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#501 Re: Other Issues » What is best way to install latest version of Firefox? » 2017-06-02 18:39:33

@hughparker1: You don't need sudo to make it executable. Also, for security reasons I recommend not running any web browser as superuser. As to what directory to put the AppImage in, it is completely up to you--an AppImage does not require installation and contains everything it needs inside that one file, which can be run from any directory. It is truly a "portable application".

In case any newbies need a more explicit step-by-step of what to do from the command line:

dest_dir="$HOME/bin" # dest_dir can be anything you want
mkdir -p "$dest_dir"
cd "$dest_dir"
wget https://bintray.com/probono/AppImages/download_file?file_path=Firefox-53.0.2.glibc2.3.4-x86_64.AppImage -O Firefox53.AppImage
chmod a+x Firefox53.AppImage
./Firefox53.AppImage

At that point, you will be asked whether you would like a .desktop file (~/.local/share/applications/appimagekit-firefox.desktop) to be created automatically for you so that you can run the Firefox appimage directly from your applications menu.

That's it smile At the most, you will be adding a single additional file to your system (either ~/.local/share/applications/appimagekit-firefox.desktop or a little marker file called ~/.local/share/appimagekit/Firefox_no_desktopintegration).

The advantage of using AppImages is the extreme simplicity of one app = one file. The only disadvantage I can think of is not having the convenience of getting security fixes through your package manager.

P.S. In case you'd like to see what's contained inside the AppImage:

./Firefox53.AppImage --appimage-extract

#502 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » Software Alternative to "xbindkeys" with Alt+Tab Support? (Wayland) » 2017-06-02 13:00:25

Xbindkeys is the most important application on my system--everything I do involves keyboard shortcuts, and using xbindkeys to store the keybindings in a text file is vastly superior to most DE's clunky GUI approach.

Alas, I've looked into this question and could not find an xbindkeys equivalent for Wayland. Honestly, I think the shiny-new-toy makers working on Wayland don't give a hoot about graybeards whose workflow revolves around "obsolete" physical keyboards.

My prediction is that first Wayland will see widespread adoption, then people like us will develop an xbindkeys replacement.

#503 Re: Off-topic » Xfwm4 (and Openbox) Window Themes » 2017-06-01 14:59:14

smoki wrote:

current MATE upstream is all gtk3.

Thanks for the info, smoki. Sad to hear. Fortunately, as long as Devuan follows a fixed release model, I won't have to fix theme breakages more than once every few years. I can live with that.

#504 Re: Off-topic » Xfwm4 (and Openbox) Window Themes » 2017-06-01 14:26:52

@golinux: I read the link you posted and was shocked by the magnitude of the GTK3 problem. It makes me sad that this commercial mindset has a foothold in GNU/Linux. Seems that the systemd developers and the GNOME/GTK developers are birds of a feather.

MATE has been my DE of choice. Do you know whether the MATE version in ASCII is GTK3-based? If so, I can imagine the themes I've been using for last few years will become useless. I thought MATE would be a safe haven from the disease showcased in the link, but if they're using GTK then they're beholden to whatever the GTK developers do.

#505 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » dropped wifi connections on both wicd and network-manager » 2017-05-31 13:04:50

I'm still having dropped wifi connections at least daily, despite using nohwcrypt=1.

Nevertheless, this may be a red herring and totally unrelated to Devuan, wicd, or network-manager: Our VPN provider made some recent changes right around the time I switched to Devuan. I have updated the VPN configuration in our routers.

Sorry for the noise.

#506 Re: Other Issues » What is the easiest way to install systemd? » 2017-05-31 12:50:53

I just don't understand these Devuan graybeards. Why would anybody would want to setup shutdown jobs this way:

# This goes in /etc/init.d/hook-for-my-shutdown-jobs
[ "$1" = "stop" ] && /opt/scripts/my-shutdown-jobs

When one can can do it this way instead:

# This goes in /etc/systemd/system/hook-for-my-shutdown-jobs
[Unit]
Description=Run shutdown scripts

[Service]
Type=oneshot
RemainAfterExit=true
ExecStart=/bin/true
ExecStop=/opt/scripts/my-shutdown-jobs

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target

Making even trivial tasks complex makes me feel smart.

