Experimenting with JWM menu generation with jwmappmenugen

[rockedge]

Started looking for a replacement for xdgmenumaker for generating menus for the JWM window manager in KLV-Boxer models and I started with jgmenu test but have moved on to try jwmappmenugen.

jwmappmenugen is not brand new but still seems to do the job. Written in PERL it has 2 config files. Right now learning how to use the configuration syntax correctly.

@dimkr Are you at all familiar with this package?

[dimkr]

@rockedge I think I'm familiar with this one but the main problem when trying to use this in Puppy is maintaining backward compatibility with Puppy's non-standard menu categories. Every time I had a problem with Puppy's old menu generator written in C, I chose to patch and fix it.

I'm no longer doing any JWM/X-related development so I prefer not to spend my time on playing with this menu generator.

[wiak]

I really doubt X is about to vanish any time soon. There are so many older computers that are not so old that are somewhat too low powered to work at their best with even the likes of XFCE. For these machines the likes of JWM, IceWM and Fluxbox remain excellent fits. No accident the focus of AntiX, which is another great wee distro, but not everyone's cup of tea (but we should 'borrow/modify' some of its utilities for JWM target Pups of the class rockedge continues enthusiasm for. Most such JWM stuff is feature complete and stable so could be nicely stored and packaged for particular class of machine use, with a useful life of another five long years yet I'd think.

Certainly, Wayland now needs a lot of focus (but realistically so does systemd, runit, and dbus-related integrations or expect problems with newer distro designs - yes, a sin not to reinvent the wheel from the point of view of some). Firstrib wasnt created to reinvent any existing wheel - the likes of firstribit and KL_full2frugal did not exist elsewhere and all such can be used with X or Wayland styled distros no matter the DE, WM or Compositor involved thereafter. But stable X-based JWM distros seem low resourced useful distros to maintain for several years yet no matter what most devs otherwise spend their limited available time working on. But antiX also fills that hole/need pretty well.

[dimkr]

I really doubt X is about to vanish any time soon.

Same here, but it's a question of cost and making smart investments. Any new X or JWM specific code you write now will die together with X.Org, or become useless when people who still use X.Org stop using it (for various reasons, including DEs or GPU dropping support for it).

For example, I fix bugs in the labwc menu generator (which is originally a labwc adaptation of Puppy's old JWM menu generator), but don't apply these fixes to the JWM one unless they're critical.

[rockedge]

I am starting to get a handle on the potential that jwmappmenugen has with filter creation that can sort very specifically what gets analyzed to be in a menu. Not fully there yet but it feels like this will work well in the KLV-Boxer structure.

Inspired by KLV-Spectr's good performance in heavy work load environments and very fast responsive operations throughout and impressed by KLV-Airedale's ease of use and configuration with it's XFCE4 desktop, KLV-Boxer with it's core almost exactly the same as the other two systems is aimed to be the in between link.

For users that need or desire the crazy performance of KLV-Spectr but still want the familiarity and conveniences (advantages) of a stacking window manager, KLV-Boxer with JWM looks like it can be that system. Boots fast, solid and reliable and low OS RAM usage leaving more RAM available for the work load. Puppy Linux users will find the look and feel similar, but this is a FirstRib initrd driven Kennel Linux Void with all the features that the KLV's bring to the table.

I always wondered about the missing icons in the different menus and now have a better understanding on why. Turns out it's the search paths and that there is a standard with the names of the icons that are looked for the menu categories in the different icon packs.

Rox may not be the pinboard in the end and would be replaced by another but for now since it's operation is well known and KLV-Boxer is aimed to also be very useful in keeping old hardware running well and is actually very modern.

[wiak]

Yes, I think a KLV with JWM is an important one to have made and polished. Key is that it also can be continually kept up to date via xbps (assuming X and JWM remaining available/usable, which no doubt they will for some years yet). There are always alternatives to Rox pinboard - in fact cleaner desktop look and feel have become perfectly acceptable to many and even preferred; but choice is always a good thing since preferences differ of course.

[rockedge]

Switched over to mjwm for menu generation, follow here -> viewtopic.php?p=129469#p129469