Moksha Basics
Revision for “Moksha Basics” created on May 1, 2023 @ 18:05:24
| Title | Moksha Basics |
|---|---|
| Content | <h3>Moksha Basics</h3>
<h4>Organize your Tasks with Virtual Desktops</h4>
<strong>Virtual Desktops</strong> allow you to <em>group</em> <strong>applications</strong> of a certain type on one <strong>desktop</strong> and those of a different type on another. You <em>initially</em> have four <strong>virtual desktops</strong>, but you can <em>change</em> this number.
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/desktops.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-1433" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/desktops.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737" alt="desktops" width="166" height="128" /></a>
The <strong>Pager</strong> gadget on the <strong>shelf</strong> <em>shows</em> small <strong>graphics</strong> of the available <strong>desktops</strong> with the <strong>applications</strong> <em>running</em> in each.
There are several ways to <em>switch</em> among them:
<ul>
<li>With the <strong>Pager</strong> gadget, simply <em>click</em> on the graphic of the <strong>desktop</strong> you wish to be in</li>
<li>Use the keyboard <strong>shortcut</strong>: <Ctrl>+<Alt>+<ArrowKey> in the <strong>direction</strong> you wish to <em>move</em></li>
</ul>
<h4>The Entire Desktop is the Menu</h4>
A <em>left-click</em> on any empty space of the <strong>desktop</strong> will bring up the <strong>Main Menu.</strong> From here, you can <em>launch</em> <strong>applications</strong>, <em>adjust</em> <strong>settings</strong>, <em>shut down</em> the <strong>system</strong>, and so on. This <em>behavior</em> is standard on <strong>Bodhi Linux</strong> and most users find consider it very convenient. For the few that do not, the <strong>mouse-binding</strong> <strong>Show Main Menu</strong>, can be easily <em>removed/configured</em> in <em>Main Menu > Settings > All > Input > Mouse Bindings,</em> along with any other <strong>mouse-bindings</strong>.
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/mainmenu-1.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5074" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/mainmenu-1.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737" alt="" width="232" height="265" /></a>
<span style="line-height: 1.5;"><em>Right-clicking</em> an empty space on the <strong>desktop</strong> will bring up the <strong>Favorites Menu</strong>. Since there are no <strong>Favorite Applications</strong> by default a fresh <strong>Bodhi Linux</strong> installation, the <strong>Favorites Menu</strong> will not <em>show</em> on <em>right-click</em>. It is waiting in anticipation for you to <em>add</em> <strong>applications</strong>! To do so, go to <em>Main Menu > Settings > All > Apps > Favorite Applications</em></span>
<h4>Many Gadgets Show System Info</h4>
<strong>Gadgets</strong> <em>perform</em> a wide variety of <strong>functions</strong>. Many <em>display</em> <strong>system information</strong>, such as <strong>battery level</strong>, <strong>time</strong>, or <strong>CPU frequency</strong>. Others allow you to <em>interact</em> with the <strong>system</strong> in some way, such as <em>adjusting</em> the <strong>volume</strong> or the <strong>screen brightness</strong>. Most <strong>gadgets</strong> allow multiple instances in different locations, for instance on a <strong>shelf</strong> as well as on the <strong>desktop</strong>.
<strong>Gadgets </strong>can be <em>found</em> and <em>added</em> to the <strong>desktop</strong> via <em>Main Menu > Settings > Gadgets</em>
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/gadgets-1.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737"><img class="alignnone wp-image-5075" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/gadgets-1.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737" alt="" width="360" height="44" /></a>
<h4>Modules Control Gadget Availability</h4>
A <strong>gadget</strong> will be <em>available</em> only if its <strong>module</strong> is <em>loaded</em>. Put simply, a <strong>gadget</strong> is an <em>instance</em> of a <strong>module</strong>. To <em>load/unload</em> <strong>modules</strong>, go to <em>Main Menu > Settings > Modules</em>. <strong>Bodhi Linux</strong> comes with a <em>wide selection</em> of <strong>modules</strong> <em>installed</em> by <strong>default</strong>, and more can be <em>installed</em> at your discretion through the <strong>Bodhi Linux</strong> <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/a/">AppCenter</a> and <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/synaptic-package-manager/">Synaptic Package Manager</a>
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/modules-1.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737"><img class="alignnone wp-image-5076" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/modules-1.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737" alt="" width="406" height="430" /></a>
<h4>Shelves - The Taskbar/Systray/Dock's Home, Sweet Home</h4>
<strong>Moksha</strong> <em>provides</em> <strong>shelves</strong> to <em>house</em> your <strong>gadgets</strong> and <strong>launchers</strong> - a convenient <em>alternative</em> to having them on the <strong>desktop </strong>(<em>that is, m</em><em>ost gadgets can be added to shelves</em>) <strong>Shelves</strong> can be <em>located</em> <strong>anywhere</strong> on a <strong>border</strong> of your <strong>desktop</strong>, and you can <em>have</em> <strong>more than one shelf</strong> on a <strong>desktop</strong> as well as <em>different</em> <strong>shelves</strong> on <em>different</em> <strong>virtual desktops</strong>. <em>Managing</em> the <strong>number of shelves</strong> as well as their <strong>location</strong>, <strong>size</strong>, and other <strong>attributes</strong> are done under <em>Main Menu > Settings > Shelves</em>. To <em>manage</em> the <strong>content</strong> of a <strong>shelf</strong> (<em>i.e. its gadgets</em>),<em> right-click</em> on the <strong>shelf</strong>, and <em>choose</em> <em>Shelf > Contents</em>. From <strong>Shelf Contents</strong>, many <strong>gadgets</strong> may be <em>loaded</em>, (<em>shown below</em>).
