Tint2, lxpanel, cairo-dock, docky, perlpanel, awn?

If you want to have a decent status bar in fluxbox, then you really have several choices - tint2, lxpanel, cairo-dock, docky, perlpanel, awn, but which is best? Only you can decide, but I'll try to show all of them so you can see what they are like.

Lxpanel

Lxpanel comes from the 'LXDE' desktop, whereas tint2 is a separate project on its own.

Here are the steps that I used to run lxpanel, open ~/.fluxbox/init in leafpad or another editor and find the line -

session.screen0.toolbar.tools: workspacename, prevworkspace, nextworkspace, RootMenu, iconbar, systemtray, prevwindow, nextwindow, clock

remove the iconbar and system tray from the line so it looks similar to this -

session.screen0.toolbar.tools: prevworkspace, workspacename, nextworkspace, RootMenu, prevwindow, nextwindow, clock

Then you need to edit ~/.fluxbox/startup and add lxpanel. When you restart fluxbox you'll get the lxpanel shown along with the fluxbox panel too. Heres what it looks like

tint2

For all of these panels we use the same toolbar.tools as before

session.screen0.toolbar.tools: prevworkspace, workspacename, nextworkspace, RootMenu, prevwindow, nextwindow, clock

and put tint2 and this is my config for it

# Tint2 config file
# Generated by tintwizard (http://code.google.com/p/tintwizard/)
# For information on manually configuring tint2 see <http://code.google.com/p/tint2/wiki/Configure>

# Background definitions
# ID 1
rounded = 7
border_width = 0
background_color = #000000 60
border_color = #FFFFFF 16

# ID 2
rounded = 5
border_width = 0
background_color = #FFFFFF 40
border_color = #FFFFFF 48

# ID 3
rounded = 5
border_width = 0
background_color = #FFFFFF 16
border_color = #FFFFFF 68

# Panel
panel_monitor = all
panel_position = bottom center horizontal
panel_size = 94% 30
panel_margin = 0 0
#panel_padding = 7 0 7
panel_dock = 0
panel_padding = 10 0 5
wm_menu = 1
panel_layer = top
panel_background_id = 1
panel_items = LTSC
task_background_id = 0
task_active_background_id = 2

# Panel Autohide
autohide = 0
autohide_show_timeout = 0.3
autohide_hide_timeout = 2
autohide_height = 2
strut_policy = follow_size

# Taskbar
taskbar_mode = single_desktop
taskbar_padding = 2 3 2
taskbar_background_id = 0
taskbar_active_background_id = 1

# Tasks
urgent_nb_of_blink = 8
task_icon = 1
task_text = 1
task_centered = 1
task_maximum_size = 140 35
task_padding = 6 2
task_background_id = 3
task_active_background_id = 2
task_urgent_background_id = 2
task_iconified_background_id = 3
task_tooltip = 0

# Task Icons
task_icon_asb = 70 0 0
task_active_icon_asb = 100 0 0
task_urgent_icon_asb = 100 0 0
task_iconified_icon_asb = 70 0 0
task_urgent_background_id = 3
task_urgent_font_color = #ffffff 85

# Fonts
task_font = sans 7
task_font_color = #FFFFFF 68
task_active_font_color = #FFFFFF 83
task_urgent_font_color = #FFFFFF 83
task_iconified_font_color = #FFFFFF 68
font_shadow = 0

# System Tray
systray = 1
systray_padding = 0 4 5
systray_sort = ascending
systray_background_id = 1
systray_icon_size = 16
systray_icon_asb = 70 0 0

# Clock
time1_format = %H:%M:%S
;;%D
time1_font = sans 8
time2_format = %A %d %B
time2_font = sans 6
clock_font_color = #FFFFFF 74
clock_padding = 1 0
clock_background_id = 0
clock_rclick_command = osmo
clock_lclick_command = /usr/bin/fbrun

# Tooltips
tooltip_padding = 2 2
tooltip_show_timeout = 0.7
tooltip_hide_timeout = 0.3
tooltip_background_id = 1
tooltip_font = sans 10
tooltip_font_color = #000000 80

# Mouse
mouse_middle = none
mouse_right = close
mouse_scroll_up = toggle
mouse_scroll_down = iconify

# Volumeicon-alsa
volumeicon-alsa = 1

# Battery
battery = 0
battery_low_status = 10
battery_low_cmd = notify-send "battery low"
battery_hide = 98
bat1_font = sans 8
bat2_font = sans 6
battery_font_color = #FFFFFF 74
battery_padding = 1 0
battery_background_id = 0

