BunsenLabs Reviews

fox · 2016-06-13 11:43:38

I saw the DistroWatch review last night. I was disappointed that Jesse didn't like the way the desktop is configured, but that's a personal thing. The one thing he stated that I don't agree with is that "... the experience felt very much like installing Debian and adding the Openbox window manager as a session option." A few years ago I tried installing Openbox to vanilla Debian. The Openbox menu I got was a far cry from the very useful right-click menu in BL, or even in the original Crunchbang. I never could find an easy way to configure it, so I ditched it. Is there a GUI menu editor for Openbox in the Debian repos, or is this an app created specifically for Crunchbang/BL?

Last edited by fox (2016-06-13 11:44:16)

hhh · 2016-06-13 12:07:44

While Debian's version of the installer uses a red, white and grey theme, Bunsen uses a grey-on-grey theme which makes all of the buttons and elements on the screen look as though they have been disabled.

LOL!

In my case, adding the Backports software repository failed and the script abruptly terminated after having run for about forty minutes.

Why did backports fail, I wonder? And 40 minutes for the install script? Does it really take that long to run if you allow it to install everything?

I also wonder why his "About Bunsen Alternatives" menu item was broken.

When running on the desktop computer, Bunsen performed well. The operating system properly set up a network connection, sound worked out of the box and my display's full resolution was used. Bunsen performed quickly in both environments and the Openbox window manager was pleasantly responsive. The distribution was fairly light in memory, using approximately 225MB of RAM when logged into the Openbox environment.

Well thank gawd for that! Meat and potatoes for dinner.

The distribution's hardware and multimedia support were top notch, performance and the interface's responsiveness were excellent and the applications available all worked properly. Openbox has enough configuration tools to make it flexible without being overwhelming. What really sold me on the distribution though was the way Openbox stayed out of my way, a feature I feel Debian's default desktop does not offer.

As far as DistroWatch reviews go, this is a good one!

I'm disappointed that he didn't compare our ISO directly to the other Debian Live ISOs for the installer review nor to jessie task-lxde-desktop for the desktop. Anyway, I'll write jessie a thank you note in the comments later today.

@twoion, I guess we'll see some hits to our servers in the next week!

hhh · 2016-06-13 12:53:17

^ You missed my request when you were composing your post, we should split dev discussion to individual issue threads. Thanks!

damo · 2016-06-13 15:39:19

fox wrote:

... Is there a GUI menu editor for Openbox in the Debian repos, or is this an app created specifically for Crunchbang/BL?

obmenu, which can also be accessed with "Menu -> Preferences -> Openbox -> GUI Menu Editor" wink

fox · 2016-06-13 16:31:49

Sorry damo, my question wasn't clear. I already knew about the GUI Menu Editor in BL (I like it and use it), but what I wanted to know relates to a reply I would like to write on Distrowatch to their review of BL. My question is whether the GUI Menu Editor comes from the Debian repos, or from those added by BL. In other words, if someone installed just Debian Jessie plus Openbox, would they be able to customize the Openbox menu as easily as they can in BL? Jessie implied that they can in his review, but my recollection is that when I tried installing Openbox on vanilla Debian, there was no easy way for a débutante to customize that menu and the default menu was pretty useless.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-06-13 17:07:54

fox wrote:

if someone installed just Debian Jessie plus Openbox, would they be able to customize the Openbox menu as easily as they can in BL?

Yes.

https://packages.debian.org/jessie/obmenu

fox · 2016-06-13 17:17:16

Glad I asked. Saved me from making an incorrect statement in Distrowatch. Until now I thought that obmenu was a Crunchbang app, carried over to BL. Had I known about it way back when, maybe I could have made a useful menu out of Openbox in vanilla Debian. Still, I didn't have to inquire about it in CB or BL; it hit me in the face when I was checking out their Openbox menu items. smile

hhh · 2016-06-14 21:48:07

I posted a longer review-of-the-review in comment #51 because attitude.

http://distrowatch.com/weekly.php?issue … 13&mode=67

Sector11 · 2016-06-14 22:49:55

hhh wrote:

If you have hay fever, you might find a lovely dandelion wallpaper depressing.

lol lol lol AWESOME! Love your write up, but that line above: PRICELESS!

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-06-15 06:29:28

hhh wrote:

because attitude beer

Fixed that for you?
monkey

My favourite comment is #28:

So, only after changing to a more colourful theme you were able to determine that "The distribution's hardware and multimedia support were top notch, performance and the interface's responsiveness were excellent and the applications available all worked properly."?
Do these priorities coincide with those of the bulk of the readership?
Which wallpaper did you decide on by the way?

EDIT: sounds like @cpoakes to me but I could be wrong...

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2016-06-15 06:31:05)

brontosaurusrex · 2016-06-15 07:28:38

So it boils down to:
a. Why are all scrots in 4:3?
b. Which wallpaper was used to make it all work? smile

fox · 2016-06-15 11:13:13

I think that Jesse is almost always fair in his reviews. He is a guy that likes things a certain way, and when things annoy him (like the scroller changing flipping to another desktop), he lets people know. But in the end, he gave BL a favourable review and pointed out the most positive things about it.

pvsage · 2016-06-15 11:28:01

fox wrote:

(like the scroller changing flipping to another desktop)

To be fair to our developers, though, this isn't a BunsenLabs-specific issue; it happens in vanilla Debian LXDE as well. The cause isn't software, btw; it's in the operator's wrist: the cursor drifts out of the target window and onto the desktop.

fox · 2016-06-15 17:06:24

I just found a new review of BL, although not a regular type of review. The Linux Action Show 10th Anniversary Episode has a 10 minute section during which they install BL on an old machine, go through the scripts and run a video, all on a very old laptop. Chris Fisher is very impressed and has nothing but positive comments about BL. smile The relevant part of the show starts around minute 56.