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/shelf_contents.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5196" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/shelf_contents.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737" alt="" width="293" height="357" /></a>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Below: An example shelf with gadgets</em></p>
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/shelve.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-5078" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/shelve.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737" alt="" width="971" height="39" /></a>
<h4></h4>
<h4>Shading - Alternative for Minimizing</h4>
Want to get a <strong>window</strong> <em>out </em>of your <strong>way</strong> but <em>don't want</em> to <em>minimize</em> it to the <strong>taskbar</strong>? Then <strong>Shade</strong> it! Just <em>double-click</em> the <strong>title bar</strong> of any <strong>window</strong> to <em>roll it up</em>, and <em>double-click</em> the <strong>title bar</strong> to <em>roll it down</em> again, just like a <strong>window shade</strong>!
The <strong>screenshot</strong> here <em>shows</em> two instances of <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/wiki/terminology/">Terminology</a>, <strong>Bodhi Linux's</strong> default <strong>terminal emulator,</strong> one that is <strong>Shaded</strong> and one that <strong>is not</strong>.
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/shade.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737"><img class="alignnone wp-image-5080" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/shade.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737" alt="" width="532" height="342" /></a>
<h4>Desktop Icons</h4>
By default (<em>out of the box</em>) <strong>Bodhi Linux</strong> <em>doesn't support</em> <strong>desktop icons</strong>, <em>keeping</em> with a <strong>clean/minimalist</strong> <em>look</em> and <em>feel</em>. If your <em>preference</em> is to <em>have</em> <strong>desktop</strong> <strong>icons</strong>, you can <em>enable</em> this feature via <strong>customization</strong> in <strong>Module Settings</strong>.
<h5>Enable</h5>
There a number of methods to <em>open/access</em> <strong>Module Settings</strong>:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/quick-launcher/">Quick launcher</a>: <em>Press</em> <SuperKey>+<Space> to <em>open</em> the <strong>Quick Launcher</strong>. From <em>within</em> the <strong>Launcher</strong> the <em>type</em> "Modules" and hit <<strong>return</strong><em>>. </em></li>
<li><strong>Main Menu</strong>: <i>Left-click</i> on <strong>any empty space</strong> of the <strong>desktop</strong> to <em>bring up</em> the <strong>Main Menu</strong>. From the <strong>menu</strong> <em>click</em>:<em> Settings > Modules</em> this will <em>open</em> the <strong>Module Settings</strong> window.</li>
</ul>
With the <strong>Module Settings</strong> window <em>open</em>, if it's not <em>maximized</em>, <em>maximize</em> it now. <em>Using</em> the <strong>icons</strong> at the top of the <strong>window</strong> to <em>navigate</em> through the <strong>features</strong>, <strong>locate</strong>, and <em>click </em><strong>Files</strong><em>.</em> From the list of options under <strong>Files</strong>, ensure <strong>Desktop Icons</strong> is <em>enabled</em> by <em>highlighting</em> the <strong>option</strong> and <em>click</em> the <strong>Load </strong>button (<em>bottom left</em>).
<h5>Disable</h5>
To <em>disabled</em> <strong>desktop icons</strong>, <em>open</em> <strong>Module Settings</strong> (<em>see above</em>), <em>highlight</em> selected <strong>Desktop Icons</strong>, <em>click</em> <strong>Unload</strong><em>.</em>
<h5>Create Desktop Icon - For an Installed App</h5>
To <em>run</em> an <strong>application</strong> from a <strong>desktop icon</strong>, you must <em>copy</em> its <strong>launcher</strong> into your <strong>Desktop</strong> folder (<code>~/Desktop</code>). Most installed apps come packaged with a launcher, (i.e. a "<code>.desktop</code>" file). These files will be found in one of two places:
<ul>
<li><code>~/.local/share/applications</code> in the case of a personal application launcher</li>
<li><code>/usr/share/applications</code> in the case of a standard application launcher.</li>
</ul>
<em>Copy</em> your chosen <strong>launcher</strong> (for example: <code>/usr/share/applications/leafpad.desktop</code>) into your <strong>Desktop folder</strong> (<code>~/Desktop</code>), if you have <em>enabled</em> <strong>Desktop Icons</strong> (<em>see above</em>) you will now <em>have</em> an <strong>icon</strong> (<em>launcher</em>) for the <strong>Leafpad</strong> app on your <strong>desktop</strong>.
