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#310 Needs a way to style menu plugin in LXPanel

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open
nobody
lxpanel (23) menu (1)
3
2017-05-30
2017-05-30
Random
No

I've marked this "request" as a priorty 3 because my discussion is critical towards the usability of theGUI.

I've tried everything in my power to get the people involved to notice my displeasure with their implementation of the menu plugin's lacking capability.

I got nothing, so now I'm coming here.

The menu plugin for LXPanel is severly lacking in lots of things, as expected of a leightweight distro, however less is NOT always better.

In this case, my point is exemplified accordingly.

The menu is poorly handled and lacks many, MANY attributes that are practicaly de-facto in any modern menu's design.

It's as if the menu was designed for systems that existed 10-20 years ago.

That's how bad the menu is. It's way too archaic and it needs more legroom for those of us who wish to keep it with the times.

I've been told that the menu values utility over aesthetic.

While that's all in good on PAPER, that isn't good when a well-off and often-used component by which the user interacts with just so happens to be this menu.

In the end, all it does is impede the user to comfortably and reliably use the menu.

The menu implmented for LXDE is about a fourth of what any other menu would give you.

The menu simply lists links (launchers) on a static menu.

However, the real travesty here is the fact that the menu is outrageously small. It's puny.

You SHOULD not EVER make the user have to be more accurate in their attempt to access something as simple as a menu. From an HCI perspective and from a heuristic perspective, this menu fails at a lot.

This menu does NOT take into consideration of how the user will interact with it, but instead focuses on simplicity and ease of access.

Even still, the menu fails at doing that. Forcing the user to hover over small hit-boxes that span an already limited space is RIDICULOUS.

This menu is outricously outdated and incomplete.

I don't care if this is what sufficies for the distro, this is not acceptable by any means of standards outside of their enclosure.

I've been tasked with actually recreating a NEW plugin and quite possible the LXDE process itself just to get what I'm asking for.

This wouldn't even be an issue if the folks who designed this put in measures to allow for tweaking with the styling of the menu.

I don't need the menu to have more utility in the sense that it has a search index and special functions.

I need a menu that a human being can use. That requires me being able to tweak around with the styling of the menu.

Putting out small tiny hitboxes for the user is counter-productive and frustrating.

In any good design, you're supposed to make the experience easier for the user.

LXPanel's current menu plugin is lacking in that. And that's poor, because if you're going to have anything work, it SHOULD be a start/root menu.

Am I really asking for much here?

I just want to be able to tweak with the menu so that it spans more than 5-10% of my screen.

Yes, that's how small it renders (no thanks to the devs).

P.S. - Would it kill you to imclude buttons? You'd think in the 21st century of computing, your start menu would have a button somewhere. Ridiculous.

Discussion

  • jcsl

    jcsl - 2017-05-30

    Hi.

    Your message sounds so disrespectful to me... And at the same time it looks like you hadn't spent a single second searching for a solution. I apology if I'm wrong, but that is exactly what I think after reading your post. You can style the panel and everything on it. You already have a wiki page on the subject:

    More precisely, you can style the menu to make it as big as you like. Create a file named gtkrc in your current LXPanel profile folder (by default it is /home/<yourusername>/.config/lxpanel/LXDE) and put this inside (you can omit the lines starting with a #, they're just comments):

    # menu style
style "menu"
{
   # menu background color  
   bg[NORMAL] = "#2f5361"
   # left and right menu border size
   xthickness  = 10
   # top and bottom menu border size
   ythickness  = 10
}

# menu items style
style "menu_item"
{
   # item colors by state
   bg[PRELIGHT] = "#516f7b"
   fg[NORMAL]   = "#c5cfd3"
   fg[PRELIGHT] = "#ffffff"

   # horizontal spacing before and after menu items
   xthickness   = 10
   # vertical spacing between menu items
   ythickness   = 10

   # menu items font: family - style - size
   font_name    = "monospace bold italic 16"
}

    Then restart the panel with lxpanelctl restart to apply the changes (or log out an login again). That's all. This may not solve all your issues, but it solves at least a part of them. You get a much better example of styling via gtkrc if you install the Breeze gtk theme and check the /usr/share/themes/Breeze/gtk-2.0/ content.

    If you still don't like the result, you should develop a menu plugin yourself or just use one of the zillion alternative panels out there.

    Greetings.

     

    Last edit: jcsl 2017-05-30

    • Random

      Random - 2017-06-01

      @jcsl

      Yes, my message is very negative and critques a lot.

      However, I DID do my research prior to posting on here. In fact, I mentioned that in my main post.

      Incidentally, I checked that page you linked to BEFORE you even shared it with me.

      And guess what?

      NOWHERE on that wikipage does the information state or define what can be applied to the plug-in. Not only that, but the page doesn't even include a menu-items selector. I don't know where you got that from, but I can only assume that you have experience with writing themes and understand the process A LOT better than I do. The wikipage listed attributes that could be applied to the vast majority of plugins, but did not list ALL AVAILABLE attributes that could be used.

