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[HOWTO] run multiple Desktop Environments in one install

Posted: 09 Aug 2013, 21:44
by Ahau
So, I've been meaning to write this down for a while but never seemed to find the time!

In releases prior to Porteus 2.1, we offered CD's that included more than one Desktop Environment (e.g. KDE and LXDE). Now, each ISO comes with only one Desktop. I want to be clear that we're not limiting Porteus' ability to run multiple DE's from the same install (because we're not); we're only changing the way we package our modules and distribute them to keep the ISO size down and the interface simple.

Porteus is perfectly capable of running all 5 Desktops from the same installation, and here's how:

1) Place your desired desktop modules (e.g. 003-kde.xzm, 003-lxde.xzm, and 003-mate.xzm) on your media inside the folder /porteus/optional.
2) Boot your system with the cheatcode 'load=kde' to boot into kde, or 'load=lxde', etc.

That's it!

You could leave one desktop module inside /porteus/base and have it as your default desktop environment, and keep the other(s) in /porteus/optional. If you do this, it would be cleanest to avoid loading that desktop's module when you load your alternate. use the 'noload=' cheatcode in tandem 'load=' to accomplish this, e.g. 'noload=kde load=lxde' if your kde module was in /porteus/base and /porteus/optional. Remember: all modules and /porteus/base and /porteus/modules will be loaded at start up unless you prevent this with 'noload', and no modules in '/porteus/optional' will be loaded unless you specify them by 'load='. Both of these cheatcodes use search strings, and anything that matches your string (case sensitive) will be selected. So you could have '003-lxde.xzm' and 'my-lxde-extra-stuff.xzm'. Both would be loaded when you use 'load=lxde', but only the first would be loaded if you use 'load=003-lxde'.

I hope this makes sense, let me know if you have any questions and I'll help to clarify!

Re: [HOWTO] run multiple Desktop Environments in one install

Posted: 13 Aug 2013, 08:12
by tome
and how can I launch lxde desktop with apps from mate.xzm? - lxde, kde, xfce... cheatcodes aren't supported now. I must activate every time mate.xzm to do that because 003-lxde and 003-mate in base folder activates mate desktop, 003-mate and 004-lxde (new name) activates lxde but caja and pluma don't work.

Re: [HOWTO] run multiple Desktop Environments in one install

Posted: 13 Aug 2013, 08:30
by fanthom
@tome

you could put all DE xzm you need in /base and make sure that your main desktop will be activated as last. example: you want apps from xfce but have lxde as the main desktop so your /base folder should look like:

Code: Select all

000-kernel.xzm
001-core.xzm
002-xorg.xzm
003-xfce.xzm
003-yy-lxde.xzm
04-firefox.xzm
modules are activated in alphabetical order.

Re: [HOWTO] run multiple Desktop Environments in one install

Posted: 13 Aug 2013, 12:13
by tome
@fanthom
it doesn't work on x86-64 for mate and lxde
(you can try execute caja in terminal)

Re: [HOWTO] run multiple Desktop Environments in one install

Posted: 13 Aug 2013, 13:00
by fanthom
@tome
good point - lxde caches are overwriting mate ones so you need to recreate them at boot. please add this code to rc.local (booting will be slower a bit):

Code: Select all

update-desktop-database
update-mime-database /usr/share/mime
fc-cache -f
update-gtk-immodules
glib-compile-schemas /usr/share/glib-2.0/schemas
gio-querymodules /usr/$lib/gio/modules
update-ca-certificates --fresh
probably not everything is needed so you could experiment and remove some of the commands above.

btw: lxde taskbar turned green when i started caja so i would say that running 2+ DEs alongside is not officially supported :)

Re: [HOWTO] run multiple Desktop Environments in one install

Posted: 24 Aug 2013, 03:03
by tome
thanks

in my case only and once this is required:
g l i b - c o m p i l e -s c h e m a s / u s r / s h a r e / g l i b - 2 . 0 / s c h e m a s

green taskbar can be changed either by changing mate background or lxde taskbar transparency