#------------------------------------------
#LAUNCHER
#------------------------------------------
# launcher\_icon\_theme = elementary
launcher\_icon\_theme = Tango
launcher\_padding = 2 2
launcher\_background\_id = 1
launcher\_icon\_size = 20
launcher\_item\_app = /usr/share/applications/medit.desktop
launcher\_item\_app = /usr/share/applications/iceweasel.desktop
launcher\_item\_app = /usr/share/applications/lxterminal.desktop
launcher\_item\_app = /usr/share/applications/chromium.desktop
launcher\_item\_app = /usr/share/applications/libreoffice-writer.desktop
launcher\_item\_app = /usr/share/applications/claws-mail.desktop
launcher\_item\_app = /usr/share/applications/nautilus.desktop
launcher\_item\_app = /usr/share/applications/galculator.desktop
launcher\_item\_app = /usr/share/applications/lxde-screenlock.desktop
# End of config

and this is a screenshot of it -

Cairo-dock

You need to install this from the repos sudo apt-get install cairo-dock and I've talked about it before in Cairo-dock. This works quite nicely unless you're running fluxbox when it locks up your workspace [think 'desktop'] and there is no workaround that I know of. This is what it looks like, but I'm unable to get a screenshot with shutter as it locks up with cairo-dock in place. Just shows how toxic it is!

Docky

Again this is installable from the repos, and this is what it looks like -

and its described as 'A full fledged dock application that makes opening common applications and managing windows easier and quicker. Docky is fully integrated into the GNOME Desktop and features a no nonsense approach to configuration and usage.

It just works.

Docky provides an application launcher, running application management, and various "docklets" including a CPU monitor, weather report and clock. It is similar to other docks such as AWN and cairo-dock.

Applications can integrate with Docky to add extra items to their context menus or modify their icons to display more information. This package includes integration helpers for a number of applications, including Banshee, Rhythmbox, Deluge, Tomboy and Zeitgeist.

Docky is derived from the GNOME Do "docky" interface.'

AWN or 'Avant Window Navigator'

Again this is from the repos, and is described as 'Avant-window-navigator (Awn) is a MacOS X like panel for the GNOME Desktop written in C. In addition to launchers that can be dragged onto the bar, it features a taskbar that behaves similarly to the Mac OSX dock. The window navigator uses the composite extension for transparency and other effects.' It looks like -

Perlpanel

Now this is my favourite and looks the best -

and there is the possibility to have a menu which is generated by the system and not fluxbox. There are several different options which are quite nice. It is described as 'PerlPanel draws a small taskbar on your screen to display some useful widgets like a programs menu, some shortcut icons, a system tray and so on. It's similar to the Windows Taskbar, the GNOME Panel, and KDE's Kicker.

PerlPanel is completely independent of any particular environment. You can use it with any window manager, without need for one of the big desktop environments.' This is my '.perlpanelrc'

<opt version="0.9.1">
<appletconf name="ActionMenu" label="Actions" relief="false" />
<appletconf name="BBMenu" apps_in_submenu="false" label="Menu" relief="false" show_control_items="true" submenu_label="Applications" />
<appletconf name="Clock" date_format="%c" format="%H:%M:%S">
<events></events>
</appletconf>
<appletconf name="OpenBoxMenu" apps_in_submenu="true" label="Applications" show_control_items="true" warning_seen="true" />
<appletconf name="null" />
<applets>ActionMenu</applets>
<applets>BBMenu</applets>
<applets>Tasklist::276689b485be23e268866b9ecaabf4fe</applets>
<applets>Clock</applets>
<applets>Pager::10b952766163c643c92c02b00ff8b8be</applets>
<multi name="Pager::10b952766163c643c92c02b00ff8b8be" rows="1" />
<multi name="Tasklist::276689b485be23e268866b9ecaabf4fe" minimum_width="150" />
<multi name="null" />
<panel autohide="false" expand="true" has_border="true" icon_theme="oxy-sea_blue" menu_icon_size="medium" position="bottom" show_quit_button="false" size="24" spacing="0" use_struts="true" />
</opt>

As you can see there are plenty of launchers to choose from, and they are very easy to stop and start if you decide you don't like your current one. I have my fluxbox panel at the top of the desktop with my launcher at the bottom. Its good :)