Xfce Forum

IpreferXfce

Member

Registered: 2016-02-25

Posts: 71

I would like to know why Xfce behaved like this?

I did some searching around to see if anyone else might have posted about this.  What little I found didn't answer my question.

Today I was on my Linux Mint 18.3 Xfce system and I decided to try something that I never tried before. 

Linux Mint Xfce runs your desktop from tty7.  I decided to logout of my Xfce session and switch to tty1.  After logging into tty1, I decided to run startx.  That gave me a very interesting result.   When the desktop started it looked sorta like the custom desktop I have setup on Linux Mint, but there was some differences.  From the Panel 1 It removed the whisker menu, Show Desktop, the Separator, the Window Buttons, Indicator Plugin, Notification Area, and the DateTime.  All the rest of my stuff it left alone.  Also on my top Panel 2, it removed Firefox.

When I logged out of that session, I switched back to tty7 and logged back into that session.  I found that what I did on tty1 made that session just like the one I just left!  I tried rebooting but the changes were made.  I had to put everything back to the way I had it before the experiment.

I decided to try this samething on a linux mint 18.3 live DVD.  The main difference I encountered was that XFCE behaved like it was brand new.  I got the message asking me how I wanted to set up my desktop.  I wonder, how come I didn't get the same message in my first experiment?

Apparently I'm not supposed to be doing this.  But I would like to know why Xfce behaved like this....

CwF

Member

Registered: 2018-01-28

Posts: 305

Re: I would like to know why Xfce behaved like this?

Did you use the same user? It would be an interesting thing to trace out, but you are operating off the same home directory if you did use the same user. The benefit, and use case, of such multiple user login should be key word 'multiple'! Despite the advice not to have a desktop for root, I do, and this is how I access it. If you simply create another user, with its corresponding separate home directory then each can have different desktops that won't bother anything.

IpreferXfce

Member

Registered: 2016-02-25

Posts: 71

Re: I would like to know why Xfce behaved like this?

Did you use the same user? It would be an interesting thing to trace out, but you are operating off the same home directory if you did use the same user. The benefit, and use case, of such multiple user login should be key word 'multiple'! Despite the advice not to have a desktop for root, I do, and this is how I access it. If you simply create another user, with its corresponding separate home directory then each can have different desktops that won't bother anything.

I used my same username and password to log into tty1.  Are you saying that is why it messed things up?  Interestingly enough, before I did this, I logged out of the xfce desktop on tty7.  However lightDM login screen was still running on tty7.

CwF

Member

Registered: 2018-01-28

Posts: 305

Re: I would like to know why Xfce behaved like this?

Yes, I think so. Starting through lightdm, startx, and other ways does not do the exact same things, so the resulting initializations can be different.

MrEen

Member

Registered: 2019-04-19

Posts: 295

Re: I would like to know why Xfce behaved like this?

Hi IpreferXfce. I also use Mint 18.3 and did almost exactly as you did some time ago with similar results. I had no idea what happened and have since never changed tty's. I used Timeshift  to restore all my settings as even my Menu was vastly different (that had to be called with Windows (Super) key.)

I realize this was of no help, but at least know you're not alone.

IpreferXfce

Member

Registered: 2016-02-25

Posts: 71

Re: I would like to know why Xfce behaved like this?

Yes, I think so. Starting through lightdm, startx, and other ways does not do the exact same things, so the resulting initializations can be different.

What do you think would happen if one switched tty and started lightdm?

Hi IpreferXfce. I also use Mint 18.3 and did almost exactly as you did some time ago with similar results. I had no idea what happened and have since never changed tty's. I used Timeshift  to restore all my settings as even my Menu was vastly different (that had to be called with Windows (Super) key.)

I realize this was of no help, but at least know you're not alone.

I don't have Timeshift set up.  I change tty almost every time I boot up.  There is some kind of bug in my system that causes a diagonal screen tearing.  All I got to do is switch tty and then switch back to tty7 and everything is fine.  My current theory is it might be caused by the redshift program I'm using.  Because I noticed that my screen color shifts to the red spectrum after returning to tty7.  Which is what it is supposed to do at night.  Which is usually when I'm working on my computers.