Simple improvements to the basics

I am generally happy with my Aspire running Linpus. However, I need to improve a couple of things to make it perfect for my needs.

1. How can I put an icon for a new program on the current desktop? I have tried several internet fixes and none work.

2. I would like a photo handling program that easily (better still automatically) reduces the size of photo files that are to be sent by email. Tried GIMP - no good and Picasa doesn't seem to run on Linpus.

Any help appreciated

Robin

 

Hi Robin,

Firstly are you running the original four box desktop or a personalised xfce switched desktop?
Cant help with (2), as GIMP works well for my needs.

 

Thanks for the interest.

Still running the standard 4 box menu. Have played with other options but see no advantage.

The photo thing is a real problem as I use the netbook on travels and sending photos via email is essential. You either have to set the camera to low res and miss out on printable images or spend 5 minutes sending time/email.

Robin

 

Robin,

I don't understand the problem. Using gimp, I took a 5.8 mb jpeg image, and chose "Scale image..." from the Image menu, resizing it to 640 pixels wide (common for web use). Then "Save As..." to create a derived jpeg, which is 188 kb in size. Reducing the quality (by increasing compression) from 98 to 50 resulted in an image of 44 kb size. Not surprisingly, there are a considerable number of compression artifacts, but the point is, gimp allows you to derive an image of whatever size and quality you wish.

 

Hi Robin,

Basically if you have added applications such as Skype, VLC Thunderbird etc. then open a terminal and type
/ home/user/.config/xfce4/desktop/ and hit enter now choose the file group-app.xml (I would backup the original first.)

Now you need to scroll down to which ever area you want to add the application be it connect > fun etc.

It will look like this for your connect Icons,

and you will notice all the applications for your connect are are here. SO if you want to add a new app just create it on a new line and give it a number that is not in use.
Once done reboot and go to the box you added the link to it should be in the shaded area, so now all you have to do is drag the new Icon into the highlighted area if you want to see it on the desktop or leave it in the shaded area which ever you choose.

Regarding photography maybe this link will help.
viewforum.php?f=86
As I said gimp is also fine for me.

Hope this helps

 

Thanks for the info - I will try shortly.

I understand about image sizing with GIMP but its not quick. When you need an immediate send of 6 images, the Windows alternative is much better. Picasa is also quick but won't work with Linpus, at least not given my limited Linux knowledge.

Robin

 

I have now tried the suggested approach to changing the menu. The first command line typed into Terminal doesn't work - nothing happens. However, it is easy to get at the files using File Manger. Unfortunately, there are now at least 2 files (Menu and Applications) that seem to share the control of the 4-bar menu. The code in these files is significantly different to that shown in your illustration. Some individual applications with icons are listed but not others - no Thunderbird. I don't feel confident to mess with this.

Mine is a brand new netbook and i wonder if the code has changed.

Robin

 

Hello Robin,
Take alook at F-Spot. It might do what you want.
If so, install it using macles*'s instructions.
I do not use F-Spot yet so cannot vouch for it personally.

I think that should be:-
...open a terminal and type
mousepad .config/xfce4/desktop/group-app.xml (I would backup the original first.)
It always works for me.
Mike

 

Firstly, why not use the File Manager to get at file? editing is done via OO so that backing up is easy.

Unfortunately, just like Picasa, F-Spot doesn't work under my Linpus.

Robin

 

Hi Robin,


You need to search the (application . desktop) file to insert into the group-app.xml file. Sorry if I did not make this clear, you can do an easy search from file manager then click the binoculars and type in the relevant application name then search under system files.

 

Sorry Barrie we are getting nowhere. The code in my files is just wildly different and I can't relate it directly to specific desktop icons. In some cases, 3 icons seem to be controlled by a single line command. Some icons that are on the desktop just don't seem to be covered.

In my case the area in the file seems to be sequence 5 not 4 and there are at least 5 lines more program.

Many thanks anyway

Robin

 

Hi Robin,


Please copy and paste the line you are trying to insert into the group-app.xml file for me to look at. Better still copy and past all the lines as I did but say which one/ ones you have added.

 

Hello again,
I am intrigued. So much so that I have installed F-spot. Whilst it mostly does seem to work I have not been able to get the e-mail feature to open up a client. Except Evolution that is. Though in typical Linux fashion when Evolution opens it immediately throws an error saying the wrong gtkhtml files are installed even though I have tried both the Add/Remove Programs app and sudo yum install evolution in the terminal which are supposed to sort out dependencies.
In addition to Evolution I have tried Thunderbird, Balsa and Onemail, of course. Claws simply will not install at all.
I am afraid I cannot help. Sorry.
Mike (goes off to uninstall everything)

 

As far as I am aware, any directory (or file) that begins with a . will not show up in the Thunar file manager. This is actually easier from the command line in a terminal window. Mousepad, though invoked from the command line, is a graphical text editor, so it's much easier to use than something like vi.

