The unofficial LMDE Xfce UP6 SR1

[widget]

Redid my drives so had to wait a bit to install. Got it last night though.

Ran fine, did every thing I want it to. Use the Foss drivers so have no idea how that works.

The screen saver blanking in the Live Session is a bit of a shock. Have had it happen a number of times on a bunch of distros though. If it were disabled it would be good.

I think it should be disabled by default in the install too. I think, if I remember how you put an iso together, that this would make disabling for the Live Session easier.

Every thing just went to work on here.

[jjaythomas]

Finally got to play with SR1

seems to fixed my observations (complaints ). But on a very unimportant note... In the installer slideshow isn't 'quassel a KDE app, and skype not in Mints LMDE repo no more?

J.Jay
P.S. Is Main Mint repo down/slow again? Mint update blanked out again till switched (using 'mint-choose-debian-mirror') to metrocast even thou kept saying Mints was the fastest!

[hushpuppy]

First, thank you Schoelje and everyone who helped with the testing for putting all this together. The install went smoothly and without any problems on my Asus Eeepc netbook. The few problems I've had have mostly been cosmetic.

• Using synaptic, attempting to remove java-common left broken dependencies, but selecting icedtea packages for removal solved it.
  
• lots of GTK warnings in .xsession-errors:
  

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  (xfce4-panel:18896): Gtk-WARNING **: Unable to locate theme engine in module_path: "pixmap",

  installing gtk2-engines-pixbuf (2.24.10-2) fixed that.
  
• I'm not sure how to enable gnome-keyring to save me from retyping the password every time I start synaptic.
  
• Choosing Menu > Setting > Preferred Applications, then selecting Opera as preferred browser, then clicking help starts firefox.
  
• While removing/replacing various packages I've managed to remove lmdexfce-lightdm-adjustments and lmdexfce-system-adjustments and can't get them back.
  
• Can I recommend XFCE-Terminal 0.6.1-1 from experimental? It's a vast improvement over 0.4.8, easier to customize shortcuts, and also has a quake-style drop-down mode.
  
• The only problem I can't solve is getting dictd to run. Setting DICTD_ARGS="-s" (i.e. log to syslog) in /etc/default/dictd and applying dpkg-reconfigure dictd, service dictd start fails with
  

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   dictd[6586]: Can't bind 2628/tcp to port 2628
 dictd[6586]: net_open_tcp: Cannot assign requested address

  
  I tried the previous version of dictd (which did work under gnome) but that fails with the same error. All the dependencies are satisfied, and I don't know where else to look for a solution.

Overall, this is so much better than gnome I didn't notice I hadn't upgraded the kernel to pae. Faster, leaner, and worth saying again: thanks for all your hard work!

[GeneC]

Hi hushpuppy, welcome to the forums....

[*]I'm not sure how to enable gnome-keyring to save me from retyping the password every time I start synaptic.

I go right to the source (policy kit).
I edit (as root)

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/usr/share/polkit-1/actions/com.ubuntu.pkexec.synaptic.policy

Change Line 14
To:

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<allow_active>yes</allow_active>

From:

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<allow_active>auth_admin</allow_active>

No more entering password for Synaptic..

[*]Can I recommend XFCE-Terminal 0.6.1-1 from experimental? It's a vast improvement over 0.4.8, easier to customize shortcuts, and also has a quake-style drop-down mode.

Yep! I agree with that one, its an improvement.

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gene@lmdeup6:~$ apt-cache policy xfce4-terminal
xfce4-terminal:
  Installed: 0.6.1-1
  Candidate: 0.6.1-1
  Version table:
 *** 0.6.1-1 0
     

Overall, this is so much better than gnome I didn't notice I hadn't upgraded the kernel to pae. Faster, leaner, and worth saying again: thanks for all your hard work!

AMEN!!....

[Schoelje]

@hushpuppy

Nice to hear you like the unofficial LMDE Xfce.

For you and anybody who accidentally remove the custom packages:
http://www.schoelje.nl/lmdexfce/packages

This is a temporary solution. I'm working on (amongst other things) my own repository.

[hushpuppy]

@GeneC: Thank you! Given how broken gnome is, I'd assumed the fault was with gnome-keyring

@Schoelje: Thanks for the link! Like is quickly turning out to be an understatement. It's amazing to be able to start synaptic and see '0 to upgrade'. I've always been excited by the hype and disappointed by the reality - especially with LMDE. Already, it feels like the unofficial LMDE Xfce is everything Linux Mint should be: lean, fast, simple to use, and not limited or suffocated by all of gnome's failures. Being new to Xfce, there are new tricks for me to learn and explore - and for me that's half the fun of having a system that works.

