Xfce Forum

PackRat

Member

Registered: 2024-09-24

Posts: 42

Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

Can the startxfce4 script be edited so that the BASEDIR can be changed? The goal is to have a new/different script that can be used for xfce4+labwc.

The default is:

if test "x$XDG_CONFIG_HOME" = "x"
then
  BASEDIR="$HOME/.config/xfce4/"
else
  BASEDIR="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/xfce4"
fi

I copied startxfce4 to xfce4-labwc, made it executable and changed that bit of code to:

if test "x$XDG_CONFIG_HOME" = "x"
then
  BASEDIR="$HOME/.config/labwc/xfce4/"
else
  BASEDIR="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/labwc/xfce4"
fi

Ran the xfce4-labwc script from the command line (I don't use a desktop manager) and got to labwc, but it used the ~/.config/xfce4 files.

I was hoping to have separate BASEDIR files so thatI can have a wayland and X11 xfce4 setup.

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 962

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

If you have a look at

man labwc

it shows you can use a separate config file or a different config directory with the -c or -C option so:

startxfce4 --wayland -c or -C /path/to/DIR or FILE 

may work. Wayland will be different fro X just by setting up the autostart, environment and rc.xml.

---

But it's all right, when you're all in pain and you feel the rain come down
It's alright, when you find your way, then you see it disappear
It's alright....
Chris Cornell

PackRat

Member

Registered: 2024-09-24

Posts: 42

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

That would be for labwc to use different rc.xml and menu.xml files wouldn't it?

What I would like is for xfce4 to use different files so that the xfce4 panels in Wayland and X11 could be different.

I was hoping to create a ~/.config/labwc/xfce4 location with separate config files when I edited the startxfce4 script. Using xfce4 in X11 would still read ~/.config/xfce4.

Last edited by PackRat (2025-01-06 20:42:43)

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 962

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

I'm not sure if Xfce4 can be started with secondary configs or not. It may take arguments pointing it to a configs directory other than the default.

Maybe @ToZ can say for sure.

---

But it's all right, when you're all in pain and you feel the rain come down
It's alright, when you find your way, then you see it disappear
It's alright....
Chris Cornell

Tamaranch

Member

From: France

Registered: 2020-12-31

Posts: 407

Website

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

You should probably use something like

XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/labwc startxfce4

instead?

---

Xfce dev: https://gravatar.com/gaelbonithon

PackRat

Member

Registered: 2024-09-24

Posts: 42

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

You should probably use something like

XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/labwc startxfce4

instead?

This sort of works, but need to add the --wayland

XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/labwc startxfce4 --wayland

Now looking at a separate xfce4 desktop for labwc.

But labwc and foot are not finding their config files.

Last edited by PackRat (2025-01-07 03:07:36)

k3dAR

Member

From: Czech Republic

Registered: 2022-07-27

Posts: 112

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

[...]

XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/labwc startxfce4 --wayland

[...]
But labwc and foot are not finding their config files.

Changing XDG_CONFIG_HOME to this, you say for ALL apps "Your config is not in ~/.config/ but in ~/.config/labwc/"
so labwc try load ~/.config/labwc/labwc/rc.xml, in this way you must duplicate or (maybe symlink be enough?) all from ~/.config/ to ~/.config/labwc/ :-)

BTW: right now i solved similar, but with change XDG_DATA_HOME for "wofi --show drun" to find .desktop from xfce4-panel launcher applet/plugin (wofi search *.desktop in ${XDG_DATA_HOME}/applications/), but my solution is not usable for you as i only change XDG_DATA_HOME before wofi run and in all started launcher from it i revert this variable to previous (if set) value

Tamaranch

Member

From: France

Registered: 2020-12-31

Posts: 407

Website

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

This sort of works, but need to add the --wayland

Oh yes, of course, I forgot to add --wayland, sorry.

But labwc and foot are not finding their config files.

See k3dAR's post above, and otherwise you have the -c and -C options of labwc, as said by eriefisher.

---

Xfce dev: https://gravatar.com/gaelbonithon

PackRat

Member

Registered: 2024-09-24

Posts: 42

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

[...]

XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/labwc startxfce4 --wayland

[...]
But labwc and foot are not finding their config files.

Changing XDG_CONFIG_HOME to this, you say for ALL apps "Your config is not in ~/.config/ but in ~/.config/labwc/"
so labwc try load ~/.config/labwc/labwc/rc.xml, in this way you must duplicate or (maybe symlink be enough?) all from ~/.config/ to ~/.config/labwc/ :-)

BTW: right now i solved similar, but with change XDG_DATA_HOME for "wofi --show drun" to find .desktop from xfce4-panel launcher applet/plugin (wofi search *.desktop in ${XDG_DATA_HOME}/applications/), but my solution is not usable for you as i only change XDG_DATA_HOME before wofi run and in all started launcher from it i revert this variable to previous (if set) value

I was going to try the symlink option next.

Edit - creating symlinks was enough.

I actually created a new directory ~/.config/xfce4-wayland and created some symlinks. This command:

XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/xfce4-wayland startxfce4 --wayland

starts labwc with its own panels etc ...

Last edited by PackRat (2025-01-07 15:57:35)

glenjo

Member

Registered: 2025-01-11

Posts: 3

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

So is this considered the best way to beta test wayland with XFCE?

glenjo

Member

Registered: 2025-01-11

Posts: 3

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

So a bit more data for Wayland and XFCE:

I use Archlinux, with XFCE 4.20 and lightdm. I installed the labwc package, the Plasma package group and the kde-applications group (essentially installed a KDE desktop). After a reboot, lightdm now has Plasma (Wayland), Plasma(X), XFCE(Wayland), XFCE (X), and Labwc as available desktop sessions. I have tried all of these except labwc, and these all start up and work. No extensive checking for bugs or weirdness yet. I have a graphics card and monitor that support ten bit color and HDR, these seem to be working in KDE when enabled.

I realize I've gotten pretty far from the original topic, I'll follow up with a separate post after a couple more days of testing.

Thanks!