#507 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » [SOLVED] update-alternatives warning: broken link group? » 2017-05-30 20:16:32

Thanks, smoki. Yes, I figured the culprit was between the screen and the chair wink

I will keep an eye on this and make sure it runs warning- and error-free. If I figure out what I did to cause the breakage and if it turns out to be something interesting, I'll post it here.

#508 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » [SOLVED] update-alternatives warning: broken link group? » 2017-05-30 19:43:19

The update-alternatives man page said this command would fix all breakages...

yes '' | sudo update-alternatives --force --all

...and, indeed, all the warnings went away after running the command smile Nevertheless, it would still be nice to understand what the warnings meant.

#509 Desktop and Multimedia » [SOLVED] update-alternatives warning: broken link group? » 2017-05-30 18:49:12

GNUser
Replies: 4

Does anybody know the meaning of the two warnings below? I think they are benign since everything on my system is working as far as I can tell, but if something is truly broken then I'd like to fix it for good housekeeping's sake.

bruno@devuan:~$ sudo update-alternatives --config x-www-browser
There are 2 choices for the alternative x-www-browser (providing /usr/bin/x-www-browser).

  Selection    Path                  Priority   Status
------------------------------------------------------------
* 0            /usr/bin/firefox-esr   70        auto mode
  1            /usr/bin/chromium      40        manual mode
  2            /usr/bin/firefox-esr   70        manual mode

Press enter to keep the current choice[*], or type selection number: # I press Enter to keep current choice
update-alternatives: warning: forcing reinstallation of alternative /usr/bin/firefox-esr because link group x-www-browser is broken
update-alternatives: warning: not replacing /usr/share/man/man1/x-www-browser.1.gz with a link

P.S. This happens with several applications, but not all. Configuring x-terminal-emulator, for instance, produces no warnings.

#510 Re: Other Issues » What is best way to install latest version of Firefox? » 2017-05-29 23:43:34

1. Download the latest Firefox*.AppImage (available here: https://bintray.com/probono/AppImages/F … .3.4#files)
2. Make it executable
3. Run it and enjoy

#511 Re: DIY » automatically disable screensaver during video (incl. web browser) » 2017-05-29 00:05:06

@malinas: Yes, that is a limitation of the script as written. I don't listen to music at the computer, so that wasn't an issue for me. It would be trivial, however, to add some logic to *not* send the nudge if audacious (or any other application used specifically for listening to music) is running.

@smoki: Indeed, LCDs have no need of screensaver--I have xscreensaver on my daily driver laptop only for ornamental purposes. On the other hand, I have an old laptop that I converted into a media player (including IR receiver!) which lives permanently connected to a 60'' plasma TV. In this case, a reliable screensaver is an absolute must-have. Since I started using this script, I no longer have to depend on a manual process to turn screensaver off and on when watching videos in a web browser.

#512 Re: News & Announcements » Devuan Jessie 1.0.0 Stable LTS is here!!! » 2017-05-27 13:16:30

Congratulations!

I've used systemd-based distros since switching to GNU/Linux (Arch Linux and Debian 8). Before Devuan, I was only able to write an init service file after hours of research and many head-against-wall impacts.

Being a big fan of the UNIX philosophy and KISS principle, I ditched the other distros and switched to Devuan since it's been in beta. Not only have I never had any issues, Devuan Jessie actually boots faster on my machine than Debian Jessie (I love the irony in that).

Because my init system is no longer an alien, yesterday I wrote my first SysVinit service file after only a few minutes of research. I find SysVinit to be quite elegant and transparent, and am very happy that shell scripting skills do not suddenly become irrelevant when I venture into the bowels of my system. 

I'm really enjoying the combination of a) the greater control SysVinit allows me to exert over my machine and b) the power and convenience of Debian's package management tools and vast repository. Thank you, Devuan.

#513 Re: Devuan » Thanks! » 2017-05-27 10:17:27

I have found a new home in Devuan, too. Know how you feel. Welcome to the form, david!