<h5>Create Desktop Icon - For a Folder</h5>
A <strong>launcher</strong> (<code>.desktop</code>) <strong>file</strong> needs to be <em>created</em> and, unsurprisingly, there is a <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/personal-application-launchers/">Personal Application Launcher</a> &<strong> Desktop Entry Editor</strong> (<em>DEE</em>) to help facilitate this.
With <strong>Desktop Icons</strong> <em>enabled</em> (<em>see above</em>), we first need to <em>establish</em> the <strong>path</strong> of the <strong>folder</strong> you want on <em>display</em> on the <strong>desktop</strong>. If you <em>know</em> the <strong>path</strong> already, <em>skip</em> to the next <strong>paragraph</strong>. Using <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/thunar-file-manager/">Thunar</a> (<em>file manager</em>) <em>select</em> your chosen <strong>folder</strong> or <strong>file</strong>. From the <strong>file manager toolbar</strong>, you'll now <em>see</em> the full <strong>path</strong>. In this example, we'll be <em>creating</em> a <strong>shortcut</strong> to the <strong>Downloads </strong>folder (the path is:<code> /home/<username>/Downloads</code>), where <username> is <em>replaced</em> with your <strong>Bodhi Linux</strong> <strong>username</strong> (i.e. jane). Make <em>note</em> of the <strong>path</strong> as you need it later
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Tip: highlight and copy the file path and hit: <ctl>+<c></em></p>
The <strong>Desktop Entry Editor</strong> (<em>DEE</em>) is <em>accessed</em> via the <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/personal-application-launchers/">Personal Application Launcher</a> (<em>PAL</em>)<em>. </em>Using <strong>Quick Launch</strong> (<em><SuperKey>+<Space></em>) open the PAL by typing "personal" and <em>hit</em> <return>. In the PAL window <em>click</em> <strong>Add</strong>, to <em>open</em> the <strong>DEE</strong>. The <strong>DEE </strong><em>needs</em> the following <strong>minimum</strong> <strong>information</strong>:
<ul>
<li><strong>Name</strong>: The <strong>icon name</strong> to <em>display</em> on the <strong>desktop</strong>. In this example, we'll use "Downloads"</li>
<li><strong>Application</strong>: As we're <em>opening</em> a <strong>folder</strong>, we'll use <strong>Thunar</strong> <em>passing</em> in the <strong>path</strong> obtained earlier as a parameter. In this example this becomes:
<pre>thunar '/home/jane/Downloads'</pre>
<em>Note: Quotes are only mandatory if the path includes spaces</em></li>
</ul>
Now <em>click</em> the <strong>Icon</strong> <strong>link</strong> in the top navigation of the <strong>DEE window</strong> to <em>select</em> a suitable <strong>icon</strong>. Simply <em>type</em> "folder" into the <strong>Icon</strong> text box (<em>located above the <strong>Ok</strong>, <strong>Apply</strong> & <strong>Close</strong> buttons</em>) you will <em>see</em> a <strong>preview</strong> of the <strong>icon</strong> <em>appear</em>. You can also <em>navigate</em> to icons under <code>/usr/share/icons/<theme name>/status/scalable/</code> but this is <em>beyond</em> the <strong>scope</strong> of this <strong>how-to</strong>.
See <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/personal-application-launchers/">Personal Application Launcher</a> for more info.
Now <em>click</em> the <strong>Options</strong> link in the top navigation bar of the <strong>DEE window</strong> and <em>uncheck</em> the <strong>Show in Menus</strong> option (<em>as we do not want this action</em>).
Now <em>press</em> <strong>Apply</strong> to <em>save</em> the newly <em>created</em> <code>.desktop</code> <strong>file</strong> (<em>the file will be saved in <code>~/.local/share/applications</code></em>) and <strong>named</strong> <em>using</em> the <strong>name</strong> you <em>specified</em> in an <strong>earlier step</strong> above. Now <em>click</em> <strong>Close</strong> to <em>exit</em> the <strong>DEE</strong>.
