Bodhi Linux

[J_L]

Going to try this myself. If good enough, I'll replace PCLinuxOS Enlightenment.

[MidnightCowboy]

Originally Posted by J_L

Going to try this myself. If good enough, I'll replace PCLinuxOS Enlightenment.

Hope you do like it, although what suits me could give a very different experience for others.

Another advantage is the direct interaction enjoyed here with Jeff, their lead developer. If you have any queries please post them. Possibly I might be able to help, but if not I'm sure Jeff will.

Apart from the wiki, there is a lot of good information in the "Quick Fix - Self Fix" forum including this link which explains how to enable Compiz type effects by installing the Ecomorph module.

http://jeffhoogland.blogspot.com/201...der-bodhi.html

There are other modules you might like which can also be installed using apt-get, including "net". This will load a digital netspeed display on the desktop or in the tray if preferred. Like the other modules, it's format will change automatically when a different theme is loaded.

[J_L]

I'm liking it, the customizability is great. Chose fancy theme to set it apart from other distros. Removed PCLinuxOS Enlightenment, because I don't need another inferior product of the same desktop environment.

Only problem I saw was it removes all gadgets after changing screen resolution, without any way to restore them other than manually adding back.

[MidnightCowboy]

Glad you like it

I also experienced a few issues using Ecomorph but as I don't really need exploding windows I just got rid of it.

The only annoying issue I've found in use is when I have a Thunderbird "reply" window open with another one, say LibreOffice if I'm copying something across, when I return to the Tbird window it's completely blank. Sometimes hitting the close button brings it all back for some reason but I took the easy way out and switched my mail client to Evolution.

There really is a lot to like about Bodhi, not least the speed of response and attitude of those developing it. They talk to you in their forum instead of down at you with the kind of "if you can't manage it, go back to Windows" posts you often see in other places.

In fairness to PCLinuxOS, especially regarding their development cycle, it will be interesting to see if or how they continue their own development with E17.

[MidnightCowboy]

If anyone has yet to try Bodhi I urge them to take a look

Recent development has seen a lot of improvements and additions. The documentation in particular is expanding all the time which is good considering the amazing configurability of the Enlightenment desktop which otherwise will be completely lost on anyone with just half an hour to play with it.

It's also worth bearing in mind that unlike a lot of other "Buntu" derivatives, Bodhi maintains it's own repository although others are also enabled by default.

Although the base install is just that, it doesn't take too long to download what you need in terms of apps. I much prefer this rather than being forced fed with someone ele's selection.

Certainly every Windows user who complains about a slow computer and security issues should try this for size. Quite a useful intro guide here:

http://www.ubuntuvibes.com/2011/01/b...ght-linux.html
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[MidnightCowboy]

One thing I have been struggling with in Bodhi is new mail notifications. The “mail-notification” plugin doesn't work with Bodhi, neither is Firetray (yet) supported for the latest version of Thunderbird. The tray notification for Claws works OK but I just don't like the simplistic look of this program.

Over then to Evolution which is my second choice and much more useful in terms of stability than the Windows version. Next problem, for me at any rate, is when minimized the text for “total” or “unread” is not visible unless the shelf size is set to larger than I like it to be. The solution is to delete the taskbar module from your main shelf and then create another one containing just the taskbar. This you can then assign this to a different position on the screen at say 120 pixels width which easily displays the content text for Evolution. Pretty straightforward now to see when new mail arrives if you miss the sound or have this disabled. Also, if you choose the “invisible” setting you get just an esthetically pleasing stack of icons/labels and no background (see bottom right of screenshot).
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[MidnightCowboy]

Here's another option with a bit more detail about the customizing for anyone who might be interested:



Even for those already familiar with KDE and Gnome, the Enlightenment desktop is quite confusing at first sight. Once you become familiar with it however, the power of it's configuration becomes obvious.

For those wondering how what is above was achieved from a default install, this is it

The wallpaper is a personal favorite set to leave a border.
The base theme is “detourious”.
There are two “Shelves”, one (the default) set to “bottom left” and the other to “bottom right”. Both shelves are set to 40 pixels high and “Invisible”. The gadget contents of both shelves have been changed from the default “Plain” look to “Inset”.
The left shelf contains a start gadget although the module for it has been customized using the “A-Bodhi-Pasion” theme, thus giving a different look to the button. This shelf also contains “Systray”, “IBar” and “Calendar” modules. (You'll need to load the calendar module first because it isn't included in the default set). The icons in the Ibar have been customized individually. The file manager icon used is from the default drop-down choices. For program icons I used the Faenza icon set which I downloaded and extracted to my themes folder.

The R/H shelf contains just a “Taskbar” module. I prefer this look, although others won't, but there is another reason behind it. On my system, the Mail-Notification plugin for both Thunderbird and Evolution doesn't work, or rather it does but not for very long . Firetray (for Thunderbird) is also not supported. Preferring Evolution anyway, I can see within the taskbar icon when new mail arrives because the notification changes from “Inbox-total” to “Inbox -unread”.

The dedicated new mail notification for Claws mail does work fine if anyone wants another alternative.

The desktop clock module is assigned from the “A-Mystery-Bodhi” theme.

Lastly, the GkrellM monitor theme is “Skirellm”. I've kept it minimal and reduced the physical size although there's a lot of other stuff you can display if anyone wants a big one (You'll need to install LM-Sensors and activate them first to see temperatures and fan speeds).

[MidnightCowboy]

Bodhi is now one year old

Well done to Jeff and the team for a remarkable achievement.

http://jeffhoogland.blogspot.com/201...dhi-linux.html

[Ratzo]

I checked it out and it is impressive but it wouldnt install on my pC so I opted for Zorin, might have to give it another try

[wdhpr]

Originally Posted by MC

Even for those already familiar with KDE and Gnome, the Enlightenment desktop is quite confusing at first sight. Once you become familiar with it however, the power of it's configuration becomes obvious.

First time I tried Bodhi I spent a few hours just trying to get the look right and another couple of hours to make it functional to my liking. After some more tweaking I messed it up so bad I gave up on it altogether. I expect there is still a steep learning curve but in the end is it as functional as Ubuntu or Mint? I guess I could learn to like Claw's email.
Great looking wallpaper by the way.