Last edited by fox (2016-06-15 17:08:35)

topdollar · 2016-06-15 17:45:25

fox wrote:

The Linux Action Show

Thanks for sharing, I had forgotten about Chris' show. I thought it was well done also. I will have to check back on future shows. big_smile

topdollar · 2016-06-15 17:53:51

And not trying to get on a soapbox or anything, but I've read all of hhh's comment's on DW and then read some of the response's from other DW readers [Crunchy] and I can't help noticing that people get very "in your face" when posting to a forum, it makes me wonder if they would act the same way to your face. I realize that I am older [50yrs] but I was taught to treat people with respect and expect the same. Like I said, not trying to start a war of words, just thinking out loud...

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-06-15 17:58:51

fox wrote:

I think that Jesse is almost always fair in his reviews.

+1

I though it was a pretty balanced review.

fox wrote:

the scroller changing flipping to another desktop

That annoys the crap out of me too devil

fox · 2016-06-15 18:16:02

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

fox wrote:
the scroller changing flipping to another desktop
That annoys the crap out of me too

+1

Any possibility of adding a script to remove that effect, and making desktop switching possible only by clicking on the one you want in the tint2 bar, or perhaps with a key command? Or even by moving the cursor to a corner like in Ubuntu?

Last edited by fox (2016-06-15 18:17:26)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-06-15 18:18:48

^ Erm, I'm not sure -- I don't use Openbox big_smile

EDIT: I think it's lines 796-801 in ~/.config/openbox/rc.xml but I might be wrong.
https://github.com/BunsenLabs/bunsen-co … c.xml#L796

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2016-06-15 18:26:38)

damo · 2016-06-15 18:23:17

^ The things you forget you used to know!

Sector11 · 2016-06-15 19:00:13

^ Ooooo no, don't mess with that. It's a feature! I use it all the time. That and "centre-click"

damo · 2016-06-15 19:07:21

fox wrote:

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
fox wrote:
the scroller changing flipping to another desktop
That annoys the crap out of me too
+1
Any possibility of adding a script to remove that effect, and making desktop switching possible only by clicking on the one you want in the tint2 bar, or perhaps with a key command? Or even by moving the cursor to a corner like in Ubuntu?

Set rc.xml to remove the unwanted action;
rc.xml already has keybinds for desktop switching ("GoToDesktop"). You can also use "DesktopLeft" and "DesktopRight".
"Menu -> Display Keybinds" ;
#! had a script called 'cb-hotcorners' for running commands/scripts from corner gestures. Get my copy from here: cb-hotcorners
An example command would be:
```
xdotool set_desktop  --relative +1
or
xdotool set_desktop  --relative -1
```
EDIT: it seems xdotool isn't recognizing negative value on my system, although the manpage specifically allows it

Last edited by damo (2016-06-15 23:47:11)

Sector11 · 2016-06-15 19:12:32

fox wrote:

I just found a new review of BL, although not a regular type of review. The Linux Action Show 10th Anniversary Episode

56:22 to be a little closer when Chris mentioned CrunchBang and then continues "and in it's place like a Phoenix raising out of the ashes was BunsenLabs" ... It was a really good review. Also interesting to hear: Noah's OLD laptop - A Dell, had CrunchBang on it when he hauled it out of the closet. (the 56:45 mark).

hhh · 2016-06-15 21:17:13

topdollar wrote:

I can't help noticing that people get very "in your face" when posting

This is kind of DW-comments specific actually, they can get quite hostile and/or preachy, though some forums like to keep it cut-throat too.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

hhh wrote:
because attitude beer

Thanks, Governor!

pvsage · 2016-06-15 22:54:57

topdollar wrote:

And not trying to get on a soapbox or anything, but I've read all of hhh's comment's on DW and then read some of the response's from other DW readers [Crunchy] and I can't help noticing that people get very "in your face" when posting to a forum, it makes me wonder if they would act the same way to your face. I realize that I am older [50yrs] but I was taught to treat people with respect and expect the same. Like I said, not trying to start a war of words, just thinking out loud...

At tvtropes.com, this is known as GIFT (Greater Internet F***wad Syndrome). sad Happens to just about all of us when we're given some veneer of anonymity.

#76 2016-06-13 11:43:38

Re: BunsenLabs Reviews

#77 2016-06-13 12:07:44

Re: BunsenLabs Reviews

#78 2016-06-13 12:53:17

Re: BunsenLabs Reviews

#79 2016-06-13 15:39:19

Re: BunsenLabs Reviews

#80 2016-06-13 16:31:49

Re: BunsenLabs Reviews

#81 2016-06-13 17:07:54

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#82 2016-06-13 17:17:16

Re: BunsenLabs Reviews

#83 2016-06-14 21:48:07

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#84 2016-06-14 22:49:55

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#85 2016-06-15 06:29:28

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#86 2016-06-15 07:28:38

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#87 2016-06-15 11:13:13

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#88 2016-06-15 11:28:01

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#89 2016-06-15 17:06:24

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#90 2016-06-15 17:45:25

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#91 2016-06-15 17:53:51

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#92 2016-06-15 17:58:51

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#93 2016-06-15 18:16:02

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#94 2016-06-15 18:18:48

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#95 2016-06-15 18:23:17

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#96 2016-06-15 19:00:13

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#97 2016-06-15 19:07:21

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#98 2016-06-15 19:12:32

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#99 2016-06-15 21:17:13

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#100 2016-06-15 22:54:57

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