Linux Linpus - Acer Aspire One - activate normal Desktop

Tybor · Jul 12, 2008

!! This is a translation from German Aspire One Forum Post from NaNo !!
You might want ot read this first.

Acer didn't deleted the original Xfce Desktop Manager.
Just kill the process xfdesktop2 und start xfdesktop-xfce from terminal. Now you should have the "normal" Xfce Desktop running.
If you want to have this desktop by default on startup you have to:

1. in /etc/xdg/xfce4-session/xfce4-session.rc replace the entry Client0_Command=xfdesktopnew with Client0_Command=xfdesktop-xfce
2. Reboot

gr33tz Tybor

brettndm · Jul 14, 2008

Hi

Could someone please post a "complete idiots guide" to this process! My Acer One is my first foray into the world of Linux and I have no idea how to "kill" or such things but eager to learn! A step by step would help me so much. I've activated advanced mode from the post on this forum but cant manage the desktop hack.

Thanks in advance

Brett

Tybor · Jul 14, 2008

Hi Brett!

As you already know how to open a terminal you only need 2 command line
tools ps & kill.

First you type "ps -ef" which returns a list of running processes.
Each process has a so called PID (process ID). Search for xfdesktop2 and note the PID.
afterwards just type "kill PID" with PID = the noted process id of xfdesktop2.

e.g.

$ ps -ef

UID PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME COMD
root 0 0 0 16:02:01 ? 0:00 sched
root 1 0 0 16:02:01 ? 0:30 /sbin/init
root 2 0 0 16:02:01 ? 0:14 pageout
root 3 0 0 16:02:01 ? 2:11 fsflush
root 4 0 0 16:02:01 ? 0:00 kmdaemon
root 444 436 0 16:04:53 ? 0:07 /usr/lib/saf/ttymon
root 364 1 0 16:04:14 ? 0:01 /usr/X/bin/xdm
aja1 7635 7628 0 08:53:27 ? 0:00 /bin/mailx -N -f /
aja1 1585 1 0 17:49:25 console 0:09 -wksh
root 385 1 0 16:04:20 ? 0:00 xfdesktop2
root 386 1 0 16:04:20 ? 0:00 /usr/lib/nfs/biod 4
root 384 1 0 16:04:20 ? 0:00 /usr/lib/nfs/biod 4
root 388 1 0 16:04:20 ? 0:01 /usr/lib/nfs/mountd
root 390 1 0 16:04:21 ? 0:01 /usr/lib/nfs/statd
root 392 1 0 16:04:21 ? 0:03 /usr/lib/nfs/lockd
root 396 1 0 16:04:22 ? 0:02 /usr/sbin/rpcbind
root 397 1 0 16:04:25 ? 0:00 /usr/lib/nfs/pcnfsd
root 399 383 0 16:04:25 ? 0:00 /usr/lib/nfs/nfsd -
root 445 436 0 16:04:53 ? 0:04 /usr/lib/saf/ttymon
root 463 1 0 16:05:16 ? 2:28 /usr/sbin/cron
root 8874 1585 0 11:43:36 console 0:01 ksh
aja1 9151 7642 80 12:24:50 pts/2 0:02 ps -ef

$ kill 385

And here some reading to start with:
http://www.linux.ie/newusers/beginners-linux-guide/
http://www.reallylinux.com/docs/windowstolinux.shtml
http://linuxreviews.org/beginner/

gr33tz,
Tybor

Andysan · Jul 14, 2008

Tybor,

If its not too much trouble, may i politely ask for a screenie of the desktop in all of its glory?

Many thanks,

Andy

brettndm · Jul 15, 2008

Hi Tybor

Thanks so much for your help, I can now access normal desktop......but how do I create shortcuts to Firefox, email client etc. on the new desktop?

Sorry for my ignorance, any help gratefully received

Regards
Brett

Tybor said:
Hi Brett!

As you already know how to open a terminal you only need 2 command line
tools ps & kill.

First you type "ps -ef" which returns a list of running processes.
Each process has a so called PID (process ID). Search for xfdesktop2 and note the PID.
afterwards just type "kill PID" with PID = the noted process id of xfdesktop2.

e.g.

