e17: A Look At Modules
by Paul Arnote
One of the huge attractions of e17 is its modular construction. With the addition or subtraction of a variety of modules, e17 can be as lean as possible, or it can be as full featured as the "big daddy" desktops KDE and Gnome. Also, you will find that modules and gadgets are somewhat closely tied together. Loosely translated, this means that before you can make use of a particular gadget, you must first activate the module that controls the gadget's function.
By going to the PC menu, you can bring up the Modules dialog box. Simply go to Settings > Modules. It should look something like this:
In total, there are 133 modules, divided into eight different sections. Here is a list of those sections, with the modules available under each section, and the default description of each module (if available):
UTILITIES
Alarm: A module which allows you to set popup reminders.
Calendar: Calendar sheet showing the current day.
Clock: Nice clock gadget to show current time.
Deskshow: Gadget to allow you to quickly uncover your desktop.
DiskIO: Visualize disk i/o.
Drawer: A gadget that acts as a container for data.
EMpris: Control MPRIS supporting music player like Amarok, Audacious, xmms, VLC and others.
EWeather: A weather gadget.
Execwatch: Shows the last state of a periodic executed cmd. Useful as an update checker or for checking if a remote host is available (through ping).
Forecasts: The forecasts gadget will display the current weather conditions plus a few days forecast.
IBar: Iconic application launcher.
IBox: A home for your iconified applications.
ITask: It will hold all of your open applications for fast switching.
Iiirk: Act like a taskbar but only for selected applications.
Language: Gadget to control active keyboard, keyboard layout, and layout variants.
MPDule: View what's playing in MPD.
Mail: Mail notification gadget. Checks POP3, IMAP, maildir and mbox mailboxes.
Moon: Gadget for e17 which displays the current phase of the moon.
News: Gadget to monitor RSS feeds.
OpenOffice.org Quickstart: This module preloads the openoffice process to save start time with the costs of some memory.
Pager: Gadget to allow you to visualize your virtual desktops and the windows they contain.
Photo: View photos or a mini slideshow within this gadget.
Screenshot: Gadget to take screenshots using emprint.
Slideshow: Turns your desktop background into a slideshow.
Start: e17's "Start" button equivalent.
Systray: System tray that holds application icons like Skype, Pidgin, Kopete and others.
TClock: A digital clock gadget.
Taskbar: Gadget to provide a taskbar.
Uptime: Gadget to display the current uptime of the system.
Weather: A weather gadget.
Winselector: This gadget provides a menu-based access to all the windows.
Wlan: Gadget to monitor a wlan device.
SYSTEM
Battery: A gadget to visualize your battery status.
Bluetooth Manager: A gadget to manage your Bluetooth connection and devices.
Connection Manager: Control Wifi and wired networks as a user.
CPU: Used to monitor CPU utilization.
Cpufreq: Gadget to monitor and change the CPU frequency.
DBus Extension:
Ecomorph: Ecomorph module.
Itask NG: A dock that holds a taskbar and application launcher.
Mem: Used to monitor memory utilization.
Mixer: A module to provide a mixer for changing volume.
Mobile Modems Manager: Control mobile modems.
Net: Network interface monitor.
Places: This module manages the volume devices attached to the system.
Temperature: Temperature monitor.
LOOK
Composite:
Dropshadow: Module to add a dropshadow to windows.
Flame: A module to display flames on the desktop.
Penguins: Module to display fancy penguins walking around your desktop.
Rain: Module to display rain on the desktop.
Snow: Module to display snow on the desktop.
FILES
EFM (Starter): e17's integrated file manager (under construction)
EFM Navigation: A module that allows a user to navigate the filemanager module.
EFM Operation Info: Can be placed on the desktop or on a shelf.
EFM Path: A module that allows a user to type a location into the file manager.
EFM Pathbar: A module that provides a pathbar gadget to navigate the filemanager module.
LAUNCHER
Everything (Starter): The run command module provides an application launcher dialog.
