Trouble Adding New User LMDE XFCE

[kamien79]

I just installed LMDE XFCE and I am trying to set up an account for my kids to use. I can make the user account but when I log in I get the Linux Mint Maya wallpaper and small panel with nothing in it up toward the left corner of the desktop. There are no panels along the bottom or the top. Thanks in advance.

[widget]

We are going to need a lot more information than that to give you any help.

How you created this user would be a great place to start.

You might want to take a look at;

Code: Select all

man adduser


[theorangerider]

Hi,

I'm running into the same issue. I've tried creating a new user using the GUI menu and also via adduser with default parameters ("sudo adduser <new user>"). It looks like the new user's home folder is being be filled from /etc/skel/. Does this mean my /etc/skel is missing some default config info?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

[widget]

Hi,

I'm running into the same issue. I've tried creating a new user using the GUI menu and also via adduser with default parameters ("sudo adduser <new user>"). It looks like the new user's home folder is being be filled from /etc/skel/. Does this mean my /etc/skel is missing some default config info?

Any help is greatly appreciated!

You really have to give more information on what you did. You haven't even said what DE you are using.

You could go and take a look at what is in /etc/skel which is indeed where most of the new user configuration comes from. Just like looking at your configuration files you will need to hit Ctrl+h so you can see the /.hidden files that are the actual config files.

Have you tried to configure the new user desktop? Most panels for instance are configurable.

I would be happy to configure as system that had no panel on the bottom. I have to move the thing to the top. You have not said what you want.

Some config files may also be in /root. If so they are hidden too and would only apply to things that need root permissions.

If you want a desktop like your own use the ~/.hidden files for it. Transplant them to /home/<new user> and make sure you set the ownership to the new user.

You will not want to use your web browser and email client config files for the new user.

[theorangerider]

You really have to give more information on what you did. You haven't even said what DE you are using.

You could go and take a look at what is in /etc/skel which is indeed where most of the new user configuration comes from. Just like looking at your configuration files you will need to hit Ctrl+h so you can see the /.hidden files that are the actual config files.

Have you tried to configure the new user desktop? Most panels for instance are configurable.

I would be happy to configure as system that had no panel on the bottom. I have to move the thing to the top. You have not said what you want.

Some config files may also be in /root. If so they are hidden too and would only apply to things that need root permissions.

If you want a desktop like your own use the ~/.hidden files for it. Transplant them to /home/<new user> and make sure you set the ownership to the new user.

You will not want to use your web browser and email client config files for the new user.

Thanks for the response! I'm using XFCE, same as the original poster. I guess what I was expecting was to get the same panel for my new user account as the one that is created for the first (default?) user when you install LMDE. If I recall correctly, you get a docked panel that has things such as the Applications Menu, a clock, a volume control, etc. Similar to this image, except for XFCE.

It sounds like I incorrectly assumed is that the desktop configuration/layout for the first user account I created would be the same for additional users, but this isn't completely true especially if the first user has admin privileges and the second does not.

It does sound like it shouldn't be too hard to transplant configuration files over to the new user or to just try to manually set things up. I'll give that a shot and maybe move things into /etc/skel so any new users in the future will get a similar setup. Thanks again for the help!

[jjaythomas]

you should

the panels ect. should be the same as the default 'original user'. Unless changed in skel somehow.

Thats a feature off 'remastersys' (can get debs on web (testing wheezy 3.1 curently) where you can change skel/configs (most anyways ) for new users to be based on a current (as set) user.

J.Jay
edit heres post to current remastersys (for debian wheezy) http://www.remastersys.com/forums/index ... pic=2511.0

[widget]

If you create a new user and then set up a very basic configuration for that user you can use those ~/.foo and whatever /home/<user name>/<sub directories> you want all new users to have in /etc/skel.

I am sure the link to the remastersys site will explain that. Skel is actually use for about all installs. Here on Sid the only things in it are the files for bash but even Debian uses /etc/skel. That is what that directory is in the Linux kernel for.

Unfortunately LMDE doesn't support the Xfce DE very much but they are not a large dev team. You can only do what you can and have to go with the things your users prefer. Lxde I think is better supported. Nice DE, very popular, currently at least.

I am a Xfce user myself and wouldn't care if they dropped KDE because I don't like it. I am sure that this would upset more users than not fooling around with Xfce does and I can except that with no trouble at all.

If you are using Xfce and want that Mate type interface you may want to check, the next time you log in, the "session" button on the bottom of the log in box. You may find you have the option for Mate. I do since the last Update Pack. Can't say I am thrilled with that but you could check it out. May give you just what you want.

If it askes if you want that as your default DE just tell it no.

While it makes your install quite a bit larger you can have as many DEs on there as you want.

When I decided after years of running Gnome that I wanted to change I installed a Wheezy install just to play with DEs. Had about 7 on there I think. May have been a couple more than that.

Settled on Xfce but now have a couple of installs running OpenBox (Lxde is actually OB based and you can choose an OB session at login). I like the Xfce panel with it but you don't get quite full functionality with it, most OB users prefer tint2 for a panel.

Having an install wiht many DEs on it, while large, gives you quite an education.

Mate, by the way, is very nice. Caja is very good.

I think Thunar 4.10 (from the Debian experimental repo) is better. And I think the Xfce panel(s) are what the Gnome panels always wanted to grow up to be. None the less the Mate fork of Gnome and the Caja fork of Nautilus are just really slick pieces of work.

On the external drive that I loan to folks that want to try linux I have 2 installs (on 32 and one 64bit) versions of LMDE using the Mate/Cinnamon install. For Xfce I use Debian Wheezy because it doesn't have so many Gnome "improvements" to it. Xubuntu does the same thing and I prefer the purer Xfce DE.

Also have OB and will be adding Mageia 3 for the KDE example and to show something of the Red Hat branch of Linux off too. Have to wait for Mageia 3 to be released. The "caldron" (dev version) is very nice.

[theorangerider]

Wow, lots of good information, thanks guys!