xfce4 doesn't "restart"

Fred Krogh · Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 5:31 pm Post subject: xfce4 doesn't "restart"

Addressing this question is https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-905296-start-0.html?sid=44edd0b6e9758992a60d9a4ab85f6aa2, but although the title says SOLVED, there is no clear solution to be found there. I found this output from "upower -d" there

trismo · n00b Joined: 26 May 2012 Posts: 49

check kernel config consolekit need AUDIT

Fred Krogh · Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:12 pm Post subject:

Thanks for the reply. Kernel configurations are what you recommended. I'm sorry, but I don't really understand the rest of your post. I probably have a desktop profile selected, but don't know this for sure. How does one find/set this? At one time I thought I might try using systemd. Now I have neither eudev or udev installed. When I try to install them I get

trismo · n00b Joined: 26 May 2012 Posts: 49

it just a info dont install it manual
the desktop profile add this to package.use automatically on
default/linux/amd64/13.0/desktop

upower/udisks need udev for work with this use flags
udev it provided by
systemd / udev /eudev
check your profile with * is active

Fred Krogh · Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 8:08 pm Post subject:

I used eselect profile to select

trismo · n00b Joined: 26 May 2012 Posts: 49

mm .. still a problem

post emerge --info and kernel .config
try with no xdm*

Fred Krogh · Posted: Wed Nov 13, 2013 10:42 pm Post subject:

/etc/env.d/90xsession already contains what you suggested. If I boot with runlevel 1, and startx as my usual user the restart works, although I'd prefer it not ask for a password. That I supposed could be changed.
My emerge --info

trismo · n00b Joined: 26 May 2012 Posts: 49

ok startx works then is a the problem on grapical login manger.

try out x11-misc/slim easy to setup look http://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/SLiM

Fred Krogh · Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 4:25 pm Post subject:

The problem is that I'm using slim and have been for a long time. Looking at the configuration files has not helped me in finding why the restart button, just does a log out.

trismo · n00b Joined: 26 May 2012 Posts: 49

what you use now, i think is still a consolekit problem

openrc with consolekit or systemd

Fred Krogh · Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 4:46 pm Post subject:

I'm not sure what you meant in this last post. I am using consolekit and not systemd. I tried starting with systemd at one point and had nothing but grief. So I think you are saying that my problem is the fault of consolekit. So am I stuck at this point, or is there some possible solution? Many thanks.

trismo · n00b Joined: 26 May 2012 Posts: 49

slim don't start your xfce session correct that all
try downgrade to x11-misc/slim-1.3.5-r4

Fred Krogh · Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 5:01 pm Post subject:

Just tried slim-1.3.5-r4. Still fails in the same way.

trismo · n00b Joined: 26 May 2012 Posts: 49

check your home user folder 2 files

.xsession
.xinitrc

remove them and try again to start the session

Fred Krogh · Posted: Thu Nov 14, 2013 7:07 pm Post subject:

Tried this, no change. ~/.xsession is XSESSION="Xfce4", and ~/.xinit is exec startxfce4, both before deleting and after restarting.

lefsha · Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 10:42 am Post subject:

Fred,

Honestly speaking my guess is, that the problem is "consolekit - is up and running"
Of course some might consider it useful, but I can't get the reason why.
But to be able reboot you system you probably need to allow those services in xfce config.

As of configuration to start xfce4, I use following:
as user:

Fred Krogh · Posted: Sun Nov 17, 2013 2:41 pm Post subject:

lefsha, if nothing else you have left me a bit confused. But perhaps your comment will help reveal where the problem is. I have this

lefsha · Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 4:16 am Post subject:

1. I see absolutely no reason why you can't make a soft link. That file is open for read and run for any user.
So you should be able to make it. What happens if you do this? Of course ~/.xsession must not exist before
you do this.

2. As long as all installations are the same I have exactly the same string in /etc/X11/Sessions/Xfce4 : startxfce4

3. I don't have a file ~/.xinitrc, because of no need.

Now my suggestion is delete ALL files you have changed so far, including existing in your home directory .xinitrc and
.xsession. In /etc folder delete: /etc/X11/Sessions/Xfce4 and /etc/slim.conf
If you were playing around even more - delete /etc/X11 completely.

