Desktop is broken after update

fork · 2024-10-26 04:20:43

Hello,

I ran a apt update and upgrade today and on reboot my Xfce desktop environment is very broken. On boot I get the usual panel with Applications, show desktop, the clock etc but no actual desktop. The windows don't have the thing across the top where I can minimize/close them and I also can't resize any windows. Some windows (such as Thunar) I can move, but if I open a terminal I cannot move or resezie it. There is also no desktop so to speak - I can't right click on it.

If I go to terminal and type xfwm4 I get my desktop back with icons and I can right click however now I've lost my panel with Applications, show desktop, the clock etc. The issue still persists where I have no close/minimize on windows and I can't resize them. Again Thunar can be moved, but terminal cannot.

When I type xfwm4 into a terminal I get the following message:
```
did not find extension DRI_Mesa version 1
failed to load driver: zink
did not find extension DRI_Mesa version 1
failed to load driver: swrast

(xfwm4:4456): xfwm4-WARNING **: 16:14:06.153: Could not create GLX context.

(xfwm4:4456): Gdk-WARNING **: 16:14:06.153: The program 'xfwm4' received an X Window System error.
This probably reflects a bug in the program.
The error was 'BadValue (integer parameter out of range for operation)'.
(Details: serial 1822 error_code 2 request_code 152 (GLX) minor_code 24)
(Note to programmers: normally, X errors are reported asynchronously;
that is, you will receive the error a while after causing it.
To debug your program, run it with the GDK_SYNCHRONIZE environment
variable to change this behavior. You can then get a meaningful
backtrace from your debugger if you break on the gdk_x_error() function.)
```
I don't fully understand this error and I am not going to try and debug something as complex as xfce.

I have tried apt install --reinstall xfwm4 but nothing changed.

I have also cleared out ~/.cache/sessions which has not changed anything.

I I open Settings and try to go to Windows Manager or Windows Manager Tweaks nothing happens. Other settings like Panel or Desktop seem to work.

Any and all suggestions are welcome.

EDIT:
I figured out that Windows Manager Tweaks is in fact xfwm4-tweaks-settings. But when I run this through termianl I get back:
```
These settings cannot work with your current window manager (unknown)
```

Last edited by fork (2024-10-26 04:25:16)

eriefisher · 2024-10-26 11:38:36

If you read the error you have an Xserver issue not a xfwm4 problem. Looks like your missing a couple drivers. Did they get removed during your last upgrade/update?

fork · 2024-10-27 03:30:01

Turns out there were some upgrades which were "held back" when I ran apt upgrade (I didn't now about this held back thing). I ran an apt-get dist-upgrade and it fixed everything.

I don't think they got removed, I think it was new dependencies that were being held back.

en666 · 2025-02-06 22:34:20

Xubuntu 24.04 here and window manager suddenly disappeared.

@fork thank you so much, you just gave a sense to my entire evening. I can confirm that even in my case it was just matter of an `apt-get dist-upgrade`, that's it!

SMXuser · 2025-03-27 12:22:33

I'm experiencing exactly the same problem with XFCE 4.18 on an MX Linux setup. I'm assuming that an update played a role with this perhaps? As of a few days ago when I reboot or cold start my machine, everything comes back and works as expected, except for the fact that my selected background image no longer shows up and that there is no more context menu available on the desktop either. But the taskbar, menu items, etc. all work as they did before. Even the custom mouse cursor works.

The weird thing is that when I do a CTRL + ALT + Backspace the system then comes back with the background image that was previously selected, but the context menu still won't work at all. When I right click anywhere on the desktop absolutely nothing happens.
It was suggested somewhere that perhaps reconfiguring all of the packages (dkms --configure -a as root) might fix the problem. So I did that and the process went all the way through. Did not notice any errors but it took quite a long time (hours). Rebooted afterwards but nothing has changed. Desktop background picture is still missing and there's still no context menu.
The context menu does work everywhere else, just not on the desktop.

eriefisher · 2025-03-27 12:31:02

It sounds like xfdesktop is either not starting or crashing. There should be something in the logs to indicate what's happening.I'm pretty sure MX now has a full release of 4.20. Best to check with them on a path for a total dist-upgrade. I'm not sure what they're preferences are.

