Wait, can't I do that already?
Yes, yes you can. But I am talking about the stuff on the left side. This thread contains what I believe are improvements over the default MATE menu to afford users more customization and convenience when using Ubuntu MATE.
Below, for the time being are only changes I made to system_management.py, which have have the following options:
- Package Manager
- Control Centre
- Terminal
- Lock Screen
- Logout
- Quit
If you're coming from Linux Mint, you'll notice Software Manager is missing, and if you look in the code, Software Manager is ripped out completely. I've tried before adding it back into the code, sadly this wasn't an option for a novice like me. The replacement content below will alter the following;
- Package Manager
- Supersede Synaptic with Ubuntu Software Centre Open Synaptic
- Terminal
- Use default X terminal as defined via update-alternatives
- Lock Screen
- Use XDG Utils for screensaver
Copy the below and paste it into system_management.py, optionally copy it as superuser with a different name to revert back just in case you don't like the changes below;
# -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
# Copyright (C) 2007-2014 Clement Lefebvre <[email protected]>
# Copyright (C) 2015 Martin Wimpress <[email protected]>
#
# This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify
# it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
# the Free Software Foundation; either version 2 of the License, or
# (at your option) any later version.
#
# This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
# but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
# MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the
# GNU General Public License for more details.
#
# You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
# along with this program; if not, write to the
# Free Software Foundation, Inc.,
# 51 Franklin St, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA 02110-1301, USA.
import gettext
import gi
import os
gi.require_version("Gtk", "2.0")
from gi.repository import Gtk
from mate_menu.easybuttons import *
from mate_menu.execute import Execute
from mate_menu.easygsettings import EasyGSettings
# i18n
gettext.install("mate-menu", "/usr/share/locale")
class pluginclass( object ):
def __init__(self, mateMenuWin, toggleButton):
self.mateMenuWin = mateMenuWin
self.toggleButton = toggleButton
self.builder = Gtk.Builder()
self.builder.add_from_file( os.path.join( '/', 'usr', 'share', 'mate-menu', 'plugins', 'system_management.glade' ))
self.systemBtnHolder = self.builder.get_object( "system_button_holder" )
self.editableBtnHolder = self.builder.get_object( "editable_button_holder" )
self.scrolledWindow = self.builder.get_object( "scrolledwindow2" )
# These properties are NECESSARY to maintain consistency
# Set 'window' property for the plugin (Must be the root widget)
self.window = self.builder.get_object( "mainWindow" )
# Set 'heading' property for plugin
self.heading = _("System")
# This should be the first item added to the window in glade
self.content_holder = self.builder.get_object( "System" )
# Items to get custom colors
self.itemstocolor = [ self.builder.get_object( "viewport2" ) ]
# Gconf stuff
self.settings = EasyGSettings( "org.mate.mate-menu.plugins.system_management" )
self.settings.notifyAdd( "icon-size", self.RegenPlugin )
self.settings.notifyAdd( "show-control-center", self.RegenPlugin )
self.settings.notifyAdd( "show-lock-screen", self.RegenPlugin )
self.settings.notifyAdd( "show-logout", self.RegenPlugin )
self.settings.notifyAdd( "show-package-manager", self.RegenPlugin )
self.settings.notifyAdd( "show-terminal", self.RegenPlugin )
self.settings.notifyAdd( "show-quit", self.RegenPlugin )
self.settings.notifyAdd( "allow-scrollbar", self.RegenPlugin )
self.settings.notifyAdd( "height", self.changePluginSize )
self.settings.notifyAdd( "width", self.changePluginSize )
self.settings.bindGSettingsEntryToVar( "bool", "sticky", self, "sticky" )
self.GetGSettingsEntries()
self.content_holder.set_size_request( self.width, self.height )
def destroy( self ):
self.settings.notifyRemoveAll()
def wake (self) :
pass
def changePluginSize( self, settings, key, args ):
self.allowScrollbar = self.settings.get( "bool", "allow-scrollbar")
if key == "width":
self.width = settings.get_int(key)
