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About
I guess you want to know just exactly what whiteBOX is? Well, whiteBOX is a configuration tool for the blackbox window manager. It features a menu editor, a style editor, a background tool, and a keybinding tool.

whiteBOX features a modular architecture (using plugins) so it is easy to expand on (nudge nudge developers :)). Of course, this also means it is easy for you to tailor whiteBOX to suit your needs. whiteBOX can be easily integrated into blackbox (via the menu) and into bbkeys (via a patch - see downloads section), so that it just becomes part of the furniture of blackbox.

Also, for all you blackbox derivative fans (i.e: fluxbox, openbox, etc), its likely blackbox will work for you too.

whiteBOX comes standard with the following plugins:

  • Menu Editor plugin:

    Edit your menus quickly, easily and safely. The menu editor is fully blackbox compliant (as of blackbox 0.62.1) and fully fluxbox compliant. It automatically loads in your current menu file and is configurable to search blackbox or fluxbox default locations, so it can easily integrate into both blackbox and fluxbox. You can of course work with many different menu files by simply loading/saving your menu files.

  • Style Editor plugin:

    Edit your style quickly, easily and safely. The menu editor is fully blackbox compliant (as of blackbox 0.62.1) and partially fluxbox compliant. It automatically loads in your current menu file and is configurable to search blackbox or fluxbox default locations, so it can easily integrate into both blackbox and fluxbox. You can of course work with many different menu files by simply loading/saving your menu files. You can also switch on/off the fluxbox specific features to allow for quick conversion of your blackbox style to fluxbox.

  • Background tool:

    Set your desktop background. The background tool is highly configurable allowing for the following background modes (tiled, centred, scaled (custom or auto), scale perspective, or custom (x-y) positioning (with or without scaling)). Confused yet? The background tool will be havily expanded on in future builds as there are still tonnes of stuff thats not in it. The background tool features a single mode (ala KDE/Gnome), and a saved mode allowing you to save multiple desktop configurations. Command line options allow you to configure whiteBOX to automatically set your desired background on startup (currently single only).

  • Keybinding tool:

    The keybinding tool, fully compliant with bbkeys and fluxbox, allows you to assign window manager specific events as well as your own custom programs to certain key combinations (i.e: pressing ctrl+alt+w opens whiteBOX -- only a suggestion :)). It automatically loads in your current bbkeys file (if using blackbox) or your fluxbox keybindings (if using fluxbox) and is configurable to search bbkeys or fluxbox default locations, so it can easily integrate into both blackbox and fluxbox. whiteBOX can be easily integrated into bbkeys (i.e: pressing on the little keyhole) through the use of a patch file (obtained on the download page).



Grab a copy of whiteBOX today and let me know what you think.


Contributing/More Information
The best way to contribute to the future of whiteBOX is by writing a plugin. I am willing to prepare a developers guide if there is enough interest (email me if interested). In the interim, I am always willing to help with questions about writing plugins. You will need skills in C, GTK+-1.2, and a working compiler :)

If you wish to participate in an ongoing capacity drop me an email and we can discuss it.

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All material copyright (C) Luke Freeman, 2000-2002. whiteBOX is licensed under the terms of the GNU General Public License (view).
Redhat Linux 7.3 is used as the main development platform. Site hosted at SourceForge. Thanks Guys!