[zerozero]

i know that sometimes is a thin line but positive enthusiasm on something shouldn't derail in negative considerations on something else

[Schoelje]

...and the unofficials wouldn't even exist if it weren't for Linux Mint.

[widget]

Hi hushpuppy, welcome to the forums....

[*]I'm not sure how to enable gnome-keyring to save me from retyping the password every time I start synaptic.

I go right to the source (policy kit).
I edit (as root)

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/usr/share/polkit-1/actions/com.ubuntu.pkexec.synaptic.policy

Change Line 14
To:

Code: Select all

<allow_active>yes</allow_active>

From:

Code: Select all

<allow_active>auth_admin</allow_active>

No more entering password for Synaptic..

[*]Can I recommend XFCE-Terminal 0.6.1-1 from experimental? It's a vast improvement over 0.4.8, easier to customize shortcuts, and also has a quake-style drop-down mode.

Yep! I agree with that one, its an improvement.

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gene@lmdeup6:~$ apt-cache policy xfce4-terminal
xfce4-terminal:
  Installed: 0.6.1-1
  Candidate: 0.6.1-1
  Version table:
 *** 0.6.1-1 0
     

Overall, this is so much better than gnome I didn't notice I hadn't upgraded the kernel to pae. Faster, leaner, and worth saying again: thanks for all your hard work!

AMEN!!....

Thanks a bunch for that. Never looked in there before. Not used to using a system with sudo set up so this is a bit different.

[GeneC]

......... Being new to Xfce, there are new tricks for me to learn and explore - and for me that's half the fun.......

These might prove interesting....

http://www.xfce.org/about/tour

http://wiki.xfce.org/tips

http://wiki.xfce.org/

===========================

..........Thanks a bunch for that. Never looked in there before. Not used to using a system with sudo set up so this is a bit different.

One of the first thing I do. Using only a desktop, with no wifi, and no one else has access to my computer that kind of security is redundant for me. Would not recommend everyone doing it, but it works for me....

[seppalta]

Have successfully installed LXDE over the unofficial LMDE Xfce UP6 SR1: http://lxlinux.com/debian.html.
Faster than LXDE on the official LMDE Xfce. Everything - wine, skype, wireless, printing, etc - worked out of the box.
Thanks, schoelje.

[tdockery97]

Just wanted to jump in and thank you also, GeneC. The no password fix for Synaptic worked on Cinnamon as well. Like you, I don't have to worry about physical pc security so it was silly typing the password any time I wanted to install something.

[cwsnyder]

Thank you very much schoelje!

SR1 on both live and installed versions defaulted to 1024x768, which is much better than the 640x480 which was my default on the RC. I am still working on automatically getting my native resolution set automatically on startup. Neither .xprofile nor .xinitrc work from the /home/ folder, although they have the correct shell commands and will run from the command line after boot. I am probably going to have to disable the boot splash screen, as that doesn't seem to work on my system.

Otherwise, the install went fine for SR1 and everything else looks to be fine, as well, so far.

[widget]

Just wanted to jump in and thank you also, GeneC. The no password fix for Synaptic worked on Cinnamon as well. Like you, I don't have to worry about physical pc security so it was silly typing the password any time I wanted to install something.

All the files there are system files. They don't care what DE you are using.

This is one advantage of knowing something about the file system. You could change to a completely strange DE with no clue how to do a thing and still configure your system to work as you want it too.

I have for the last 4+ years been keeping a directory in my home directory that is just such kind of info. Several sub directories give me pretty good access to the information on a number of Linux subjects. Grub, terminal commands, useful files (guess where that info went) and so on. A lot would probably be useless to you but is invaluable to me.

If you were to start such a collection you would find it very handy and definitely aimed at your needs.

One change in my system of collecting that is going to change very soon is to remove this from my home directory and put it on all my data partitions, internal and external so that it is safe, backed up and accessable from all my installs easily.

[ukbrian]

I have for the last 4+ years been keeping a directory in my home directory that is just such kind of info. Several sub directories give me pretty good access to the information on a number of Linux subjects. Grub, terminal commands, useful files (guess where that info went) and so on. A lot would probably be useless to you but is invaluable to me.

I've been using Cherrytree http://www.giuspen.com/cherrytree/ for that job and keeping the data file in Dropbox which works for me, there's even a M$ version.

I used to use Treepad but then I found Cherrytree which is actively developed and a must have for me.

[hushpuppy]

@Schoelje and @zerozero: understood

@GeneC: The only thing I haven't found on the Xfce website is an all-in-one documentation page - either as html or pdf for off-line reading. Don't know if their system could generate one automatically, but it would be very useful.

