---
title: "Openbox Challenge - Day 1"
url: https://perrotta.dev/2013/10/openbox-challenge-day-1/
last_updated: 2026-03-07
---


**Note:** I am sorry but the openbox repository I created for this challenge
doesn't exist anymore. But you can still read the challenge, there is some
relevant information out there.

I chose to start this new 'challenges' column with the openbox window manager.
I'm not sure if I will continue this project, but I'll try to. Also, you'll
notice I'm writing all of my posts in English, from now on. So, this will be
both a big review and an opportunity to describe how pleasant – or painful – a
life with this WM can be.

For starters, I got a completely blank screen. Hum... I'm likely in the right
way. A quick right click in the darkness shows the classic openbox menu. It is
very similar to the fluxbox one which I'm used to.

The first thing I did was to install the **tint2** panel. It is really simple
and fits well with the openbox philosophy and look & feel. The first thing I did
later was to open the **tint2conf** program, then added the battery indicator to
the tint panel.

My startup programs I'm used to simply don't start automagically anymore. I'll
have to figure out how to add them to the openbox startup file (this is pretty
easy, I guess, but I'll do it tomorrow).

I've launched a **Konsole** window from the menu (because this was the only
terminal emulator in the list that I had installed). Usually I launch
**lxterminal**, but it wasn't there (not yet). From there, I've used **fbrun**
(from Fluxbox) to launch some utilities, like firefox, netbeans and other stuff
I'm using now. I've got myself comfortable in this process. I have so much to
work (and figure) out there, but I think I'll like openbox.

## Tomorrow plans

- Customize my startup file
- Customize the wallpaper (because a completely black one sucks)
- Apply my GTK themes to openbox (or find a new one)