Xfce Forum

maxvista

Member

Registered: 2019-12-14

Posts: 2

xfce4-settings-manager window width

So i've recently installed xfce and had the problem that when i increase the xfce settings window width it's impossible for me to make it smaller again. Even after i edited .config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-settings-manager.xml after logging out the width just got back to what it previously was (even after deleting the file). How can i fix that?

Maybe thats important:
Screen resolution: 1920x1080
Linux Distro: Arch (all updates installed)

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,486

Re: xfce4-settings-manager window width

Hello and welcome.

Looks like you've found a bug. I've created a bug report for that. As a workaround, try the following (while the Settings Manager is not running):

xfconf-query -c xfce4-settings-manager -p /last/window-width -s 500

In the event this doesn't work, you'll need to either reboot or logout and kill the xfconf process and try again before starting the Settings Manager. Or, after reboot and before login, delete the .config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-settings-manager.xml - it will be re-created with default settings on the next start of the Settings Manager.

Note: the xfconf process continues to run after log out due to systemd functionality. If you want all user process to die when you log out, you need to set "KillUserProcesses=yes" in /etc/systemd/logind.conf. This causes problems when you only log out and make changes to the xml files then log back in again - hence the requirement for a reboot or a manual kill of the xfconf process.

Note2: you can't manually edit the xfce4-settings-manager.xml file when Xfce is running, you need to use xfconf-query in a running system to affect configuration changes.

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maxvista

Member

Registered: 2019-12-14

Posts: 2

Re: xfce4-settings-manager window width

Thanks ToZ, at least that command works. Have a good one.

mapadev

Member

Registered: 2021-02-06

Posts: 2

Re: xfce4-settings-manager window width

I have very similar issue. I can make Settings Manager window wider but as soon as icons have enough space to make another column, I can't make it narrower. The width persists reloging and rebooting. The command provided here works, but again I can only make the window wider.

Fedora 33, xfce 4.14

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,486

Re: xfce4-settings-manager window width

I have very similar issue. I can make Settings Manager window wider but as soon as icons have enough space to make another column, I can't make it narrower. The width persists reloging and rebooting. The command provided here works, but again I can only make the window wider.

Fedora 33, xfce 4.14

Welcome to the forums.

This bug has been fixed for 4.16 (https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/exo/-/issues/19). Another workaround posted in that bug report is:

1. click on one of the setting manager entries (e.g. display)

2. resize the window width to as small as it will go

3. close the window

4. reopen settings manger

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mapadev

Member

Registered: 2021-02-06

Posts: 2

Re: xfce4-settings-manager window width

Ok, awesome, thanks.