$ ps -ef

UID PID PPID C STIME TTY TIME COMD
root 0 0 0 16:02:01 ? 0:00 sched
root 1 0 0 16:02:01 ? 0:30 /sbin/init
root 2 0 0 16:02:01 ? 0:14 pageout
root 3 0 0 16:02:01 ? 2:11 fsflush
root 4 0 0 16:02:01 ? 0:00 kmdaemon
root 444 436 0 16:04:53 ? 0:07 /usr/lib/saf/ttymon
root 364 1 0 16:04:14 ? 0:01 /usr/X/bin/xdm
aja1 7635 7628 0 08:53:27 ? 0:00 /bin/mailx -N -f /
aja1 1585 1 0 17:49:25 console 0:09 -wksh
root 385 1 0 16:04:20 ? 0:00 xfdesktop2
root 386 1 0 16:04:20 ? 0:00 /usr/lib/nfs/biod 4
root 384 1 0 16:04:20 ? 0:00 /usr/lib/nfs/biod 4
root 388 1 0 16:04:20 ? 0:01 /usr/lib/nfs/mountd
root 390 1 0 16:04:21 ? 0:01 /usr/lib/nfs/statd
root 392 1 0 16:04:21 ? 0:03 /usr/lib/nfs/lockd
root 396 1 0 16:04:22 ? 0:02 /usr/sbin/rpcbind
root 397 1 0 16:04:25 ? 0:00 /usr/lib/nfs/pcnfsd
root 399 383 0 16:04:25 ? 0:00 /usr/lib/nfs/nfsd -
root 445 436 0 16:04:53 ? 0:04 /usr/lib/saf/ttymon
root 463 1 0 16:05:16 ? 2:28 /usr/sbin/cron
root 8874 1585 0 11:43:36 console 0:01 ksh
aja1 9151 7642 80 12:24:50 pts/2 0:02 ps -ef

$ kill 385

Click to expand...

And here some reading to start with:
http://www.linux.ie/newusers/beginners-linux-guide/
http://www.reallylinux.com/docs/windowstolinux.shtml
http://linuxreviews.org/beginner/

gr33tz,
Tybor

MMD · Jul 15, 2008

My computer does not kill the xfdesktop properly nor does it initiate the other xfdesktop (as per instructions). Also when I go to try to edit the terminal part in the last part (I got the first part to work once) it brings up an error with something like cannot write file. What i get is the normal desktop (that is xfdesktop 2 without any on the categories or icons... just the gray background)

Zippo · Jul 15, 2008

I did like it's written in the guide, but this happens to me:
- as I launch the command ps -ef I can't find any process called xfdesktop2
- when I try to modify and save the xfce4-session.rc file it says "Cannot open file to write"
why this? please help a poor n00b :roll:

Tybor · Jul 15, 2008

Hi all,

First I have to tell ya, that I'm currently waiting for my One to be delivered to me.
So I can't help you in detail with some problems.

1. "Cannot open file to write" problem
This is mostly an access level problem. You might have to switch to "root" user to be able to write this file.
In terminal type "su root" afterwards you are asked for the password which you entered on first startup.
Now you can start any programs with root access level (!! be careful what you do !!).
This should solve the write problem.

2. "ps -ef" doesn't display xfdesktop2
Either this is solved by 1. or search for xfdesktop (without the 2).
Unfortunately I can't verify this.

And attached find a screenshot of the normal desktop of Linpus Linux Lite running in Vmware.
I suppose on the One it will look the same.

gr33tz,
Tybor

nack · Jul 15, 2008

Not all of xfce seems to be there.

If you switch to the full desktop, you still don't seem to be able to configure the panels, and the settings tool stops working. It seems that the shipped version of the desktop manager winds up invoking xfce-mcs-manager.new, and after the desktop switch it starts complaining about a lack of xfce-mcs-manager if you try to bring up the config util from the command line. From the menu, it simply does nothing.

Attemtping to fix this, I used the upgrade tool and the add-software tool to attempt to remove the .acer xfce packages and replace them with the .fc8 xfce packages, but there doesn't seem to be a "force" option, and it refused to do my bidding, getting mired in version conflicts after successfully removing the Acer xfce.

