Creating the Perfect Fluxbox Desktop on Linux

I've been using Fluxbox on my desktop system for quite a while. Some friends laugh, but hey, I like to save my CPU and RAM for other things. I've never played with the slit, I'll have to try that sometime. I didn't know about the tabbed windows. I'll have to play with that too.

Oh BTW: Image 4 is linked to Image 3. :)

Thanks techiem, the link should be fixed soon. I like Fluxbox a lot. All I need from a desktop is an efficient application launcher and work organizer, and Fluxbox lets me shuffle things around to where my most-used things are a click or a keyboard shortcut away. I'd rather tweak a text config file than waste half a day clicking through multiple tabs and screens, hoping to find the magic checkbox. Not that GUI configs are inherently bad, but well-organized ones are rare.

One thing I wish for is a basic level of functionality that lies beneath window managers and desktops. It doesn't make sense to me that basics like client networking, scanners, and automounting removable devices should vary depending which graphical environment you're working in.

Quoting:One thing I wish for is a basic level of functionality that lies beneath window managers and desktops. It doesn't make sense to me that basics like client networking, scanners, and automounting removable devices should vary depending which graphical environment you're working in.

I most definitely agree. It only adds needless complexity and confusion. One of the best things about Linux is how easily you can leverage what little knowledge you may have acquired, even if you're a pretty raw newbie.

So it not only doesn't make sense -- it's actively against the users' interests.

Nice review?

BULLDINKY!!!!!

Not one mention of setting up the flux capacitor.

Consequently, I'm stuck here in the early 21st century, unable to feed any dinosaur not in Congress.

Exactly. I still do all my networking at the system level because I haven't been able to get NM or WiCD working properly on my laptop. The cli and system level tools...just work.

My main complaint about my DEs in general (I use Fluxbox on the desktop and XFCE on the laptop, but I play with others now and then), is that multiple monitor support in Linux overall and in the DEs still seems somewhat weak (and I have a friend who has mentioned the same thing). Oh well. Maybe someday they'll get multiple monitors working properly with all the various options we'd like (single screen, multiple screens in same X session with apps properly identifying and maximizing to one screen, multiple x sessions with apps moving between, etc.).

@techiem2: I think that Gnome 2 had all the multi-display requirements that you mention. My primary desktop's dual 1600x1200 displays have been performing wonderfully in that DE.

I'm staying with Fedora 14 (gnome 2), by the way, and am holding there until the DE dust settles.

Sorry dino, I had a flux of the bowels while writing the article and so I forgot all about capacitors.

Thanks, Carla - I've been running Fvwm2, and I'd like to get back to Fluxbox as well.

I mainly use single session multiple displays (twinview I think) in fluxox, which works well MOST of the time. Sometimes an app will be obnoxious and want to maximize over both screens.

I just seem to see varying levels of working and handling in various DEs. Kinda how TC was mentioning networking and stuff, it would be nice if multiple monitor support worked uniformly and was easily tweakable to how you want it no matter what DE or video card or video cards you are using. Ah well. Video seems to be it's own world of weirdness with hardware/drivers/multiple card/multiple monitor support.

Dino, you mis-typed...

unable to feed any dinosaur not in Congress.

should read...

unable to feed any congressman to my dinosaur

There...fixed it for ya. No charge.

@helios -

Hmmm. Didn't mistype, but I definitely like yours better.