How do I replace PCLOS-LXDE's PCManFM with Thunar+XFDesktop?

[NotBOB]

Hi, all! Thanks for the attention. I've never posted on a forum before, so please bear with me if I seem a bit noob-ish. 

I'm trying to do a PCLOS-LXDE 2010 remaster for myself and a few friends, and I've fallen in love with the simplicity of LXDE, but I don't much care for PCManFM.

As PCManFM handles both file and desktop management functions (icons, etc), I'd like to replace it with the two programs used in XFCE: Thunar for files, XFDesktop for the desktop.

Since LXDE is largely comprised of openbox+lxpanel, I'm guessing that to set these as the defaults I'd have to edit an Openbox config file (that or a startup script), but I don't know where such a file exists; I'm not that familiar with the *boxes, and I've never swapped DE components like this.

I don't doubt that what I'm trying to do is possible, but am I in the right ballpark?

[menotu]

Hi NotBOB - big welcome to the PCLinuxOS forum, nice to have you with us.

As for your PCManFM issue I'll leave that to someone who uses lxde (I'm an KDE user) but I'm sure someone will come along with some sound advice.

Enjoy!

[uncleV]

I didn't do that but saw both are in Synaptic.
What about just installing them?

[NotBOB]

menotu, thanks for the welcome 

uncleV, thanks for the info. I know they are in the repos, but I don't know how to make them the default. setting up Thunar as the file browser will probably be easy, but in the case of XFDesktop I've never changed default desktop managers before and don't know how to configure it...   

I'm currently installing a fresh instance of PCLOS-LXDE to mess with, and maybe I'll figure it out on my own, but any further help is appreciated 

[uncleV]

I see if you install XFDesktop it installs with xfce-utils so I suppose (but am not sure) that it will replace automatically the LXDE desktop features.

xfce-utils
-----------------
The utilities and scripts provides an about dialog for
Xfce 4, an application launcher, and several useful
scripts that are also used by other Xfce components such
as the panel and the desktop menu.
------------------

It is worth you wait some more for the guys from USA to wake up and come in , especially Neal for LXDE advice.
.

[timeth]

Hey NotBOB,

As uncleV said, maybe Neal would be the one to help you with this but I was just thinking, LXDE is the desktop manager so if you change that, it wouldn't be LXDE anymore. That's just my thoughts, I'm not too sure though, I'm a KDE user too. Have you tried the XFCE release? I think it uses Thunar as default. 

[NotBOB]

Hey timeth,

As I understand, a desktop manager is the program that manages desktop icons, etc. effectively posting the contents of /home/$YOUR_NAME/Desktop onto your desktop for all the world to see, whereas LXDE is the desktop ENVIRONMENT, which is the name we give to the group of programs that make up the entire environment: the panel, the control center, the window manager, the desktop manager, and then some. So, technically it wouldn't be LXDE anymore since LXDE is made up of lxpanel, lxdecc, openbox and pcmanfm. It'd be more of a hybrid between LXDE and XFCE. 

I'd rather start with LXDE and replace pcmanfm than start with Phoenix XFCE and replace the xfce panel with lxpanel, mostly because I don't like the XFCE control center as much.   

Basically I'm trying to do this because with intensive use PCManFM has a tendency to lock up (I've experienced this on multiple computers with multiple distros, so I know it's not just my hardware or PCLOS). If anyone has an idea of a better lightweight file manager to use, or a better desktop icons manager (one that supports manually moving and rearranging icons and creating files/folders on the desktop), please let me know. XFCE's stuff just came to mind first because I know it's light and works.   

[NotBOB]

UncleV,

I've installed thunar and xfdesktop now (along with their dependencies --- pretty much the whole XFCE desktop environment), but it still starts with PCManFM. I know I can go into a terminal and do [killall pcmanfm] and then [xfdesktop & exit] and everything works fine that way, but I don't know how to configure the environment to start with xfdesktop first rather than my manually having to kill PCManFM. Ideally I'd like to be able to REMOVE (as in uninstall) PCManFM.

[uncleV]

Look in Configure Your Computer-->System-->GDM Settings-->General-->Default Session if there is something like Xfce.
I'd logout or even reboot prior to this.

[NotBOB]

I couldn't find GDM settings in Configure Your Computer-->System, but I logged out and was able to go into session and change it to XFCE, so yes, apparently in installing those dependencies it DID end up giving me the entire XFCE desktop environment, as I can and have now just booted into XFCE, but I don't want to settle for one or the other; I want my custom DE. I'm starting to think maybe I should just go find a pure openbox remaster over at the project forum. I could start with that, download lxpanel, thunar, xfdesktop and lxdecc, and just create a startup script to run lxpanel and xfdesktop at boot...

EDIT: by 'the project forum' I meant the community project site at mypclinuxos.com, in case that wasn't clear

[uncleV]

I can't help further NotBOB

[NotBOB]

Thanks anyway, uncleV. I should go to bed anyway; I'm just another American with poor sleeping habits, and I've gotta be up in 3 hours   

By the way, about the pure openbox idea, I'm going to try melodie's PCLinuxOS Openbox 2010.7. Seems to be exactly what I had in mind (I'd try the mini, but aparently it doesn't work quite right yet).

Still, if anyone knows how to set the default desktop icons manager, or of a more standalone program than xfdesktop with the same functions, I'm still all ears. This case ain't closed yet!   

[Neal ManBear]

NotBob.
LXDE is the desktop environment, yes. Openbox is the desktop manager. PCManFM is the desktop manager, as well as file manager.

I've not done as you say you want, so this will require some guess work.
 
Look in /home/<you>/.config/pcmanfm/ for the file main.lxde. Open it with leafpad and comment out the line

Code:

show_wallpaper=1

It will appear as -

Code:

#show_wallpaper=1

This will stop PCManFM from controlling your desktop.

Look in /usr/share/applications for the XFDesktop.desktop file and copy it to /home/<you>/.config/autostart. This will start XFDesktop on login.

Or, if you prefer, you can start with the openbox remaster and make the changes you want.

[NotBOB]

Thanks, Neal. Glad I stayed online for one more refresh. 

I will do as you say, but as far as commenting out that line goes, will that disable pcmanfm entirely? as in, wallpaper, desktop icons, etc? I want pcmanfm to not run at all on startup, and xfdesktop or similar to run instead.

I should've thought to copy it to autostart myself, although I prefer to make a .sh file in autostart and put my startup commands in that as opposed to copying the .desktop file. is there any reason not to do it that way?

Thanks again! I'm off to bed! 

[Neal ManBear]

Thanks, Neal. Glad I stayed online for one more refresh. 

I will do as you say, but as far as commenting out that line goes, will that disable pcmanfm entirely? as in, wallpaper, desktop icons, etc? I want pcmanfm to not run at all on startup, and xfdesktop or similar to run instead.

I see. Commenting out that line will stop PCManFM from managing your desktop display. However, you should be aware that there is the possibility of that file being rewritten by a future update. In that case, you would need to comment the line again.

I should've thought to copy it to autostart myself, although I prefer to make a .sh file in autostart and put my startup commands in that as opposed to copying the .desktop file. is there any reason not to do it that way?

Thanks again! I'm off to bed! 

Okay. If you know how to use the shell script method to autostart an application, I see no reason that you couldn't do so.