Finally, <em>copy</em> your newly <em>created</em> <code>.desktop</code> <strong>file</strong>, in this example: <code>~/.local/share/applications/Downloads.desktop</code>, into the folder: <code>~/Desktop</code>
<h4>Changing Themes (Desktop, GTK, or Icon)</h4>
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>For more information on this topic see: <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/configuring-your-new-bodhi-system/#Themes">Changing Themes</a></em></p>
<h4>ARandR (aka display management)</h4>
<strong>ARandR</strong> is the <strong>graphical configuration utility</strong> (<em>RandR: Resize and Rotate</em>). It can be <em>used </em>to <em>set</em> the <strong>display</strong> <strong>size/resolution</strong>, <strong>orientation</strong>, or <strong>reflection</strong> of the <strong>outputs</strong> for a screen. This is also used for <em>configuring</em> <strong>one</strong> or <strong>more monitors</strong>.
There a number of <strong>methods</strong> to <em>access </em><strong>ARandR</strong>:
<ul>
<li><strong>Quick launcher</strong>: <em>Press</em> <SuperKey>+<Space>, to <em>open</em> the <strong>Quick Launcher</strong>. From within the Launcher the <em>type "</em>ARandR" and <em>hit</em> <<em>return>. </em></li>
<li><strong>Main Menu</strong>. <i>Left-click</i> on any <strong>empty space</strong> of the <strong>desktop</strong> to <em>bring up</em> the <strong>Main Menu</strong>. From the <strong>Main Menu</strong> <em>click</em>: <em>Applications > Preferences > ARandR</em> - this will <em>open</em> the<strong> Screen Layout Editor</strong> window.</li>
</ul>
With the <strong>Screen Layout Editor</strong> <strong>window </strong><em>open</em>, if it's not <em>maximized</em>, <em>maximize</em> it now.
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ScreenLayoutEditor.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737"><img class="alignnone wp-image-3459" src="https://www.bodhilinux.com/trial/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/ScreenLayoutEditor.png?x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737&x55737" alt="Screen Layout Editor" width="450" height="455" /></a>
<h5>Change Display Resolution</h5>
<em>Select</em> your chosen <strong>display output</strong> from the <strong>main panel</strong> or from the <strong>settings</strong> <strong>menu</strong>: <strong>outputs</strong><em>. </em>If you have multiple displays you will see multiple display <em>outputs. </em>Using the <em>output</em> from the panel as our example, a right-click will pop up a context menu. <em>Click </em><strong>Resolution </strong>and <em>select</em> one of the available <strong>resolutions</strong>, then <em>click </em><strong>Apply</strong> from the <strong>toolbar</strong>. If you want the <em>change</em> of <strong>resolution</strong> to <em>persist </em>after a <strong>reboot </strong><em>click</em> the <strong>Moksha icon</strong> from the <strong>toolbar</strong>.
<h4>Handy Shortcuts/Bindings:</h4>
<strong>Shortcuts</strong> are <em>referred</em> to as <strong>Bindings</strong> in <strong>Moksha</strong> and can be <em>actioned</em> - e.g. <em>clicking</em> the mouse at an <strong>edge of the screen</strong>, <em>pressing</em> a <strong>key combination</strong>, or <em>pressing</em> a <strong>key+mouse-click</strong>. They are <em>categorized</em> as follows:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/key-bindings-and-edge-bindings/">Edge Bindings</a> (edges of the screen)</li>
<li><a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/key-bindings-and-edge-bindings/">Key Bindings</a> (keyboard, i.e. keyboard shortcut)</li>
<li>Mouse Bindings (mouse+key)</li>
<li>ACPI Bindings (events)</li>
</ul>
You can <em>set up</em> your own <strong>bindings</strong>, but many have already been <em>set up</em> by <strong>default</strong>. Some of these are shown below.
<p style="padding-left: 30px;"><em>Tip: For more details on bindings see the wiki page: <a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/key-bindings-and-edge-bindings/">Key & Edge Bindings</a></em></p>
<code>Alt+<left-click> (mouse)</code>
allows you to click anywhere in the window to grab it and reposition
<code><left-click> (mouse)</code>
on an open portion of the desktop, opens the Main Menu
<code><right-click> (mouse)</code>
on an open portion of the desktop, opens the favorites menu
<code>Ctrl+Alt+X (key)</code>
closes a window
<code>Ctrl+Alt+<ArrowKey> (key)</code>
switches to the Virtual Desktop in the direction selected
<code>Ctrl+Alt+M (key)</code>
brings up the Main Menu
<code>Shift+F10 (key)</code>
maximizes a window vertically
<code>Alt+Shift+F10 (key)</code>
maximizes a window horizontally
<code>Alt+Tab (key)</code>
switches between windows on the same desktop
All <strong>bindings</strong> can be <em>located</em> and <em>configured</em> at:
<em>Main Menu > Settings > All > Input</em>
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/">Bodhi Linux Home</a>
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/wiki/">Bodhi Linux – Wiki Home Page</a>
<a href="https://www.bodhilinux.com/w/bodhi-linux-how-to/">Bodhi Linux – Wiki Table of Contents</a> |
| Excerpt |