Now reemerge everything related to xorg and to xfce4 - if you have kept binary packages after first compilation, which
I would always suggest - it will take few minutes for everything. It will recreate all possibly corrupted config files.
After that run etc-update and accept all changes no matter what. It will be default setting, but it's easier to start with.

Now edit /etc/conf.d/xdm and exchange xdm with slim.
Then make a soft link as I said. That MUST be enough to run slim and call xfce4 out of it.

No else configurations are necessary.
_________________
Lefsha

Fred Krogh · Posted: Mon Nov 18, 2013 6:09 am Post subject:

I really appreciate your efforts in describing all that should be done. I've tried doing what you have suggested, (except for deleting all of /etc/X11), but no luck. I was confused about the soft link before, it works just like you said. I no longer have an .xinitrc in ~, and the soft link is as you suggested. But restart still just logs out, and more importantly , there is no memory of all my terminal windows. There was time when logging out (or restarting) would remember all my terminal windows in 4 work spaces, and also the directories active in the windows at the time I logged out. Those were the good days! Clearly I have something messed up, but I'm unclear where to look next. At this point I guess I'm ready to accept this sorry state of affairs. Maybe go back to Gnome or try KDE?

Fred Krogh · Posted: Tue Nov 19, 2013 5:42 pm Post subject:

I just noticed this error message in an xfce4 terminal window:

lefsha · Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 3:20 am Post subject:

I see your problem. It's very frustrating as far as I can see. Have always the same feeling if something is not working
as I wish or as it should.

Well, my installation differs from yours because I don't have those *kit staff.
I hate things on my PC which are there just to be there and which are doing really nothing.

Well, besides they set some restrictions for your laptop use.

If you want I can provide you my complete settings and you can try them out in a virtual machine first.
If those works you can use them, if not you can always switch to anything else.

It's not the right place in that forum, but honestly speaking if you have nothing against systemD as I do,
I would really suggest you to switch to ArchLinux.

Much better documentation, more friendly forum and things working out of box.
No compile time and the fastest Linux installation among almost all distros here around.

Hope you will read it before I will be banned, for that statement here.

)

P.S. Just one problem Arch installation is a bit of hassle. They did broke something.
But ArchBang works really well.

P.P.S. If you try further with Gentoo keep a lot of patience with you and don't move out
of standard configs or be ready to solve any problem by yourself.
If nothing else works make a fresh install step by step adding functionality.
And be your own tester if you add some.

Recently I managed to break the USB drive functionality in very funny way - everything works,
but it's dying as soon as I copy files to it.

Solved it by making a new kernel from scratch. And now want to discover which kernel config option
does this thing.

Just want to mention, that you are not the first one with all these troubles.

Ufff.
_________________
Lefsha

Fred Krogh · Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 3:02 pm Post subject:

Thanks Lefsha for your thoughts. Generally, I have been happy with Gentoo, and a good part of the reason is that I find people who respond on the forums here to be very polite and very helpful. I have given systemd a try with gentoo, and for me gentoo's systemd is not even close to being ready for real use. Maybe at some point I'll give Arch a try, but I don't have the time at the moment to play with something like this. For now, I'll just hope that as I do updates, at some point slim will start saving the stuff in my various windows when I do a restart. And, I don't think there is any chance of you being banned for suggesting other Linux versions. I've seen a fair number of posts here by people who were very unhappy with gentoo. On balance, I'm one of the happy ones.

kingcrabmeat · n00b Joined: 16 Sep 2006 Posts: 17

This problem seems to pop up quite a bit on the forums. I've solved it times only to have to solve it again later. I'm not sure if XFCE is cursed by the issue or lots of Gentoo users prefer XFCE hence the wealth of related topics. In case you haven't already, try what worked for me in the past.

This worked for me the first time:

Fred Krogh · Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 6:13 pm Post subject:

Thanks, but that didn't work. Consolekit has been in my use flags for some time. I'll give lightdm a try when I have a little time.

Fred Krogh · Posted: Wed Nov 20, 2013 6:48 pm Post subject:

I gave lightdm a quick try. I may be unfair given the brief effort, but I don't like it. I have a taskbar with slim that lets me have quick access to the things I use frequently, including monitors of network use, and cpu. It also shows what I have open in the current workspace and quick access to different workspaces. I guess I really like slim despite the problems I'm having with it. If all this can be done with lightdm and it will preserve the various windows I have open in different workspaces, I'll give it another try.