Openbox / compositor installation guide

[ali001]

Hi, Could anyone advise on how to install Openbox on Centos 7 from a minimal installation?

I'm trying to do this to create a super minimal desktop for running VfX applications. I have used Xfce in the past but would like to avoid this mainly so the os has nothing unnecessary and all extra applications will be specific and hand-picked. Also to avoid user distractions and keep the OS as barebones as possible.

Centos7 has been chosen as OS as the VFX dcc applications i'll be relying on recommend centos/rhel as the OS.

I have also been advised I'll need a compositor too.. Compton?

Im having a few issues.

There are a few things Yum doesn't seem to have.. obconf.. obmenu.. compton..

It would be great to get a step-by-step guide and to even know if this is even advisable.

[pjsr2]

Openbox is available in the Epel repository. Add Epel with

Code: Select all

sudo yum install epel-release

Then you can use yum to install the various openbox packages.

[ali001]

hi I did install epel
however obmenu and obconf can not be found when trying to yum install them, unless they come with openbox in yum? same for compton

[pjsr2]

There is a package obconf-qt-l10n. Can't find obmenu though.

Is it smart to try this with VFX/dcc project on CentOS7 with openbox?
CentOS7 is starting to show its age. VFX uses a toolchain that is ahead of CentOS7.
Also openbox as a project seams a bit quiet for the last couple of years.

[ali001]

mmmm ok,

I think I'm going to have to start looking into centos9 for this tbf
I think I'm living in the past and have only just realised Centos7 is EOL next year

Two proprietary applications I'll be relying on are Autodesk Maya and The Foundry's Nuke, both historically have always recommended Centos7 though
Nuke still recomending Centos7 Maya i believe 8 but 8 is also eol next year.

What OS would you recommend?,. I've always used it as my preferred Linux distro, for the reasons already mentioned, industry wide recommended distro and ontop of that the option to easily go RHEL if support is needed. I'm also very comfortable with centos and its always just worked especially with my servers..

Openbox - from my research keeps being recommended again and again as most people's preferred stacking window manager. stacking is a must here, tiling will not cut it and be very frowned upon for vfx artists who are just used to dragging windows around with a mouse. A compositor is also a must apparently. I'm pretty new to the world of window managers without a full desktop environment so very open to advice here also.
Any alternatives?

[tunk]

Sorry, there's no CentOS 9 (nor 8).
There is CentOS 9 Stream, which is a rolling pre-release (aka. beta) of the next RHEL point release.
You could take a look at some of the rebuilds/clones of RHEL like Rocky, Alma, OEL etc.

[TrevorH]

CentOS Stream 8 is EOL next year but RHEL 8 and all its clones (Rocky/Alma/OEL) are not and will continue until 2029. CentOS Linux 8 is already EOL.

[ali001]

thanks gonna look into rocky seems to be what the VFX reference platform are pushing folks to use,
also most of my commands / scripts seem to work without much change just swapping yum for dnf

https://vfxplatform.com/linux/

[TrevorH]

yum is already an alias to dnf so you don't need to retrain your fingers...

[ali001]

even better!