Xfce Forum

Warwick F

Member

Registered: 2012-12-14

Posts: 2

Only got Black Screen and mouse arrow; after window manager issues.

Had a happy install of Xfce4 on Mint13 Maya when a power failure resulted in every window losing the min-max-close buttons and the Windows Manager & Windows Manager Tweaks icons not working. I tried reinstalling some Xfce windows management bits I guessed at in Synaptic Package Manager to no affect. I think I then tried to add KDE windows manager via Synaptic[it was too late at night!] and now when I restart normally it starts into just a black screen with mouse pointer and nothing else. [I have since read I should have earlier tried  xfwm4 --sm-client-disable  but we are passed that solving it now]. What next?

markfilipak

Member

Registered: 2013-03-11

Posts: 50

Re: Only got Black Screen and mouse arrow; after window manager issues.

VirtualBox 4.2.10
Host: WinXP3, 32-bit
Guest: Linux Mint 14, 64-bit + Xfce 4.10

I had exactly these symptoms:

• Black desktop

• No desktop icons

• Close button (x), missing from windows

• Max/Min button (-), missing

• Click-drag on titlebar does not move window

• Right-bottom sizer exists & works, but other corner sizers missing

• Horiz & vert window borders & sizers missing

• 'Menu'>'Settings'>'Window Manager' does nothing (no operation, nothing opens)

• 'Menu'>'Settings'>'Window Manager Tweaks' does nothing (no operation, nothing opens)

I reinstalled (several times as I experimented) and now I have just a black desktop with no icons, but everything else seems okay.

How can I get back the wallpaper and desktop icons? I know nothing about log-files and haven't been able to find anything in the Linux Mint User Guide and I can't find help for Xfce at all.

Help, please.

--update--

There's no response to right-clicking on the desktop.

--update--

I created a new user: test. Everything looked ok. I changed only the wallpaper. I rebooted. The desktop for user test is now black with no icons.

--update--

I created a new user: testtest. Everything looked ok. I didn't change anything. I logged out and logged in as myself, then logged out and logged in as testtest. The desktop is now black with no icons.

--update--

Searched reported desktop bugs for 'black'/all classes/all resolutions - 2 hits: 2009 & 2012 - neither is this problem.

--update--

In the Linux Mint Xfce forum I found this: http://forums.linuxmint.com/viewtopic.p … 45#p671707

$ xfdesktop

fixed it for me!

Last edited by markfilipak (2013-03-31 05:52:26)

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VirtualBox 5.0.10
Host: Win7 Home Premium, 64-bit
Guest: Linux Mint 17.2, 64-bit + Xfce ?.??

selimober

Member

From: Istanbul

Registered: 2013-07-24

Posts: 1

Website

Re: Only got Black Screen and mouse arrow; after window manager issues.

Thanks,
I got the same issue after a power failure and

$ xfdesktop

solved it.