SMXuser · 2025-03-27 12:54:42

Well, the MX Linux Forum is a little cumbersome to use (IMO). The last few times that I posted there results were not possible and it seems that their answers are more or less best reserved for specific MX issues. This is clearly, or so it seems to me anyway, an issue that has to do specifically with XFCE, as was the case with the person who initially created this posting.
There is nothing crashing as far as I can tell. Everything including the panel works as it should. I did go ahead and cleared the cache out but that made no change. Still fiddling with it. I was hoping one of the XFCE / Desktop developers might see this post and offer some XFCE / Desktop specific advice here.

Added later 06 min 02 s:
When I go to settings -- followed by opening the settings editor -- I can clearly see that all three of my desktop choices and the selected image for each of them are there. Something is just preventing them from working and I'm afraid to muck something up by fiddling around with the settigns editor since it's not exactly self-explanatory how some of those settings work.

eriefisher · 2025-03-27 13:04:07

The desktop background and the context menu are both provided by xfdesktop. Try opening a terminal and run

xfdesktop -R

You should have something return, what is it? Also, have you checked the logs? .xsession-errors .xsession-errors.old.

SMXuser · 2025-03-27 14:09:22

Alright, I'm getting ... xfdesktop is not running ... when I type xfdesktop -R in the terminal.

I viewed both files which are pretty much identical and both full of the same related errors. The machine is in another room so give me a few minutes and I'll post some screenshots from my phone. Thank you.

Wow, there's no way to just add an image from my desktop here? It's the first time in years that I've been on a forum where I can't upload from my machine. No biggie. There are three images which I've placed online in my domain. The language is a bit mashed up in the images since I'm located in Germany, using a German translation of MX Linux. Anyway, here are the links to the pictures:

https://www.drachenbeere.de/xfdesktop-error1.jpg

https://www.drachenbeere.de/xfdesktop-error2.jpg

https://www.drachenbeere.de/xfdesktop-error3.jpg

EDIT: Hmmm, I went ahead and compared this GTK 3.0/gtk.css file to my other setup which is working just fine. The file is there and it is identical to the one in this system where I'm writing from. Both files have identical references for the whisker-tweak.css file and also the panel-tweaks.css file.
I do not have an actual whisker-tweak.css file in either of the two virtually identical systems, but one of them is running perfectly fine while the other one has these desktop issues with no working desktop.

.

Added later 19 h 53 min 13 s:
Alright, I give up. After fiddling with this issue for almost a week I've decided to just go ahead with a new installation. I hate to abandon an issue without a resolution, but sometimes it's just the right thing to do as opposed to wasting tons of time which could be spent being more productive with other plans, work, whatever.
Have a great weekend.
.

Last edited by SMXuser (2025-03-28 10:03:21)

eriefisher · 2025-03-28 11:27:03

For posting images you need to use a third party image hosting service such as imgur.com. Upload the image there and then copy the bbcode link to your post. Your image will then appear. For text, it's better to use code or quote tags depending on what you want to do.

SMXuser · 2025-03-28 13:23:14

Thanks. My solution worked just as well though. We have our own family server for pictures, homepages, etc. so it wasn't a big deal. I was just surprised. wink
.

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#1 2024-10-26 04:20:43

Desktop is broken after update

#2 2024-10-26 11:38:36

Re: Desktop is broken after update

#3 2024-10-27 03:30:01

Re: Desktop is broken after update

#4 2025-02-06 22:34:20

Re: Desktop is broken after update

#5 2025-03-27 12:22:33

Re: Desktop is broken after update

#6 2025-03-27 12:31:02

Re: Desktop is broken after update

#7 2025-03-27 12:54:42

Re: Desktop is broken after update

#8 2025-03-27 13:04:07

Re: Desktop is broken after update

#9 2025-03-27 14:09:22

Re: Desktop is broken after update

#10 2025-03-28 11:27:03

Re: Desktop is broken after update

#11 2025-03-28 13:23:14

Re: Desktop is broken after update

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