Anyone using LibertyBSD? How does it compare to Trisquel?

There's mwm in the root menu (Motif). It looks like CDE, only missing the Front Panel.

It's been great fun. I swapped the hard disk (SSD) in my laptop (HP) for the disk (HDD, spinning platters) that had win 10 setup on it, wiped it, and installed libertyBSD. Things went smoothly. It just works. I'm not going to forsake my CDE installation, so I just swapped disks instead of erasing.

To change/dim the screen brightness by half in terminal, type:

wsconsctl display.brightness=50

There's a considerable speed increase due to the more powerful i5 processor. I noticed that SMplayer has no video tearing which plagues Debian and CDE. OpenBSD has its own X implementation, maybe that's why, don't know.

I also installed (compiled from the ports tree) Geeqie which is great for image browsing.

I installed xbindkeys and edited /home/user/.xbindkeysrc.

To create a default condfiguration file, type:

xbindkeys --default > /home/user/.xbindkeysrc

I put these lines in .xbindkeysrc:

## Volume down
"mixerctl outputs.master=-5"
m:0x0 + c:122
XF86AudioLowerVolume
## Volume up
"mixerctl outputs.master=+5"
m:0x0 + c:123
XF86AudioRaiseVolume

Now the keyboard controls for sound work.

See this for reference:

https://trisquel.info/en/forum/cde-common-desktop-environment?page=1#comment-97854

I created a file /etc/wsconsctl.conf and added a line:

display.brightness=50

and now the screen is set to 50 % luminosity at boot. The system actually prints the setting on the screen when booting, so it's comforting to see that it works.

wsconsctl display.brightness

Confirms the state when typed in a terminal window.

I've been playing with window managers. Fvwm is the default set but there's more to choose from. Twm is one of them. Never seen anything like this but it looks pretty straightforward and clean.

The window title bars have two buttons: on the left iconify, on the right resize. To close a window, you have to press the left mouse button on the background and hold it. A menu pops up. Choose 'delete' and the cursor becomes a cross. Then hit a window with the cross and kaboom -- it's gone.

*EDIT*

Absolute openBSD (the book, Michael W. Lucas) devotes only 15 out of 540 pages to "desktop openBSD". It's quite clear that the emphasis is on CLI tools and system maintenance through the terminal console. The chapter about the desktop concentrates on cwm. Hardly anything about the default Fvwm or Twm.

I discovered 'xsetroot' sets the background colour or the default grey mesh if typed without options or parametres.

xsetroot -solid "light blue"

Desktop menu (left click) can be edited.

Copy /etc/X11/twm/system.twmrc --> /home/user/.twmrc

"Internet" f.menu "Internet"

menu "Internet"
{
"Firefox" !"firefox &"
}


http://man.openbsd.org/xsetroot

http://man.openbsd.org/twm

Speaking of LBSD, there's now a forum set up at http://libertybsd.net/forum =w=
Perhaps we should take further discussion to the Troll Lounge or LBSD forums to avoid cluttering main Trisquel forums?
loldier: Your desktop setup looks better and better with every pic. Some minimal setups on /r/unixporn could provide some extra inspiration, maybe.

Fvwmrc files to customize your FVWM environment. They are old, but most of them work, although they may have some parts missing (like broken launchers). They should be treated as preliminary templates that need some adjustment to suit your own system.

http://xwinman.org/fvwm.php

Here's how to make the wallpaper, managed by Feh, start with X by adding a customized /home/user/.xinitrc file. The window manager ("fvwm") must be the last entry. I had difficulty before I realized that X would do a flyby and exit the moment it completed the routine without the final touch.

http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq11.html#CustomizingX

xclock -geometry 50x50-1+1 &
xconsole -iconic &
xterm -geometry 80x24 &
xbindkeys &
.fehbg &
fvwm

JadedCtrl wrote an fvwmrc file. I tried it on my netbook. Here's the desktop screenshot.

http://libertybsd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=38#p38

I'm sorry I use Trisquel forum for screenshots. I hope LBSD forum gets a similar functionality for users anytime soon.

I put a new screenshot on the LibertyBSD forum.

Fluxbox:

http://libertybsd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?id=23

One more addition -- Window Maker:

http://libertybsd.net/forum/viewtopic.php?pid=43#p43

About LibretyBSD, I suggest you all to enable softupdates, specially on a laptop with an external power source:

http://www.openbsd.org/faq/faq14.html#SoftUpdates

Also, if you are on a laptop, enable the APM daemon NOW.

As root:

# rcctl enable apmd
# rcctl set apmd flags -A
# rcctl start apmd

I recently tried Parabola, downloaded an ISO, burned it to a DVD±RW with growisofs.

growisofs -dvd-compat -Z /dev/rcd0c=/path/to/image

I tried to take screenshots but there was an error about not finding a file or folder or invalid path, something to that effect.

I discovered a new for me tool -- 'import' which is, so I understand, part of the ImageMagick set.

import -window root screenshot.jpg

You can save the screenshot as several other image formats by changing the extension to 'png' or 'xpm'.

Here's the new to me part, capturing windows.

import -window 0x14002fd mozilla.png

That's a window ID -- where did that come from?

xwininfo

will give you the ID (it prompts you to click on the desired window).

Or, you can simply type 'import screenshot.png' and click on a window or image to capture a shot (the mouse cursor will change into a crosshair).

