Recent update of Maya XFCE broke... something?

[gosa]

Hi all,

I don't really know how to describe this one... I updated my install of Maya XFCE yesterday (bad idea - never run an update on a working system just before going on holiday) after which something happened..

Suddenly everything I open gets "stacked" in the top left corner of my monitor, and although I can move my pointer around over all the desktop and right-click just about anywhere (to get the context-menu) I can not select anything outside of an area of the approximate size of 640x480px.

I can not move any windows away from the this area starting in the top left corner and I can't click an "underlying" window/program nor can I alt-tab myself between windows. I've also lost the ability to minimize/maximize//close windows (the choices that's normally in the top left corner of any open window). The task bar is however available. (Can click menu or any other object in it)

Any ideas? Is this a filemanager problem, a window manager problem or something else?
- Is there anything I can enter into terminal and paste here to help helping me on this one?

Edit: I got an idea and installed lxde on top "just becasuse". When logged in to a lxde session I do not experience the above problem.

Screenshot:

Screenshot - small.jpg (21.61 KiB) Viewed 742 times

[How-old!]

gosa - you are lucky. Like you I updated Maya yesterday. As usual, some of the packages were unavailable from Debian, but it seemed OK without them, again, as usual with these updates.
After using the updated system for a while, then the shutdown didn't seem to go smoothly and had to make a forced shutdown after waiting for ~1/2hr.
This morning it refuses to switch into the X window at all, the little cicrcle just keeps rotating.
I can get into a root X window by restarting in the maintenance mode, but it refuses to connect on a perfect, working router - (I had the notion to run apt-get update from CLI).
No idea what is wrong. Limited knowledge and experience, but sufficient if some kind soul could offer a list of suggestions, please!

[Matt267]

gosa,

I had the same problem. If you run

Code: Select all

xfwm4

in the terminal it will temporally fix the problem until you logout and back in. For me, it has resolved itself on its own after running another update. I think I run level 3 updates.

Matt

[How-old!]

Thanks for your suggestion Matt. The root desktop I get from maintenace (should've said recovery mode!) doesn't seem to be the same as that from a regular start-up or su - /password. Running xfwm4 doesn't affect the primary install. I can see all my files intact in recovery mode but, probably by design(?) I cannot connect nor mount an USB device to collect them. I can use a separate liveCD and d/l what I need from that, but I'd prefer to repair the installation I already possess!
All other suggestions very welcome.

[Matt267]

How-old,

My reply was intended for gosa's issue. I'm not sure what to suggest for your problem. You might want to start a separate post.

Matt

[How-old!]

OK - I'll hang around on gosa's thread, though, as it was well chosen and might attract wider interest once folks do the update?

[Matt267]

gosa,

I seem to be having the same issue again today. It occurred for a few days last week but seemed to resolve itself. Today however, whenever I login, I have to run xfwm4 in the terminal to get the min, max, and close buttons. Hopefully an update will be forthcoming that will resolve this.

Matt

[gosa]

gosa,

I seem to be having the same issue again today. It occurred for a few days last week but seemed to resolve itself. Today however, whenever I login, I have to run xfwm4 in the terminal to get the min, max, and close buttons. Hopefully an update will be forthcoming that will resolve this.

Matt

Hey MAtt,

Thanks a lot for your replies, I can confirm that your temporary "fix" works.

You might already know this, but I'd still like to suggest one thing that takes away the need for having to open the terminal and entering xfwm4 manually after every boot:

First of all - boot your computer, log in and apply the "fix". Close the terminal and open "Menu" - "Settings" - "Session and Startup". Click the 4th tab - Session - in the window that pops up. xfwm4 will be in the list as a part of the running session.
Noe just click "save session", close the window and you're done. Next time you log in you'll see that everything looks ok from the beginning.

Now we only have to keep an eye on the updates, and when something comes down I suppose all that is needed is to enter Session and Startup again and reset everything.

[Matt267]

gosa,

Does saving the session work for you? It hasn't for me. I also noticed that when logging out and/or restarting the computer seems to do nothing for a bit before doing what I asked.

Matt

[gosa]

Yeah, saving the session works for me. Been rebooting, shutting down/turning on, logging in/out several times since yesterday without problems.

[Matt267]

Darn, so it looks like I"m the one with the problem now then.
I suspect an update will come by to resolve it for me.

[How-old!]

WARNING: double back-up before latest Maya Xfce update.
I see you guys are still struggling - sorry to hear that. Nobody else picked up my bad update here, but I read on other threads that update is not safe and that Ubuntu is 'working on it'. Big deal! Fortunately, I keep a clone disc (Clonezilla) updated monthly and the last duplication will only lose me ~6days of 'sent' emails because I leave the 'in' emails on the server until collected on an entirely different system. Experience suggests three machines or a mixture of two machines/3 HDs & v.v. is the minimum to maintain continuity. An 'Home' back-up to mobile USB disc might do (not sure about the stats. of risk management in that case, though?). Wish gosa & Matt best of luck and Seasons Greetings and thanks for allowing piggy-back into your thread.