Aqua-Soft ForumsI'm in need of a shell replacement for Windows XP Home. I'm using Sphere XP right now, but its kind of Beta still, so I dont exactly want to have to depend on it. Can any of you guys recommend a good shell replacement for me? If possible I would like it to be free, and kind of easy on the video card. (I have an onboard Geforce 4 MX)
[help] Trying To Find A Shell Replacement...
I'm using bblean, (blackbox for windows), and the coolest thing about it is that I'm able to load up objectbar, windowblinds, objectdock, and a bunch of samurize configs...all on startup and my system is running great! Plus I have virtual desktops.
read these:
http://shellcity.net/cgi-bin/DB_Search/db_...rch=yes&topic=A
depends what you're looking for. sharpe, carbon, and geoshell are easy to set up. bb4win and bblean are slightly more difficult. litestep is very flexible, but there's a learning curve.
Aston maybe? It's really good, imho.
I´m using litestep, is very very flexible and today is a very advanced shell, the only thing is that you have to mess with tons of docs to make something, but there is a great installer, **lots** of themes in litestep.net (even OSX like) and almost all of them comes in a format called ots2, that make things very easy.
haha, back in the '95 days I tried Litestep, and was a bit of an idiot, and installed it to my own directory I wanted it in, but the installer looked for it in the root when I rebooted, and I lost Windows... Not a fun experience. I trust Litestep has gotten better about that? And another question, I can just put the shell replacement in effect for my profile right? There are some other family members around here that might have a problem with a different shell...
im using blackbox too, works awsome. Very smoothe, has nice eyecandy, and very flexable.
I've been digging bbLean for about two months now. If you don't mind editing text files (I love it), the shell is quite small and fast.
edit: actually, there have been a lot of plugin releases that free you from editing the files directly in many cases.
Loose-Screws.com Forums: a lot of info for a few shells, including the Blackbox family.
Litestep for me... it's a great shell. been using for quite some time now and haven't had any problems what so ever. May have a learning curve when creating your own themes... but very flexible and it's fairly simple to pick up when it comes to what settings u want to fix.
BBwin isn't that bad... it also is good as well... it depends mostly on preference.
if you look at litestep... and need some help let me know i'll try to help if i can. just pm.
Litestep is good... But liteste.net is not allowing me to login. Pretty sad as I like those themes listed there 
For some reason I cant get any of my themes to install. they're all the OTS2 (think that's the name) format, but the installer gives me a different error each time. Where can I put the files manually?
Quick question, what's the difference between bblean and bb4win? I know they're both Blackbox type shells, but what's the diff?
bblean is made to be slimmer and more efficient: http://shell-shocked.org/article.php?id=247
for some reason I can't get bb4win to install. My DOS prompt thing for XP isn't working. Can I install it using DOSbox? Or is there a windows based installer for it? sorry to be so troublesome with this...
The zip file for BB4win included a .bat file that should run the command for you. Otherwise, you can still use the Run box to execute the command "blackbox.exe -install"
does it actually do anything cool to switch out to a new shell? i'm afraid of screwing up my system by modding it in THAT way. the most ill do is install uxtheme.dll
Originally posted by noefexx@Jun 30 2004, 11:57 PMdoes it actually do anything cool to switch out to a new shell? i'm afraid of screwing up my system by modding it in THAT way. the most ill do is install uxtheme.dll
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different shells offer different features. some shells are more flexible than explorer. others are leaner, faster, prettier, etc. they do things explorer doesn't do. if you're not careful, you may screw up your system, but if you read the documentation and actually understand what you're doing, shells can be fun.
Originally posted by frease@Jun 26 2004, 06:49 AMLitestep is good... But liteste.net is not allowing me to login. Pretty sad as I like those themes listed there
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If you check out Customize.org you'd be able to see most of the themes found at Ls.net
Rapchee wrote here:
kill explorer good yeah!i use litestep, and i recommend it muchly
there is a dist.ru compatible mac-theme (from system 7 to osx panther included), but it hase a really lame docklet emulation-kinda thingy, so you have to remove it
maybe i should post my config?
so
latest dist.ru themes, last one is the newest osx package
http://www.lite-step.ru/download.php?list.4
and dist.ru installation package:
http://www.lite-step.ru/download.php?view.11
or:
http://www.ls-universe.info/download.php?view.3
note: it works _only_ with totally dist.ru compatible ls configs, so if you have another package, id recommend installing dist as well, it wont mess things up (i mean, of course, if you put it in a different location, than your other litestep)
Now I've been experimenting with Litestep for the first time using the OS X theme above.
It is F A S T...impressive. Much more responsive than Explorer.exe.
When I try to disable the included dock (because I want to keep using RKLAuncher), the theme crashes and screws up so much I have to re-install the OS X theme.
What should I do to remove the dock from this theme properly?
Is there a Finderbar (instead of Objectbar or MCbar) for Litestep I can use?
Now I've been experimenting with Litestep for the first time using the OS X theme above.It is F A S T...impressive. Much more responsive than Explorer.exe.
When I try to disable the included dock (because I want to keep using RKLAuncher), the theme crashes and screws up so much I have to re-install the OS X theme.
sorry, i didnt try the newest release, just yesterday, the old one didnt include the faulty 'disable dock' function
it crashed for me too
What should I do to remove the dock from this theme properly?
actually i've been just ripping out all the parts that refer to the dock *chainsaws*
kinda butchers work, but its affective
comment out the lines about dock in theme.rc
it's not as dangerous as it sounds
well, if you are cautious
have a commander (or other useful file manager) in the background
if you mess up litestep badly, quit litestep, edit the litestepthemesthemeselect.rc file to refer to a valid theme, then just restart ls. theres no way you 'loose windows' because of ls, you only loose the shell
btw, you can start explorer.exe anytime if you hit ctrl+alt+del, then start new task (i dont know how is it in english windows, i use hungarian)
and for those, who'd be new litestep users: don't _ever_ put litestep in program files, or to a location, that includes space, or too much characters, since windows can't hande it
best is to have it in the root dir, maybe windows
im not so sure about the finderbar part, but litestep's menus' are fully customizeable
check litesteppersonalpopup.rc
or maybe this should be the answer?
@rapchee: Thanks for the reply.
sorry, i didnt try the newest release, just yesterday, the old one didnt include the faulty 'disable dock' function it crashed for me too
Maybe a new version will include a working disable dock option?
actually i've been just ripping out all the parts that refer to the dock *chainsaws* kinda butchers work, but its affective comment out the lines about dock in theme.rc
Could you add your theme.rc as an attachment or mail me to wiebeest's e-mail , for me to use as a replacement, or wouldn't that simply work?
if you mess up litestep badly, quit litestep, edit the litestepthemesthemeselect.rc file to refer to a valid theme, then just restart ls. theres no way you 'loose windows' because of ls, you only loose the shell
I found out allready by screwing the OS X theme by disabling the dock.
Re-installing theme worked fine...though irritating dock is back again also.
btw, you can start explorer.exe anytime if you hit ctrl+alt+del, then start new task (i dont know how is it in english windows, i use hungarian)
It's file-->new task explorer.exe
im not so sure about the finderbar part, but litestep's menus' are fully customizeable check litesteppersonalpopup.rc or maybe this should be the answer?
This popup.rc file looks complex beyond my comprehension.
The finderbar should replace the active windows' menu. Like Objectbar can do. I just wondered if Litestep can do too...