And, fwiw, the dictd problem

• The only problem I can't solve is getting dictd to run. Setting DICTD_ARGS="-s" (i.e. log to syslog) in /etc/default/dictd and applying dpkg-reconfigure dictd, service dictd start fails with
  

  Code: Select all

   dictd[6586]: Can't bind 2628/tcp to port 2628
 dictd[6586]: net_open_tcp: Cannot assign requested address

  
  I tried the previous version of dictd (which did work under gnome) but that fails with the same error. All the dependencies are satisfied, and I don't know where else to look for a solution.

was a networking problem. For some reason there was no loopback interface.

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# route add 127.0.0.1

as root fixed that.

I have never understood networking, so I can't begin to understand why it wasn't created automagically at some point.

[TeaSwigger]

Hi Schoelje, it's me again... I've just installed LMDE Xfce UP6 SR1 on an old PIII PC. And it seems to be working remarkably well! The install went flawlessly. One issue though...

DDM says it can use PAE and NVIDIA (it has a GeForce 5200 card, so this concerns the nvidia legacy 73xx stuff). PAE installed fine. It seems like NVIDIA installed on the old 486 kernel though. When I boot into the PAE kernel, DDM says the NVIDIA driver is not installed (nouveau is checked). If I check it to install, it does suspiciously fast and asks to boot; upon rebooting, nothing has changed, DDM again reports NVIDIA as not installed (and running nvidia-xconfig in the terminal gets a no such command error). When I boot into the 486 kernel, DDM reports NVIDIA driver is installed and it is checked. How can I get the graphics right with the PAE kernel?

(edited to clarify)

[kurok]

Decided to give this a try, all i can say is great job. It runs very quick on my box and so far i haven't had any issues at all.
Only thing i thought i had downloaded the KDE version by accident, after a few seconds i figured it out. All in all so far a great job.
Thank you.

[17xeros]

Tried the LMDE Xfce UP6 SR1.
GRUB
at installation, if "install Grub" is un-ticked" it's behaviour is still unpredictable.
3 installs in same machine (Pressario 6730s) (over same partition) 1st it installed grub. 2nd 3rd it followed the instructions not to.
In another machine (ASRock P4VM890 with P4 3.00GHz) it didn't follow the instructions not to. in a third machine (OQO02) was instructed to install grub and did so. In OQO2 it has sound problems like GeneC reported viewtopic.php?f=61&t=122592&start=100#p677833

Probably peculiar to my hardware (I added an aux. sound card, in additon to the built in card, that had problems .)
I haven't seen anyone else complain of sound problems, but just in case some have...

That's my guess as well. Usually I HAVE TO add

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via_agp.blacklist=yes

for graphics, sound, and track stick to work. I think the no sound relates to that.

OQO02 screen
Since talking about that machine, issuing boot options

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via_agp.blacklist=yes

and sometimes

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xforcevesa=xforcevesa

makes the screen to work fine (res: 800x480) with LM9, 13, and 14. However it does not work with LMDE official and unofficial. I wonder what is different in the LiveCDs of LM and LMDE and if I can change that parameter to make the screen (with LMDE) to work properly. (I installed LMDE with the help of an external (1024x768) monitor.

DDM
In ASRock P4VM890 seen the similar behavior as TeaSwigger viewtopic.php?f=61&t=122592&start=120#p679402 with the graphics and Wireless drivers. PAE kernel actually hangs up at boot, so back to the common one. Wireless driver was installed and works fine. Now I run DDM and says "Unknown wireless chip (it's Atheros 5005G(S)).

WICD
After pointing repositories to debian testing -as I had succesfuly done with LMDE official in two machines- I get a D-bus error message when the desktop appears "Could not connect to wicd's D-Bus interface" that impairs WICD and does not connect to access point. Log out and Log in back WICD connects and works fine.

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dpkg-reconfigure wicd

followed by

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update-rc.d wicd defaults

do not resolve the problem. Neither uninstalling and reinstalling WICD and the wireless driver. Actually now "Log out and Log in" does not make WICD work also automatic wired connection fails, manual wired connection (pressing the connect button) works.

[Adelante]

Thank you, Schoelje. SR-1 is beautiful. I've had no issues except there was no sound at first. I followed GeneC's instruction to install pavucontrol as below and sound worked immediately. Thank you, too, GeneC.

Pulse Audio Volume Control (pavucontrol)

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pavucontrol (1.0-1)
pulseaudio-esound-compat (2.0-6)
pulseaudio-module-gconf (2.0-6)
pulseaudio-module-zeroconf (2.0-6)