Needless to say, I'm going to need the recovery disk now. It boots to X, and I can shut it down with the power switch, but when X is up all I can do is move the cursor around. I get nothing else.

What I'd really like to know is how to boot this to a command line login prompt. I can start X myself afterwards, but it's much easier to recover from configuration mistakes when the system just boots into bash. It's also much easier to test configurations when you can shut down and restart X without rebooting the machine.

I'm currently held up until I can get a USB CD drive (hopefully tonight...), but after that, I'm going to reinstall and then start trying to turn this into a full linux box again.

Kev50027 · Jul 15, 2008

I've heard for the MSI Wind they let you put the restore files on a USB thumbdrive and do it from there. I assume it would work from an external hard drive or SD card (if the bios is set to allow booting from SD).

You think there's a way to put the files on a thumb drive and work from there on the One?

Also, I already have an external USB CD drive, but would the system recognize it? Does it have generic drivers that handle that?

Ariel · Jul 16, 2008

Kev50027 said:
You think there's a way to put the files on a thumb drive and work from there on the One?

the recovery cd that comes with the one does have the option to create a restore USB as well.

liea · Jul 16, 2008

I managed to install KDE Desktop from the software upgrade module and if I start it from the command line it works (with some errors). How can I set KDE as default window manager? .xinitrc won't work, any ideas what I have to change?

liea

Andysan · Jul 16, 2008

Many thanks for taking the time to screen dump that Tybor, its much appreciated!

bjrn · Jul 17, 2008

I just tried this and ran into a problem. I sued to root, killed the xfdesktop2 process, but when I run xfdesktop-xfce I get the following:

Code:

** (xfdesktop-xfce:4693): CRITICAL **: settings_register_callback: assertion `cb && user_data && mcs_client' failed

** (xfdesktop-xfce:4693): CRITICAL **: settings_register_callback: assertion `cb && user_data && mcs_client' failed

And nothing else. Has anyone else run into something similar?

nack · Jul 18, 2008

bjrn said:
I just tried this and ran into a problem. I sued to root, killed the xfdesktop2 process, but when I run xfdesktop-xfce I get the following:

Code:

** (xfdesktop-xfce:4693): CRITICAL **: settings_register_callback: assertion `cb && user_data && mcs_client' failed ** (xfdesktop-xfce:4693): CRITICAL **: settings_register_callback: assertion `cb && user_data && mcs_client' failed

And nothing else. Has anyone else run into something similar?

I ran into something like that. Parts of normal xfce seem to be missing; if you switch to the normal desktop, you'll find you still can't configure the panels, and xfce-settings-show stops working. I wound up with my machine in a state where it would boot to X, but nothing would start and all I could do was shut it back down again. I've nuked it from orbit with the factory defaults disk, and I'm now working back towards an unlocked system again.

Kev50027 · Jul 18, 2008

Yeah it's kinda iffy getting that desktop up, but if someone can get KDE up GNOME (I think that was able to be installed as well) that would be great to be able to have a normal desktop, much easier to make my own icons and install programs from there. I'll be toying with it, but I'm new to Linux, so I have a feeling I wont get very far.

Now that I look at it, maybe installing some more XFCE packages would make it work better? I might just go with Gnome or KDE since I know them better though.

The best I can do:

bjrn · Jul 18, 2008

The XFCE isn't bad in its normal form. I tried booting up the Aspire One with a Xubuntu Live USB (Ubuntu with XFCE instead of Gnome) and it looked pretty good; like a normal desktop really. I just had it up for a few minutes though.

Davidcowling · Jul 18, 2008

you'd think they would make it easy to transfer from basic to advanced GUI's.

but then again maybe they think that if users want a proper GUI, theyd have to shell out a bit more for XP

zk2008 · Jul 20, 2008

@Kev...

How did you get your desktop to look like that? Did you find a way to disable those boxes?

Thanks in advance!

Zack

Kev50027 · Jul 20, 2008

zk2008 said:
@Kev...

How did you get your desktop to look like that? Did you find a way to disable those boxes?

Thanks in advance!

Zack

That's what this thread is talking about. I read this thread and followed the directions to get the normal Linpus desktop. I also changed the background, but that's easy once you activate the advanced mode.