!Bang Command
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A !Bang command is an internal command that controls LiteStep. A more
extensive explanation can be found on the
Configuration page.
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Development Build (Dev Build)
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Development Builds are updated and temporary distributions of
LiteStep and its core modules. For more information,
refer to the Development page.
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Environment Variables
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Environment Variables are definitions of directory structures to be referenced
elsewhere in the step.rc. A more extensive explanation can be found on the
Configuration page.
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Eye Candy
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A term used to describe themes, modules or third-party programs that are
visually impressive but which add little, if any, functionality.
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Final Release (Stable Release)
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Like many other large programming projects goals are set and releases are
made. A Final Release is the release that arrives once all the goals are
met for that part of the project. Along the way there will be many
Development Releases which are not considered final. These
releases are done to help the development team debug problems along the
way towards the Final Release. Check the Links
Page to find where you can download a Stable Release.
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Magic Pink
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Yes! LiteStep is magic. Magic Pink refers to the color #FF00FF, which
can be used to create a transparent effect in bitmap graphics. Any part of
the bitmap that is the color #FF00FF will be transparent through to the desktop
and cannot be clicked upon. Most modules support transparency through the
use of Magic Pink.
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Minimal
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A term that is used to describe themes that are low on resource use and occupy
very little screen "real-estate". These themes are often driven by hotkeys
and popups.
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Module
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Modules are small programs or plugins that run within LiteStep to add a
new functionality. A more extensive explanation can be found on the
Configuration page.
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Modules.ini
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The modules.ini is another configuration file used by LiteStep. It is
mainly used by older Wharf modules and rarely requires manual editing.
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Open Source
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Open Source projects are those where the software's source code is publicly
available for download and alteration. A key benefit of Open Source software
is the fact that many different programmers can locate bugs and contribute to
the project's development. LiteStep is released under the GNU General Public
License, which can be found in the license.txt file in your LiteStep
directory.
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Recycle (!Recycle)
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Each time changes are made to the step.rc, LiteStep must be Recycled to load
the new settings before they take place. LiteStep can be recycled by executing
the !Bang command !Recycle.
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Registry Keys
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Unlike Windows 95/98/ME, Windows NT/2000 does not have a system.ini file.
Instead, the shell is set in the registry. For more information on installing
LiteStep on Windows NT/2000, refer to the Installation
page.
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ScreenShot (SS)
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A screenshot is an image of your current desktop, and is often taken to show
the progress of a theme you are designing. Screenshots are best taken in JPEG
format so that it is viewable by as many people as possible. There are many
programs capable of taking screenshots, or pressing the Print Screen button
on the keyboard will copy a screenshot to the clipboard ready to be pasted
into a graphics program for saving.
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Shell
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A shell is the Graphical User Interface (GUI) in which you work. The shell used
by normal Windows is called Explorer, consisting of the start button, taskbar,
and so on. LiteStep is an alternative shell and allows you to replace the
typical Windows GUI with a more stable and configurable interface.
Note that LiteStep does not change the actual appearance of application windows
and all Windows programs will continue to work normally when using
LiteStep. Also, all features of Windows such as the Control Panel, Network
Neighbourhood, and so on are still available when using LiteStep.
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Shell Manager
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A Shell Manager is a third-party program that allows you to manage many
different shells that you have installed. This is not a feature of LiteStep.
Shell Managers are often used for launching different shells for different
users (for those who share computers with other users who prefer Explorer) or
for crash protection (restarts the shell if it happens to crash). Examples
include LiteSpawn, ShellON and Carapace. Refer to the Links page for more information on several popular shell
managing programs.
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Skinning
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The act of customizing the appearance of a program or desktop component by
creating your own images to replace the original look and feel.
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Step.rc
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The step.rc is the heart of LiteStep: it is a text file containing all
configuration for the shell. Some examples are module commands, theme directories,
image names, and so on. For more information on the step.rc, refer to the
Configuration page.
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System.ini
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This is the Windows 95/98/ME configuration file that is kept in the main Windows
folder that needs to be changed in order to run LiteStep. In the [boot] section, the
line, shell= needs to be changed to the directory containing LiteStep. For more
information on installing LiteStep on Windows 95/98/ME, refer to the
Installation page.
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Theme
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A theme is a particular arrangement and configuration of LiteStep and its
modules. Themes consist of all the graphics, modules, and configuration files
necessary to make LiteStep look and behave a certain way. LiteStep themes can
be compared to the concept of Microsoft Plus! Themes, although
LiteStep themes are much more advanced in terms of appearance and flexibility.
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Window Skinning Applications
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Third-Party programs that alter the actual appearance of program windows, such
as title bars, scroll bars, and menu bars. Examples include WindowBlinds, eFX,
and Chroma. For a more extensive list of Windows Skinning Applications, refer
to the Links page.
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