Return of the Rant...
This is just a list of things I've done to my DSL frugal install since I've loaded it. I'm far from being an expert so take all that I say with a grain of salt (that's an odd expression. I wonder where it comes from.... I see a Google search in my future....)
Go to The Forums and/or Search for answers to your questions.
Call me Ishmael.
15) One thing I enjoy using my DSL machine for is a music server. There's a great app (or maybe it's just a set of scripts) in the MyDSL...NET section called Edna. Go download it. While you're at it grab Python from the MyDSL...UCI section. You need Python to run Edna. I'm downloading them both into my /opt directory so they will load at boot up. After you download Edna, open emelFM. Check to see if you have a /ramdisk/usr/share/edna directory. If you don't then navigate to where you downloaded Edna and highlight the Edna file. Then click on emelFM's MyDSL button. That should create the /usr/share/edna directory. Go there now.
In the /ramdisk/usr/share/edna directory you should find several files and sub-directories. Open the file called edna.conf
Here is how I changed mine (without a lot of the comment lines)
[server]
port = 8080
template = default_complex.ezt
fileinfo=1
log = -
[acl]
[sources]
dir1 = /mnt/cdrom = MP3 CDROM
dir2 = /mnt/hdc5/MediaFiles = Local MP3's
[extra]
debug_level = 0
days_new = 30
I want to use a template that shows a lot of detail about the mp3's so I picked the default_complex.ezt. My music is stored on the hdc5 partition in the MediaFiles directory. Don't worry about subdirectories, Edna will display them automatically, just point to the highest level directory.
OK, save your edna.conf file and open an xTerminal window. If you plan on accessing the Edna server from another machine you'll need to know the IP address of the machine running the Edna server so do an "ifconfig" command. Look for the eth0 section and then find the inet address within that. Usually something like 192.168.1.103 (this really depends on your network settings, so don't expect to see those exact set of numbers). Copy them down somewhere for later. Now in the xTerminal window type "ednastart". You might see a "DepreciationWarning" message and another message about Org Vorbis something or other but eventually you should see "edna:serving on port 8080". Leave the xTermnal window alone for a while. Don't close it or Control-C out of Edna. Now startup FireFox. When FireFox starts up enter your IP address followed by ":8080". So the URL you enter might look like "http://192.168.1.103:8080" When you hit enter, the address should get resolved and you will see the edna:Streaming MP3 Server startup page with your directory list from the edna.conf file. If that address doesn't work try "http://localhost:8080" and see if that works. That's about all there is to it. You should be able to enter the IPaddress:8080 from any browser on your network and get your music served up to you. To stop edna enter Control-C in the xTerminal window where it is running.
Add the /ramdisk/usr/share/edna.conf to your filetool.lst so it's saved and restored.
16) I think I've been wrong about the /home/dsl/filetool.lst file all through my little talks. It just struck me today that I've been adding things to this file that are in my home/dsl directory. That might be ok if I was using a liveCD but I've got a permanent spot for my home directory. So I think I can take all the home/dsl files out of that list. That will make the backup and restore at shutdown and startup run a lot faster but REMEMBER...YOU ARE NOW RESPONSIBLE FOR BACKING UP YOUR HOME DIRECTORY. So, if you don't think you'll do it then leave the home/dsl in the filetool.lst I may have another revelation about this later so be careful and make backups.
17) Lets add a WM APP. Click the MyDSL icon, goto the WM_APPS section and download wmclock. Open an xTerminal window. Type in "whereis wmclock" and hit enter. Mine returns "wmclock: /usr/bin/wmclock"
There you go, you just learned the Whereis command. It's a neat one that you'll use a lot. But I digress...
Type "wmclock" and hit enter. You should see the clock app running next to your other apps. Enter Control-C and it should go away. Now in the terminal window type "wmclock --help", that's wmclock space dash dash help, hit enter. This shows you all the options you can use with the wmclock program. Enter this "wmclock -12 -led green" and hit enter. Once again control-c to end it. Play around with it see what mix of options you like.
If you want it to start when X starts you'll have to change your "enhance" script. A while back I told you that I put mine in my home directory and called it enhanceDSL. In your home directory view the file called .xinitrc it executes the enhance script. Go into edit on your enhance file and add the lines:
unless ( $vars =~/wmclock/) {
system("wmclock -noblink -led green -12 &>/dev/null &" )
}
right before the "exit;" line. Of course you should use whatever options you want. Save and close your enhance file. Use emelFM to check the permissions on the file and make sure it's executable by others. Then after saving and closing all other apps, do a Control-Alt-Backspace. This shutsdown X. Then do an xinit command to restart it. If you've been very, very good, eaten all your veggies and done everything just right, your wmclock app should start with the rest of the apps. If it dosen't then you've probably entered something incorrectly in your enhance file. I usually mistype the tilde(~) in the "unless" line as a quotation mark(").
Most of the WM_APPS will work like this. Download them, try them out using a xTerminal window, check for options using the --help and then keep them by adding them to the enhance file. If you don't want to keep them then delete the downloaded file.