PupApps-1.2

Recommended OS
Puppy Linux 4.3.1 and above

Purpose and Base Features
PupApps Launcher is a graphical panel which permits menu-like access to most Puppy programs (applications), and is similar to the companion program, PupControl Panel, which permits access to more than sixty Puppy control functions. PupApps is a standalone program but will integrate seamlessly with PupControl here (all versions), PupShutdown here (version 1.4 or greater), PupClockset here, and PupSnap here . The tab interface of PupApps sorts programs and utilities into six broad categories, and common functions that one may use routinely are available in the lower panel tray. The optimal display for the panel GUI is automatically configured based on the active window manager and current global screen dpi.

Caveats
1 - When first installed, the PupApps GUI displays applications that are standard in most Puppy versions. Additional applications may be selected in Preferences (Pref) in the lower tray. If a desired application is not listed, you can enter the name of the executable, including the path and switches if needed, then select Save to set your new option.

2 - The category icons in the main GUI, and program options in the Preferences drop-down lists, change dynamically as applications are installed and uninstalled. After uninstalling an application, the name of that program remains in the Preferences drop-down list until you select and save a different application in that category. If only one application remains in a drop-down list and you wish to remove it, simply highlight that name with the mouse cursor and click the delete key on your keyboard, then select Save in Preferences.

3 - Program access is by Puppy Menu->Utility->PupApps, or by the default Ctrl+Shift+A keyboard shortcut, which is configured for IceWm, JWM, Openbox, Fluxbox, LXDE and LXPanel. If the Xfce window manager is currently active, the hotkey can be set manually as follows: Xfce Settings->Keyboard->Application Shortcuts.

4 - PupApps auto-configures many panel options based on the name of the current window manager logged in /etc/windowmanager. Puppy will update this file automatically when starting a new window manager from the command prompt, but some programs that change the window manager in real time may fail to update properly. Consequently, when changing to a different window manager, if PupApps does not display properly, or command functions are inoperative, please exit to the command prompt and type in the appropriate start command such as xwin icewm, or xwin jwm, or xwin lxsession, or xwin startxfce4.


5 - The GUI of PupApps-1.2 supports screen fonts as large as 108 dpi in standard Puppy derivatives, and up to 144 dpi in both Fluppy and Lighthouse Pup, in 6-dpi increments only. The GUI no longer supports the font metrics of early developmental releases of Fluppy (1-9), but does support the new font metrics of Fluppy 10, 11...


Roger D. Grider, Copyright 2011 GPL3