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OB Menu Generator

Goal: Explaining how to log out from openbox using menu.

Table of Content


1: Basic

Using systemd exit is as easy as:

$ systemctl suspend
$ systemctl hibernate
$ systemctl reboot
$ systemctl poweroff

And the respective openbox menu would be menu.systemd.xml.

<openbox_pipe_menu>
    <item label="Logout">
        <action name="Exit" />
    </item>
    <item label="Suspend">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>systemctl suspend</execute></action>
    </item>
    <item label="Hibernate">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>systemctl hibernate</execute></action>
    </item>
    <item label="Reboot">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>systemctl reboot</execute></action>
    </item>
    <item label="Shutdown">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>systemctl poweroff</execute></action>
    </item>
</openbox_pipe_menu>

I have test this in my Fedora, openSUSE and Debian.

This could be like this in other system (such as openrc). But may vary depend on your setup.

$ pm-suspend
$ pm-hibernate
$ reboot
$ poweroff

It needs workaround to setup this in openbox menu.

And in mainmenu add this.

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<openbox_menu xmlns="http://openbox.org/3.4/menu">
    <menu id="system-menu" label="System">
        ...
    </menu>
    <menu id="root-menu" label="Openbox 3">
        ...
        <menu id="system-menu"/>
        <separator/>
        <menu execute="cat /home/epsi/.config/openbox/menu.systemd.xml" 
            id="exit-menu" label="Exit" >
    </menu>
</openbox_menu>

The result is as simply as this one.

openbox menu: exit menu


2: Forcing Password

The issue with systemctl is, any user can shutdown. There are some workaround, such as using gksu or sudo. Just edit your xml menu config.

Using gksu

$ gksu systemctl poweroff

openbox menu: gksu

Now your menu could be

<openbox_pipe_menu>
    <item label="Logout">
        <action name="Exit" />
    </item>
    <item label="Suspend">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>gksu systemctl suspend</execute></action>
    </item>
    <item label="Hibernate">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>gksu systemctl hibernate</execute></action>
    </item>
    <item label="Reboot">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>gksu systemctl reboot</execute></action>
    </item>
    <item label="Shutdown">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>gksu systemctl poweroff</execute></action>
    </item>
</openbox_pipe_menu>

openbox menu: gksu

Using urxvt sudo

$ urxvt -e sh -c 'sudo systemctl poweroff'

openbox menu: urxvt sudo

Using xterm sudo

$ xterm -e 'sudo systemctl poweroff'

openbox menu: xterm sudo

Setting up sudoers

In order this sudo to work you, first you must setup /etc/sudoers.

root ALL=(ALL) ALL
epsi ALL=(ALL) ALL

Or setup wheel group.

%wheel ALL=(ALL) ALL

Or in openSUSE, there is something like this:

Defaults targetpw
ALL   ALL=(ALL) ALL

3: Forcing No Password

Now consider to see non-systemd again.

$ pm-suspend
$ pm-hibernate
$ reboot
$ poweroff

The respective openbox menu would be menu.openrc.xml.

<openbox_pipe_menu>
    <item label="Logout">
        <action name="Exit" />
    </item>
    <item label="Suspend">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>xterm -e sudo pm-suspend</execute></action>
    </item>
    <item label="Hibernate">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>xterm -e sudo pm-hibernate</execute></action>
    </item>
    <item label="Reboot">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>xterm -e sudo reboot</execute></action>
    </item>
    <item label="Shutdown">
        <action name="Execute"><execute>xterm -e sudo poweroff</execute></action>
    </item>
</openbox_pipe_menu>

openbox menu: xml xterm sudo

And set in /etc/sudoers, to make it behaves like systemctl. Use no password.

%wheel ALL=(ALL) NOPASSWD: ALL

I have test this in my Gentoo.


4: Custom Dialog

There is, however, this old good trick from urukrama, using gxmessage. gxmessage is not very common, and not available in all distro.

Let me rewrite the good script for a modern days systemd style.

#!/bin/bash

gxmessage "Are you sure you want to shut down your computer?" \
  -center -title "Take action" \
  -font "Sans bold 10" \
  -default "Cancel" \
  -buttons "_Cancel":1,"_Log out":2,"_Reboot":3,"_Shut down":4 \
  >/dev/null

case $? in
  1) echo "Exit";;
  2) openbox --exit;;
  3) systemctl reboot;;
  4) systemctl poweroff;;
esac

openbox menu: gxmessage exit dialog

Or the ugly one.

openbox menu: xmessage exit dialog


What’s Next

We are almost finished with openbox configuration.

Consider continue reading [ Openbox: Exit ].