Configuring antiX Linux

I use antiX Linux M8.2 for out-of-the-box compatibility with a certain wireless card used by a group that I belong to. This particular wireless card does not work with version M8.5.

Changing the Time

The default time display is Eastern Standard Time. To change the time, go to Control Panel -> Hardware -> Set Date and Time

Changing the Theme

I don't like the default theme, because it's hard to see which button at the upper right corner of the window is for closing the window, maximizing the window, or collapsing the window.

To change the theme to something more readable, go to Main Menu -> Settings -> Themes -> IceClearlooks.

Removing Conky

The Conky display appears in the upper left corner of the desktop and shows information like the date, time, CPU usage, RAM usage, swap space usage, and hard drive partition usage. Unfortunately, the upper panel created when you start the ROX Pinboard desktop blocks the Conky display. Thus, if you wish to use the Rox Pinboard, having Conky run is pointless.

To turn off the Conky display, go to Main Menu -> Desktop -> Conky on/off. To reactivate Conky, go to Main Menu -> Desktop -> Conky on/off.

Adding the Rox Pinboard Desktop Environment

The Rox Pinboard Desktop Environment is necessary for displaying shortcuts to applications and directories on your desktop.

To add the Rox Pinboard Desktop Environment, go to antiX main menu -> Desktop -> Alternatives -> RoxPinboard on/off. Any desktop environment, including this one, allows you to place icons on the screen. To remove Rox Pinboard, repeat this step.
To place icons on the Rox Pinboard screen, drag the folder or application you wish to access easily onto the desktop.
To automatically launch Rox Pinboard every time you start up antiX with IceWM, go to the file /home/(username)/.icewm/startup and delete the "#" at the beginning of the line that starts with "#rox".
To suppress the Conky display (which is not visible when the Rox Pinboard is in use)every time you start up antiX with IceWM, go to the file /home/(username)/.icewm/startup and add a "#" to the line that starts with "conky".

Removing the Rox Pinboard Background

The default Rox Pinboard background is OK in version M8.2. The one in version M8.5 makes the icons on the screen difficult to read. Thus, I prefer to disable the background and just have a plain gray background. It's not pretty or cool, but it is functional. (You can add wallpaper later if you wish.)

Go to the directory /home/(username)/Rox/ and click on the Wallpaper icon.
Go to the Advanced tab. Remove the command (which starts with "xearth".
Click on the Activate Advanced Mode button. The Rox Pinboard background is now a plain gray.

Deleting the Unwanted Rox Pinboard Background

You may find that you have two different Rox Pinboards, one with a shortcut to your /home/(username) directory and one with shortcuts to various applications. Both of these Rox Pinboards are in files whose names start with "pb" and are located in the directory /home/(username)/.config/rox.sourceforge.net/ROX-Filer . Delete the "pb" file pertaining to the unwanted Rox Pinboard and leave the other in place.

Adding Shortcuts to the Rox Pinboard

Drag a file or directory to the desktop in order to create a shortcut to it.
The shortcuts to your applications are in the directory /usr/share/applications .

Speeding Up Bootup

Click on the Terminal icon at the bottom of the screen.
Enter the command "su" to become root. Enter your password when prompted.
As root, enter the command "dpkg-reconfigure insserv". This enables the dependency-based boot sequence, which is faster than the default boot sequence.
Enter the command "exit" to log out of root. Enter the command "exit" again to exit the Terminal window.

Synaptic

Opening Synaptic

antiX main menu -> Applications -> Applications -> System -> Package Management -> Synaptic Package Manager

Adding/subtracting Repositories

Go to Settings -> Repositories and select/deselect the repositories in the list.
Click on the Reload button to implement the change in the repositories.
If you do NOT complete these steps, Synaptic will ONLY show the software packages that have been already installed.
If you get an error message telling you that Dynamic MMap ran out of room and that you need to increase the value of APT::Cache-Limit, open a Terminal window. Enter "su" (and your password when prompted) to become root. Enter "pcmanfm", edit the file /etc/apt/apt.conf, and increase the value of APT::Cache-Limit.