Everything Applications:
Everything Aspell: Aspell frontend. Use "aspell" as trigger.
Everything Calculator: Frontend for bc. Use "=" as trigger.
Everything Files:
Everything MPRIS: Control MPRIS compatible media players from Everything.
Everything Pidgin: Open chat windows and send files to buddies.
Everything Places: Access folder bookmarks and mount drives.
Everything Settings: Quickly open e17 settings dialogs.
Everything Tracker: Find files with Tracker (requires version 0.8).
Everything Wallpaper: Select wallpaper or create new ones from images.
Everything WebSearch: Find stuff on Wikipedia, use Google suggestions and 'Google for it' (tm) action.
Everything Windows: Window actions.
Quick Access: Provides quick access to chosen applications.
Run Command: The run command module provides an application launcher dialog.
CORE
Gadgets: Module to manage gadgets on the desktop.
Notification: libnotify alternative. Popup if an event occurs.
Settings Panel:
System Controls: This module provides a unified popup dialog for all the system actions in Enlightenment.
Tiling: Positions/resizes your windows tilingly, like ion for example.
Window Switcher List: A module to show the list of client applications presently running.
Winlist NG:
MOBILE
Illume: This is a module to make Enlightenment tuned for embedded touchscreen displays such as on phones and web-pads with windows always being fullscreen and having a simplified application launcher and manager.
Illume-Bluetooth:
Illume-Home:
Illume-Home-Toggle:
Illume-Indicator:
Illume-Keyboard:
Illume-Keyboard-Toggle:
Illume-Mode-Toggle:
Illume-Softkey:
Illume2:
SETTINGS
ACPI Bindings: Configure your ACPI bindings here.
Applications: Allows configuration of IBar, Restart, and Startup Applications.
Borders: Used to select a default border style.
Client List Menu: Allows customization of the client list menu.
Colors: Used to customize the color classes.
Desk: Used to configure the desktop names and wallpaper for individual virtual desktops.
Dialogs: Configure default dialog properties.
Edge Bindings: Configure your edge bindings here.
Engine: Used to select the rendering engine.
File Icons: Configure e17 mime icons.
Fonts: Font configuration dialog.
Icon Theme: Settings applet used to select an icon theme for e17.
Input Methods: Used to select an input method.
Interaction: Configure default user interaction settings.
Key Bindings: Configure your keybindings here.
Language: Used to select a default language.
Menu Settings: Configures menu behavior.
Mouse Bindings: Used to configure your mouse bindings.
Mouse Cursor: Select the mouse cursor style.
Mouse Settings: Configure mouse behavior.
Performance: Used to configure certain performance related items, such as frame rates and cache settings.
Power Management: Configure the DPMS settings of your system.
Profiles: Allows management of configuration profiles.
Scaling: Used to configure how display scaling is handled.
Screen Lock: Configures the integrated desk lock.
Screen Resolution: Used to configure your screen's resolution.
Screen Saver: Configures the X screensaver.
Search Directories: Specifies the e17 search paths and default directories.
Shelves: Shelf configuration dialog.
Startup: Used to configure the e17 splash screen.
Theme: Used to configure your theme preferences.
Transitions: Used to choose a default transition. Transitions are used upon wallpaper changes, among other things.
Virtual Desktops: Configure the virtual desktop properties.
Wallpaper: Used to pick a wallpaper.
Wallpaper 2: Used to pick a wallpaper.
Window Display: Configures default window properties such as default geometries, border icons, placement styles, etc.
Window Focus: Configure window focus behavior.
Window List: Configure your window list properties.
Window Manipulation: Configures window raise, resistance, and maximize policies.
Window Remembers: Delete existing window remembers.
That's all 133 e17 modules listed above. It's important to remind you that the modules have to be selected in order to use the gadgets that are associated with the module.
Many of the modules are fairly self explanatory, based either on their name or on their description. In all fairness, we'll take a closer look at what some of the more popular modules do when we take a look at the gadgets that are associated with the modules in a separate article.
