Hi! I am looking for some themes in which are quite simple and basic, so I can read through the entire code and understand more, and try to build stuff from it. I am currently using the newest [noir] version, and its so advanced it's hard to understand anything at all :)
I have managed to build my own popup menus and setup a hotkey for it to be displayed, but I have problems figuring out how to "show" something on the desktop. How to "display" eg. a taskbar, how to "display" a tray, using whatever modules.
Does anyone know about a theme or many themes which are well commented and easy to modify? I really love the Litestep shell and it's compability, and I would love to learn more and build my own themes. But it's hard to get started, when stuff is hard to understand. I've been a programmer for several years, and it's my full time job, but I find it hard to understand every aspect of Litestep.
In advance, thanks for all help.
Sincerely,
Jone Eide.
Sorry, I don't know about basic themes. I only play with my owns which are always big monsters... but if you want to build your own, I don't recommend to modify an existing one. Just start from scratch with little things:
- desktop2 or jdesk
- few hotkeys (file manager, step.rc, gfx editor,...)
- systray (no settings needed; just load the module, at first)
- popup (only the main popup definitions)
Configuring Litestep is very easy. All you have to do is to read the docs and make some tests... Optionaly, you'll need some artistic capabilities...
i recommend PharOe's themes :) i started with them cause their really good, but not very complicated. the code is commented and he has also a very good help system built into the themes.
Well Smurth.. I guess I could try to do that, but i find it hard, when I am not 100% aware of what is required to make the theme actually work. I've tried with the "how to create a theme" tutorial over at joeblade's, but it was very outdated and didn't work with the latest build. But thanks anyway.
"Just load the module" .. What do you mean? Will it be displayed anywhere when you just load the module?
I am in much the same position as you are. What I did was to use the installer version from
http://www.beyondconvention.net/ohussain/index.htm
and start working with the simplicity theme. I made a separate copy of this theme in another directly, renamed it and started tinkering. If something goes wrong, you can always switch back. As for loading modules, just try loading one and see what you get.
Take a look here:
http://www.skittent.net/desktop2.gif
That was my current desktop using the [noir] theme. In what configuration file can i find the script which actually "creates" that taskbar/menu/thingie on the top? I find stuff like that hard to understand, where are areas specified, what to be where and stuff like that. I am reading docs constantly, but it's not too easy imo.
Thanks.
sheep is the simplest theme i kown
i guess the taskbar etc things are in a separate *.rc file if you can't find them in the step.rc
look for "include" lines in the step file. if an include command turns up, ls first reads the file specified in the command and then continues with the original file. that means as if the other rc-file would have been in the original file. but i think you knew that already. (then why did i write it?)
anyway, some developers prefer to divide different parts of code into different files. look for comments in *.rc files and check out the config folder. find out what the *.rc files in there are for.
good luck ;)
A personal note on themeing.
Anyone can make a theme thats fits their liking. I will agree with everyone that the step.rc can be a little hectic when you first look at it, but a good theme can simplify everything. If you can understand basic syntax, like include, you should really have no problems with your theme. LiteStep by design requires users to be able to confidently make basic assumptions. For example, settings such as SystrayX and CommandX will effect the X location of that module. If you are unable to confidently make that assumption pull out the documentation for all modules you have and look up every entry.
In the end, if you continue to have problems even though you have read the docs, PLEASE try and join one of the irc channels that support LiteStep. People are more than happy to help you out as long as you do not use them like a crutch.
I think mine is as simple as it gets except for making the systray popup where the mouse is, but it's pretty easy to understand. I only use a popup and 1 label to display the time/date. Sometimes I add other things but not regularly.
This is what it looks like with the k10k "skin"
http://www.litestep.net/upload/profiles/sQuarek10k-cubert-199.png
And this is what it looks like normally:
http://www.deskmod.com/core.mod?state=view&skin_id=27120
If you want (as in enoj) I'll send it to you.
