more coming later

(on Wikipedia)
http://openbox.org/wiki/Main_Page

A straightforward but powerful window manager.

Openbox has been my window manager of choice for years now. Over that time, I've amassed some significant knowledge which I'll try to maintain here.
A component of LXDE.

While supposedly not abandoned, Openbox has bugs reaching back to 2007.
theme update -- Blackbox/Fluxbox themes converted to Openbox.

2020-03-10 - 3.6.1 on Debian 9.9.0-i386-xfce-CD-1
2020-03-10 - 3.6.1 on Debian 10.1.0-amd64-xfce-CD-1
2016-03-28 - 3.5.2 on Slackware 14.1
2016-03-26 - 3.5.2 on Lubuntu 14.04.4 LTS
2015-05-12 - (version not recorded) on Slax 7.0.8 x86_64
~2009-04? - 3.5.0 on Lubuntu (version not recorded)
- Default with Lubuntu. Working wonderfully.
2009-04-17 - 3.4.7.2 on (distribution not recorded)
- Perhaps on Lubuntu or maybe Slackware - (version not recorded)
2008-11-17 or earlier - 0.70.1 on (distribution not recorded)
~2008-08-17 - (version not recorded) on PCLinuxOS 2008
2007-04-20 - (version not recorded) on (distribution not recorded)
- A brief test.
I previously used Blackbox

Table of Contents [hide]

1 2016-03-28 - 3.5.2
2 2016-03-26 - 3.5.2
3 2015-05-12 - (version not recorded)
4 2009-04-17 - 3.4.7.2
5 2008-11-17 or earlier - 0.70.1
- 5.1 dpi
- 5.2 toggle window decorations
6 ~2008-08-17 - (version not recorded)
- 6.1 Installation
7 2007-04-20 - (version not recorded)

2016-03-28 - 3.5.2 ∞

Installed using slpkg - https://slackbuilds.org/repository/14.1/desktop/openbox/

\slpkg  -s sbo  openbox

xwmconfig and set xinitrc.openbox-session as the default window manager. Note that there is also an entry in pkgtool > config.

Note that openbox could be re-compiled with --disable-session-management
- While I've noted that, I may not pursue this for some time.
With two monitors, the alt-tab thing appears on only one monitor. I want it on both, or at least on my primary monitor and not the one I often have turned off.
- 3.4.9 -- Show the desktop pager popup on the primary monitor instead of on all monitors.
- https://unix.stackexchange.com/questions/284912/lubuntu-15-10-dual-monitor-setup-issues

2016-03-26 - 3.5.2 ∞

(no notes were taken)

2015-05-12 - (version not recorded) ∞

Quite easy.

FYI, it appears that Blackbox is available by default.

1) get it

\slax  activate  openbox

This gets dependencies! Yay!!

2) run xwmconfig and configure the window manager to be xinitrc.openbox-session

3) edit ~/.config/openbox/autostart

you probably want something like

xterm &
firefox &
lxpanel &
dolphin &

4) exit X with control-alt-backspace

5) Menu > Session Type > Custom

6) log back in as user root password toor

If you reboot, this system will now autolog into Openbox.

2009-04-17 - 3.4.7.2 ∞

Almost perfect.

I have a fair history with it and know it well enough. Without further testing and comparison, this would be my first choice.

For just a basic developer system, Openbox alone is just fine. Otherwise I would recommend at least LXPanel.

Doesn't allow me to right-click on the frame of a window to get the menu. That sucks, I miss that from Blackbox. It means that maximized windows completely remove my ability to use the menu.
- Not really important though.
- 2017-11-12 - Some time later I would have maximize ignore one pixel on the left of the screen, so I could still do this. I have no idea how though. It's been years since I've really examined my configuration.

2008-11-17 or earlier - 0.70.1 ∞

Cannot alt-space-n. Instead, have to alt-space-(let go of alt)-n

dpi ∞

[These are not my notes. I don't have a source for them.]

Check your DPI by typing into a terminal

xrdb -query | grep dpi

To set it permanently for your session, type the following at the terminal:

echo "Xft.dpi:96" >> ~/.Xdefaults
xrdb -merge ~/.Xdefaults

Then put the last line at the beginning of your autostart.sh, to make the adjustment permanent.

toggle window decorations ∞

<keybind key="W-d">

  <action name="ToggleDecorations"/>

</keybind>

~2008-08-17 - (version not recorded) ∞

So much time passed and I tried all kinds of other things, including working with a newer Blackbox. But I ended up breaking down and going to openbox because I needed more official support from PCLinuxOS and I didn't want to fart around anymore.

It turns out that some farting around was still needed, but things are going well.

Installation ∞

It's in the repository..

openbox
  libopenbox1
obconf

Then I have an .xinitrc with"

openbox-session & wmpid=$!
nohup fbpanel > /dev/null&
nohup xterm > /dev/null&
wait $wmpid

I have to kill kdm and then log in at the console and do startx. I have no clue how to edit kdm. =(

2007-04-20 - (version not recorded) ∞

Originally tested a very long time ago. I liked it, but I liked Blackbox more and used it for quite some time. At the time, I said that this would be my second choice after Blackbox, but I didn't say why.

Last updated 2020-07-02 at 16:02:48

spiralofhope

Openbox