If you use either bbpager or bbkeys, then you will need to have AT LEAST these versions: bbpager 0.3.0 from http://bbtools.windsofstorm.net/ bbkeys 0.8.3 from http://bbkeys.sourceforge.net/ If you use anything older than that, they will not work with Openbox. Why? The old "Blackbox protocol" used by Blackbox 0.60.0-alpha had messages, properties and the like prefixed with _NET, which is to be used by the new KDE2+/GNOME2 window manager specification. It was decided to keep from polluting the namespace and everything changed to _BLACKBOX. When the change was made, bbpager and bbkeys (as well as other tools, I believe) had to be updated to understand the new protocol.