# Tint2

tint2 is a system panel/taskbar for Linux. It is described by its developers as "simple, unobtrusive and light". It can be configured to include (or not include), among other things, a system tray, a task list, a battery monitor and a clock. Its look can also be configured a great deal, and it does not have many dependencies. This makes it ideal for window manager users who want a panel but do not have one by default, like Openbox users.

## Installation

Install the tint2 package.

## Configuration

tint2 has a configuration file in `~/.config/tint2/tint2rc`. A skeleton configuration file with the default settings is created the first time you run tint2. You can then change this file to your liking. Full documentation on how to configure tint2 is found here. You can configure the fonts, colors, looks, location and more in this file. The tint2 package also contains a GUI configuration tool that can be launched by running tint2conf.

### Application launchers

With version 0.12, it has become possible to add application launchers to tint2. It is necessary to add the following configuration options to your tint2 config file:

Under `#Panel`:

    # Panel
    panel_items = LTSBC

And under the new section `#Launchers`:

    # Launchers
    launcher_icon_theme = LinuxLex-8
    launcher_padding = 5 0 10
    launcher_background_id = 9
    launcher_icon_size = 85
    launcher_item_app = /some/where/application.desktop
    launcher_item_app = /some/where/anotherapplication.desktop

The option `launcher_icon_theme` seems not to be documented yet.

`panel_items` is a new configuration option which defines which items tint2 shows and in what order:

L
  Show Launcher
T
  Show Taskbar
S
  Show Systray
B
  Show Battery status
C
  Show Clock
F
  Expanded Spacer (Only Works Without T)

### Applications menu in Openbox

Since version 0.12, you have the ability to create launchers. Unfortunately, tint2 does not support nested menus yet, so there is no native function to enable an applications menu. With a little ingenuity, one can trick tint2 and get an applications menu anyway! This example will create such a launcher for Openbox.

Besides tint2 and Openbox, you have to install the xdotool package. Next you want to create a keybinding for opening the Openbox menu. For Openbox, this would require the following entry between the <keyboard> and </keyboard> tags in `~/.config/openbox/rc.xml`:

     <keybind key="C-A-space">
       <action name="ShowMenu"><menu>root-menu</menu></action>
     </keybind>

This will set `Ctrl+Alt+Space` to open the root-menu (this is the menu that opens when you right-click the desktop). You can change `root-menu` to any menu-id that you have defined in `~/.config/openbox/menu.xml`. Next we need to make that keybinding into a `.desktop` file with `xdotool`. First test that your keybind works with:

    $ xdotool key ctrl+alt+space

If the menu you chose pops up under your mouse cursor, you have done it right! Now create a `open-openbox-menu.desktop` file inside `~/.local/share/applications` directory. Be sure to add the line `Exec=xdotool key ctrl+alt+space` where `Ctrl+Alt+Space` are your chosen key combinations. Open your new `open-openbox-menu.desktop` file from your file manager and, once again, you should see the menu appear under your cursor. Now just add this to tint2 as a launcher, and you have your Openbox Applications Menu as a launcher for tint2!

See Openbox Menus for further help on creating your own menu to use here, and menumaker to generate a nice full `menu.xml` for most (possibly all) of your installed programs.

### Volume control

Tint2 does not come with a volume control applet. VolWheel is a simple one that sits in the tray. Install it with volwheel and show it by running `volwheel`.

Another option is volumeicon or volumeicon-gtk2AUR.

## Running tint2

### Openbox

You can run tint2 by simply typing the command:

    $ tint2

If you want to run tint2 when starting Openbox, you will need to edit `~/.config/openbox/autostart` and add the following line:

    tint2 &

### GNOME 3

In GNOME 3, the Activities view has replaced the bottom panel and taskbar. To use tint2 in its place, run

    $ gnome-session-properties

and add `/usr/bin/tint2` as an application to run on start-up. The next time GNOME starts, tint2 will run automatically.

### Multiple panels

Multiple tint2 panels can be simultaneously running by using executing tint2 with different configuration files:

    tint2 -c <path_to_first_config_file>
    tint2 -c <path_to_second_config_file>

## Enabling transparency

To make tint2 look its best, some form of compositing is required. If your tint2 has a large black rectangular box behind it you are either using a window manager without native compositing (like Openbox) or it is not enabled.

To enable compositing under Openbox you can install Xcompmgr or Cairo Compmgr, the packages are xcompmgr, respectively cairo-compmgrAUR.

Xcompmgr can be started like this:

    $ xcompmgr

You will have to kill and restart tint2 to enable transparency.

If Xcompmgr is used solely to provide tint2 with transparency effects it can be run at boot by changing the autostart section in `~/.config/openbox/autostart` to this:

    # Launch Xcomppmgr and tint2 with openbox
    if which tint2 >/dev/null 2>&1; then
      (sleep 2 && xcompmgr) &
      (sleep 2 && tint2) &
    fi

Various other (better) ways to make Xcompmgr run at startup are discussed in the Openbox article.

### Fullscreen/Overlay

To force tint2 to stay on top of the application(overlay), you need to set the panel_layer option appropriately. This can be helpful when you switch from a fullscreen window to a normal application using Alt-Tab. There is a discussion on this at Crunchbang Forum

     #Panel
     panel_layer = top
     strut_policy = follow_size

### Third Party Extensions

Its also possible to extend tint2 with other applications. To add third party extensions, check the "Pages" section in the Official Wiki link below.

## See Also

- Tint2 Official Wiki

Category:

- Eye candy