Arch Linux

OrigBitmancer

Member

Registered: 2019-01-22

Posts: 144

[Solved] Xfwm4/xfce will not launch

I boot to graphical login. I get a greeter (lightdm-gtk-greeter or lightdm-slick-greeter) but when I select xfwm4 from the sessions available, it just hangs. If I change to tty2 and view processes, it shows Xorg and lightdm being executed. This is appropriate because I had lightdm working with xfwm last year.

I presume you will need to see several logs to help me, starting with Xorg.0.log…. You will likely also need to see various systemd services. Is there a link which shows me how to stash them online so as not to bloat my posts?

Last edited by OrigBitmancer (2022-02-21 04:52:21)

2ManyDogs

Forum Fellow

Registered: 2012-01-15

Posts: 4,648

Re: [Solved] Xfwm4/xfce will not launch

I presume you will need to see several logs to help me, starting with Xorg.0.log…. You will likely also need to see various systemd services. Is there a link which shows me how to stash them online so as not to bloat my posts?

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/List_o … n_services

OrigBitmancer

Member

Registered: 2019-01-22

Posts: 144

Re: [Solved] Xfwm4/xfce will not launch

Thank you, 2ManyDogs!

Which logs should I post to start debugging my display manager problem?

seth

Member

From: Won't reply 2 private help req

Registered: 2012-09-03

Posts: 77,057

Re: [Solved] Xfwm4/xfce will not launch

"sudo journalctl -b", X11 seems to work (lightdm) so it'll be about the session or xfwm4 (and you'll likely be able to launch other sessions, eg. openbox?)

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OrigBitmancer

Member

Registered: 2019-01-22

Posts: 144

Re: [Solved] Xfwm4/xfce will not launch

This is very weird.

I reinstalled lxdm. I brought up lxdm during login as manager. This executed fine. (??)

I figured to use lxdm instead of lightdm, because "If it works, I'm ahead, but if it does not, I am no further behind" .
This was a sequence of events/commands that I had not tried.

I brought up the run-single-command box and issued "startxfce4" as was supposed to work in my dotfiles.

It worked. I checked with ps(8) and everything xfce/xfwm is running as appropriate.

To use British argot, I am gobsmacked. But I am NOT going to argue. I will read the journal to see if any hints surface.

I am marking this solved. Thank you, seth for assistance and patience.