My Puppy is more gorgeous than yours!

[Pizzasgood]

First there is X. This provides the ability to have a GUI in the first place. It also controls the mouse cursor unless something else overrides it. It will use whichever cursor theme is at /root/.icons/default/ (though some versions of Puppy require a missing library to use this). MU made a package for setting them and also provided many cursor themes.

Then, there are "window managers," which create manage windows (go figure). They create the title bar and the borders, let you move them around, etc. Examples: JWM, IceWM, XFCE (technically, the xfwm part), Fluxbox, etc.

There is a third category called "taskbar" or "panel," which is basically the "start bar". Some window managers provide this themselves, some don't. (JWM and IceWM do.) When they don't, there are programs that specifically provide this. Example: Fbpanel

Fourth category: desktop icons. Again, some WM's include these, others don't. (Neither JWM nor IceWM provide this; we get icons from ROX-Filer (the file manager). XFCE does have an option for icons now though)

Fifth category: file manager. This is the program that lets you navigate the file system. The main reason I mention this is that it is the thing to modify when you want different icons for things like directories or text files. In Puppy's case, this is ROX-Filer, which has support for icon themes (options -> types, the dropdown menu) which are installed at /root/.icons/.

Then, aside from all that there are the GUI toolkits. These are what handle all the widgets (scroll bars, buttons, input fields, "file" menu, etc.). Examples: GTK, QT, FLTK
Unlike the WM, which of these are used depends on the specific app. If I write a program using GTK, you can't make it use QT without changing the source and recompiling it. However, you can change the GTK or QT themes, and the programs that use the toolkits will subsequently look different.
Generally, if you want to run a program using a given toolkit you must have that toolkit installed. An exception is if the program was statically linked against the toolkit, in which case the program will be larger but won't have a dependency on the toolkit.

Most apps in Puppy use GTK or GTK 2, which are treated as two separate things (i.e. a theme for GTK won't affect a GTK 2 app).

Also, toolkits tend to have "engines" which set the overall style. For example, GTK has a "smooth engine." The themes generally depend on a specific engine, then just alter the colors, sizes, and positioning of the widgets. An exception is the pixbuf engine, which lets you use images for the buttons and such.

MU made a package called GTK Themechooser for changing GTK themes (Puppy has a basic theme chooser but all it's really good for are the very basic themes Puppy ships with).

[alienjeff]

...and what on earth is Fluxbox?

I was going to reply, "What on Earth is Google?" but decided to offer this instead: http://fluxbox.sourceforge.net

Is there any help out there?

Yes. Check out http://guide.opendns.com/?url=search+engines in a browser, click a bunch of links and bookmark like mad.

[Eyes-Only]

Fascinating read PG, on all the various bits and pieces, even for an "old salt" like me. Thanks for taking the time out of studies to write that!

Amicalement,

Eyes-Only
"L'Peau-Rouge"

[WhoDo]

If the screenlet can't start open a terminal window, go to the screenlet's directory(e.g. '/root/.screenlets/CPU_Meter/' ) and run it manually(e.g. ./cpu_meter.py) to see error messages.

The gDesklets manager still can't even "see" the screenlet, regardless of where I put it (/root/.gdesklets, /root/.screenlets, /usr/local/share/screenlets), I have all the dependencies you supplied and everything else is working fine (there aren't any extras for that screenlet either), and I get the following error at the CLI:

Code: Select all

bash-3.00# ./CPU_MeterScreenlet.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "./CPU_MeterScreenlet.py", line 22, in <module>
    import screenlets
ImportError: No module named screenlets
bash-3.00

Any help appreciated.
I don't know enough about Python to play with this so the error is coming from the standard download.

[nic2109]

First there is X.....

Thank-you SO much for this answer - I'm sure that it will prevent some stupid questions; from myself and perhaps others too. I understand frim this that when (for example) a .pet says ".... you will need to restart JWM ...." it really means " ...you may need to restart your WM...".

I was tempted ....

Thanks for the restraint in withholding the smart riposte. Of course I can Google it, but the question was more a rhetorical attempt express the complexity than an actual "what is it?". And I'm really grateful for the actual link.

Good-stuff from you both.

[trapster]

alienjeff wrote:
I was tempted ....

Thanks for the restraint in withholding the smart riposte.

He's just getting a little soft in his old age

[trapster]

Puppy3.00 Retro
Fluxbox
Transparent aterm
orpheus - playing stream
conky
Gkkrellm
wbar


Fullsize

[wow]

The gDesklets manager still can't even "see" the screenlet

Screenlets and gDeskletsare different programs and their widgets are not compatible. However, they can coexist.

[WhoDo]

The gDesklets manager still can't even "see" the screenlet

Screenlets and gDeskletsare different programs and their widgets are not compatible. However, they can coexist.

Well there you go then. I just thought that all of the screenlets on the website you mentioned for downloads would work with the gDesklets software you uploaded. Goodweather, calendar and reloj clock were on the same download site as CPU_Meter_Vista'sh, and I didn't see any reference to the differences. *sigh* Live and learn, even at my age!

[nic2109]

alienjeff wrote:
I was tempted ....

Thanks for the restraint in withholding the smart riposte.

He's just getting a little soft in his old age

I had added something to that effect in my post, but then took it out again!

Nick

[jonyo]

Fascinating read PG, on all the various bits and pieces, even for an "old salt" like me. Thanks for taking the time out of studies to write that!

One of the best here no doubt about it.

[puppyluvr]

hey guy`s
I thought this thread was for eye-candy
So here`s one more for the buddapup
Puppy Rocks!!!!!!

[trapster]

I can never leave well enough alone...



Fullsize

[crabbypup]

here is my desktop. it's not that fancy, but whatever.







sorry, the images are a little big.

[MU]

full size (1600x1050):
http://noforum.de/pics/darkmuppy008.jpg

The icewm-theme is called "ThinBlack".
Gtk-Theme: http://www.gnome-look.org/content/show. ... tent=73210

Somewhat similar is this, it also has black scrollbars. Maybe it is a bit too black, but that's personal taste.
But different to the first one, it also supports the old Gtk+.
So you might choose this first in my Themeselector to set black for Gtk+, and then the other one to set that for Gtk2 only.
http://themes.freshmeat.net/projects/tenebrific/

Background:
http://www.vladstudio.com/wallpaper/?583
or
http://www.vladstudio.com/wallpaper/?584

On top you see the GtkBasic Panel, below on the right the gdesklets.
On bottom right conky.

Mark

[mrkcee]

Here's my current desktop: I keep on changing it.

XFCE 4.4.2
Screenlets 0.0.12
Ubuntu Icons

[smhardesty]

I somehow how missed this thread until this evening. Took a while to look through all the different screenshots. WOW! It's amazing what everybody else has done.

[gary101]

Here is my eeepc running puppy 2.16 with Conky.
Not as gorgeous as some a lot of the systems in this thread but i like it.

[PuppyLinuxGuy]

Wow! These systems look great! I promise I'll post mine as soon as I can.

Gary101: what icon set is that? they would look great in my theme.

Billy

[gary101]

Hi PuppyLinuxGuy

That iconset is the standard for puppy 2.16, window manager is icewm using the thinblack2 theme.

Look forward to seeing your desktop

Gary