How Do I Get Gnome Desktop Back? [SOLVED]

[odo5435]

In the spirit of experimentation and discovery, and with complete disregard for the consequences, while running Gnome I changed the Control Centre Login Screen settings to set Fluxbox as the Default Session. It wasn't by mistake. I had intended to try out Fluxbox and have achieved that goal. I am struggling, however, to do some of the things that were possible in Gnome and you'll undoubtedly be seeing more posts from me in this forum.

My main problem now is that I cannot now return to the Gnome desktop.

I can access the Login Screen Settings page in the Gnome Control Centre through the Fluxbox menu but it will not allow me to 'Unlock' the window so that the default session can be set back to Gnome. Hunt as I might, I'm having difficulty finding the Fluxbox equivalent of the Login Screens Settings window.

Being entirely new to Fluxbox, perhaps I'm approaching this from the wrong angle and I need to input a Terminal command to achieve my aim. However, I can't find any instructions that give me the necessary commands. Searching for "login screen" in the Fluxbox Wiki and on this site only points to topics that don't really address my problem. Most of the Google searches show how to start Fluxbox, but not how to stop it. (Although I did utter a few choice words uder my breath at the person who posted this very unhelpful entry in the Ubuntu forums [the solution must be simple if that idiot worked it out!]).

Can anyone help me to get back my Gnome?

I know there is an option in the Login Screen Settings that is supposed to give the option of choosing either a Gnome or Fluxbox session but that option wouldn't work for some reason on my system. That led to the current problem, thinking it would be simple to switch back to Gnome (and it probably is, I just can't figure it out). I'd be grateful if anyone could suggest another way to get the choice of session at login.

[lmintnewb]

Easy fix ... Right click on your fluxbox desktop. Select exit at the bottom of the menu. Will take you to a log-in screen. Select which user you want to login as. Then a small box will appear on the bottom panel bar. You can change it back to gnome there. Then enter your PW... Press enter and you are back in gnomeness.

[odo5435]

Easy fix ...

Thank you for your quick response. It did help me solve the problem but it wasn't quite as easy as you said.

I am the only user set up on the system so when presented with the login screen there is no selection to be made. The mistake I was making was to type in my user name at which point the system just went straight to the last used environment (as password is disabled for login). What I have to do, and I stress this might be unique to me somehow, is to hit the Login button without putting in my user name. I stumbled across this solution as you might imagine. The login screen changes to asking for a password and It is only then that the bottom panel shows the box that gives the option of choosing the environment. After doing so, I add the password and hit login. I'm then prompted for a username, which I enter (seems backward to me - password then username), and I'm in business.

I'd've got back to you quicker but I've been going through this process over and again to check firstly, that it actually works, and secondly, that it has to be in this complicated order. It does and it must; but at least it works. Thanks again for your help.

If you think something needs fixing on my system, and it would seem so, a heads-up here would be appreciated.

If it can't be fixed, or if this is the way it should be, another very minor irritation occurs. Because the password is input at the same time as choosing the session, the number lock on the keyboard has not been set (which it's my habit to use for the password) and it has to be done manually. Is there a workaround for this?

EDIT:

After posting this I went through the process a couple of more times. It seems I don't have to enter a password. I do have to log in without a user name to get the choice of environment, but all that's necessary is to select the environment and hit enter without bothering with the password. I'm then asked for a user name and continue normally.

So the number lock issue isn't a problem here, but it appears to be an issue with Fluxbox as it works fine in Gnome. I'm off to investigate that now and hopefully you won't be seeing separate thread about it.

[lmintnewb]

Shouldn't be any problems. If there's only one user when you log out of whatever desktop you're using. Should be only one user to choose to log-in with. You can always switch between desktops by doing that. Log-out, choose yaself ... select which desktop you want on the bottom panel ... PW and log-in.

Have 3 desktops on this comp. gnome, xfce and fluxbox. Logging into, out of or switching between them only takes a couple secs to do. Doesn't sound to me like there's anything wrong with your system though. Ya just got turned around using fluxbox ... no worries.

