LXDE menu & desktop trouble

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proebler
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LXDE menu & desktop trouble

Post#1 by proebler » 04 Aug 2012, 13:32

hi,
I have been giving Porteus 1.2 - 32bit version a bit of a run for fun.
I have tried the xfce version and now the Lxde [KDE] one, running from usb-flashdrive.

In doing so, I have come across the following, which does not seem right.
Having the Lxde desktop up, right-clicking it gives access to the Desktop Preferences, where in the Advanced tab there is the option to 'Show menus provided by window managers when desktop is clicked'.
When this is done, one does get those menus, but they are useless and I could find no way to undo the option.
From then on, Desktop Preferences don't seem to be available anymore, anywhere.
What is more, the otherwise useless menus offer one item named 'Log Out' . If that is selected, followed by Exit Openbox > Exit, then I end up with a totally unresponsive desktop from which it seems the only escape is by way of the power OFF button.

Added:
I have played around some more after choosing the Exit from Openbox.
I now found, the desktop no longer to be totally unresponsive [it probably was in the same state before, when I did think it unresponsive].
Applications can still be opened from the main menu and via the panel icons, however control over the opened windows is haphazard.
I could not drag any of them by the menu bar.
Resizing the windows by dragging works with some [leafpad] but not with others [lxterminal].
Alt+tab for switching between windows does not work.
After opening Firefox, I had to use ctrl+q to close it, but when Firefox is then opened again, it can be closed from its menu [weird].
I guess more strange behavior could be found.
Final:
Confirmed, one can end up with a totally unresponsive desktop!

...well, since Lxde depends on Openbox as it's window manager, one could expect the desktop to fail/behave in strange ways.
Therefore that Exit Openbox option should probably not be there [?].

Sorry, to be not more positive. Apart from the issue of the Desktop Preferences, the main menu's 'Other' item should in my opinion probably be removed from the Lxde version of Porteus.
With Lxde, 'Other' seems not to be of much good at all, it appears to be for use with KDE.
With xfce, 'Other' is not there, good.

I'm writing this in Porteus and can't save it except to /home/guest/ , which, if I run copy2ram, is lost on re-boot/shut.
So I have to change to Super User Mode - Terminal , run leafpad from there, then I can save where I want to.

What is the use of having all partitions mounted if they then are not accessible anyway by Guest?
Guest cannot unmount the partitions either.
Seems complicated.

I would have liked to attach a screenshot showing the [Openbox] menus, but I don't know how to do that.

I am normally a Puppy user, so I may be excused.
cheers
proebler

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fanthom
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Re: LXDE menu & desktop trouble

Post#2 by fanthom » 05 Aug 2012, 13:22

When this is done, one does get those menus, but they are useless and I could find no way to undo the option.
Openbox is not considered as official Porteus desktop (unlike Trinity, LXDE, KDE4 and XFCE) thus comes with default settings which are pretty useless indeed.
the best way is probably not to choose that option and once done you can revert it by editing ~/.config/pcmanfm/LXDE/pcmanfm.conf and changing:

Code: Select all

show_wm_menu=1

to

Code: Select all

show_wm_menu=0
then logout and login back.
With Lxde, 'Other' seems not to be of much good at all, it appears to be for use with KDE.
this is 32bit edition so brokenman is more appropriate person to answer that.
What is the use of having all partitions mounted if they then are not accessible anyway by Guest?
they are accessible for guest in read mode.
unprivileged users should never mess up with with anything except for their home folder + removable media.
this is pretty obvious for me.
Guest cannot unmount the partitions either.
same as above.
guest should never play with internal volumes unless given the permission from root.
guest should mount/umount removable media without problems and this functionality is provided in Porteus.
I am normally a Puppy user, so I may be excused.
it's very easy to run Porteus in slax/puppy mode (root account by default). please check /boot/docs/cheatcodes.txt and search for 'toroot' cheatcode.
if you want to stay with guest but still be able to write/unmount internal volumes then please check 'mopt=' cheatcode.

thanks for your feedback.
Please add [Solved] to your thread title if the solution was found.

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