Puppy Linux Discussion Forum

[gw]

Hello,

I would modify the new xdg menu of Puppy 2.14 to mask or create some commands. Previously, that was done simply by editing the /root/.jwmrc file directly, but now this method is not valid any more. I would mask commands of the menu Puppy, such as the commands tkfont, gcombust, agenda, etc… without delete the programs or add in the menu some commands which are not create automatically such as the commands to start programs with wine, etc…. I don’t know if it is possible and how to proceed with the new xdg menu. I noticed in the .jwmrc file the following message : <!-- Important, only edit /etc/xdg/templates/_root_.jwmrc --> but I don’t know how to do it
Many thanks
--
gw

[HairyWill]

you might find some help here.
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic.php?t=16124

To remove program entries you need to find the relevant *.desktop file and rename it to something like *.desktop.old.
<edit date="28/03">The correct way to remove a menu entry is given by Rarsa in his post further down

[bostonvaulter]

hey,

do you guys know if there is a way to modify the menus for one window manager, but not others?

I also must say that it is rather difficult to modify the xdg menus currently, i wonder if there is a way to make it easier, maybe a simple menu editor program or something.

[Dougal]

Editing the xdg menu will be a real pain -- you need to change the templates in /etc/xdg/templates and Barry has made a whole mess of it, so it's not easy to understand...


Concerning modifying only one menu, in /etc/xdg/menus there are different files that create the different menus, so you just change the relevant one (though if you want to change the templates, you'll have to create copies of them and use those for that WM).

[raffy]

I myself have not tried to change the xdg menus yet - if I remember right, the change to xdg is meant to make changes in menus work across WManagers.

But for the many who are simply content with JWM, could they have an option to use the tried-and-easy /root/.jwmrc ?

Thanks in advance.

[alienjeff]

I too am less than delighted with the XDG menu system, though I certainly can appreciate its benefits.

However, XDG is the only thing that is keeping me from spending more time with v1.09CE and a contributing factor in complete avoidance of the new XDG 2.xx versions.

So I'm pleasantly using either Puppy v0.9.7 or v1.08r1 or v2.11, thank you very much! Should I want to change the menu structure, it's a comparatively easy task and I don't have to worry about changes affecting or not carrying over to another window manager.

And Raffy: take a look at /root/.jwmrc in v2.14 and you'll see what we mean.

I'll grant you, JWM isn't the prettiest, but it's lean, fast, and easily configurable, providing it isn't under the XDG umbrella.

[Kal]

Here is where I have gotten most of my information on xdg.

http://standards.freedesktop.org/menu-spec/0.8/

Good Luck, Kal

[GuestToo]

you could work around XDG menus by putting a line like this in /etc/profile, just before exec xwin:

cp /root/.my-jwmrc /root/.jwmrc

[BarryK]

The opinions being expressed in this thread are, to me, very peculiar. The XDG system as implemented in 2.14 is straightforward.

For JWM, if you want to modify the configuration file, you edit /etc/xdg/templates/_root_.jwmrc. If you want to change the taskbar, edit /root/.jwmrc-tray. If you want to modify or remove any particular menu entry, then edit or delete the appropriate .desktop file in /usr/share/applications.

To completely change the menu structure is a bit more involved... for example, _root_.jwmrc has this entry to generate the "Fun" menu:

[Pizzasgood]

XDG is also less risky. All a package can do is mess up its own .desktop file, and about the worst that can do to the menu as a whole is make it's section have giant icons. Before, they had to directly edit the menu file. Any small slip and poof! All gone.

Personally, I don't trust my string parsing skills enough to like that at all, especially if you can't count on someone's menu being formatted a certain way.

[BarryK]

That "giant icons" problem will be fixed in 2.16, at least for JWM -- a large icon will be automatically scaled down to fit.

[oli]

I tried to change the menu in different ways. Here is my result: I run Puppy 2.14 from CD (pfix=ram) and use JWM. I added some menu entries into /root/.jwmrc and restarted JWM. My menus appeared. Then I installed a PetGet. The menu was still the same, that means my additional menu entries were available. I deleted /usr/share/applications/bubbles.desktop and restarted JWM. The menu was still the same - with my menu entries and with the bubble-entry! I edited /etc/xdg/templates/_root_.jwmrc and restarted JWM. But the menu didn't changed. It seems to me that everything is the same as in Puppy 2.10.

[bostonvaulter]

oli, you need to run 'fixmenus' and then restart jwm to update the xdg menus.

[rarsa]

Several comments:

1. The "right" way of preventing an entry from showing in the menu is to add
a line with "hidden=true" to the corresponding .desktop file

2. Hardcoding the location of a menu entry is done by adding the entry into the corresponding .menu file

3. Having different menu structures per Window manager is done by using different .menu files

4. The current categorization of applications in the oficial .pet files needs an overhaul. I ofered to do this by merging it with my original categorization but I've been extremelly short of time.

5. Once you have well categorized applications you rarelly require to create "ad-hoc" entries but it can still be done as described in point 2.

6. XDG implementation was as a response to a problem that was deemed more complex that the dificulty of creating hardcoded menu structures. That problem is: How do I make sure that an application shows in the menu if I don't know what WM the user is using?

[Dougal]