Fedora :: How To Install GnoMenu

This guide will show you how to install GnoMenu 2.9 on Fedora 12/13, & how to install custom themes for GnoMenu. I will cover the install feature that is built into the software, & the manual install procedure. Because personally I have NEVER been able to get the built-in install feature to work. If it works for you, Great! If not, you can still install manually.

Download & Install GnoMenu 2.9

1.) Visit the Official GnoMenu site and download the latest version of the program. (2.9 at time of writing)

1a.) https://launchpad.net/gnomenu. (notice: This is also a secure site)

1b.) DO NOT download and install this program from any unofficial source.

2.) Open the archive you just downloaded. (gnomenu-2.9.tar.gz)

2a.) Copy the entire folder (gnomenu) from inside the archive, to your /tmp folder.

3.) Open a terminal and run the following commands.

Code:

3a.) This is the actual install process. It should not take very long at all.

4.) After the installation is finished, browse to your /tmp folder and delete the /gnomenu folder. It is no longer needed.

5.) Right-click your panel and select 'add to panel' from the context menu.

5a.) In the "Add to Panel" window select GnoMenu and click the 'Add' button. (as shown)

GnoMenu 2.9 is now installed. So first of all, you should remove the standard 'Menu Bar' from your panel and move the GnoMenu button to the far left of your panel (kinda like the windows start button). You can of course place the button anywhere on the panel. The choice is yours.

Now, lets right-click the GnoMenu button and select 'Properties'. The dialog box that opens lets you choose & install various theme elements, as well as setup all other options and features... Lets take a quick look at the tabs on the Properties dialog before moving on to the manual theme installation procedure.

The 'Themes' Tab.

This tab allows you to select the themes you want to use, & install new themes. The 'themes' are divided into four categories: Menu, Button, Sounds, and Icons. To install a new theme, press the Install button for the type of theme you are installing and select the theme archive you have downloaded. You DO NOT extract the theme files from the archive. I cannot get this method to work so I have included a manual install guide at the bottom of this thread.

The Preferences Tab.

This tab contains a LOT of various settings! You will just have to play around with them and find the setup that works best for you and the theme that your currently using. With some menu themes I like to increase my Icon Size, or use my system icons instead of the theme icons. These options are all personal preference.

The Commands Tab.

This tab allows you to set custom commands for all of the various buttons on the Menu's. Such as Shutdown, Restart, Lock Screen, Help, Search, ect., I suggest leaving these values alone unless you need to change one of them for some specific reason...

GnoMenu 2.9 is now installed and configured. Lets move on to installing a custom theme...

Manual Installation for Custom Themes.

If your built-in install feature works as well as mine does, then you will have to manually install all of the themes that you download. In order to do that you must copy files into a directory that needs Root access!! We could Log in as Root, but this is not very safe, and it would be very inconvenient. So we are going to make a Launcher that will open a new instance of Nautilus with Root permissions. When you close that instance of Nautilus the Root permissions will no longer be active. So this makes it easy to access directories that need Root permissions, & it does not create a security issue...

1.) Download a custom GnoMenu theme...

1b.)Download: 'Carbon' Menu Theme (carbon.tar.gz) - I uploaded this file - Find more @ gnome-look.org

2.) Create a new Launcher on your Desktop.
2a.) In the 'Type' box select 'Application in Terminal'.
2b.) In the 'Name' box type 'Browse Files as Root'. (or anything you want)
2c.) In the 'Command' box type: sudo 'nautilus'
2d.) Leave the 'Comments' box empty... and click 'OK'

3.) Extract the 'Carbon' folder from the archive you just downloaded. (carbon.tar.gz) unto your Desktop

3a.) Dbl-Click on your new Launcher and open Nautilus with Root permissions. (You may or may not be prompter to enter a password. Depending on how you have SUDO configured on your machine)

3b.) Inside Nautilus copy the entire 'Carbon' folder from your Desktop and paste it into the following location:
/usr/share/gnomenu/Themes/Menu

Your Custom Theme has now been installed and you can set it to be used by entering the GnoMenu properties and selecting it on the 'Theme Tab'. You can download hundereds of different Menu, Button, Icon, and Sound themes for GnoMenu by visiting the GnoMenu Theme Area at: www.GNOME-LOOK.org

NOTICE: each type of theme has it's own folder that it has to be installed into, or it will not work at all. Here is a list of the correct directories..

Menu Themes: