Diminishing numbers of desktops

All questions and problems regarding the installation and upgrades of LXDE from USB Stick, Live CD or Web.
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ab1jx
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2018 4:14 pm

Diminishing numbers of desktops

Post by ab1jx »

I first ran across LXDE about 1978 and thought it was just great, I loved having 6 or so desktops and almost every Linux machine I've set up since then has had them. But that's getting harder to do in the past couple years and I'm not sure why. I have machines I set up years ago which still have them, but increasingly I can only get one desktop. Not machines using Raspberry Pi OS, I've written that off as hopeless, but some with Buster. I have a Debian Bullseye with 6 desktops but I can't seem to make another. Mostly I have Raspberry Pis but some i386, they work about the same in the end.

From what I remember they'd start out with 1 desktop, then I'd install obconf and turn it up. Ones that came with obconf in the image never went over 1 desktop no matter how much I've fiddled. I thought this was in the panel file, lately I've discovered in the rc file (/etc/xdg/openbox/rc.xml) a section that reads like

Code: Select all

  <desktops>
    <!-- this stuff is only used at startup, pagers allow you to change them
       during a session
    
       these are default values to use when other ones are not already set
       by other applications, or saved in your session
      
       use obconf if you want to change these without having to log out
       and back in -->
    <number>5</number>
    <firstdesk>1</firstdesk>
    <names>
      <!-- set names up here if you want to, like this:
    <name>desktop 1</name>
    <name>desktop 2</name>
    -->
    </names>
    <popupTime>875</popupTime>
    <!-- The number of milliseconds to show the popup for when switching
       desktops.  Set this to 0 to disable the popup. -->
  </desktops>
Inside the <number> and </number> tags is where it's probably set but changing those seems to have no effect and I'm trying to figure out why. I'm not sure how to troubleshoot them either, maybe start throwing printfs into some of LXDE's source and see where it's right or wrong. Somebody else has probably already done this.

Most of my files involved seem to have several slightly different versions like the names were typos, I don't know what's up with that. Like /etc/xdg/openbox/rc.xml and /etc/xdg/openbox/LXDE/rc.xml What determines which ones actually get used? Does LXDE generate a dmesg type report?
heathervelazquez
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Oct 04, 2023 10:14 am

Re: Diminishing numbers of desktops

Post by heathervelazquez »

Hello, I suggest you should verify syntax and values: Ensure that the syntax of the <number> tag in the rc.xml file is correct. It should contain the desired number of desktops. For example: <number>6</number>.
ab1jx
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2018 4:14 pm

Re: Diminishing numbers of desktops

Post by ab1jx »

Oh, forgot about this post. The problem is that Raspberry Pi no longer supports multiple desktops. Debian, Ubuntu, etc still do. I'm moving to pure Debian, got a Debian 12 install in progress.
petroben
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Dec 07, 2023 1:30 pm

Re: Diminishing numbers of desktops

Post by petroben »

Hello,

It seems like you are encountering issues with configuring multiple desktops in LXDE, particularly on Raspberry Pi OS and Debian Buster. Here are some insights and suggestions:

Configuration Files:

The configuration files for LXDE and Openbox can sometimes be distributed across multiple locations. /etc/xdg/openbox/rc.xml is a global configuration file, while /etc/xdg/openbox/LXDE/rc.xml may be specific to LXDE. Check both files to see if there are conflicting configurations.
Priority of Configuration Files:

The configuration file located at /etc/xdg/openbox/LXDE/rc.xml might take precedence over /etc/xdg/openbox/rc.xml. It's essential to understand the file hierarchy and which files LXDE prioritizes.
User-Specific Configuration:

There might be user-specific configuration files in your home directory, such as ~/.config/openbox/autostart or ~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml. These files can override system-wide configurations.
Testing Changes:

After modifying the <number> value in the rc.xml files, restarting LXDE or relogging should apply the changes. If it's not taking effect, ensure that there are no syntax errors in the XML file.
Debugging:

To troubleshoot, you can add debugging statements or print statements in relevant sections of LXDE's source code. However, this might be an advanced approach and is often done by developers familiar with the LXDE codebase.
Community Support:

