Xfce Forum

itdm5j21

Member

Registered: 2025-11-25

Posts: 5

Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

[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 (2025-11-25 20:32:28)

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 951

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

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

---

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

itdm5j21

Member

Registered: 2025-11-25

Posts: 5

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

Hi and thank you for your quick response...

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

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 951

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

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

cat /home/USER/.xsession-errors

Or for previous logins.

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

---

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

itdm5j21

Member

Registered: 2025-11-25

Posts: 5

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

Hi,

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 (2025-11-25 14:49:27)

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 951

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

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?

---

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

itdm5j21

Member

Registered: 2025-11-25

Posts: 5

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

Many thanks indeed for you help.

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,

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.

Last edited by itdm5j21 (2025-11-25 20:31:38)

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 951

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

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.

---

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

itdm5j21

Member

Registered: 2025-11-25

Posts: 5

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

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.

Last edited by itdm5j21 (2025-11-25 20:33:29)

eriefisher

Wanderer

From: ON, Canada

Registered: 2008-10-25

Posts: 951

Re: Lost Desktop Settings (no background, icon)

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.

---

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