Adding Software

After loading the appropriate repositories, select a package, right-click it, and select "Mark for Installation"
When you are back in the main Synaptic screen, click on the Apply button. Follow the instructions you are given.

Blocking Flash and Scripts

The web has bad Flash animations and scripts that can cause your computer to freeze up. Even a computer, browser, and OS that are normally quick as lightning can slow to a crawl as a result of Flash or scripts gone awry. This is why you should NOT have Flash and scripts run by default. You should add software that by default blocks Flash and scripts but gives you the option of enabling them. Thus, you choose which Flash animations and scripts you want executed and bypass the rest.

Open Synaptic and install the packages xul-ext-noscript and xul-ext-flashblock, which are compatible with the Iceweasel web browser (the default for antiX Linux M8.2). Now you have removed the speed bumps of the Information Superhighway without removing your access to the Flash animations and scripts you WANT executed.

In my opinion, ALL Linux distros should have Flash-blocking and script-blocking included and enabled for the default web browser. These programs use FAR less processor power and memory than a Flash animation or script gone awry.

Printing

NOTE: This procedure is specific to the Brother MFC-240C printer. The Brother web site contains the necessary drivers and installation procedures for other Brother printers.

Turn on the printer and connect it to the computer.
Open a shell window and enter "su". When prompted, enter the root password. This gives you the root privileges needed to perform the tasks required.
Enter "mkdir /var/spool/lpd". This creates the directory /var/spool/lpd . If you skip this step, the printer drivers will not be properly installed. (Remember that we're not using Debian.)
Enter "mkdir /usr/share/cups/model". This creates the directory /usr/share/cups/model . Again, if you skip this step, the printer drivers will not be properly installed. (Again, remember that we're not using Debian.)
Go to http://welcome.solutions.brother.com/bsc/public_s/id/linux/en/download_prn.html#MFC-240C to download the deb (Debian) versions of the LPR and cupswrapper drivers. The filenames of these drivers are mfc240clpr-1.0.1-1.i386.deb and mfc240ccupswrapper-1.0.1-1.i386.deb, respectively. The instructions for installing these drivers are at http://welcome.solutions.brother.com/bsc/public_s/id/linux/en/instruction_prn1a.html .
In the shell window with root privileges, go to the directory containing the LPR and cupswrapper drivers you just downloaded.
Enter the command "dpkg -i --force-all mfc240clpr-1.0.1-1.i386.deb". (You may abbreviate the filename as *lpr* if no other files in the directory fit that description.)
Enter the command "dpkg -i --force-all mfc240ccupswrapper-1.0.1-1.i386.deb". (You may abbreviate the filename as *cupswrapper* if no other files in the directory fit that description.)
Your printer should now work. For more details on your printer setup, open a browser window and go to address localhost:631 .

Adjusting Gamma

If your computer's colors seem off, you can correct this by adjusting the gamma values for red, green, and blue.

Go to http://links.twibright.com/calibration.html for the gamma adjustment web page.
Open a shell window.
What you need to do now is adjust the gamma values in the shell window until the colors of the left and right halves of the red, green, and blue sections in the gamma adjustment web page are the same color.
Enter "xgamma" in the shell window to see the current red, green, and blue gamma values.
To adjust the red gamma value, enter "xgamma -r (new value)". Continue adjusting the red gamma value until the two halves of the red section on the gamma adjustment web page appear the same color from a distance.
To adjust the green gamma value, enter "xgamma -g (new value)". Continue adjusting the green gamma value until the two halves of the green section on the gamma adjustment web page appear the same color from a distance.
To adjust the blue gamma value, enter "xgamma -b (new value)". Continue adjusting the blue gamma value until the two halves of the blue section on the gamma adjustment web page appear the same color from a distance.
Enter "xgamma" to see the corrected red, green, and blue gamma values.
To automatically correct the gamma value every time you start up antiX with IceWM, change the startup configuration. At the end of the file /home/(username)/.icewm/startup , add the following command:
xgamma -rgamma (corrected red value) -ggamma (corrected green value) -bgamma (corrected blue value) &