In last month's article, I posed the question whether or not readers would be interested in a thorough article covering my configuration files. The response I had to this question made me feel like there may be some interest in the files, and so I will be posting links to my configuration files, and explanations of what they do and why I need them. The scripts are in my github here: https://github.com/lswest/dotfiles/tree/master/C&C (this folder is not going to be updated unless I have to make corrections – my actual current files will always be in master/).
An example screenshot of my system: http://lswest.deviantart.com/art/March-2012-Screenshot-289550803
I won't be going in-depth about all the options I use in my files, since it would result in a very, very long article, and most of it wouldn't apply to every reader. Instead, I feel most of the files are clear (and, where I have discussed them in previous articles, I have referred back to them). Any specific questions can always be directed to me at the email address listed below.
Window Manager
The .xmonad.hs is the configuration file for my window manager of choice (XMonad), and is unimportant for anyone who isn't using it. I combine this with the .conkyrc_dwm_bar file to create my task bar (it was originally used in DWM, hence the name).
General terminal settings: The rest of the files are more general. The .Xdefaults file contains my colors and settings for rxvt-unicode. I also use Zshell, so my .zshrc file is a bit more detailed than a similar .bashrc file. I do, however, use the Vim-Powerline symbols (see issue #59), so be aware of that if you carry over my PS1 prompt.
Conky files (all lua scripts are in scripts/): The .conkyl_mpd file creates a lua-based conky instance with Music Player Daemon information. This could be adapted, but it's essentially useless to anyone who doesn't use MPD (though, I don't see a reason why you wouldn't use MPD!).
The .conkyrc file is my “main” conky instance with a bit of system information in it. It uses a lua file to create a smooth semi-transparent background, but could easily be used without it.
The .conkyrc_reminders file contains a front-end for my python To Do scripts (see issue #46). It formats text documents into a bulleted list using the file names for the section names.
Further scripts include:
Wallpapers.sh, which selects a random wallpaper from a specific folder every 15 minutes (easily extendable).
Mpd-info: a script to yank music state & song information, and format them for a single-line conky.
Dvol: a script to adjust volume (including an on screen display using dzen)
volstate: A volume state script that pulls information about the volume (muted, or a percentage of total volume if unmuted).
Mpd-cover: A script (not created by me) that downloads album art for a song using information from MPD, and saves it into a .covers folder. Works fairly well, unless you have weird symbols or exotic music.
Packages-short: An indicator script for new updates (using pacman, an alternative with apt-get would be: )
jDate: a customized Japanese-language date and clock that I use with conky and dzen as a taskbar.
That essentially sums up my list of configuration files. It may seem like a lot (or very little, depending on what you're used to), but it covers a rather wide range of settings. Occasionally, I find myself tweaking a single file or adding a small script to solve a particular issue I have, but otherwise I'm quite content with the current setup. I also find this combination to be the most efficient I've used to date. So, for anyone who's looking for a way to work more efficiently, I highly recommend using conky to display relevant information on the desktop, and a tiling window manager for actual work.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, feel free to email me at lswest34@gmail.com. If you do email me, please include “C&C” or “FCM” in the subject line, so that I don't overlook it. For anyone who does use one of my configuration files, consider letting me know if you find a new use for it (or adjust it any way). Who knows? Maybe someone else will find it useful – or maybe I've been trying to do something similar for a long time.