HOWTO: Avant Window Navigator (AWN)
Sick of the menus that are standard with your Desktop Environment? I know I am. Here is the document that is going to allow you to break away from the monotony of every day menus. Everyone welcome AWN.
Portage
As of version 0.2.1, both Awn and awn-extras are in Portage. If you're running a stable arch and Awn has not been stabilized for it yet, you will need to unmask it yourself. To do so, add the following lines to /etc/portage/package.keywords (in this example, the arch is x86):
gnome-extra/avant-window-navigator ~x86 gnome-extra/avant-window-navigator-extras ~x86
Then, simply run this from the command line (in the example, the package manager used is emerge):
# emerge -a avant-window-navigator avant-window-navigator-extras
Running AWN
First run AWN in a console.
$ avant-window-navigator
You should get something like this
elementalnature@phoenix ~ $ avant-window-navigator Screen is composited. LOADED : /home/elementalnature/.config/awn/launchers/awn_launcher-2.desktop LOADED : /home/elementalnature/.config/awn/launchers/awn_launcher-3.desktop LOADED : /home/elementalnature/.config/awn/launchers/awn_launcher-4.desktop LOADED : /home/elementalnature/.config/awn/launchers/awn_launcher-5.desktop LOADED : /home/elementalnature/.config/awn/launchers/awn_launcher-6.desktop LOADED : /home/elementalnature/.config/awn/launchers/awn_launcher-7.desktop LOADED : /home/elementalnature/.config/awn/launchers/awn_launcher.desktop LOADED : /home/elementalnature/.config/awn/launchers/awn_launcher-1.desktop APPLET : /usr/lib/awn/applets/taskman.desktop APPLET : /usr/lib/awn/applets/main-menu.desktop APPLET : /usr/lib/awn/applets/trash.desktop APPLET : /usr/lib/awn/applets/cpumeter.desktop get_name_app: avant-window-navigator get_name_window: avant-window-navigator name: avant-window-navigator get_name_app: avant-window-navigator get_name_window: awn_elements name: awn_elements get_name_app: avant-window-navigator get_name_window: avant-window-navigator name: avant-window-navigator get_name_app: elementalnature@phoenix:~ get_name_window: elementalnature@phoenix:~ name: elementalnature@phoenix:~ get_name_app: xchat get_name_window: XChat: elementalnature @ FreeNode / #sabayon (+tnc) name: XChat: elementalnature @ FreeNode / #sabayon (+tnc) get_name_app: phoenix - conky get_name_window: phoenix - conky name: conky get_name_app: Amarokapp get_name_window: Amarok name: Amarok get_name_app: pidgin get_name_window: Buddy List name: Buddy List get_name_app: xfce4-panel get_name_window: Xfce Panel name: Xfce Panel get_name_app: xfdesktop get_name_window: Desktop name: Desktop
The first line that states: Screen is composited must be there. If it isn't this probably explains why AWN isn't running.
Autostarting AWN
This is a tricky session because everyone uses a different DE (Desktop Environment) so I am going to list the most used ones here. Gnome, Xfce, and KDE.
- To autostart with Gnome you should browse to your Main Menu -> Prefrences -> Sessions. There you can auto add it. Just add avant-window-navigator to the autorun box.
- To autostart with Xfce, you pretty much do the same as Gnome. Browse to the menu, go to settings, and go to Autostarted Applications. Then add it and fill out the required boxes. Just add the run command as avant-window-navigator
- To autostart with KDE follow the link
More info HOWTO_Autostart_Programs
