LXDE2 - The Next Generation

[bmarkus]

LXDE2.tcz is a metaextension which installs a basic LXDE system on a stock TC 2.10 Compared to LXDE.tcz there are two main differences:

  1. Dropped lxterminal.tcz as a dependency, default terminal is aterm
  2. PCManFM replaced with PCManFM2/libfm

In LXDE PCManFM is not only a file manager but handling the user's desktop too. PCmanFM2 is a complete rewrite and not just a new PCManFM version. There are many changes and new features. Most important:

   1. Auto-mount for removable devices and and “Auto-run” dialog. (Finally we have this!) - no need to install HAL
   2. Support ‘menu://applications/’ to show installed applications in pcmanfm. (needs lxmenu-data) (reported to be a little bit buggy?)
   3. Support ‘menu://applications/DesktopSettings/’ to show configuration tools. This just acts like control center. (only when you have lxmenu-data installed)
   4. “Open in terminal” now works for folders on desktop
   5. “Create New” is working on desktop.
   6. The color of location bar is changed when pcmanfm is executed with root user.
   7. Fix command line argumnent-related bugs.
   8. Fix sorting related bugs
   9. New configure option: –enable-debug
  10. Some minor bugs were fixed.

Another key feature:

Have GIO/GVFS support but "still keep original speed" and memory usage is still acceptable. Seamless remote filesystem access such as sftp and smb (provided by gvfs). Trash can (provided by gvfs). Use of GIO/GVFS is optional, if not installed, it will work on the good old way.

Please note, PCManFM2 and libfm are in beta still as well as LXDE2. There may be bugs, missinng configurations, etc. However it seems to be OK and stable. So feel free to try!

http://tc.hasix.org/scrcap/lxde2a.png (screenshot)

[^thehatsrule^: replaced img w/ url... think of the dial-up users ]

[bigpcman]

Thanks for update to LXDE.

I'm playing around with it now on tc 2.10 and have not quite figured out a few things.

I installed firefox for example and it runs fine and shows up in the "start menu". But it does not show up in the file manager "menu//applications/" area. lxmenu-data is installed.

Also, I installed gvfs but I still don't have a trash can folder working so I guess more setup is required for that.

edit: I noticed the first time I access the hdc cd/dvdrom drive the fire manager exits from the desktop. Then when I redo the operation after restarting the file manager it works.

edit2: noticed after booting up tc with lxde2 wbar is still running but not visible.

[roberts]

Just wanted to publically thank bmarkus for LXDE2. It has been most helpful as a testing ground for my efforts to implement freedesktop into Tiny Core. First public release candidate of such will be in 2.11rc1.

[bmarkus]

Just wanted to publically thank bmarkus for LXDE2. It has been most helpful as a testing ground for my efforts to implement freedesktop into Tiny Core. First public release candidate of such will be in 2.11rc1.

With pleasure

[bmarkus]

Thanks for the feedback.

I installed firefox for example and it runs fine and shows up in the "start menu". But it does not show up in the file manager "menu//applications/" area. lxmenu-data is installed.

True. Do not know the reason. Unfortunately I did not find other distro to check it. Will look around for info. Even I do not know whether it works in this beta officially or not

Also, I installed gvfs but I still don't have a trash can folder working so I guess more setup is required for that.

To be honest, I'm not familiar with gvfs, never used it and didn't check the TC version how it works and how to setup. Hope somone can help in testing.

edit2: noticed after booting up tc with lxde2 wbar is still running but not visible.

Did you use 'noicons' boot code?

[bigpcman]

Thanks for the feedback.

I installed firefox for example and it runs fine and shows up in the "start menu". But it does not show up in the file manager "menu//applications/" area. lxmenu-data is installed.

True. Do not know the reason. Unfortunately I did not find other distro to check it. Will look around for info. Even I do not know whether it works in this beta officially or not

Also, I installed gvfs but I still don't have a trash can folder working so I guess more setup is required for that.

To be honest, I'm not familiar with gvfs, never used it and didn't check the TC version how it works and how to setup. Hope somone can help in testing.

edit2: noticed after booting up tc with lxde2 wbar is still running but not visible.

Did you use 'noicons' boot code?

The "noicons" boot code does indeed prevent wbar from starting.

Another anomaly is that when tc boots up it brings up the flwm window manager first then loads lxde even if the "desktop=lxde" boot code is used.

edit: Here's some insight on gvfs configuration:
http://forum.lxde.org/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=1422&hilit=gvfs

[aus9]

bmarkus

I am new to TC but not new to LXDE

let me know what kind of testing you need and I shall "try" to help...... posting...where relevant...snapshots and logs.

I am a persistant TC type and not a base + install type......if that makes a difference.


gordy

[bmarkus]

gordy,

thanks. No specific testing, just use it and report if you find something wrong. LXDE2 is based on PCManFM2 which is itself is a beta version, this is the main reason for TESTING notice.