All of the previous suggestions should let you do what needs to be done, but one critical step is easy to overlook: after editing and saving group-app.xml, you must reboot to see the changes take effect.

Here are some more suggestions from someone who has screwed up all sorts of things in various OSs over the past 25 years:

1. Always make a backup copy before modifying a config file. For example:

Code:

cp group-app.xml group-app.xml.bak

2. Start a change document where you record every change that you make, whether through command line editing, or through the visual user interface. Needless to say, you need a copy of this change document stored offline, such as on a USB flash drive.

3. "Ten tweaks for a new Acer Aspire One" http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2008/09/05 ... _one_tips/ is essential reading, especially the part about making a recovery USB for peace of mind. This is not as simple as one would hope unless you have access to a USB optical drive.

4. The same guy has written a hammer-simple backup utility that does a complete backup/restore of your machine in its current state (including all your data files -- which will NOT be restored by the recovery USB. http://macles.blogspot.com/2008/12/acer ... ackup.html In my book, simplicity is as important as reliability for a backup/restore utility. Generally, you've lost or fried something, and the last thing you want to do is think; JUST GIVE ME MY FILES BACK.

 

Hello

Talking about simple image manipulation, there is already an application in the Linpus base install: Gthumb. I do things like resize and crop almost always with this app while having Gimp and F-Spot installed. Gthumb is even mentioned in the group-app file, but commented:

Code:

<!--         <app icon="internetradio.png" name="Internet Radio" sequence="11">/usr/share/applications/realplay.desktop</app>
         <app icon="picture.png" sequence="12">/usr/share/applications/gthumb.desktop</app>-->

Change this to:

Code:

<app icon="picture.png" sequence="12">/usr/share/applications/gthumb.desktop</app>

Save the file and Gthumb will show up after a restart. Be aware of the sequence number, a 12 will be the first entry on a new page. You might want to replace this with another number not already used in this group. Counting of the sequence numbers begins with 0, not with 1. Anyway, it is a good idea to back up the original group-app and clean up the mess Acer left us. Get rid of the commented lines that mention apps that are not installed, unify spaces and sort the apps in their order of appearance. That helps a lot when adding new stuff later. For this purpose, Gedit is a better text editor than Mousepad (sudo yum install gedit).

If you want to try if Gthumb is on your machine before you change your group-app file, hit Alt-F2 anf enter the word gthumb.

Greetings, André

 

Thanks everyone for your help but I am giving up.

I repeat that some of your suggested code just doesn't work on my machine - completely standard as far as I know. I am unfamiliar with Linux although in many ways the coding is similar to DOS. I just don't have time to learn what I need to get to grips.

This seems to be the fundamental problem with Linux - there are many versions and you need a pretty deep knowledge to do anything that is not allowed for by the programmers of your system.

In my case, it turns out that the Acer is not as good as a mobile phone.

Many thanks

Robin

 

Robin,

I hope you don't throw in the towel. All computer systems require learning new things. Typing a URL, cutting and pasting using Ctrl-X and Ctrl-V, or even using a mouse are not intuitively obvious; these are learned behaviors. I had to use Windows for more than 15 years, and always found it unintuitive, clumsy, and opaque -- yet hundreds of millions of people seem satisfied with it. I've never used a cell phone with a decent user interface, but that may be because I don't use them often enough to attain basic mastery.

In the brief time that I have had an AA1, I have found the people on this forum (and the information at the macles* site) to be invaluable resources. Making my AA1 work the way I wanted took me a few days of intense learning, but it was a very satisfying experience. In an earlier post, someone suggested that you copy and paste code from group-app.xml so that we could collectively look at it an figure out what's going on. Solving problems is a two-way communication process.

 

Once again - thanks to those offering help.

I'm not giving in but don't have time right now.

I am on the road but back to the normal laptop.

My opinion is that a computer these days is a tool that does a job and it should work without major intervention from the operator. Think in terms of a car - it works out of the showroom. Other than adding Open Office (comes with a fool-proof installer for Windows) my laptop does the job. I really like the quick boot-up of the Acer and it does most of thing I want but not all and it is nothing like as easy as Windows to make changes. Back to the car - you might add interior mats but you don't expect to strip the gearbox and adjust the ratios.

If Linux is going to become a mainstream alternative to Windows or Mac OS, it needs to address these issues. At the moment it seems to be a fragmented mess with lots of sub-groups not really working together. You guys are knowledgeable enthusiasts but I'm not and I don't want to have to be. I just want a netbook that does what I want. The real criticism is with Acer who could so easily have made improvements. For example, Thunderbird is a much better free alternative email system.

Robin

 

Picasa not work? really, I use picasa on my AA1 with linpus. You can go to this web site http://picasa.google.com/linux/
you can install like this: open the Add/Remove software, search for Picasa, choose the 2.7, the one with longer file name. and install, done. during installation, it will prompt to install the key, accept it too, than all is ok!