Wiki » First step with LXDE

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Synopsis: This page is written with absolute beginners in mind to help them find the tools they need as they are facing their desktop for the first time. It may also help to chose which desktop environment to use. LXDE is a very lightweight desktop environment that is suitable each time-saving power and resources are needed, either because they are low (outdated hardware for example) or because they have a better use than for the desktop environment (for heavy calculation for example). More information in the LXDE official website Another wiki page about LXDE: LXDE desktop

Where are the configuration tools?

After the first reboot following the installation, your desktop looks like the screenshot below. To display the menu, click on the Mageia icon at the bottom left (marker 6). The green marks are for Mageia tools and the red ones for LXDE tools.

1: Mageia mgaapplet, it is only visible when there is software to download. The red colour means updates are available for your Mageia release, for security reasons we advise you to accept them, to do so, click on the red icon and give your user password. The blue colour means a new Mageia version is available and prompt you to do a net install of it. You can ignore it as long as your Mageia release is supported and do the update installation by any other way of your choice.

2: Mageia net applet, it is visible if you are connected to a network. It gives you network information when the mouse is hovering on it. A left click gives access to the Net Center tool. A right click display a menu to manage the network.

3: The Mageia Control Center (MCC) is where all the Mageia tools are brought together. The applets marker 1 and marker 2 use the MCC. See here for more information about the MCC. The MCC is the same for all the Desktop Environments. The first thing to do after an installation is to open the MCC and to configure the media sources see here

4: The tool Install & Remove Software is also part of the MCC. See here for more information about the Software Management, or here.

5: The MCC is so important that you have also an access from the task bar

6: Access to the menu and to the logout

7: If you click on Mageia icon -> tools as shown on the screenshot, a submenu (marker 7) is displayed, it contains tools given by LXDE to set your Desktop Environment.

8: Openbox Configuration Manager allows setting the desktop and windows appearance. You can also try a right click or a roller click (center click).

What are the configuration tools for?

Here are the tools you can use to set up the main features and/or devices:

Note: When several tools are available to do the same action, they are in fact writing in the same configuration file, so there is no risk of conflict, use your preferred tool

.

Setting	LXDE	Mageia
Windows appearance	Openbox Configuration Manager Menu -> Tools -> Customize look and feel	--
Workspace appearance (the desktop out of the windows)	Openbox Configuration Manager Menu -> Tools -> Customize look and feel Right-click on the task bar or on the icons	--
Windows behaviour	Openbox Configuration Manager	--
Workspace behaviour	Openbox Configuration Manager	--
Desktop background	Menu -> Tools -> ChBg Right-click on the Desktop Menu -> Tools -> Desktop Preferences	--
Screensaver	Menu -> Tools -> Screensaver	--
Display settings	Menu -> Tools -> System Tools -> Monitor Settings	MCC / hardware / Set up the graphical server
Accessibility	--	--
Localization	Menu -> Tools -> Regional Settings	MCC / System / Manage localization for your system
Preferred applications	Menu -> Tools -> Preferred Applications	--
Software Management	--	MCC / Software Management Menu -> Install & Remove Software
Power Management (For Laptops)	No one But it is possible to install one from third parties	--
Mouse and Keyboard	Menu -> Tools -> System Tools -> Keyboard and Mouse	MCC / hardware / Configure Mouse and Keyboard
Printer	Menu -> Tools -> System Tools -> Print settings Menu -> Tools -> System Tools -> Manage printing	MCC / hardware / Configure printing and scanning
Other hardware	--	MCC / hardware
Network, Sharing, Internet, Disk management, Security, Boot ...	--	MCC