[aus9]

hi

I did a clean install but for some reason Arora could not get into TC site and I forgot to test with another browser....so probably installed stuff not correctly.

Test 1...default desktop....after lxde2 installed message in apps....wbar had only leafpad icon.

I did not care....as I intended to move to xorg so

Test 2....with an xorg and xorg.conf...with LXDE booted......

panel has leafpad, terminal ( aterm as per your notes.) ....and file manager is no longer a beige colour icon

b) opening pcmanfm2....gives me multiple error messages but not be able to automount the floppy drive, optical drive etc

c) only theme installed is clearlooks......I elected to install the openbox-themes to get my Onyx-Citrus theme......(nice for short sighted ppl for contrast....too much aussie beer)

d) Right hand click empty desktop (I am RH) gives a desktop preferences with only 2 tabs

I am not suggesting this is anything to do with you....its lxde2
BUT tip....the default is to have wallpaper set to "fill with background colour".........suggest you choose a stretch

E) insert TC cdrom......with pcmanfm2 already running.....stops mount errors
----for me----hda is optical....clicking on it mounts and reads ok
-----for me....RH click now says umount volume.....sounds Ubuntu?.....lol
----for me----umount and re-click..............crashes file manager.........................grrrr

f) insert usb stick....pcmanfm2 already open.....causes mutliple entries in left hand pane for my partitions and optical disk
---> click on icon for disk....for me sdb1....only one entry...opens ok
--try to unmount volume fails
----------in lxde (1) the RH pane would drop back to some other folder like /home/tc
it looks like my error is TC is creating an entry for my usb stick as noauto......while I have been spoilt with udev rules from another distro

g) root terminal attempt to
umount /mnt/sdb1......error device busy even if I close down the file manager

well.............that will do for first impressions

That might read a little negative....so let me show one good positive

in file manager....click on unknown file.....now brings up a menu.....even naming some apps like firefox or leafpad....to try and open it
while with lxde1....AFAIK...you had to type the name of the app....tick the box if you knew it should always be used

so this is a nice touch.

Hope I have not waffled on too much

gordy


PS this was done on a clean install so in case it was my bad /etc/fstab that was borking pcmanfm2 I shall redo with firefox reading the install page

[bmarkus]

Test 1...default desktop....after lxde2 installed message in apps....wbar had only leafpad icon.

Fine, it is expected. BTW, disable WBAR when LXDE used with the noicons boot option.

I did not care....as I intended to move to xorg so

Not related to Xorg.

panel has leafpad, terminal ( aterm as per your notes.) ....and file manager is no longer a beige colour icon

Can't reproduce, I do not see difference in color trying on different computers.

c) only theme installed is clearlooks..

You may try different GTK themes, more efficient than adjusting OpenBox theme.

[jur]

pcmanfm2 by itself:

Code: [Select]


tc@box:~$ pcmanfm2
** (pcmanfm2:5905): DEBUG: unable to load icon user-home

(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
** (pcmanfm2:5905): DEBUG: unable to load icon user-trash

(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
** (pcmanfm2:5905): DEBUG: unable to load icon system-software-install

(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
** (pcmanfm2:5905): DEBUG: unable to load icon . GThemedIcon drive-removable-media drive-removable drive

(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed

(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed

(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed


(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed

(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed

(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed

(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed

(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed

(pcmanfm2:5905): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_object_unref: assertion `G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
** (pcmanfm2:5905): DEBUG: unable to load icon folder

I didn't do anything else except download and load pcmanfm2. Icon themes I thought it would handle by itself.

[bmarkus]

I installed firefox for example and it runs fine and shows up in the "start menu". But it does not show up in the file manager "menu//applications/" area. lxmenu-data is installed.

Thanks to the help of PCMan now it is fixed. Updated LXDE2 will be sent after some testing.

[bmarkus]

You may notice that in some cases icons are not displayed in the file manager "menu//applications/" view or on the Desktop but shown properly in the Menu. It is caused by the Icon=xxx.png field in the .desktop file which doesn't meet official freedesktop specification. Changing it to

Icon=xxx

where xxx.png (or xxx.svg) is in the /usr/local/share/pixmaps directory or element of the active Icon Theme) or to absolute path

Icon=/usr/local/share/pixmaps/xxx.png

solves the problem. Unfortunately software writers are breaking the rules, do not blame extension creators However it works in the Menu and in other DE's due to handling the improper icon reference.

[blofsy]

Hi,

I'm using lxde2 but can't manage the quick launch icons on the panel. Am I missing something or it's not implemented yet?

[bmarkus]

Hi,

I'm using lxde2 but can't manage the quick launch icons on the panel. Am I missing something or it's not implemented yet?

On TC 2.x or 3.0 ?