      Whoever maintains that wiki needs to update it, refine it, and include graphics. Everything I read on that page was specific and yet seemed way too abstract. Pictures would've helped.

      Your code WORKED. That's great, and I'm thankful.

      As you said, it doesn't fulfill everything I would like, but increasing the font size makes the menu bigger too.

      I will continue my effort to create a way for there to be a better menu plug-in.

      Until that time, your solution will suffice.

      As "rude" as my message sounds, it's useful criticism.

      Going from what I've seen on the web, I'm not the only person who has issues with the plug-in.

      It needs to be worked on and amended at some point.

      My issue is not with the panel, it's with the menu and it's lack of styling capabilities.

      The end user shouldn't be forced to search for all of this just to make the menu bigger. It should be offered to them as an option via a config menu for convinience. Just like how the panel has a config menu, the menu plugin's menu should have more options other than changing the image.

       

      • jcsl

        jcsl - 2017-06-04

        Hi.

        NOWHERE on that wikipage does the information state or define what can be applied to the plug-in. Not only that, but the page doesn't even include a menu-items selector. I don't know where you got that from, but I can only assume that you have experience with writing themes and understand the process A LOT better than I do. The wikipage listed attributes that could be applied to the vast majority of plugins, but did not list ALL AVAILABLE attributes that could be used.

        Guess what? I did write that wiki page with the knowledge I had at that time. Your assumption is wrong, I have zero experience writing GTK themes. I have never written a theme indeed. I was curious and researched a lot until I found how to style the panel. Then I wrote the guide in the wiki the best I could. Just for the record, my main sources of documentation were GNOME's wiki, Lubuntu's theme and people blogs.

        Whoever maintains that wiki needs to update it, refine it, and include graphics. Everything I read on that page was specific and yet seemed way too abstract. Pictures would've helped.

        The wiki is maintained by anyone willing to do so. You just have to register and edit the page. If you have any problem to register, contact the wiki maintainer or ask for help in the mailing list. I didn't include any graphics because I couldn't due some kind of problem in the wiki at the time of writing the article. So now is your turn to improve the guide and add the things you've learnt for the benefit of the community. I'm not interested in the subject anymore.

        Your code WORKED. That's great, and I'm thankful.

        You're welcome.

        As "rude" as my message sounds, it's useful criticism.

        It may be useful criticism, but you could have written the same in a more polite way. It sounds like if you were demanding things, and no one can demand anything to people that give the work they do in their spare time to others for free. However, I'm not English native, so I might have misinterpreted your tone.

        The end user shouldn't be forced to search for all of this just to make the menu bigger. It should be offered to them as an option via a config menu for convinience. Just like how the panel has a config menu, the menu plugin's menu should have more options other than changing the image.

        I agree, but there're too many things to do and no one willing to do anything. The reality is that LXDE is actively maintained by no more than two or three persons. And they have a life to live and a work to attend. They have their own priorities too. Open source software is mostly a 'scratch your itch' thing. So, if you really want something done, you should do as much as you can yourself and/or find developers for project.

        Greetings.

         

        • Random

          Random - 2017-06-05

          Guess what? I did write that wiki page with the knowledge I had at that time. Your assumption is wrong, I have zero experience writing GTK themes. I have never written a theme indeed. I was curious and researched a lot until I found how to style the panel. Then I wrote the guide in the wiki the best I could. Just for the record, my main sources of documentation were GNOME's wiki, Lubuntu's theme and people blogs.

          That makes no sense. My ASSUMPTION is correct in that you knew MORE than what I know NOW. Even if you retrived content from other reputal sources, the end result is that you had to have known what was there for you to have posted it. While on the other hand, I've NEVER had anything short of experience with regard to this topic at all. In fact, I'm relatively NEW to linux all togoether.

          The wiki is maintained by anyone willing to do so. You just have to register and edit the page. If you have any problem to register, contact the wiki maintainer or ask for help in the mailing list. I didn't include any graphics because I couldn't due some kind of problem in the wiki at the time of writing the article. So now is your turn to improve the guide and add the things you've learnt for the benefit of the community. I'm not interested in the subject anymore.

          That's good to know. I will make the changes accordingly and make sure to include details that may not be so apparent to first time visitors. It is a wiki after all.

          It may be useful criticism, but you could have written the same in a more polite way. It sounds like if you were demanding things, and no one can demand anything to people that give the work they do in their spare time to others for free. However, I'm not English native, so I might have misinterpreted your tone.

          No, you are correct. My tone was as you stated, so don't fallback on your assertion. I was on all grounds, demanding. And I agree, my post had a very overbearing and angry tone. Any person could tell. While I'd like to make the excuse that it was due to lacking resources, I should not have directed my anger at the folk here. I apologize for my behavior and would like to once again thank you for your contribution/feedback/communication.

          Just like the LXDE maintainers, I don't have a lot of time on my hands. It might take me a while, but I'll try my best to contribute to the project. It's imperative for me (and others) that it continues to improve.

          Best Regards,

          T.R.G.

           

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