Need Help with Xfce Menus

[JerryC58]

I have discovered the main menu in Xfce is a lot different than I expected. Years ago I saw pictures where the main menu was accessed by clicking the lower left end of the bottom bar. That doesn't work, so after looking around for a while, I found it by right clicking the desktop.

Have I set something up incorrectly? Or is this just the way it is now?

JC

[MrEen]

Hi JerryC58,

What does the lower left corner show? A mouse, or the Mint logo?

[JerryC58]

Neither. There is an almost folder looking object which says "minimize all open windows and show the desktop", and to the left of that is a vertical line that appears to be made up of 10 or 12 dots. Mouse activity has no effect on this object. Three icon spaces to the right of the "show desktop" icon is the icon for the file manager.

Hope this helps.

JC

[zcot]

[ricardogroetaers]

Right-click in the middle of the panel (Taskbar).
context menu -> panel -> panel preferences

Display tab:
- general - (x) lock panel (enable)
- Dimensions - ( ) Automatically increase the length (disable)

[JerryC58]

zcot -
That is what I would like mine to look. How do you do that?

ricardogroetaers -

I poked around in Taskbar/panel as you suggested, but nothing changed.

[JerryC58]

I have a screenshot of how my taskbar looks now, but I can't get it to show here. Copy and paste only shows the screenshot location.

JC

[zcot]

try that: viewtopic.php?p=1812372#p1812372

copy/paste that whole line for terminal command, and depending on your version you'll have to reboot:

Code: Select all

xfce4-panel --quit ; pkill xfconfd ; rm -rf ~/.config/xfce4/panel ; rm -rf ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml ; xfce4-panel

[JerryC58]

zcot -
I looked at that other thread and tried the things they did then; no help.
I copied the command into terminal and it didn't complete. I took a screenshot. If you can tell me how to post a screenshot, I will. Copy/Paste doesn't work for me on this forum.

JC

[zcot]

zcot -
I looked at that other thread and tried the things they did then; no help.
I copied the command into terminal and it didn't complete. I took a screenshot. If you can tell me how to post a screenshot, I will. Copy/Paste doesn't work for me on this forum.

JC

If you did something in terminal, then just copy/paste the terminal data.

With Xfce you can press the PrntScrn/SysReq button to take a screenshot and it will host it on imgur.com for you and you can show us a link to that picture.

[zcot]

Is this a fresh install? Did you verify the iso? did you verify the media after creating the usb/dvd?

[JerryC58]

This is not a whole fresh install. I just installed the Xfce stuff. I've been using Mint for years and wanted to try something new.

I'm eating breakfast now so I'll post that other stuff in a few minutes.

JC

[JerryC58]

This is the result of the terminal:

jc@jc-Inspiron-5559:~$ xfce4-panel --quit ; pkill xfconfd ; rm -rf ~/.config/xfce4/panel ; rm -rf ~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-panel.xml ; xfce4-panel
xfce4-panel-Message: 09:15:28.704: Plugin "whiskermenu-1" was not found and has been removed from the configuration
xfce4-panel-Message: 09:15:28.920: Plugin "xapp-status-plugin-10" was not found and has been removed from the configuration
xfce4-panel-Message: 09:15:28.921: Plugin "power-manager-plugin-11" was not found and has been removed from the configuration
xfce4-panel-Message: 09:15:28.921: Plugin "pulseaudio-12" was not found and has been removed from the configuration

(wrapper-2.0:2533): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 09:15:29.047: g_file_new_for_path: assertion 'path != NULL' failed

(wrapper-2.0:2533): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 09:15:29.047: g_file_monitor_file: assertion 'G_IS_FILE (file)' failed

(wrapper-2.0:2533): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: 09:15:29.047: invalid (NULL) pointer instance

(wrapper-2.0:2533): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 09:15:29.047: g_signal_connect_data: assertion 'G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed

(wrapper-2.0:2533): Gtk-WARNING **: 09:15:29.047: Attempting to add a widget with type GtkToggleButton to a container of type XfcePanelPlugin, but the widget is already inside a container of type XfcePanelPlugin, please remove the widget from its existing container first.

(wrapper-2.0:2533): Gtk-WARNING **: 09:15:29.083: Negative content width -1 (allocation 1, extents 1x1) while allocating gadget (node button, owner GtkToggleButton)
^Cjc@jc-Inspiron-5559:~$

[JerryC58]

An interesting result of pasting a copy of that terminal is that what taskbar I did have disappeared and required a reboot to get it back.

JC

[zcot]

Did you install package mint-meta-xfce or the non-mint customized xfce4 package instead? Because that could be the difference. We don't have anything to go on. We don't have a visual, or the system info which could clarify that.

Yes, it will disappear, and you have to reboot, depending on what version of Mint you are using.

and depending on your version you'll have to reboot:

[JerryC58]

I think I installed mint-meta-xfce but it may or may not have been in the correct order if such an order exists. I know I installed xfce4, but I didn't know there were different versions. I don't remember where I got xfce4.

Is it an option to completely uninstall Xfce and have you tell me what to install and where to get the packages?

[zcot]

login using Cinnamon, or MATE or whatever desktop you started with. Use the login screen and click the icon or gear to change to Cinnamon or MATE.

now go to terminal command: apt search xfce

You will see an i in the first column related to any package that is installed.

If you see an i next to the line xfce4 then do: apt purge xfce4

If you see an i next to the line mint-meta-xfce then do: apt reinstall mint-meta-xfce

If you did not see an i next to mint-meta-xfce then do: apt install mint-meta-xfce

Log out and change to the Xfce desktop option and login with that.

[JerryC58]

There is no line that is marked i that has xfce4 by itself. There are no lines with mint-meta-xfce period.

Here is a list of lines marked with i:

i A elementary-xfce-icon-theme - elementary icon theme modified for Xfce
i A libxfce4panel-2.0-4 - Xfce4 panel library (GTK3 variant)
i A libxfce4ui-1-0 - widget library for Xfce - Gtk+2 variant
i A libxfce4ui-2-0 - widget library for Xfce - Gtk+3 variant
i libxfce4ui-common - common files for libxfce4ui
i A libxfce4util-bin - tools for libxfce4util
i libxfce4util-common - common files for libxfce4util
i A libxfce4util7 - Utility functions library for Xfce4
i A xfce4-notifyd - simple, visually-appealing notification daemon for Xfce
i xfce4-panel - panel for Xfce4 desktop environment
i A xfce4-session - Xfce4 Session Manager
i A xfce4-settings - graphical application for managing Xfce settings

JC

[zcot]

first: apt purge xfce4-panel
the lines with the additional A means automatic, automatically installed(I'm sure based on xfce4-panel).

next: apt install mint-meta-xfce

[JerryC58]

OK. Did that. Next?

JC