GnoMenu is a nice-looking, customizable application launcher menu that supports themes and can run on a composited or non-composited desktop. It comes with approximately 10 themes and you can easily download and install many more.
It not only launches applications, but some of the themes provide quick access to the Control Center and Package Manager, to logout and to restart and shutdown the computer, and other utilities and functions.
Installing GnoMenu
To install GnoMenu, you first need to install the GetDeb package, if you haven’t already. Download the GetDeb package from
http://www.getdeb.net/updates/Ubuntu/all#how_to_install
Navigate to where you saved the .deb file and double-click on the file.
The Package Installer opens for the getdeb-repository. Click the Install Package button.
The package installs and you are notified when it is finished. Click the Close button.
Select Quit from the File menu to close the Package Installer.
You are now ready to install GnoMenu. Go to the following web page to install the package directly from the web.
http://www.getdeb.net/updates/Ubuntu/9.10/?q=gnomenu
Click the Install this now link below the screenshot of GnoMenu.
The Launch Application dialog box displays. The apturl application is already selected, so click OK to continue.
A dialog box displays asking if you want to install gnomenu. Click the Install button.
As the package files are being downloaded, the progress is displayed on the Downloading Package Files dialog box.
Once the package files are downloaded, the installation of the software begins and the progress is displayed on the Applying Changes dialog box.
Once the installation of GnoMenu is finished, the Changes applied dialog box displays to inform you. Click the Close button.
To gain access to GnoMenu, you have to add it to a panel. We decided to add it to the top panel. Right-click on the desired panel and select Add to Panel from the pop-up menu.
The Add to Panel dialog box displays. In the Find an item to add to the panel edit box at the top of the dialog box, start typing gnomenu. The matching items display as you type. You will find that you do not have to finish typing the name before you find GnoMenu. Select GnoMenu from the list and click the Add button.
A dialog box displays asking you to restart the menu. Click OK.
Then, a dialog box displays that may seem like a real error. This is actually normal. The panel object (GnoMenu) must be reloaded. Click the Reload button.
Click the Close button on the Add to Panel dialog box.
The GnoMenu button displays on the top panel (or on whichever panel you added it).
It is a good idea to lock the GnoMenu button to the panel to keep it in place. Right-click on the GnoMenu button and select Lock To Panel from the pop-up menu.
Using GnoMenu
We will start by looking at the settings for GnoMenu. Right-click again on the GnoMenu button and select Properties from the pop-up menu.
The GnoMenu Settings dialog box displays with the Themes tab active. The Themes tab is where you can install, uninstall, and select new themes, buttons, icons, and sounds to customize the look and feel of GnoMenu.
Click the Preferences tab to change additional settings, such as the size of the icons in the program list, the number of items in the Recent Items list, and whether to show tooltips in the program list.
The Commands tab allows you to define the commands for the other functions of GnoMenu, such as Logout, Restart, Control Panel (Control Center), etc. The commands are already set up with defaults, but it you want to use a different command or program for any of the options, such as a different Network Config program, enter the commands on the Commands tab.
On the About tab, there is a Download More Themes button that provides access to a web page full of available themes you can add to GnoMenu. We will discuss how to add a theme later in the post.
To access GnoMenu, left-click the GnoMenu button on the panel to which you added it. The default theme is the Menu theme and the Favorites tab displays by default. To add an application, or other tool or link, to the Favorites tab, find the application, tool, or link on one of the other tabs. Right-click on the item and select Add to Favorites from the pop-up menu.
Once you have added some applications, tools, and links to your Favorites, this is how it will look. Now, all you have to do is click once on the item to open it.
Adding a Theme to GnoMenu
There are many themes from which to choose at http://gnome-look.org/index.php?xcontentmode=189. As discussed before, the About tab on the GnoMenu Settings dialog box provides a link to this web page on the Download More Themes button.
NOTE: If you get the Launch Application dialog box trying to launch apturl again when you click the Download More Themes button, just click the Cancel button. You do not need to install anything further.
When you find a theme you want and you download the file, you end up with a .tar.gz file.
To install the downloaded theme into GnoMenu, right-click on the GnoMenu button on the panel and select Properties from the pop-up menu to access the GnoMenu Settings dialog box. On the Themes tab, click the Install button in the Menu Selection section.
The Install a new theme dialog box displays. Navigate to where you downloaded the theme file, select the file, and click the Open button.
The theme installs and you are notified when it is finished. Click OK.
We downloaded and installed a theme that makes our menu look like the Windows 7 Start menu. When you select the new theme from the drop-down list, a sample displays in the Menu Selection section.
Click OK on the GnoMenu Settings dialog box to accept your selection of the new theme. Again, you are asked to restart the menu. Click OK.
You must also reload the panel object again. Click the Reload button.
NOTE: Every time you make changes on the GnoMenu Settings dialog box, you must restart the menu and reload the panel object.
The following images displays a menu that looks similar to the Windows 7 Start menu.
Here’s the Favorites list in this new theme.
When you have drilled down to a submenu, you can use the Back link at the bottom of the menu to go back to the previous menu or the Applications link on the right panel to go to the top level menu.
The Windows 7-like theme is nice because it provides links to several tools on the right side of the menu.
Have fun experimenting with the different themes, buttons, icons, and sounds to get your GnoMenu just the way you want it.
by Lori Kaufman
If you already have GNOME-DO installed, then you have most of the functionality of GnoMenu minus the visibility of all the icons. It is just a matter of what you find more easier to use and nicer to look at [:)]
I personally prefer GNOME-DO+Docky because I dislike using the mouse.