The New Linux User
Avant Window Navigator
(commonly known as the AWN dock)
What it is:
Avant Window Navigator (referred to as AWN) is an open-source navigation bar (called a dock) that can take the place of taskbars and panels. Here is just a sample of what an AWN dock can look like. AWN can be themed and the settings changed in a vast number of ways to get a look you desire. It's positioned on the bottom of the screen.
How do I get it?
- Open your package manager, whether you are trying out APT or using Synaptic Package Manager (which is a lot easier for the newb) and search "awn" or "avant." The results of the search should give you two or three choices: avant-window-navigator (required), awn-manager (required) and awn-core-applets or awn-applets-trunk (these two are optional but if they are presented you will want them). Right click on the checkbox next to avant-window-navigator first. It should list the rest as dependencies or with the package.
- Right-click on the checkbox next to the listings (if they weren't automatically added) and click on "mark for installation."
- Click on apply.
- The changes will be applied. When Synaptic is finished (or APT if you used it) close it out and then click on your main menu.
- Depending on how your menu is set up (mine has an "all" heading so I can just scroll down the list) scroll until you find two listings: AWN manager and Avant Window Navigator. For first time use, open the AWN manager first and explore your options. Additionally, for me, AWN is listed in the Gnome Accessories menu.
Here's a picture of TWO separate AWN manager windows. The one on the left shows some of the general options and the one on the right shows the list of themes I have installed (there are many theme options; one place to get them is at opendesktop.org using the search box and "awn.")
Once you are done feeling your way around the awn manager, it's time to open your dock!
Go back to your menu list and open Avant-Window-Navigator. Your shiny new dock will poof up on the bottom of the screen. Unfortunately, it won't fill itself with icons! Now we have to create "launchers," the icons that will start your applications. You can either open the awn manager from your menu again or you can right-click on the very edge of the dock to open the awn-manager (it is tricky to get just the right spot!) Then there are 3 ways you can add icons/launchers to the dock.
First option you can try:
This may or may not work for you. I have had some successes and some failures at putting icons in the dock this way but feel free to try this first as it is easier. Open your menu and scroll down to an application you want on your dock (think of it as a place to quickly launch your favorite applications) like Firefox for example. Drag the Firefox selection from your menu down into your dock. If it works, great!! Just repeat until you have all your favorite applications in there. If this didn't work for you for some reason, read on!
Second option you can try:
Open your file manager (Nautilus, Thunar or Konqueror probably) and find "file system" or your computer icon on your desktop if you have one there. (Not in your home folder!!) From there navigate to /usr/share/applications. From there you can drag icons to the dock just as you did (or tried to do) from the main menu. That is the other drag n drop option. Now if your choices aren't there or this doesn't work for whatever reason, read on!
Third option (requires commands--don't worry!)
Click the tab on the left that says Launchers. This will take you to the launchers screen where it will say launcher preferences add and remove launchers. There are add/remove/edit buttons on the right side. Click the "add" option!
A launcher editor pops up. There will be options for name, description and the all important command. Here is an example using Firefox:
Go back to your menu list and open Avant-Window-Navigator. Your shiny new dock will poof up on the bottom of the screen. Unfortunately, it won't fill itself with icons! Now we have to create "launchers," the icons that will start your applications. You can either open the awn manager from your menu again or you can right-click on the very edge of the dock to open the awn-manager (it is tricky to get just the right spot!) Then there are 3 ways you can add icons/launchers to the dock.
First option you can try:
This may or may not work for you. I have had some successes and some failures at putting icons in the dock this way but feel free to try this first as it is easier. Open your menu and scroll down to an application you want on your dock (think of it as a place to quickly launch your favorite applications) like Firefox for example. Drag the Firefox selection from your menu down into your dock. If it works, great!! Just repeat until you have all your favorite applications in there. If this didn't work for you for some reason, read on!
