Date: 2008-11-02 11:52:02 Created: null
That's right! Something like the shell replacement actually, LiteStep was first and by far has the most themes and modules available for it.
Well, that varies a lot actually. The thing about LiteStep is that it's extremely configurable, which is both a blessing and a problem.
The problem part is that the learning curve is rather steep (but definitely not off-putting if you really want to get into it). They say that if you don't know what system.ini is, LiteStep isn't for you, and they have a point there. All configuration is done through editing of a text file called step.rc, so you have to learn to find your way through this one if you are to get anything done. This seems to be changing recently, but I haven't been upgrading LiteStep much lately so I can't really comment on it. Also themes for LiteStep, complete packages with backgrounds, configurations and modules, are very user-specific (this is changing too they say), so while you can download tons of different themes you must expect to do a lot of tweaking to make much use out of them. I made a basic installation of LiteStep that came with a really boring default theme and have pretty much built my own theme from there, so I haven't tried my hand much at using others' themes either. Configuring your computer for yourself is probably why you try something like LiteStep in the first place anyway, so getting someone elses' theme seems a little contradictory. That said, there are a lot of great looking themes out there, so if you find one that suits you and set it up to work with your computer, then more power to you!
The advantage part of the configurability might be apparant by now. You can set up your Windows frontend to look and work pretty much exactly the way you want. The modules (fanfare!) are what makes it all possible.
Modules are what make LiteStep the versatile beast that it is. LiteStep itself has a few core modules that provide some basic things like the desktop (and those can be replaced too), everything else you need you setup a module to do for you. Command lines, virtual desktops (addictive little things I tell you!), wharfs (basically a bunch of buttons with shortcuts to various things), taskbar replacements, you name it, it's a module!
So, you installed LiteStep, took a deep breath and rebooted your computer.
Oh look! Everything looks different! Where's my start menu? Where are all my shortcuts? Why does everything look so ugly (my installation did, but they change all the time, and it was a long time since I first installed)?
Take a deep breath, and calm down. It's all there, you just have to learn to find it. You'll begin to like it (or you might go back to Explorer in no time at all), I promise.
Look around in the wharf (the collection of buttons on the top right of the desktop) until you find the button that opens old Explorer (the file browser, not the web one) again. Navigate to your LiteStep directory, head into the docs directory and open manual.htm.
Read! You'll probably feel a lot better afterwards :-) ... Do what it tells you, go through step.rc with the manual open right next to it. You'll feel even better.
Then it's time to start configuring!
This is where the real fun starts! Things probably won't work as you like the first time around, and they most certainly won't look the way you want the first time around. Things might even crash a time or two while you're getting a feel for it, but just stick with it. There's so much satisfaction in really working for your changes, not just changing options in a few checkboxes, not to mention things will be set up so much more to your taste alone. Chances are you won't miss that other shell at all once you've got your feet wet :-) ...