#514 Re: Off-topic » When Wayland will fully replace the old X11? » 2017-05-26 20:04:04

I hope that either a) the X11 protocol and its cornucopia of tools never die (as Bad Sector suggests) or b) if/when Wayland becomes default, it will offer tools that allow us to do at least as much as we can do with X11.

I rely heavily on desktop environment-agnostic and window manager-agnostic (i.e., highly portable) tools such as xdotool (for GUI automation) and xbindkeys (for keyboard shortcuts). I'd be a miserable GNU/Linux user without these tools or something very similar.

#515 Re: DIY » automatically disable screensaver during video (incl. web browser) » 2017-05-25 14:19:34

Yes, it should work just fine: It doesn't matter if what's generating sound is a video, a game, or a chat. If there is sound, the script keeps screensaver at bay.

#516 Re: DIY » automatically disable screensaver during video (incl. web browser) » 2017-05-25 13:59:05

If you are using a screensaver other than xscreensaver, here is a screensaver-agnostic alternative:

#!/bin/bash

while true; do
	sleep 10
	cat /proc/asound/card*/pcm*/sub*/status | grep RUNNING && xdotool key Pause
done

The Pause key does not seem to do anything at all on my system, and I can use my system normally even if the key is being pressed in the background.

#517 DIY » automatically disable screensaver during video (incl. web browser) » 2017-05-25 13:07:21

GNUser
Replies: 11

It is relatively easy to configure media player applications to automatically disable screensavers during video playback. Some of them (e.g., mpv) even do this automatically out of the box.

However, for several years I've had to use a keyboard shortcut to toggle my screensaver off when watching video in a web browser. It seems the difficulty with video in a web browser is that for some time now web browsers have been able to play video without using any external software. Therefore, from the system's perspective, it is difficult to tell whether the web browser is just sitting idly or actually playing a video.

Well, I figured out a workaround: Watch for any sound output!

#!/bin/bash

while true; do
	sleep 10
	cat /proc/asound/card*/pcm*/sub*/status | grep RUNNING && xscreensaver-command -deactivate
done

Just add the above script to your startup applications and voilà: As long as any application is outputting sound, every 10 seconds xscreensaver gets a little nudge. This works regardless of whether you have pulseaudio or just alsa.

#518 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » dropped wifi connections on both wicd and network-manager » 2017-05-24 15:56:14

Thank you very much, smoki. I will check the encryption setting on the routers I control. Also, I added the nohwcrypt=1 parameter to ath9k as suggested. So far, so good ::fingers crossed::

#519 Hardware & System Configuration » dropped wifi connections on both wicd and network-manager » 2017-05-24 14:05:00

GNUser
Replies: 3

When I first installed Devuan on my laptop, I chose wicd as my network manager. About once an hour or so, wicd would randomly drop my connection.

I thought wicd was the culprit, so I purged it and installed network-manager. Things seem better now, but I'm still experiencing an occasional dropped connection (1-3 times a day).

I'm perplexed because when I ran Debian 8 on this same laptop I never experienced a dropped wifi connection. Maybe I'm experiencing a subtle issue that is Devuan-specific?

My laptop is a T400 with an Atheros AR9285 wireless network adapter. I'm running the default kernel (3.16.43-2).

Is anyone else experiencing occasional, seemingly random dropped wifi connections? Any advice on how to solve this or begin troubleshooting? I'm a bash pro but networking and hardware are my weakest areas.

#520 Re: DIY » My "Slightly" Customized Devuan Menu Icon » 2017-05-23 18:08:24

@MiyoLinux: Thank you for sharing. It's very nice.

menubar.png

#521 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » MATE Desktop - Suspend and Hibernate buttons missing » 2017-05-17 22:55:09

@greenjeans: At this point we've hijacked this thread smile Nevertheless, I think I can help with your issue because I'm also a keyboard guy...

I have a ton of custom keybindings and they're essential to how I use my computer. I use xbindkeys instead of MATE's builtin "Keyboard Shortcuts" because I like to keep my keybindings in alphabetical order in a text file that I can easily edit (namely ~/.xbindkeysrc). With xbindkeys all my keybindings work in Devuan MATE, even if desktop is empty. I never have to click anywhere.

