MemoPanel  4.8  manual  (Draft version) (2000/05/10)
 Help me ==> proofreading
As i am a japanese, an english language is difficult for me.
I hope you to read between words and lines.
Author: Toshiaki Kanosue (Japan +0900)
E-mail: toshika@sutv.zaq.ne.jp
Homepage: http://kano.technolust.cx/memopanel.html
Screenshot

GNOME panel sample


 Features

  MemoPanel applet allows you to put a memo on the GNOME panel.

  Basic features:
       - stay on panel (GNOME applet)
       - i18n support (GNU gettext)
       - multi line display
       - strftime support in memo
       - color and font changeable
       - alert schedule
       - URL caller
       - Ext launcher
       - IMAP/POP3 mail check


Requirements
    GNOME 1.0 or 1.1
Installation
   1. make
   2. su, make install
Description

1. URL caller

          This function call a netscape with a specfied URL like a bookmark in netscape.
            A lot of URL are registered in combo-boxes which are hidden normally.
            Menus are World 1, 2, Japan 1, 2 and user-defined.
            User-defined menu is created from a file ~/.memopanel when properties is opend.
            You can make a pre-selected menu as you like by user-defined menu.
           URL caller(which is gnome_url_show) knows about the man:, info: and ghelp:
           special URL prefixes and will invoke the proper display program for those.

            MemoPanel homepage, www.linux.com and ... calls directly a netscape.
            This aim is to decrease a count of mouse click.
            Normally, URL is selected after a netscape was executed.
            By URL caller, a URL selection and a netscape run is at same time.

2. Memo

          This function is a main of this program.
            This aim is to show always on screen to remember a important event.
            GNOME panel is guarded to be hidden by other program.
            Normal program window is hidden by other program.
            You can show multiple memopanel entrys as you like.
            You can change a color and font with emphasis.
            Delay 0 stops a timer for a performance if you shows a constant message in a long time.
            Memo is changed (translated) by strftime like a 'date +% format'
                 For example, can be included as %Y%n%m/%d%n%a%n%I:%M in memo on vertical panel.
           This means a clock applet with font and color changeable.
                 (REF. man strftime for a syntax)

           Other function is 'From file' .
           This is like a GNOME slash_applet.
           This shows 1 or 2 line entry cyclicly from a file in a few seconds(you can set a interval by delay).
           A font in full size of 1 line display is -adobe-utopia-bold-i-normal-*-*-360-*-*-p-*-iso8859-1, for example.
           This file is created by HtmlHeadLine.sh which is other software made by me.
           HtmlHeadLine.sh makes news headlines from 24 news sites.
           A default filename of <home>/for.MemoPanel.dat is used.
           This function stops memo and kernel version displays.

           Another function is a display of released kernel version which is created by a finger www.kernel.org.
           This shows stable and beta version of kernel with memo, cyclicly.

           You have to stop memopanel before changing a GNOME theme.

           Each properties in multiple memopanels are able to save and restore.
           It is controled by a file ~/.memopanel.num.
           A content of this file is a ascii strings like a '12'.
           Initially, the value is a '0' or the file is absent.
           After 1st memopanel run, the value is '1',
           and after 1st memopanel finished the value is '0', again.
           After 2nd memopanel run, the value is '2',
           A value '1' means that properties are saved in a ~/.gnome/memopanel1.
           A value '2' means that properties are saved in a ~/.gnome/memopanel2, and so on.
           It is important to run by order to restore properties.
           If the value is not '0' when no memopanel is running, please set '0' in ~/.memopanel.num.
           This will happen by any problem.
           This number is set to 0 by 'clear memopanel count'.

           Delay in memo for a performance. (I recommend)
               a. as simple memo: should be set to 0.
               b. as low precision clock: should be 30 or 60.
               c. as high precision clock: should be 1.
               d. From file: should be about 5 ~ 30.

           Two fonts is setable seperately for i18n.
           Normally, one is ISO8859 font, other is JIS font for japanese or non-english, for example.

           I am using the following command in /.xinitrc to reset a memopanel count.
              echo "0" > /.memopanel.num

           Memo can be entered from combo-box with samples.
           Memo can be entered from 1st line of selected file.
           If this content is empty, then it is changed to 'memo'.
           One space is added to a content.

3. at command

            Alert schedule.
            This function means a double protection of memo.
            Memo is no meaning if you don't see.
            This function cause to play a music or to show a mail client window at a spefied time.
            Email and sound can be used at same time.
            Combo-box was added.

            A default of timestamp is now, but you can change.
            For example, if you don't change a time, you can play a music, now.
            A sound data name is quoted internally which can be permitted to include a space in a filename.
            A program name is not quoted to pass parameter like a 'xmms -p'.

            Email function uses a sendmail.
            If you don't setup a sendmail correctly, this function can not use.

4. Launcher

            Simple and just a program starter function.
            Combo-box was added.

5. Ext launcher

            Ext launcher setups from ~/.memopanel.ext file to make a relation

            between a program and a data filename extention.
                     For example:
                          if you enter "abc.mp3" in ext launcher, "mpg123 abc.mp3" will be executed
                          when "mp3:mpg123" is specified in ~/.memopanel.ext.
            Please copy memopanel.ext as ~/.memopanel.ext, and modify as you like.
            An aim of this function is to be able to forget a program name for a data file.
            Correct program is selected automatically if you setuped before using.

6. Check mail

         This function checks a internet email arrival in mail server.
           When email arrived, memo will be changed color
           to emphasize until next check time and mail is read.
           Color is changed to text=yellow, back=red and message of 'xx mail(s) recv'.
           If you setup a mail client, you can see a mail client's window when a mail was arrived.
           A default port number is 110 for POP3 which you can change by
           entering po.abc.ne.xx:port in server name box.
           A default port number is 143 for IMAP which you can omit  ':port'.
           If you want to check a mail before next delay time,
           you can select 'Check mail now' by right click on memopanel.

7. Other misc

         Items entered in properties menu are put in ~/.gnome/memopanelX. (X is '1','2',...)
         Password is changed in this file to protect.
         Font includes 'xxxx,*' which is required for japanese language that needs a fontset.



  How to install a not-included or yourself-modified po file in your language.

  1) stop memopanel
  2) cd memopanel-2.0
  3) cp memopanel.pot   po/XX.po (XX is first 2 chars in $LANG)(no need for yourself-modified case)
  4) edit each msgstr lines in  po/XX.po by your language
  5) if you have a old version, you can use msgmerge command in gettext system
  6) su, run INSTALL.po.sh
  7) start memopanel (It will be reflected, soon)


Misc
  1. music (mp3, wav, au, midi, ...)
  2. at -f /tmp/memopanel.kernel (display item)
  3. at -f /tmp/memopanel.email (shell script file)
  4. at -f /tmp/memopanel.sound (shell script file)
  5. atq lists the user's pending jobs
  6. wavplay - WAV file Play & Record applications

  7. http://members.home.net/ve3wwg
  8. Sox is a general purpose sound converter/player/recorder that supports SUN .au files

  9. http://home.sprynet.com/~cbagwell/sox.html
  10. The digital audio data generated by TiMidity can be stored in a file for processing, or played in real time through an audio device.

  11. http://www.goice.co.jp/member/mo/timidity/
  12. music filename may be made symbolic links
  13. ftp://ftp.gnome.org/pub/GNOME/stable/sources/gdk-pixbuf/

Copying          This program is released under the GNU Generel Public License.
Simple is best,  toshi