musher0
From my point of view it's better to use an additional mouse button instead of a key from keyboard because by moving the mouse, your finger is already above the button.

Would you or anybody else confirm or do I overlook something?

Rolf

What about

left click -> swap
right click -> config

at always visible desktop icon (task for our graphics artists)
or
at task bar (can be hidden, visible when moving mouse at it)

Hi L18L,

L18L wrote:left click -> swap
right click -> config
at always visible desktop icon (task for our graphics artists)

Perhaps a good idea for others, but not for me . Maybe I should explain. I use pictures from life webcams over the internet as my wallpaper, with refresh rates from ~3sec. to more than 20min. Sometimes I want only to enjoy these pictures, sometimes I want to take a snapshot. In both cases any icon is disturbing. Also hiding the icons and taking a snapshot must be fast, because most of the time I don't know, when the next refresh happens (I'm not always staring at the wallpaper ) and the next picture could show a completely other scenario.

or
at task bar (can be hidden, visible when moving mouse at it)

better, but in this case, moving the mouse pointer down and pressing e.g. button1 seems to be easier and faster. No need to hit a special icon in the task bar. The lowest line is free, no icon from the taskbar will be executed (only one exception, the menu button).

If no other ideas or comments, I'll try to go this way .

Rolf

L18L wrote:What about

left click -> swap
right click -> config

at always visible desktop icon (task for our graphics artists)
or
at task bar (can be hidden, visible when moving mouse at it)

No go for left click and right click. In all wm's, those mouse buttons
are used to call the main and/or sometimes secondary menus.

Which is why I prefer the < key + cursor at edge > combination, if
someone has the ability to create it.

As rhadon mentioned, one hand is occupied controlling the mouse, but
generally, the other hand is free. Something like < z+cursor at edge >
for right-handed people or < . + cursor at edge > for left-handed people.

Also, this script could have a *.desktop file and so become accessible
from the menu.

As per L18N's suggestion, a desktop icon is also a possibility, but then,
strictly speaking, the empty desktop would not be empty anymore.

BFN.

musher0

musher0 wrote:In all wm's, those mouse buttons are used to call the main and/or sometimes secondary menus.

Good argument . In Compiz I don't have this problem, so I wasn't aware.

Will try soon,

Rolf

Hi rhadon,

Today I sent you two PMs (some three hours apart).

This is Just to let you know you seem to have opened the second, but not the first which was a response to your helpful PM to me.

My regards

@Jasper
Got it now , thank you,

Rolf

Thanks for this app! It's really appreciated! Is it possible to assign the corners of the screen as swap switches rather than the sides?

Keep up the great work!

Jim in NYC

Hello, people.

pekwm is already "screen-side" friendly.

Here you will find how to emulate radhon's trick in pekwm:
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... ost#725132
i.e. how to make a ROX-panel appear and disappear with a Ctrl-click on the proper side of the screen, in pekwm.

Enjoy.

musher0

Thanks for swift reply! I skimmed this topic and manage a gist of what you're all saying which sounds very clever but applying it is a little over the head of this tech newbie so I'll just sit it out and wait for a simpler newbie-friendly app interface to implement these complicated commands and procedures.

Please keep up the good work!

Jim in NYC

Hi ,

sorry that it takes such a long time, but I was/am busy in real life and hadn't much time for Puppy .

By now I've found 4 different solutions for detecting a single key but all are working only if I run the program from console. So it's not workable by now .

There's another possible solution by using keyboard shortcuts (no mouse move required). Basically this works fine. I have to change some small parts of the prog and to add the new choices to the GUI. One advantage, nothing from swapicons is running in the background.

@ musher0
I'm glad you've found a solution without waiting for me .

@ Jim
I'm glad you like this small program. It should be possible to change/add the corners instead of using the sides but first I'll add the code for using shortcuts. Then we'll see .

Rolf