Xfce+ - I goofed!

[PussyCat]

Reinstalled and rebuilding Mint Maya Xfce after replacing the hdd.

Unfortunately in a silly senior moment, instaed of adding Mate (and Unity) wm I elected to install Xfce4 meta package! But the alarm bells didn't ring despite the early warnings and persisted.

The log are -

Code: Select all

Commit Log for Sun Nov 24 17:48:17 2013

Removed the following packages:
mint-meta-xfce
xfce4-appfinder
xfce4-session

Installed the following packages:
xfce4-utils (4.8.3-1ubuntu2)

Commit Log for Sun Nov 24 17:50:20 2013

Installed the following packages:
xfce4-appfinder (4.8.0-3)
xfce4-session (4.8.3-0ubuntu2)

Commit Log for Sun Nov 24 17:51:13 2013

Installed the following packages:
desktop-base (6.0.7ubuntu1)
orage (4.8.3-1)
tango-icon-theme (0.8.90-5)
xfce4 (4.8.0.3)
xfce4-notifyd (0.2.2-1)

Initially, the side-effect was that the logout dialogue failed but found a way out and rebooted. Now, during the boot process there is Debian background and although logout is retsored a white mist now covers the desktop. None of these are serious consequences but what else have I done and can it be reversed?

[karlchen]

Hello, PussyCat.

Re-install the meta package mint-meta-xfce. This should pull in everything it needs and remove any conflicting packages.

HTH,
Karl

[PussyCat]

Thanks karlchen - I'll probably give that a try though I haven't (yet) discovered any side-effects beyond those described!

[karlchen]

Hello, Pussycat.

Telling from my own Mint 13 xfce system, mint-meta-xfce should make sure you have got xfce 4.10, whereas now you seem to have been donwgraded to 4.8.3. The difference may be minor. I do not know.

Karl

[PussyCat]

Tried that but doesn't seem to make any difference - ie still Debian splash (why?) and mist instead of dusk at logout!

Anyway, thinking about it, it doesn't really matter since Compiz is my wm!

[MtnDewManiac]

Compiz is my wm!

Does the meta package for XFCE install XFCE's window manager? If so, could that be in conflict with Compiz? Have you tried removing Compiz? Admittedly, you'll lose the ability to click the minimize button on your application windows and see them fold themselves into paper airplanes & fly off the screen and, err... equally productive things, I suppose. But the default WM in XFCE works well.

I've seen some comments over at the XFCE website that lead me to believe that installing Compiz onto XFCE might not be the best idea in the world; perhaps there is some configuring that should be done in order to make them play nice? Maybe you'd have some success (if you really want to use Compiz with XFCE) in uninstalling Compiz before you install XFCE, then installing it (Compiz) afterwards? Just guessing, but maybe something needs to be... Maybe XFCE doesn't recognize Compiz properly because it was already present and not installed when XFCE was already active? IDK....

Regards,
MDM

[PussyCat]

Does the meta package for XFCE install XFCE's window manager? If so, could that be in conflict with Compiz? Have you tried removing Compiz?

Bear in mind that this is Mint Xfce in the first place and hence my "goof" was to install an additional Xfce meta package in a moment of madness!

I don't recall indicating that there were any conflicts, Compiz works perfectly with Xfce. To invoke Compiz immediately after install, the only configuration - other than setting desired effects in ccsm - is simply to open a terminal and enter compiz --replace. Job done! It is a much easier transition in Mint than many distos where the Fusion Icon is also needed in each session. The only other tweak sometimes needed is windows decoration but easily sorted with gconf. Replacing the Xfce menu with Mint Menu also looks good.

Why Compiz? Because I'm a sucker for wobbly windows, previews and one or two other small effects. Also because, from observation, Compiz is much smoother and less resource intensive than other WMs/distros - especially Kde4, where most of the effects are available but don't work fully on some of my rigs (or cause artifacts) but Compiz always co-operates!

Just out of interest, I also installed Cinnamon which, as a bonus, also installs Gnome "vanila" and Ubuntu Unity and which I'm working in (sorry, playing with) at the moment. Compiz and Screenlets are working here too - thank you Mint for having the most stable, user-friendly and flexible distro around! And, of course, with Maya lts too!

Chris