WelcomeWelcome | FAQFAQ | DownloadsDownloads | WikiWiki

Author Topic: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed  (Read 8669 times)

Offline leon8200

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 18
how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« on: January 14, 2016, 03:06:35 PM »
as the subject says, I want XFCE as my desktop and thunar as my file manager, I'm new to tiny core and don't know much, so any help would be much appreciated  ;D

Offline Misalf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1702
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #1 on: January 14, 2016, 03:30:16 PM »
Thunar.tcz is available in the TC 6.x x86 repo.
Code: [Select]
tce-load -wi Thunar

I'm afraid XFCE does not have proper start scripts and won't work as is, if at all.
I couldn't get it to work but I'm happy with Openbox.
Download a copy and keep it handy: Core book ;)

Offline nitram

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1054
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #2 on: January 14, 2016, 03:54:02 PM »
XFCE apparently works in dCore but i've never heard of anyone using it and it may not behave the same way compared to a full featured Linux distribution (Control Panel items, etc). Maybe a dCore user in the know will respond. From my experience, once used to a lighter weight and more flexible Window Manager never want to run a full Desktop Environment again. Misalf's suggested Openbox is great, my current favourite is Fluxbox which has a built-in panel. JWM and IceWM appear stark but resemble a more traditional XFCE type layout. All of these WMs are extremely configurable, can be made to look and perform amazing.

Offline leon8200

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #3 on: January 14, 2016, 04:01:00 PM »
Thunar.tcz is available in the TC 6.x x86 repo.
Code: [Select]
tce-load -wi Thunar

I'm afraid XFCE does not have proper start scripts and won't work as is, if at all.
I couldn't get it to work but I'm happy with Openbox.

thanx for the reply Misalf, I installed "Thunar.tcz" but cant figure out how to launch it?
« Last Edit: January 14, 2016, 04:16:25 PM by leon8200 »

Offline Misalf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1702
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #4 on: January 14, 2016, 04:28:09 PM »
Do you have any kind of desktop running? It should create a wbar icon.

To install a Window Manager open Apps browser, click "Apps" -> "Cloud (Remote)" -> "Browse".
Click on the "Search" drop-down menu and set it to "Tags".
Type  window manager  in the search field, press ENTER.

After you have installed a different window manager that you want to use, make sure it is the only one set to be loaded OnBoot.
"Apps" -> "Maintenance" -> "OnBoot Maintenance".
Download a copy and keep it handy: Core book ;)

Offline leon8200

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #5 on: January 14, 2016, 04:52:02 PM »
Do you have any kind of desktop running? It should create a wbar icon.

To install a Window Manager open Apps browser, click "Apps" -> "Cloud (Remote)" -> "Browse".
Click on the "Search" drop-down menu and set it to "Tags".
Type  window manager  in the search field, press ENTER.

After you have installed a different window manager that you want to use, make sure it is the only one set to be loaded OnBoot.
"Apps" -> "Maintenance" -> "OnBoot Maintenance".

thanx for the help Miself and nitram, I now have nautilus and openbox setup, and they seem to be functioning, I would like to ask one last thing before wrapping up my thread,

I cant seem to drag/drop anything to my desktop, what I want to do is be able to place files and application shortcut's/launchers on the desktop for easy access, how can I do that?

Offline Misalf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1702
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #6 on: January 14, 2016, 05:07:50 PM »
See  nautilus --help  which shows the  --force-desktop  option.
You could create a file in the  ~/.X.d  directory, containing:
Code: [Select]
nautilus --force-desktop &
So it starts each time X is launched.
Download a copy and keep it handy: Core book ;)

Offline leon8200

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #7 on: January 15, 2016, 05:15:38 AM »
icons showed up on the desktop, but then they disappeared and I can't get them back, I don't understand what to do

Offline Misalf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1702
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #8 on: January 15, 2016, 05:23:49 AM »
Make sure you add the  "&"  sign at the end of the command, so that it runs in the background but the script can exit.
Also, can you start it from a terminal window?
Download a copy and keep it handy: Core book ;)

Offline leon8200

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #9 on: January 15, 2016, 05:36:20 AM »
I can start it from the terminal, but my dock at the bottom is missing now, and I cant right click launch applications from the menu, when I right click I only see "new folder" "paste" "organize desktop by name" and "keep aligned"

Offline Misalf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1702
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #10 on: January 15, 2016, 05:46:05 AM »
Oh, yes. ~/.X.d  scripts run after wbar was launched, so a root-window / Desktop changing app will sit on top of wbar.
So remove the ~/.X.d script and instead, add an entry to  ~/.xsession.
Change this
Code: [Select]
[ -x $HOME/.setbackground ] && $HOME/.setbackground
[ -x $HOME/.mouse_config ] && $HOME/.mouse_config &
[ $(which "$ICONS".sh) ] && ${ICONS}.sh &
[ -d "$HOME/.X.d" ] && find "$HOME/.X.d" -type f -print | while read F; do . "$F"; done
... to something like this
Code: [Select]
[ -x $HOME/.setbackground ] && $HOME/.setbackground
[ -x $HOME/.mouse_config ] && $HOME/.mouse_config &
nautilus --force-desktop &
[ $(which "$ICONS".sh) ] && ${ICONS}.sh &
[ -d "$HOME/.X.d" ] && find "$HOME/.X.d" -type f -print | while read F; do . "$F"; done
So the Nautilus desktop gets started before wbar.
Download a copy and keep it handy: Core book ;)

Offline leon8200

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #11 on: January 15, 2016, 05:48:40 AM »
I don't understand, the .X.d folder has nothing in it

Offline Misalf

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 1702
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #12 on: January 15, 2016, 05:52:43 AM »
If you change any settings or add files to your home dir, you need to run  backup  to make the changes persist across reboots. This happens automatically by default if you exit via  TC Exit  tool.

The right-click options you get are the default for Nautilus. If you want more or something else, you need to study and change the settings for Nautilus.

BTW, I use iDesk.
Download a copy and keep it handy: Core book ;)

Offline leon8200

  • Newbie
  • *
  • Posts: 18
Re: how do I get XFCE desktop and thunar file manager installed
« Reply #13 on: January 15, 2016, 05:56:53 AM »
I dont understand, I have no way of accessing my applications

I downloaded "idesk", how do get it working?
« Last Edit: January 15, 2016, 06:12:10 AM by leon8200 »

Offline gerald_clark

  • TinyCore Moderator
  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • Posts: 4254