[solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

sudowtf · 2021-09-27 15:33:22

Upgrade from debian 10 to 11 went without errors until desktop login.
I get no panels, i only get conky and whatever is not broken in my autostart apps.
i cannot even Alt-f2 for app-launch.
i was lucky to go add a .desktop file into /.config/autostart/ to get a terminal running upon login

this is my work desktop; i'm really broken at the moment

most of my attempts to run apps look like this for example:

$ xfce4-popup-windowmenu
/usr/bin/xfce4-panel: symbol lookup error: /usr/bin/xfce4-panel: undefined symbol: xfce_has_gtk_frame_extents
$ xfce4-settings-manager
xfce4-settings-manager: symbol lookup error: xfce4-settings-manager: undefined symbol: xfce_titled_dialog_create_action_area
$ xfce4-settings-editor
xfce4-settings-editor: symbol lookup error: xfce4-settings-editor: undefined symbol: xfce_titled_dialog_new_with_mixed_buttons
$ xfce4-appfinder
xfce4-appfinder: symbol lookup error: xfce4-appfinder: undefined symbol: xfce_spawn_command_line
$ xfce4-session-settings
xfce4-session-settings: symbol lookup error: xfce4-session-settings: undefined symbol: xfce_gicon_from_name
$ xfce4-popup-applicationsmenu
/usr/bin/xfce4-panel: symbol lookup error: /usr/bin/xfce4-panel: undefined symbol: xfce_has_gtk_frame_extents
xfdesktop: symbol lookup error: /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libgarcon-gtk3-1.so.0: undefined symbol: xfce_spawn
$ xfce4-display-settings
xfce4-display-settings: symbol lookup error: xfce4-display-settings: undefined symbol: xfce_widget_reparent
$ xfrun4: symbol lookup error: xfrun4: undefined symbol: xfce_spawn_command_line
$ xfce4-appfinder: symbol lookup error: xfce4-appfinder: undefined symbol: xfce_spawn_command_line
xfrun4: symbol lookup error: xfrun4: undefined symbol: xfce_spawn_command_line

Last edited by sudowtf (2021-09-30 20:35:14)

ToZ · 2021-09-27 17:02:06

It doesn't look like the upgrade worked properly - you have mismatched versions of Xfce components.

I'm not that familiar with Debian to suggest a path forward, maybe someone at the debian forums can advise on how to recover from a bad upgrade?

CwF · 2021-09-27 19:14:42

The problem is hard to imagine! How much missing info...In synaptic you should be able to fix whatever mistakes..Edit it to ONE repository = "bullseye", refresh, and look at any problems synaptic reports. Get it to ZERO upgradable packages, check the obsoletes and review them - you should know each one, because that's stuff you put there - create a filter for orphans, clean it up! 99.99% chance all the info is in there, I doubt there were no warnings, and it helps to be fluent in synaptic.

Assuming synaptic is not going to work, apt install aptitude and use it in a tty terminal as root.

sudowtf · 2021-09-27 20:23:16

still working on it sad

i'm on the debian forum as well.

synaptic did not produce resolution.
i'm using aptitude, and apt when i need to fallback.

i even `apt purge xfce4*`and reinstalled to no resolve.
purged all my `dpkg --list |grep "^rc"` results as well.

currently cycling between a working gnome session (yuck, hate it, horrible workflow) and a xfce session that is still broken.

no package/repo errors or breakages that i can find. :headache:

CwF · 2021-09-27 20:28:00

You may want to try a new user. Purging and reinstalling is a good idea, but will not change the /home contents, so the culprit could be previous sessions or other configs within the user data.

sudowtf · 2021-09-27 20:56:28

thanks, did not work. test user resulted background only, no windows/win-mgmt whatsoever.

ToZ · 2021-09-27 22:10:10

What does the following return:

apt cache policy xfce4-panel
apt cache policy xfce4-settings
apt cache policy xfce4-appfinder
apt cache policy xfce4-session
apt cache policy garcon

sudowtf · 2021-09-28 13:31:00

garcon is not found, but apitiude shows some libgarcon* and gir1.2-garcon*

xfce4-panel:
  Installed: 4.16.2-1
  Candidate: 4.16.2-1
  Version table:
 *** 4.16.2-1 500
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
xfce4-settings:
  Installed: 4.16.0-1
  Candidate: 4.16.0-1
  Version table:
 *** 4.16.0-1 500
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
xfce4-appfinder:
  Installed: 4.16.1-1
  Candidate: 4.16.1-1
  Version table:
 *** 4.16.1-1 500
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
xfce4-session:
  Installed: (none)
  Candidate: 4.16.0-1
  Version table:
     4.16.0-1 500
        500 http://deb.debian.org/debian bullseye/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status
N: Unable to locate package garcon

CwF · 2021-09-28 14:05:36

for Debian it is libgarcon-1-0

install xfce4-session !!

better yet, reinstall a master package to find these missing elements..
a tasksel option if you use it, or a xfce4 metapackage if you use it, or xfdesktop4

Minimalized, piece-meal, otherwise not meta package managed desktops in Debian 10 can miss updates when packages change organization, true for many things...

sudowtf · 2021-09-28 14:50:33

i just used synaptic & commandline to purge like 1000+ packages that did not have the debian icon in synaptic,
purge/reinstalled xfce4 repeatedly, still no resolve.

it is with great weariness and heartache that i will now install fresh. keeping my home partition obviously.
whoa is me. been upgrading since debian 8, no more.

i appreciate the leads irregardless wink

Last edited by sudowtf (2021-09-28 19:05:38)

sudowtf · 2021-09-28 20:08:07

solved:
`sudo rm -rf /usr/local/lib/*xfce*` && reinstall xfce4

pulseaudio borked, but that's another story

Last edited by sudowtf (2021-09-28 20:08:49)

ToZ · 2021-09-28 21:04:54

sudowtf wrote:

`sudo rm -rf /usr/local/lib/*xfce*`

Why were there files in /usr/local/lib? Did you manually build Xfce at some point in time?

CwF · 2021-09-29 17:08:55

Like I said...

How much missing info..

sudowtf · 2021-09-29 18:57:56

ToZ wrote:

sudowtf wrote:
`sudo rm -rf /usr/local/lib/*xfce*`
Why were there files in /usr/local/lib? Did you manually build Xfce at some point in time?

if i recall, yes... i previously said upgrading since debian 8, but i think it was actually 7, or maybe even 6 that i been rolling-up. i do recall compiling xfce before, and also recall 3rd party repos added. i've gone through phasing/up-cycling stable/non-stable packages with little issue, but obviously there was cruft.

but alas, it seems all good status... As it sits now, i have a fully working desktop again, even audio now. i lost some personal-prefs, but rebuilding those as well so i'm really happy -- disaster is cleaned.

off subject, i have a 252d 6h 6m uptime record on this machine, never to occur again, lol.

Last edited by sudowtf (2021-09-29 19:12:58)

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#1 2021-09-27 15:33:22

[solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#2 2021-09-27 17:02:06

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#3 2021-09-27 19:14:42

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#4 2021-09-27 20:23:16

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#5 2021-09-27 20:28:00

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#6 2021-09-27 20:56:28

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#7 2021-09-27 22:10:10

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#8 2021-09-28 13:31:00

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#9 2021-09-28 14:05:36

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#10 2021-09-28 14:50:33

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#11 2021-09-28 20:08:07

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#12 2021-09-28 21:04:54

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#13 2021-09-29 17:08:55

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

#14 2021-09-29 18:57:56

Re: [solved] Debian 10 to 11 upgrade - XFCE broken desktop

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