xfce

Hello haveanotherpuff,

I've been using xfce on an older laptop and it really is zippy. So don't give up. I discovered quickly that xfce doesn't start up with everything all set. You have to configure stuff, and until then, the desktop is just blank. Now, is that what you meant by the download not giving you the applications list? If so, you're okay. You can find the applications by right clicking anywhere on the desktop. That should give you a list of applications as well as system menus. Under the system menus you will find a "launcher" for starting applications from the desktop, if that's how you prefer to get to your favorite stuff.

If you have trouble configuring, that can be figured out pretty quickly. But if in fact the download didn't give you the applications list (in other words, you got a faulty version of xfce or a faulty download), that's a different issue that someone else will have to help with. My point is only that xfce's very blank desktop may "look" like an incomplete installation when actually it's merely awaiting configuration according to your tastes.

Another disclaimer: I'm using xfce on Mepis 6.0 beta2 (haven't upgraded yet), so there may be some difference in how our systems work. I *think* the test is right clicking on the desktop. If you get a list of applications, you're okay. If not, time for a guru to diagnose what went wrong with the download/installation.

Good luck with xfce (it's worth the initial hassle).

--Malanrich

No that wasn't what I meant by no application list,I been using xfce off and on for awhile, but this time there was no applications list even when I click on the desktop.This happen with mepis6 rc2 but I fixed it through the desktop setting whick also showed the icon on desktop,but not this time,going to try it on mepis6 final and see how that goes.

I was kinda wondering if advice from the ubuntu peole would work,but I guess that is another post altogether,lol.

thanks for your words of encouragement,xfce does work nice with mepis...

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899-1961), American writer

I haven't yet tested it with 6.0, but you may need to check your list of repositories and make sure that they are all enabled. In synaptic, click on Settings, then Repositories. Make sure there is a check mark next to each of the binary (not source) repositories. You do not need to enable the "backport" repositories either. Once you make the changes, save them and then click the Reload button. Then do a search for xfce4. You should find lots of stuff. But again, I haven't tested against the Ubuntu repositories. If you don't find it, post back and I'll see if I can find a repo to add to your list.

Jon

I did that already,(I also reinstalled with mepis6)unless I did something wrong,I searched for xfce first and found 69 files then I turned on more repositories and updated and searched again and still only 69,installed them all and god what a friggin mess,i have ,I did have the application list for awhile(but no panels),but it dusappeared,and all the settings to fix or add panels did not work,so I am using zenwalk till someone figure this out. Zenwalk is surely a sweet replacement for mepis,as far as XFCE is concerned,got no apt though.

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899-1961), American writer

Have you tried Xubuntu? There xfce set up is sweet. debian has not updated xfce in a bit of time so most distro's are grabbing the cvs versions and building it them selves. I use xubuntu from time to time and like it alot it use to be my main desktop, but i have since gone back to using gnome. I was planning on trying the new Xubuntu edgy eft build though.

Yes I did try xubuntu, I was not happy with it,compared to mepis it sucked,compared to zenwalk it sucks also,can't remember why but I just didn't like it.

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899-1961), American writer

Once you have loaded xfce4 you still need to log out (not reboot) and log back in again. However, there is an option on the kdm login screen (the first one you see where you enter your login id and password). That is the Menu, then Session Type. From there you should be able to choose XFce. Do you not have that choice?

Jon

Here's another shot in the dark, probably unrelated to your problem or something you're already aware of:

Under "Desktop Settings" the "Allow xfce to manage desktop" box needs to be checked and saved when you log out. Otherwise it might look like you've got no xfce.

--Malanrich

no, the problem is debian has not updated some of the xfce4 packages, so you can't get all the xfce4 packages you need for the desktop.

Which makes me wonder if you can use apt-get install xubuntu-desktop to install xfce4 in mepis? From what i see in my install it's pretty indepedent of kde and gnome parts,so it should install the xfce4 stuff with out messing up the mepis set up, in theory anyway.

This is really not making since though, if your using mepis 6.0 with ubuntu repos and you install xfce4 all the packages are there, cause i got a complete xfce4 desktop.

Are you sure you have all the right repos turned on? Here's my ubuntu repo's list->

deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper-updates main restricted
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper universe main restricted multiverse
deb http://us.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper-backports main restricted universe multiverse
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-security main restricted
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu dapper-security universe
deb http://packages.freecontrib.org/plf/ dapper free non-free

You have some that I do not,but I have one more that is on by default than yours is>The thing is ,that with my sources list it doesn't matter if i turn all the repos on or just leave them like it is now,i still only get 69 xfce debs when i do a search with synaptic.But I see you have a different sources list than i do,I am using mepis6 final,where di you get your list from?
-----------------------------------------------------------
# See sources.list(5) for more information

# This file should be edited through synaptic

# MEPIS improvements, overrides and updates--the MEPIS magic
deb http://apt.mepis.org/6.0/ mepis main

# Ubuntu foundation packages
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ breezy main restricted
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper main restricted
# Security updates
deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper-security main restricted
# Package updates
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper-updates main restricted
# Backports of newer packages--unsupported and not thoroughly tested
# deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper-backports main restricted

# Free unsupported packages from Debian and beyond
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper universe
# Non-free unsupported packages from Debian and beyond
deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper multiverse
# Backports of newer packages--unsupported and not thoroughly tested
# deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ dapper-backports universe multiverse

# Cpiherfunk--some packages not available elsewhere
# deb ftp://cipherfunk.org/pub/packages/ubuntu/ dapper main

----------------------------------------------------------

I will try it with your list and see ,thank you.

No still only get the same 69 debs that I have already tried.Hopefully someone will try it and make it work,then tell me how.

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"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899-1961), American writer

I never did get xfce to work like it should,but I figured out how to fix the kded from using so much processor power,I just turned off KNEMO in the services and I am quite happy. I think all KNEMO does is monitor network stuff and I don,t really need it,as far as I knows. But I would still love to run XFCE on mepis, if anyone figures a method of doing this I would like to know.

"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut."

Ernest Miller Hemingway (1899-1961), American writer