Reach out to the LXDE or Raspberry Pi OS communities for specific guidance. Users and developers in these communities may have encountered similar issues and can provide insights or solutions.
Documentation:

Refer to LXDE and Openbox documentation to understand the configuration settings thoroughly. Sometimes, specific settings might require additional steps or have dependencies.
Remember to backup configuration files before making changes and test modifications incrementally to identify the cause of the issue. If possible, provide additional details about your system setup, and community members might be able to offer more targeted assistance.
ab1jx
Posts: 21
Joined: Fri Dec 07, 2018 4:14 pm

Re: Diminishing numbers of desktops

Post by ab1jx »

I complained about problems with multiple desktops on Raspberry PI OS on their board, and somebody there told me they no longer supported multiple desktops. I think because of a switch to Wayland which probably doesn't get along with OpenBox. I see they've also now got a captcha on their site. I don't like this fickleness, I'm looking for stability.

So I spent time getting Debian working, and now have OpenBox and multiple desktops. I started with a Debian image and over a few days solved problems enough that I've been using it 2 days of uptime. There were 2 different sources of Debian images. Now I'm thinking it was https://raspi.debian.net/tested-images Yes, the tested images bunch. I bought a Pi4 with 8 GB RAM so I'm running the image for 8 GB Pis. Bookworm.

The uname on what I'm running is Linux pi4 6.1.0-13-arm64 #1 SMP Debian 6.1.55-1 (2023-09-29) aarch64 GNU/Linux You'll want to copy in a working interfaces file, and set up rfkill while you can before it goes active.

Anyway I don't take raspberrypi.org very seriously any more. And that's a very good article on OpenBox.

Some discussion from earlier abount multiple desktops. Couldn't be done because of Mutter?
https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopi ... s#p2101581
https://forums.raspberrypi.com/viewtopi ... s#p2016052
Oh, and I watched almost every Red Sox game of the summer on a Pi 3B with Kodi and a streaming MLB subscription. Even grabbed screenshots.
Sadly not the case for RPiOS any long, mutter is now the default in anticipation of the changeover to wayland which is incompatible with openbox. Openbox is still used when memory is less than 2GB, VNC is enabled or the user switches it back.
There are some mirrors/images from a more official Debian branch at http://mirror.steadfast.net/ but the iso image I tried wouldn't boot, at least on an SD card. I was interested in them because they have armhf but I just tried one image and went back to the tested since it was already booting. If you click around the links at the bottom of the tested images listing you can get to Github sites where they build images. Some images are dual-purpose, they can boot a CD or an SD, but not all.
thanktweed
Posts: 1
Joined: Wed Jan 17, 2024 3:51 am

Re: Diminishing numbers of desktops

Post by thanktweed »

There is a possibility that the configuration file at /etc/xdg/openbox/LXDE/rc.xml will take priority over /etc/xdg/openbox/rc.xml. Knowing the file structure and which files LXDE prioritizes is crucial.
Individualized Configuration:


Your home directory may contain user-specific configuration files like ~/geometry dash liteconfig/openbox/autostart or ~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml. System-wide settings may be overridden by these files.
Clarar
Posts: 3
Joined: Tue Sep 19, 2023 5:24 am

Re: Diminishing numbers of desktops

Post by Clarar »

thanktweed wrote: Wed Jan 17, 2024 3:56 am There is a possibility that the configuration file at /etc/xdg/openbox/LXDE/rc.xml will take priority over /etc/xdg/openbox/rc.xml. Knowing the file structure and which files LXDE prioritizes is crucial.
Individualized Configuration:


Your home directory may contain user-specific configuration files like ~/geometry dash liteconfig/openbox/autostart or ~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml. System-wide settings may be overridden by these files.
Understanding the priority of configuration files in LXDE is essential for easy customisation. The prospect of user-specific files in the home directory having precedence over system-wide settings, such as /etc/xdg/openbox/LXDE/rc.xml, emphasizes the importance of proper file management while optimizing configurations.Fm Whatsapp Download
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