Just install xbindkeys, make sure that it autostarts (it should automatically take care of this for you--take a peek in Startup Applications after installing xbindkeys), and create ~/.xbindkeysrc with your keybindings. Here's a snippet from my ~/.xbindkeysrc to give you the idea (Mod4 is my GNU key, formerly known as Windows key):

"mate-terminal"
  Mod4+t

"thunderbird"
  Control+Alt+t

Any time you update the file, xbindkeys needs to be restarted in order for changes to take effect. Enjoy!

#522 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » MATE Desktop - Suspend and Hibernate buttons missing » 2017-05-17 21:22:03

greenjeans wrote:

starting to see options for configuration and such go bye-bye

I've also noticed that trend, with things being more dumbed-down and less configurable in MATE as time passes. I also took a peek at the latest MATE versions, which have migrated to gtk3, and was upset that text previews in caja's icons no longer seem to work, for instance.

MATE is still my go-to DE for the time being, however, as I find it to be the most usable out of the box. XFCE is a close second but, after getting used to MATE, XFCE feels a bit rough (e.g., several custom patches required in xfdesktop and thunar in order to get basic features that caja provides by default).

Change for change's sake is bad enough. Change for change's sake plus lost functionality is even worse. But I'll stop my rambling before we get too off-topic.

#523 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » MATE Desktop - Suspend and Hibernate buttons missing » 2017-05-17 20:20:54

@afuerst: Haha, I know what you mean. My wife is still on Debian Jessie MATE and has the same expectation (lid closed = "off").

Since I prefer nothing to happen when my lid is closed, I didn't even realize that this option is currently missing from Devuan+MATE. Indeed, in mate-power-preferences I cannot find the option to suspend when lid is closed.

Your cronjob idea would work. This would be the job to run every few seconds:

grep closed /proc/acpi/button/lid/LID/state && pm-suspend

#524 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » MATE Desktop - Suspend and Hibernate buttons missing » 2017-05-17 19:46:39

@afuerst: I also use MATE and was missing the Suspend option in the shutdown dialog. I don't use Hibernate.

Also, if I press Alt + F4 and there are no windows left to close, I like the shutdown dialog to show up (I guess this is a leftover expectation from my Windows days). I was able to solve all problems by installing yad, xdotool, and wmctrl and "rolling my own" with these two scripts:

#!/bin/bash
# Put this script somewhere in your path. Name it altF4
activename_id="`xdotool getactivewindow getwindowname`_`xdotool getactivewindow`"
if [[ "$activename_id" = x-caja-desktop* || "$activename_id" = "_" ]]; then
	my-power-dialog
	while true; do # waiting for dialog to exist before activating it
		shutdowndialogid=$(wmctrl -lx | fgrep 'Power options' | awk '{print $1}')
		[ -n "$shutdowndialogid" ] && break
	done
	xdotool windowactivate $shutdowndialogid
else
	wmctrl -c :ACTIVE:
fi
#!/bin/bash
# Put this script somewhere in your PATH. Name it my-shutdown-dialog
yad --width 100 --height 50 --title "Power options" --on-top --center \
    --button=Shutdown:1 \
    --button=Restart:2 \
    --button=Suspend:3 \
    --button=Cancel:0 

case $? in
    1)	sudo shutdown -h now ;;
    2) 	sudo shutdown -r now ;;
    3) 	sudo pm-suspend ;;
    0)	exit 0 ;;
esac

Once the scripts are in one's PATH and executable, just map the Alt + F4 keyboard shortcut to the altF4 script. BTW, the yad package is not in Devuan stable's repo, but I use the one from Debian testing without any issues (https://packages.debian.org/search?keyw … ection=all).

Hope some of this is useful.

P.S. Instead of having the stock shutdown button on my MATE panel, I have a "Custom Application Launcher" that runs my-shutdown-dialog.

#525 Re: Other Issues » [SOLVED] Where are the refracta scripts? » 2017-05-17 17:08:01

@golinux: Got it. I'm a refugee from Debian, so that workflow sounds familiar. Thank you.

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