Second option you can try:
Open your file manager (Nautilus, Thunar or Konqueror probably) and find "file system" or your computer icon on your desktop if you have one there. (Not in your home folder!!) From there navigate to /usr/share/applications. From there you can drag icons to the dock just as you did (or tried to do) from the main menu. That is the other drag n drop option. Now if your choices aren't there or this doesn't work for whatever reason, read on!
Third option (requires commands--don't worry!)
Click the tab on the left that says Launchers. This will take you to the launchers screen where it will say launcher preferences add and remove launchers. There are add/remove/edit buttons on the right side. Click the "add" option!
A launcher editor pops up. There will be options for name, description and the all important command. Here is an example using Firefox:
All you have to do is make yours say what mine does. In case it's hard to see, the command itself is simply "firefox" (no quotes)
As for the icon--mine has a firefox icon there already but yours may have just a blue square or nothing at all. If you have no icon and you want one, click on the icon square (where the firefox icon is in the pic)
A window will pop up called Select Icon. It has 2 choices, Stock/In Theme and Custom (which is already ticked on mine) The directory should say your home folder name. For now, tick the Stock/In Theme choice. Give it a moment to load and a long list of icons will pop up..just scroll down until you find the firefox icon, single click on it and choose okay. The icon will now be on the launcher and will now show up on the dock.
As for the icon--mine has a firefox icon there already but yours may have just a blue square or nothing at all. If you have no icon and you want one, click on the icon square (where the firefox icon is in the pic)
A window will pop up called Select Icon. It has 2 choices, Stock/In Theme and Custom (which is already ticked on mine) The directory should say your home folder name. For now, tick the Stock/In Theme choice. Give it a moment to load and a long list of icons will pop up..just scroll down until you find the firefox icon, single click on it and choose okay. The icon will now be on the launcher and will now show up on the dock.
Things you might want for your dock.
1. Home Folder Launcher
- 1. Using the Awn manager again, go back to the launchers tab.
- 2. Choose the add button on the right. When the launch editor pops up, enter the following into the editor:
Name: (either home folder, home or whatever you want to name it
Description: (I usually don't bother; if you put anything here it will show up on mouse-over)
Command: nautilus --no-desktop (nautilus space dash dash no dash desktop) So as not to mistake how to type that in, there is only one space in the command, right after the word nautilus. Yes, it's a weird one. Now you have your home folder launcher!!!!
Description: (I usually don't bother; if you put anything here it will show up on mouse-over)
Command: nautilus --no-desktop (nautilus space dash dash no dash desktop) So as not to mistake how to type that in, there is only one space in the command, right after the word nautilus. Yes, it's a weird one. Now you have your home folder launcher!!!!
2. AWN applets--This is ONLY if you do not have the applets package listed in the repository on your package manager!!
The AWN dock is great to have, even without the extra applets...that having been said, the applets are great to have! So how do you get them if they aren't in the list on Synaptic or APT? Here goes!
THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE ONLY FOR UBUNTU LINUX (THEY WORK FOR LINUX MINT ALSO)
This is a picture showing the next steps.
The AWN dock is great to have, even without the extra applets...that having been said, the applets are great to have! So how do you get them if they aren't in the list on Synaptic or APT? Here goes!
THESE INSTRUCTIONS ARE ONLY FOR UBUNTU LINUX (THEY WORK FOR LINUX MINT ALSO)
This is a picture showing the next steps.
- Open a terminal..(eek! the command line!....don't worry, I wouldn't explain it if I hadn't personally done this!)
- TYPE in the following, which will be on two separate lines (don't copy and paste!)
(Sudo makes you super user, gedit is a text editor --you might need to replace gedit with something else if you use another text editor-- and the rest is the location of the sources list, which is a list of places that your distro gets its packages from)
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/awn-testing/ubuntu hardy main
(if you have a version other than hardy (as in hardy heron), replace only the word hardy with the word jaunty, intrepid, gutsy, edgy or feisty for previous Ubuntu versions)
