[XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

Blender · 2011-09-29 17:13:39

I love my XFCE desktop, but I hate not being able to switch users or lock the screen (I use LightDM). I Googled for a while now, and there doesn't seem to be any solution to this problem except for using a GDM-only applet that looks quite out of place (and can't lock the screen).

Since there isn't a way to do fast user switching, does anyone have any information about hacking with the logout application? If XFCE had multi-user capabilities, it would be my perfect lightweight DE.

Anyone up for this?

Last edited by Blender (2011-09-29 17:16:59)

.:B:. · 2011-09-29 17:18:59

I distinctly remember Xubuntu having the option to switch users, but I guess that was through GDM. However, it did integrate into the Xfce logout/shutdown/hibernate/suspend pane.

ConnorBehan · 2011-09-29 18:35:38

Yes, the Xubuntu one is a distro patch: http://bazaar.launchpad.net/~ubuntu-bra … alog.patch

Basically they edit xfce4-session by adding in the switch user button and giving it a callback when clicked. The callback tells glib to execute the command line program

gdmflexiserver --startnew

. If you know the LightDM equivalent of that command, adding this in would be simple.

alphaniner · 2011-09-29 18:41:46

According to Wikipedia, LightDM is going to be the default dm for ubuntu and xubuntu 11.10. I can't imagine them forsaking a fast user switch function. Maybe they have already solved the problem for you.

Edit: Doh! Ninja'd, and with superior firepower to boot!

Last edited by alphaniner (2011-09-29 18:44:38)

Blender · 2011-09-30 03:01:35

A bit rough, but I've added all of it in. Thanks @ConnorBehan. I had to download all the new Ubuntu patches, but they aren't much different.

Now I just have to make this thing work!

I'll be submitting this package to the AUR if I ever get it to work, as I'm testing this thing with PKGBUILDs.

Last edited by Blender (2011-10-01 00:32:04)

Blender · 2011-09-30 15:50:20

Well, I officially am stuck.

Does anybody with LightDM knowledge know the command to trigger the lockscreen or the user switching screen? I cannot find a single thing about this on the internet...

toketin · 2011-09-30 16:39:25

Using Gdm i can't lock the screen under xfce

Blender · 2011-09-30 16:42:13

You can, it's just not a button click away. I think this command should do it:

gnome-screensaver-command -l

Well, I guess I'll start with GDM. I'll release a PKGBUILD later today with support for GDM, as I can at least lock and switch users with a pair of commands.

toketin · 2011-09-30 16:44:45

Ok thanks, i've seen that using new gdm if i exit session, when i log in i obtain a faked xfce session, with only one desktop and no window decorator for example

Blender · 2011-09-30 16:49:05

Hmm, do you have your .xinitrc setup? I can't really help you here, as I don't use GDM right now, but I'll guess it has something to do with maybe your .xinitrc. I'll check out GDM's treatment of this when I have time.

ConnorBehan · 2011-09-30 19:00:04

:S Yeah, a cursory look at the LightDM manpage doesn't show any user switching command. You might have to experiment with the API. If you create a new greeter and call "lightdm_greeter_authenticate" on it with NULL as the second argument, maybe that will work? It says the default is to prompt for a new username.

Blender · 2011-09-30 19:16:46

I emailed the LightDM developers and they said that LightDM doesn't handle the lockscreen, and there seems to be a binary in the LightDM folder similar to:

gdmflexiserver

I'm just finishing up with the code, and once that's done I'll try and implement a few more DMs.

Blender · 2011-09-30 20:15:04

AAAAND, we have takeoff! The logout dialog is fully functional now. I've added the ability to remove/add the new buttons via the Settings Editor (under /general/), and it seems to work.

I'll just fix the way it looks and submit it.

graysky · 2011-09-30 20:16:18

GDM + xscreensaver does the trick...

Leonid.I · 2011-09-30 20:55:27

graysky wrote:

GDM + xscreensaver does the trick...