elif key == "height":
if (self.allowScrollbar == False):
self.height = -1
self.scrolledWindow.set_policy( Gtk.PolicyType.AUTOMATIC, Gtk.PolicyType.NEVER )
else:
self.scrolledWindow.set_policy( Gtk.PolicyType.AUTOMATIC, Gtk.PolicyType.AUTOMATIC )
self.height = settings.get_int(key)
self.content_holder.set_size_request( self.width, self.height )
def RegenPlugin( self, *args, **kargs ):
self.GetGSettingsEntries()
self.ClearAll()
self.do_standard_items()
def GetGSettingsEntries( self ):
self.width = self.settings.get( "int", "width")
self.allowScrollbar = self.settings.get( "bool", "allow-scrollbar")
self.scrolledWindow.set_policy( Gtk.PolicyType.AUTOMATIC, Gtk.PolicyType.AUTOMATIC )
self.height = self.settings.get( "int", "height")
self.content_holder.set_size_request( self.width, self.height )
if (self.allowScrollbar == False):
self.height = -1
self.scrolledWindow.set_policy( Gtk.PolicyType.AUTOMATIC, Gtk.PolicyType.NEVER )
self.content_holder.set_size_request( self.width, self.height )
self.iconsize = self.settings.get( "int","icon-size")
# Check toggles
self.showPackageManager = self.settings.get( "bool", "show-package-manager")
self.showControlCenter = self.settings.get( "bool", "show-control-center")
self.showTerminal = self.settings.get( "bool", "show-terminal")
self.showLockScreen = self.settings.get( "bool", "show-lock-screen")
self.showLogout = self.settings.get( "bool", "show-logout")
self.showQuit = self.settings.get( "bool", "show-quit")
# Plugin icon
self.icon = self.settings.get( "string", "icon" )
# Allow plugin to be minimized to the left plugin pane
self.sticky = self.settings.get( "bool", "sticky")
self.minimized = self.settings.get( "bool", "minimized")
def ClearAll(self):
for child in self.systemBtnHolder.get_children():
child.destroy()
for child in self.editableBtnHolder.get_children():
child.destroy()
#Add standard items
def do_standard_items( self ):
if ( self.showPackageManager == True ):
Button2 = easyButton("synaptic", self.iconsize, [_("Package Manager")], -1, -1 )
Button2.connect( "clicked", self.ButtonClicked, "/usr/bin/synaptic-pkexec" )
Button2.show()
self.systemBtnHolder.pack_start( Button2, False, False, 0 )
self.mateMenuWin.setTooltip( Button2, _("Install, remove and upgrade software packages") )
if ( self.showControlCenter == True ):
Button3 = easyButton( "gtk-preferences", self.iconsize, [_("Control Center")], -1, -1 )
Button3.connect( "clicked", self.ButtonClicked, "mate-control-center" )
Button3.show()
self.systemBtnHolder.pack_start( Button3, False, False, 0 )
self.mateMenuWin.setTooltip( Button3, _("Configure your system") )
if ( self.showTerminal == True ):
Button4 = easyButton( "terminal", self.iconsize, [_("Terminal")], -1, -1 )
Button4.connect( "clicked", self.ButtonClicked, "x-terminal-emulator" )
Button4.show()
self.systemBtnHolder.pack_start( Button4, False, False, 0 )
self.mateMenuWin.setTooltip( Button4, _("Use the command line") )
if ( self.showLockScreen == True ):
Button5 = easyButton( "system-lock-screen", self.iconsize, [_("Lock Screen")], -1, -1 )
Button5.connect( "clicked", self.ButtonClicked, "xdg-screensaver lock" )
Button5.show()
self.systemBtnHolder.pack_start( Button5, False, False, 0 )
self.mateMenuWin.setTooltip( Button5, _("Requires password to unlock") )
if ( self.showLogout == True ):
Button6 = easyButton( "system-log-out", self.iconsize, [_("Logout")], -1, -1 )
Button6.connect( "clicked", self.ButtonClicked, "mate-session-save --logout-dialog" )
Button6.show()
self.systemBtnHolder.pack_start( Button6, False, False, 0 )
self.mateMenuWin.setTooltip( Button6, _("Log out or switch user") )
if ( self.showQuit == True ):
Button7 = easyButton( "system-shutdown", self.iconsize, [_("Quit")], -1, -1 )
Button7.connect( "clicked", self.ButtonClicked, "mate-session-save --shutdown-dialog" )
Button7.show()
self.systemBtnHolder.pack_start( Button7, False, False, 0 )
self.mateMenuWin.setTooltip( Button7, _("Shutdown, restart, suspend or hibernate") )
def ButtonClicked( self, widget, Exec ):
self.mateMenuWin.hide()
if Exec:
Execute( Exec )
def do_plugin( self ):
self.do_standard_items()To make changes for which button opens what, you can change that past line 141.
#####Edited since original posting, to provide buttons without conditionals since this is intended for Ubuntu MATE and nothing more.