[openbox] Window Button Configuration

[Anthony Thyssen]

On Sun, 19 Jun 2011 14:44:44 -0400
Mark Delgado <mtdelgad at ncsu.edu> wrote:
| Hello,
| 
| Is there anyway to resize the buttons on the window on Openbox? I'm
| trying to increase their size because I am operating on a small screen
| and am having trouble clicking them. If I could increase the size of
| the window bar in general that would be helpful also. I'm not current
| on the specific terminology, when I say window bar I mean the colored
| area on top of your application that has the title of the application
| as well as the close, minimize, and maximize buttons.
| 

The buttons are bitmap images that are part of the theme.
You can copy a openbox theme, such as the default in
   /usr/share/themes/Bear2/openbox-3
on your machine, or you could create your own.
The images in this directory are 8x8 or 10x10 bitmaps

Copy the theme to your home in sub-directory...
   ~/.themes/{your_theme_name}/openbox-3
and set the theme name in your configuration file
   ~/.config/openbox/rc.xml

You may also need to set the font <size>..</size> used in rc.xml
appropriately for the new bitmap size.



I myself use a 'Tomato' theme (based on the tomato color I used in
older window managers such as ctwm).  The buttons in my theme include...

close.xbm   close_pressed.xbm
desk.xbm  desk_pressed.xbm desk_toggled.xbm
iconify.xbm  iconify_pressed.xbm
max.xbm max_pressed.xbm max_toggled.xbm max_toggled_pressed.xbm
shade.xbm shade_pressed.xbm

My own titlebar buttons are larger 13x13 buttons.

I'll put my theme online at
  http://www.ict.griffith.edu.au/anthony/public/tomato_openbox_theme/
Do what you like with the bitmaps and theme.

Buttons can be stolen from other themes, or you can get ideas from a
very very old library of bitmaps I first created just over 20 years ago,
Long before the web, and used to be part of the X FTP distribution site.

Anthony's Icons Library
http://www.ict.griffith.edu.au/anthony/icons/
Icons for TWM application
http://www.ict.griffith.edu.au/anthony/icons/appl/twm/Icons.html
or more directly using the directory listing...
http://www.ict.griffith.edu.au/anthony/icons/appl/twm/


Shame Openbox does not allow XPM or PNG images for multi-color buttons
rather than simple bitmap (bi-color) buttons, like CTWM did.  Then I
could use my old nicely shaded 'Tomato Theme' buttons.  ;-)


  Anthony Thyssen ( System Programmer )    <A.Thyssen at griffith.edu.au>
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    "We're a humane government.  We never kill anybody, permanently."
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   Anthony's Castle     http://www.ict.griffith.edu.au/anthony/