(edit) Ah you've got pw disabled etc. Well at least ya figured it out regardless. So ya back in bizness.

(edit2, lol ) Left this intact for folks who may not know how easy it is switching between the desktops they have installed.

Though would be cautious with fluxb. One time selected summin in fluxbox and it wiped out my gnome desktop. Sure there was an easy fix for it. But at the time didn't feel like digging for it. So just went ahead and reinstalled. Point I'm trying to make though. It apparently is poss to select summin you may regret and have a hard time reversing while fluxbox'ing.

Though it's also a pretty neat ... low resource desktop and I like it, shrugs. Other than whatever mistake I made ( and won't repeat ). Fluxbox is interesting, imo.

[odo5435]

Shouldn't be any problems. If there's only one user when you log out of whatever desktop you're using. Should be only one user to choose to log-in with.

Correct, so why am I presented with a request to input a username, when it's unnecessary? (Not complaining, it just seems redundant)

Log-out, choose yaself ... select which desktop you want on the bottom panel ... PW and log-in.

Not quite. Logout, choose no-one... select which desktop I want on the bottom panel... No PW, then type in my username and PW (if set-up that way) and finally Bob's ya uncle. Again, I'm not complaining. If that's the way it is then fine, it just takes a bit to work it out, that's all. Or am I just excessively slow on the uptake (I did play with Methuselah as a kid).

Your other comments about Fluxbox are noted and I'll try not to completely wreck everything. Can't promise anything though.

[lmintnewb]

Gift horse ... mouth, comes to mind. The people behind linux mint and any of a gazillion other opensource proj's have put years of work. Blood, sweat and tears into these projects. Then they more or less give it to the masses to use freely.

One of the things that seem an integral part of linux is options and freedom to do what you want and how ya want. You chose to dink around with things and set it up a certain way. So as a result, those changes are reflected in your user experience.

If you've customized, reset and changed things. Then can't expect them to be the same for ya. And it'll be up to you to know what you've done and what you're doing with an OS set up to be the way you like it.

Not lecturing or ranting etc. Just pointing this general stuff out. Linux apparently is all about choices, choices, choices ... For that to go smoothly for the person using it. Must needs be knowledge, knowledge, knowledge and/or a lot of headaches, googling, backing up, forum posting and poss a bunch of reinstalling, lol.

[odo5435]

Gift horse ... mouth, comes to mind.

I didn't express myself very well . Your help is greatly appreciated and I tried to emphasise that I wasn't complaining about the result. I was just trying to highlight a minor situation that I fully accept may have been self induced. Maybe on another level I might have been hoping there was a simple solution.

You're right, of course. This free and open Linux world does encourage tinkering by any who are that way inclined. It may be unfortunate that the blood, sweat and tears of the gazillions of people who've worked so hard to bring things to their current state has been shed on the likes of me (who truly doesn't have a clue), but I am grateful for it. I promise I'll fully accept the consequences of any disasters I might cause - without complaint, if you promise to continue to consider my problems (before you suggest the magic re-install auto-fix).

[lmintnewb]

lol ... duly noted. Am grateful to the opensource people of the world too. Agree with ya, don't know if making my computing life better is actually the greatest cause. But hey ... I'll take it.

No worries ... plenty of people to help out with any issues people run into in these forums ... Not to mention the magic minty forums search bar. Odds are if you/I have problems. We are not the 1st, the 2nd or the 23,020 clueless newb who's gone through it. For everything else, there's google.

At least ya comp is up and running fine though. You did make it plain ya weren't complaining. Just pointed that out on general principle.

Seems like ya come across a lot of people in the forums ( elsewhere ). Who seem to think everything should be easy for them or handed to them. Work exactly how they want, regardless of what they've done and don't count their blessings or show gratitude for some kickbutt software like Mint.

So that wasn't a rant directed at you. Just a rant in general.