Xfce Forum

luke

Member

Registered: 2014-10-06

Posts: 4

Installing new Version of xfce4-power-manager

Hi folks,

I am using Lubuntu 14.04, but the xfce power-manager for this version (1.2) is just not working.

So I want to try the new version 1.4.1 from
http://git.xfce.org/xfce/xfce4-power-manager/

and I downloaded the source tar.
... but I don't know what to do now, to upgrade it.

Thanks in advance ...

luke

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,485

Re: Installing new Version of xfce4-power-manager

For some reason, Lubuntu doesn't include the "plugin.h" lxpanel development header file in its repositories. As a result, compilation of 1.4.1 does not build the lxpanel plugin See edit at bottom for instructions on building the plugin. Here are the steps that I took (all steps as root):

1. Uninstall the existing version of xfce4-power-manager:

apt-get remove xfce4-power-manager

...note, this will also remove the lubuntu-desktop meta package.

2. Install the build-essential libraries:

apt-get install build-essential

3. Install the xfce4-power-manager build-dependency libraries:

apt-get build-dep xfce4-power-manager

4. Install a further required dependency library:

apt-get install libupower-glib-dev

5. Download the new version of the xfce4-power-manager and copy it to /usr/src.

6. Go to the source directory:

cd /usr/src

7. Uncompress the package:

tar xjf xfce4-power-manager-1.4.1.tar.bz2

...and cd into the directory:

cd xfce4-power-manager-1.4.1

8. Build and install the package:

./autogen.sh --prefix=/usr --disable-static --enable-network-manager --enable-polkit --disable-debug --enable-lxdepanel
make
make install

9. Logout and back in again.

As noted earlier, the new power-manager plugin won't build because the compilation process can't find "lxpanel/plugin.h". It appears that lubuntu doesn't package the lxpanel development header file.

EDIT: Here is a workaround to get the power-manager-plugin built and installed:
1. Create the missing include directory:

mkdir /usr/include/lxpanel

2. Extract the "panel.h" file from this archive and copy it to /usr/include/lxpanel.

3. Go to the plugin source directory:

cd /usr/src/xfce4-power-manager-1.4.1/panel-plugins/power-manager-plugin/lxde

4. Manually build the plugin:

make
make install

5. If running on a 64-bit system:

ln -s /usr/lib/lxpanel/plugins/lxde-power-manager.so /usr/lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/lxpanel/plugins

6. Log out and back in again. Add the Power Manager Plugin to the panel.

Disclaimer: I did this in a VM. The power manager seems to work fine, but it isn't directly integrated to the system. YMMV.

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luke

Member

Registered: 2014-10-06

Posts: 4

Re: Installing new Version of xfce4-power-manager

Thanks ToZ for your long guide.

I was able to install the power manager without problems.
For the plugin, I had to add more header Files from the archive - and then it installed without error messages.

I just could not add it to the panel, though.

But I did not tried for very long, because ....  also the new version does not work.
At least not for me.

Can you tell me, where I could do a bug report?

Ah, by the way, I just realised, that Lubuntu uses lxde in general, but the xfce power-manager?
Maybe that is the cause of some trouble?

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,485

Re: Installing new Version of xfce4-power-manager

Can you tell me, where I could do a bug report?

To start the bug reporting process with an ubuntu-based distro, from a terminal window, run:

ubuntu-bug xfce4-power-manager

Ah, by the way, I just realised, that Lubuntu uses lxde in general, but the xfce power-manager?
Maybe that is the cause of some trouble?

I believe lubuntu ships with it as part of their default install.

What is the problem that you are having with the power manager?

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luke

Member

Registered: 2014-10-06

Posts: 4

Re: Installing new Version of xfce4-power-manager

What is the problem that you are having with the power manager?

Well, simply that after installation no setting works at all.

After I did this workaround
http://itsfoss.com/fix-brightness-ubuntu-1310/

The brightness settings are working
(Keys, as well as "reduce Brightness after 100 s)

But when it comes to go stand-by or not after a specific time - or more important,when I close my Laptop ... he ignores all of my settings.

...

But, it might not be the fault of the xfce-power manager at all, because I just switched back to Lubuntu 13.10, which also uses the  xpm 1.2.0 - and everything works perfectly ...

So anyway, thanks ToZ for your help.

TeaPack

Member

Registered: 2015-01-11

Posts: 1

Re: Installing new Version of xfce4-power-manager

Hello,

nice guide, but at point 2 in workaround I had to copy entire folder lxpanel/src/, not only file panel.h
and in the end, last command make error - file not exist, but it seems to work.

Also I had some troubles with power-manager-1.2. so I hope, ver.1.4. will solve it. (Xubuntu 14.04)
    random hard shutdown more than 25% of battery withnout notifications
        - battery is healthy (98%)
        - limit for critical action - 5%