I can't get the decoration in, not even with the option '-border'.

https://wiki.debian.org/ScreenShots

I pkg_added Xfce on my HP Probook LibertyBSD setup. The sound works fine, there's a mixer icon in the panel (I had to add it, it didn't crawl up there autonomously) and I can use my sound level hotkeys (xbindkeys again). The experience is not unlike any Xfce I've seen. You would be hard-pressed to tell the difference. All in all a bit unimaginary, I'd say. I think I'm going to keep my cwm and fvwm. "Stick to the basics."

pkg_add -v xfce xfce-extras slim

The instructions tell to edit /etc/rc.conf.local:

multicast_host=YES
hotplugd_flags=""
apmd_flags="-A"
pkg_scripts="${pkg_scripts} messagebus toadd slim"

I couldn't make the toad automount thing work with usb or cd but Slim login works fine and I can restart or shutdown the computer from the Xfce menu.

Then add (as user, not root) this line to /home/user/.xinitrc. Create the file if it doesn't exist.

exec ck-launch-session startxfce4

After this the system will start Xfce automatically at every boot. You'll land at the graphical login (Slim).

http://sohcahtoa.org.uk/openbsd.html

Reverting back to fvwm/cwm I disabled (uncommented the lines) the changes I made to auto-start Slim login greeter or Xfce. It also means that the user cannot restart the system from within Xfce GUI anymore, only log out (take a look at the last image attached).

It's possible to get to the Xfce desktop by issuing this command:

startx /usr/local/bin/xfce4-session

Similarly, you can do 'startx /usr/local/bin/wmaker' to start Window Maker environment (if installed).

Vnconfig is a utility to mount ISO image files on O/LBSD.

As root:

vnconfig vnd0 /home/user/disk_image.iso

mount -t cd9660 /dev/vnd0c /mnt

http://www.cyberciti.biz/faq/mounting-iso-images-on-openbsd/

http://man.openbsd.org/vnconfig

The vnconfig command configures vnode pseudo disk devices. It will associate (or disassociate) the special file vnd_dev with the regular file image, allowing the latter to be accessed as though it were a disk.

Open /mnt in your file manager to browse the ISO disk image file.

To unmount (again, as root):

umount /mnt

vnconfig -u vnd0

Lumina Desktop Environment (a PC-BSD project) on LibertyBSD. Sadly, it seemed to be buggy. If polished, it could be the overarching *BSD desktop. It has nice working controls for the sound, screen and other stuff in the upper right corner. Adjusting screen brightness was a blast.

pkg_add lumina

startx /usr/local/bin/Lumina-DE

If you have ever wondered what a screenshot of Ratpoison would look like, you could fire up your console or favourite program full-screen. That's it, it looks like a maximized application eating up all the precious estate on your screen. Ratpoison is invisible, mostly. Only when you press C-t something it gives a notification on the screen. I guess the screen can be split but I'm not yet there. Give it a shot.

http://www.nongnu.org/ratpoison/doc/

pkg_add ratpoison

startx /usr/local/bin/ratpoison

*EDIT*

Splitting vertically and horizontally: C-t-s/C-t-S; unsplit C-t-Q.

Xmonad is so close in kind to R-poison that I tried to use the same keybindings to no avail.

It was revealed in the documentation that the secret key to the kingdom is alt-shift-enter.

Xmonad is a filmstar when compared to R-poison. Windows (or frames) are easily resized with alt-M3 (third mouse button). They overlap, too. I like the lack of decoration and uncluttered appearance, especially when tiled. You see the small Xterm window in the lower left or right corner, the size of a few postage stamps (second and third attachments). It's handy to launch programs and it doesn't get in your way.

I say, Xmonad is one of the best WMs I've seen. I'd rank it high on my list that also includes Fvwm, Cwm, Mwm, Fluxbox and Openbox.

That was easy. Xmonad Roxx!!

https://wiki.haskell.org/Xmonad/Frequently_asked_questions

I updated or upgraded my LibertyBSD to 5.9. Because 5.9 is not yet out, I had to use OpenBSD. I wanted to try and learn the procedure.

In OpenBSD upgrade is performed with the same CD as the install, just boot from it and choose 'U' when prompted (instead of 'install').

Then upgrade the packages:

pkg_add -Uu

I finally made my laptop's screen brightness controls work using xbacklight and xbindkeys.

$HOME/.xbindkeysrc

## brightness down
"xbacklight -dec 10"
m:0x0 + c:146
XF86MonBrightnessDown
## brightness up
"xbacklight -inc 10"
m:0x0 + c:151
XF86MonBrightnessUp

Then I made Xdm start the graphical login when the computer is booted.

Edit your /etc/rc.conf.local and add the line:

xdm_flags=""

I added Gnome to OpenBSD/LibertyBSD. It's pretty easy to do.

pkg_add gnome

After installing Gnome Desktop, one should read the document in /usr/local/share/doc/pkg-readmes/gnome-VERSION

Mine is OpenBSD 5.9 with Gnome 3.18.2p0

Edit /etc/rc.conf.local to disable xdm, enable gnome & gdm, add gdm to scripts and start messagebus, optionally avahi_daemon.

gdm_enable=YES
gnome_enable=YES
multicast=YES
pkg_scripts=${pkg_scripts} messagebus avahi_daemon gdm

These commans do the same (cheat sheet from the document):

# rcctl disable xdm
# rcctl enable multicast messagebus avahi_daemon gdm
# reboot

$OpenBSD: README-main,v 1.38 2015/12/06 08:29:35 ajacoutot Exp $

Cheat sheet
===========
# rcctl disable xdm
# rcctl enable multicast messagebus avahi_daemon gdm
# reboot