wierd problem with windows in xfce[SOLVED]

rnarch · 2012-04-10 01:17:49

I have arch with xfce4 and I am having a wierd problem. All the windows that I open do not have the uppermost title bar and so no icons for minimizing, maximizing or closing them. Moreover, they appear at the top of the screen obscuring the xfce panel. I cannot move or resize them. In addition, the cursor on xfce desktop has become 'X' shaped rather than the usual arrow shaped. If I go to xfce settings and click on 'windows manager' or 'window manager tweaks', a blank panel appears and not the usual one with various setting adjustment tools.

I do not know why this has happened. Only that I recently tried to shutdown the system with many windows open and it had got stuck. I closed some of the windows and then the shutdown process completed. Any help or pointers will be appreciated. Thanks.

Last edited by rnarch (2012-04-10 12:10:29)

Trilby · 2012-04-10 01:44:01

It sounds like you've lost XFWM. You are in a 'bare' x11 environment with the xfce panel tacked on. Having only used XFCE for a couple days I'm not sure where you should look to solve this - but my first steps would be 1) make sure all parts of XFCE are still installed; 2) check the x logs (/var/logs/...) and/or launch xfce from a tty and check the output there; 3) there is no three, but lists should have three.

Edit: OK, I thought of a 3: check the startup scripts for xfwm/xfce. I'm not sure where these are, but if you also don't know you could find it in the XFCE wiki just as fast as me. If there is something wrong in these files it might cause XFWM to not fully load.

Also, please give some information on how you launch XFCE. Do you use a loggin manager, xinitrc, etc?

Last edited by Trilby (2012-04-10 01:46:20)

rnarch · 2012-04-10 01:51:13

I tried reinstalling xfwm4. It reinstalled without any problem but even after logging out and back in, there is no difference. I login using slim login manager.

Edit:
I rebooted and added '3' at the end of kernel line in grub to boot to command line. There I logged in and ran 'startx'. Xfce started normally without any hitch but the windows problem persists.

Minimize all windows button of xfce (in the bottom panel) also does not work.

Last edited by rnarch (2012-04-10 01:56:11)

cfr · 2012-04-10 02:14:38

Try starting the windows manager manually from within the running session. That should make it easier to work again. Then go through settings and check out the startup settings. You may need to make sure that the window manager is set to always load immediately and to resave the session. I'm not in xfce right now and I can't remember the details but I seem to remember it being fairly obvious where to add it and how to set it.

It happened to me a few times in xfce.

Alternatively, work out what config files to move out of the way in your home directory and restart your session. xfce should create default versions again which will include the manager but you'll lose other settings too if you do it this way.

rnarch · 2012-04-10 03:13:41

Thanks for your help. I am away from that computer for a few hours and I will get back ASAP with feedback.

Padfoot · 2012-04-10 08:21:30

$ xfwm4 --replace

Then, open Session and Startup from the Settings menu, select the Session tab and click Save Session.

Cheers.

rnarch · 2012-04-10 12:10:06

$ xfwm4 --replace

Worked like magic! I just opened a terminal and entered above command. There was some flickering of the display and then I closed the terminal. After this all windows are opening normally and everything is back to as it was. So basically xfwm had broken and needed replacement. Thanks very much all of you for this great support. I am marking this thread as SOLVED.

Last edited by rnarch (2012-04-10 12:11:25)

josiasnonato · 2016-01-08 17:03:01

Hi for everybody, I'm very grateful by archlinux community, this post saved my life even in 2016. I had spend 3 days trying to solve this problem and when I was giving up, I found this post here. My love for archlinux just grows, huahauahuah. Thnxs for everybody.

Last edited by josiasnonato (2016-01-08 17:05:32)

Trilby · 2016-01-08 17:14:37

Josiasnonato, I'm glad this helped. Our archives are meant as a resource. But there is no reason to put your thank you here. Help us keep our old posts as good resources and leave them be.

Specifically, please avoid "necrobumping" old threads, especially solved ones, and avoid power posts / empty posts. Gratitude is not "empty", but it provides no information relevant to this thread - so there are other threads for expressing such sentiment (Arch is best thread, the welcome thread, etc).

Closed.

Arch Linux

#1 2012-04-10 01:17:49

wierd problem with windows in xfce[SOLVED]

#2 2012-04-10 01:44:01

Re: wierd problem with windows in xfce[SOLVED]

#3 2012-04-10 01:51:13

Re: wierd problem with windows in xfce[SOLVED]

#4 2012-04-10 02:14:38

Re: wierd problem with windows in xfce[SOLVED]

#5 2012-04-10 03:13:41

Re: wierd problem with windows in xfce[SOLVED]

#6 2012-04-10 08:21:30

Re: wierd problem with windows in xfce[SOLVED]

#7 2012-04-10 12:10:06

Re: wierd problem with windows in xfce[SOLVED]

#8 2016-01-08 17:03:01

Re: wierd problem with windows in xfce[SOLVED]

#9 2016-01-08 17:14:37

Re: wierd problem with windows in xfce[SOLVED]

Board footer