From AWN Wiki

[edit] Installing Avant Window Navigator in Ubuntu

This document is an overview of installing and configuring Avant Window Navigator on your Ubuntu computer.

[edit] Prerequisites

Before you start installing Awn, you should make sure that your computer is capable of running it. The best way of doing that is by reading the Prerequisites section of our general installation guide.

[edit] Installation

Because there are packages of Awn and Awn Extras available for several versions of Ubuntu, it is strongly discouraged to build Awn or Awn Extras from source.

[edit] Dapper (6.06) and Edgy (6.10)

Due to the Gtk+ requirements for Awn, these versions of Ubuntu are not supported.

[edit] Feisty (7.04)

The Awn Testing Team maintains packages for Awn and Awn Extras in their PPA. The main difference between the Feisty packages and the other versions of Ubuntu is that there is no webapplet, because the Webkit package was non-trivial to backport.

[edit] Gutsy (7.10) and Hardy (8.04)

The Awn package in these versions (gutsy-backports and hardy, respectively) is very old. It is recommended that you install AWN via the PPA.

[edit] Intrepid (8.10)

The version (0.2.6) in Intrepid is acceptable, and can be installed by searching for the package avant-window-navigator (in the category universe/gnome) in your favorite APT frontend (e.g., synaptic or adept).

If you want the bleeding edge version, you can use the PPA, which is packaged on a consistent basis from the latest source. Note that this may be less stable, although the packagers try to keep crashers out of it as much as possible.

[edit] Jaunty (9.04)

avant-window-navigator is available for install via apt-get on the command line `apt-get install avant-window-navigator` or through the Add/Remove Programs dialog.

[edit] PPA

The Awn developers have a Personal Package Archive (PPA). The supported versions of Ubuntu are Intrepid, Jaunty and Karmic. The sources.list entries needed for each version can be determined using the dropdown list on the PPA site.
The packages provided include avant-window-navigator-trunk, awn-settings-trunk, and for Awn Extras awn-applets-c-core-trunk, awn-applets-c-extras-trunk, awn-applets-python-core-trunk, awn-applets-python-extras-trunk.
For more information, please see the forum thread.

[edit] Quick Installation Guide

The method of adding a PPA to a computer's package repositories was significantly simplified as of Ubuntu Karmic Koala (9.10). Because of this, there are two sets of instructions, depending on your Ubuntu version.

[edit] Karmic (9.10) and later

1. Open the "Software Sources" configuration dialog, located in System → Administration → Software Sources.
2. Click on the "Updates" tab and enable the "Recommended Updates" for your distribution. For example, if you're running Karmic (9.10), then you would enable "Recommended Updates (karmic-updates)".
3. Click on the "Other Software" tab.
4. Click on the "Add" button, and in the dialog box that opens up, enter "ppa:awn-testing/ppa" (without the quotes) and press OK.
5. Close the Software Sources dialog. You will be prompted to reload your software sources. Select "Reload".
6. Open the "Synaptic Package Manager", located in System → Administration → Synaptic Package Manager.
7. If you have already installed Awn from another source, uninstall that first. This will not change or delete your current settings. However, if you are upgrading from 0.3.3 or below to 0.3.9 or above, you will need to re-apply your settings, as the configuration code was rewritten. While the packages are supposed to automatically replace Awn packages from different sources, we have had reports that it does not occur consistently.
8. Install the packages named above.

[edit] Jaunty (9.04) and earlier

1. Open the PPA page (linked above) and select your Ubuntu version from the dropdown.
2. Open the "Software Sources" configuration dialog, located in System → Administration → Software Sources.
3. Click on the "Updates" tab and enable the "Recommended Updates" for your distribution. For example, if you're running Gutsy (7.10), then you would enable "Recommended Updates (gutsy-updates)".
4. Click on the "Third-Party Software" tab.
5. For each line from the gray box on the PPA page, copy it, click on the "Add" button in "Software Sources", paste the line into the new dialog box, and press OK.
6. Back in the tab, make sure that both of the new entries are checked.
7. Follow the instructions at the Launchpad PPA help page to add the PPA's key to your system. Note that they provide both a text and screencast version of the instructions.
8. You can now close the Software Sources dialog.
9. Open the "Synaptic Package Manager", located in System → Administration → Synaptic Package Manager.
10. Click the "Reload" button. This will download the new Awn package information.
11. If you have already installed Awn from another source, uninstall that first. This will not change or delete your current settings. While the packages are supposed to automatically replace Awn packages from different sources, we have had reports that it does not occur consistently.
12. Install the packages named above.

[edit] Running AWN

Now that AWN is installed, you will want to run it. You have two options:

• From the menu: Applications → Accessories → Avant Window Navigator
• Type the keyboard shortcut Alt+F2 to run the Gnome Panel launcher, then type avant-window-navigator, and press Enter.

[edit] Removing Your Bottom Gnome Panel

Once you run AWN you will notice that it overlaps the bottom panel on your desktop (which along with the top panel make up "gnome-panel"). These instructions will guide you through removing the bottom gnome panel from your desktop, as well as (if you like) adding any panel applets to the top panel which were originally in the bottom panel.

1. Right-click on the bottom panel and select "Delete This Panel".
2. The task (window) list is now gone. This is fine; that's what AWN is for! You can add it to the top bar if you really want it, by following the next step.
3. The Show Desktop / Workspace Switcher / Trash applets that were in the bottom panel are now also gone. If you want any of them back, they can be added to the top bar:
   • Right-click the top bar and select "Add to Panel..."
   • For each applet that you want to add back to the top panel (Show Desktop, Workspace Switcher, Trash, Window List):
     1. Locate it by typing the name into the text field at the top, or simply by scrolling through the alphabetical list.
     2. Select it by clicking on it.
     3. Click the "Add" button at the bottom of the window.
     4. The applet should now appear on the top panel. Note that you can move panel applets by right-clicking on them, selecting "Move", and then moving your mouse horizontally. In order to move past some applets you may have to right-click on them and uncheck "Lock to Panel".

[edit] Configuring AWN

The following instructions require that Awn Manager is open. Run awn-manager via (System → Preferences → Awn Manager).

[edit] Autostart

You can enable Awn to auto-start at login via Awn Manager (only available in 0.3.1 and later - other users follow the FAQ entry): On the initial ("General") panel, click "Automatically start AWN on login", near the top under "Startup behavior".

[edit] Applets

To add an applet, select it from the top list and click the "Activate" button. You can now drag it around in the section below to modify order. Note that a separator applet is available to better visually group applets if desired.

Common applets:

• Weather applet (once added, right-click on it in the dock and select Preferences to modify your location)
• clock/calendar: Cairo Clock, Clock/Calendar, Digital Clock
• application menu: Cairo Menu, Awn Main Menu, MiMenu

Many more applets are listed in the Applet Gallery.

[edit] Themes

Themes can be downloaded from the Themes page of the wiki. Once you have downloaded a theme, drag the downloaded file into the Themes area of awn-manager. Select (click on) the desired theme and click the "Apply" button.