Moksha Guide

This Bodhi Guide to Moksha is intended to be your resource for using the Moksha Desktop and getting the most out of it. New Bodhi Linux users may also want to check out our brief introduction, the Getting Started Guide, which is available online and locally on your system, accessible via the Main Menu. (About Operating System>Help)

One of the beauties of a Linux system is the plethora of choices for a Window Manager, and Bodhi Linux uses Moksha as its default. But what exactly is a Window Manager?

According to Wikipedia, “A window manager is system software that controls the placement and appearance of windows within a windowing system in a graphical user interface … They work in conjunction with the underlying graphical system which provides required functionality such as support for graphics hardware, pointing devices, and a keyboard, and are often written and created using a widget toolkit.”

A Window Manager controls the way you interact with your computer, at least in the Graphical User Interface (GUI). Over time, many Window Managers have been extended to become full-fledged Desktop Environments. A Desktop Environment is generally considered to be a Window Manager that integrates common applications and services, which are often built using the same widget toolkit, into the GUI.

Moksha is known as a Window Manager but provides most of the functionality found in much more resource-hungry Desktop Environments. You could say that it straddles the line between a Window Manager and a Desktop Environment.

Moksha, an Enlightenment 17 fork, is written using the Enlightenment Foundation Libraries (EFL), and remains in active development to this day.

In the autumn of 2010, Jeff Hoogland, the lead developer, embarked on the journey of conceptualizing a novel Linux distribution. His vision was to craft a system that would harness the stability of a contemporary desktop environment, leveraging the Enlightenment window manager, and anchored on an Ubuntu Long Term Support (LTS) release. With the enthusiastic backing of a swiftly expanding team, the seeds of Bodhi Linux were sown.

Today, Bodhi Linux stands as a testament to the dedication and collaborative effort of its community. Under the leadership of lead developer Robert (Ylee) Wiley and Štefan (The Waiter) Umram,  Desktop Developer, alongside the tireless contributions of the entire Bodhi Team, our distribution continues to evolve and thrive.

Moksha and Bodhi Linux

Moksha is the natural choice as a Window Manager in Bodhi Linux, as it fits in perfectly with two of the most important Bodhi Linux ideals:

• Minimalism – A default install of Moksha will run in less than 100 MB of RAM. That is FAR less than most modern Windows Managers, not to mention complete Desktop Environments. But it doesn’t come at the expense of great looks or functionality. Moksha is one of the most elegant Window Managers available and is highly extensible through the use of Modules. Which brings us to the second ideal …
• User Choice – Moksha is likely the most highly configurable Window Manager in existence, so you can make your system look and work the way you want.

We hope you find this guide useful.

1. Menu System
2. Virtual Desktops
3. Modules, Shelves, and Gadgets
4. Theme Info (included in Configuring a new Bodhi Installation)
5. Switching Keyboard Layouts
6. Profiles
7. Quick Launcher Module
8. Bindings
9. Moksha Settings Panel
10. Other Tutorials and Information
11. FAQs
12. 1. Moksha Desktop FAQs
    2. Moksha Desktop Customisation

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