Introduction to Mabox Linux Desktop

Previous: First run

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Default Desktop

Essential elements of the Mabox desktop environment

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Main Menu super + space or just super key

You can access main menu by right click on desktop, by pressing super key or clicking M(abox) icon.

Menu is searchable, just start to type what you looking for.

To close menu hit Esc or click outside.

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Panel

At the top there is a Tint2 panel, which offers some non‑obvious capabilities.
The most important elements of the panel are:

• launcher buttons
• taskbar
• system tray
• clock

Important!
Some of the panel’s buttons have actions assigned to right‑click, and sometimes to the mouse wheel as well.
See screenshots…

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The tint2 panel can be customized to your needs using the menu located under the M icon on the panel (right‑click). The menu can also be opened with the shortcut W‑A‑p.

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Click actions on screen corners and edges

This feature is called Areaclick. Simply by clicking the corners or edges of the screen, you trigger predefined commands.
Additionally, you can invoke the configured commands using keyboard shortcuts by pressing W-a(Super + Alt) + 1..9 (the number on the numpad).

Commands assigned by default

Click Area	Keybind	Action	Notes
TopLeft	W-A-7	toggle ShowDesktop	also W-d
Top	W-A-8	Windows & Desktops menu	also W-Leftclick on desktop
TopRight	W-A-9	Music menu	W-m
Left	W-A-4	Left Sidepanel	also C-W-Left
Right	W-A-6	Right Sidepanel	also C-W-Right
BottomLeft	W-A-1	Window Switch	also W-Tab
Bottom	W-A-2	Desktop Switch	also W-~(tilda)
BottomRight	W-A-3	Logout Menu	also W-x

To learn more about Areaclick, read AreaClick – screen edge/corner command launcher.

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Side Panels

Mabox Linux have also two sidepanels for quick access.
You can bring up both by clicking the appropriate edge of the screen.
Left Sidepanel – ctrl + super + Left – offer quick access to any directory and growing list of Mabox Tools

You can navigate to place you want, and open file manager or terminal in that location.

Left sidepanel will also show your GTK Bookmarks (bookmarks from filemanager – PCManFM) – both local and remote (ssh, sftp, smb).

Some of Mabox Tools available from Left Sidepanel:

• Menu/Sidepanel settings super-alt-m– let you change menu/panels look and feel and add/edit custom commands
• Wallpaper and Desktop styling wallpaper and moresuper-alt-w
• DeskMngr – save and restore desktop sessions (save all windows from current desktop with its size and position, and restore it later on any desktop)
• SSH Connections – list of configured SSH connections (~/.ssh/config)
• Tint2 configuration menu
• Conky configuration menu

Just try it now, it’s very handy.

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Right side panel is for quick access to various settings and help links.

Shortcut: ctrl + super + Right

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Conky widgets on steroids

Conky widgets have a special place in Mabox. By adding unique features, they not only enhance the desktop’s appearance but also significantly expand its functionality.

Mabox provides a dozen or so Conky widgets.
Basic widgets:

• educational — presenting keyboard shortcuts: mabox tools, PCManFM, Tiling terminal
• monitoring and info: sysinfo, CPU, RAM, mount points, network

More advanced widgets:

• eye candy: polaroid, Better Clock, Mabox Logo SVG
• quoter
• advanced: TODO list

You can manage them using the Conky Widget Manager W‑A‑k.

Something for power users…
But the most interesting part is the unique capabilities available only in Mabox…
Context Menu (right‑click)

An individual context menu allows you to manage a given Conky widget.
You can conveniently and quickly:

• change the widget’s position on the screen
• set colors / color themes, font, shadow, borders
• add your own command or commands triggered by left‑clicking on the Conky widget

Running user‑defined commands (left‑click)

You can define a single command — it will run immediately when you left‑click the Conky.
If you define more commands, you’ll access them through a menu.

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Wallpapers and autotheming

Note! Autotheming is enabled in live mode, after installation it is disabled by default.

Right next to the M(abox) icon on the panel, there is a tiny image — it’s a thumbnail of the wallpaper.
Clicking it sets a random wallpaper… and under right‑click you’ll find a feature‑rich menu.

The menu offers:

• several ways to set the wallpaper
• a Favorite wallpapers option
• simple wallpaper generation
• a wallpaper slideshow

and for experimenters:

• generating themes from the wallpaper’s color palette
• the ability to enable and configure the autotheming option

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Logout dialogsuper + x

To edit available options choose Configure options and comment out options you don’t need.
For example:

## Comment out with # if you want to hide same lines
^sep(Exit...)
Logout,openbox --exit,system-logout
#Suspend,systemctl suspend,system-suspend
#Hibernate,systemctl hibernate,system-hibernate
Reboot,systemctl reboot,system-reboot
Lock screen, betterlockscreen -l,system-lock-screen
Shutdown,systemctl poweroff,system-shutdown
#^sep()
#Configure options,geany $HOME/.config/mabox/exit.csv,geany

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Screen Lock super + l

betterlockscreen is used as screen locker. To unlock just write your password and hit Enter.

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Screenshot / Desktop recording tool Super + PrintScreen

Simple tool based on scrot, maim and ffmpeg (for recording).

Read more at blog: Simple Screenshot / Desktop Recorder tool.

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Next: Keyboard Shortcuts, pseudo tiling