So... after you executed xscreensaver-command -lock, how do you switch users? With gdmflexiserver?

Blender · 2011-09-30 23:48:13

For anyone that's interested, here's an AUR package of the modified code (it's a patch file, basically): https://aur.archlinux.org/packages.php?ID=52816

It replaces and provides xfce4-session, so it should install without any problems.

Here's a screenshot:

It integrates with xflock4 and gdmflexiserver so it should work with just about any configuration you throw at it.

Any input is welcome!

Last edited by Blender (2011-10-01 00:32:54)

jasonwryan · 2011-10-01 00:01:46

Please resize your screenshots to thumbs https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Fo … s_and_Code

graysky · 2011-10-01 00:11:08

Leonid.I wrote:

graysky wrote:
GDM + xscreensaver does the trick...
So... after you executed xscreensaver-command -lock, how do you switch users? With gdmflexiserver?

Yes, sorry. Details: Compiling with the "--with-login-manager" flag will make a button called "New Login" that points to /usr/bin/gdmflexiserver to allow user switching if the using gdm as the greeter. This would be value added for folks using xfce4, lxde, openbox, etc. since gnome-screensaver does not provide functionality on non-gnome systems with version 3 (depends on gnome-session).

https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/25617

Blender · 2011-10-01 00:34:14

[deleted]

Last edited by Blender (2011-10-01 00:34:49)

toketin · 2011-10-01 12:26:36

I make a small off topic, do you know how can i disable xfce4-panel? Because i'd like to use only awn, i've thought to disable it by adding a voice "killall xfce4-panel" during the start of session, but is there any other more elegant way? thanks!
Edit: i've fixed: just edit this file /etc/xdg/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-session.xml by removing the line "<value type="string" value="xfce4-panel"/>" and maybe you have to remove .cache/session directory in home

Last edited by toketin (2011-10-01 12:53:08)

Leonid.I · 2011-10-03 16:13:00

graysky wrote:

Leonid.I wrote:
graysky wrote:
GDM + xscreensaver does the trick...
So... after you executed xscreensaver-command -lock, how do you switch users? With gdmflexiserver?
Yes, sorry. Details: Compiling with the "--with-login-manager" flag will make a button called "New Login" that points to /usr/bin/gdmflexiserver to allow user switching if the using gdm as the greeter. This would be value added for folks using xfce4, lxde, openbox, etc. since gnome-screensaver does not provide functionality on non-gnome systems with version 3 (depends on gnome-session).
https://bugs.archlinux.org/task/25617

Aha... thank you

graysky · 2012-05-23 20:13:13

Sorry for the necrobump but since this is the most contemporary thread on the topic, I wanted to post a solution to this problem (under xfce 4.10):

# ln -s /usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm/gdmflexiserver /usr/bin/gdmflexiserver

I will also update the xfce4 and lightdm wiki pages.

/me ducks for cover.

Last edited by graysky (2012-05-23 20:23:11)

Arch Linux

#1 2011-09-29 17:13:39

[XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#2 2011-09-29 17:18:59

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#3 2011-09-29 18:35:38

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#4 2011-09-29 18:41:46

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#5 2011-09-30 03:01:35

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#6 2011-09-30 15:50:20

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#7 2011-09-30 16:39:25

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#8 2011-09-30 16:42:13

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#9 2011-09-30 16:44:45

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#10 2011-09-30 16:49:05

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#11 2011-09-30 19:00:04

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#12 2011-09-30 19:16:46

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#13 2011-09-30 20:15:04

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#14 2011-09-30 20:16:18

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#15 2011-09-30 20:55:27

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#16 2011-09-30 23:48:13

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#17 2011-10-01 00:01:46

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#18 2011-10-01 00:11:08

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#19 2011-10-01 00:34:14

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#20 2011-10-01 12:26:36

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#21 2011-10-03 16:13:00

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

#22 2012-05-23 20:13:13

Re: [XFCE] Anybody want to help me make a user switching patch?

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