Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

itdm5j21 · Yesterday 11:24:52

[SOLVED]

Hi,

My Xfce4 DE was fine though now when I start up XFCE4, I have no means of accessing Destops Settings. So, no backdrop, icons or mouse_right-click menu for Desktop Settings Dialog Box. Also, when I go into settings Dialog there is no Destop icon there either.

I did notice that the backgroud and icons folders seem to have gone (deleted perhaps, though not knowingly by me)? I have now replaced those folders with backup copies.

The desktop is functioning with two panels so is still workable, but something is amiss. Any pointers as to how I might recover this DE would be much appreciated.

OS is FreeBSD 14.3 on a HP Prodesk i7 and I have tried running the xfdesktop command in a terminal with this result...

$ xfdesktop
sh: xfdesktop: not found

Thanks.

Last edited by itdm5j21 (Yesterday 20:32:28)

eriefisher · Yesterday 13:04:09

You maybe getting a crash for some reason. You can check .xsession-errors for some info.

itdm5j21 · Yesterday 13:44:55

Hi and thank you for your quick response...

eriefisher wrote:

You maybe getting a crash for some reason. You can check .xsession-errors for some info.

I have searched for .xsession-errors file to no avail, do I need to create this log file first? As in all my use of XFCE, I have never had an issue that I needed recourse to this log. Maybe I've just been lucky, until now I guess.

eriefisher · Yesterday 14:30:46

It's a hidden file in your /home directory.

cat /home/USER/.xsession-errors

Or for previous logins.

cat /home/USER/.xsession-errors.old

itdm5j21 · Yesterday 14:48:06

Hi,

eriefisher wrote:

It's a hidden file in your /home directory.
cat /home/USER/.xsession-errors
Or for previous logins.
cat /home/USER/.xsession-errors.old

They aren't there I had already searched for them as hidden .files - using your codes confirmed they don't exist - which at least reassured me.

I have created a ~/.xsession-errors file now though not sure how to get the requisite output into it.

Thanks.

Last edited by itdm5j21 (Yesterday 14:49:27)

eriefisher · Yesterday 14:56:29

Interesting?? Maybe this is a BSD thing, unsure?
You can check /etc/X11/Xsession to see if it's creating a error file. Should be a line like,

ERRFILE=$HOME/.xsession-errors

Maybe it's commented out?

itdm5j21 · Yesterday 15:42:11

Many thanks indeed for you help. smile

eriefisher wrote:

Interesting?? Maybe this is a BSD thing, unsure?
You can check /etc/X11/Xsession to see if it's creating a error file. Should be a line like,
ERRFILE=$HOME/.xsession-errors
Maybe it's commented out?

I reckon set-up is different in FreeBSD. I'm posting on FreeBSD forum also, so, hopefully, I get some idea of how to go about XFce4 error logging there.

Cheers

Added later 48 min 05 s:
Hi,

eriefisher wrote:

Interesting?? Maybe this is a BSD thing, unsure?
You can check /etc/X11/Xsession to see if it's creating a error file. Should be a line like,
ERRFILE=$HOME/.xsession-errors
Maybe it's commented out?

This turned out to be a FreeBSD 14.3 fix:-

pkg install xfce4-desktop

Logging out and startxfce4 gave 'server not found' though shutdown and reboot worked.

Many thanks again for your input. smile

Last edited by itdm5j21 (Yesterday 20:31:38)

eriefisher · Yesterday 17:09:15

Interesting. Was this a out of the box install or did you install Xfce4 afterwards? Does BSD use meta packages to install everything as a dependency so the desktop is complete?

If you can mark you first post as [SOLVED} would be great.

itdm5j21 · Yesterday 20:28:52

FreeBSD 14.3 was installed, then xorg via a package

pkg install xorg

and XFce4 was installed separately via a package afterwards. Then XFce4 Goodies

pkg install xfce4 & pkg install xfce4-goodies

Not sure if that answerS your question, I may have misunderstood. smile

Last edited by itdm5j21 (Yesterday 20:33:29)

eriefisher · Yesterday 20:37:20

BSD may have a different approach but in Debian install xfce4 would bring in most of the desktop environment. task-xfce-desktop would bring that and more to complete it with some sensible applications.

Xfce Forum

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#1 Yesterday 11:24:52

Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

#2 Yesterday 13:04:09

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

#3 Yesterday 13:44:55

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

#4 Yesterday 14:30:46

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

#5 Yesterday 14:48:06

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

#6 Yesterday 14:56:29

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

#7 Yesterday 15:42:11

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

#8 Yesterday 17:09:15

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

#9 Yesterday 20:28:52

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

#10 Yesterday 20:37:20

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

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