PCManFM won't start for normal user, will start for Root [SOLVED]

[Just17]

How important is it that PCManFM launch from LXTerminal with the pcmanfm %U command

I dunno ....  but it was part of this discussion starting here .....

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,108963.msg931382.html#msg931382

[Neal ManBear]

Starting PCManFM from the terminal with %U is only important when it doesn't start from the menu.     

[Just17]

Starting PCManFM from the terminal with %U is only important when it doesn't start from the menu.     

All I can say is that it won't do that, even if it does start from the menu, as in this set up.

It will start without the '%U'.

[Neal ManBear]

Starting PCManFM from the terminal with %U is only important when it doesn't start from the menu.     

All I can say is that it won't do that, even if it does start from the menu, as in this set up.

It will start without the '%U'.

     
Understood. If it starts from the menu, there is no need to try to start it from the terminal with %U. When it doesn't start from the menu, there is a need - to check for terminal feedback that may help in diagnosing the problem.     

In other words, the test launch from the terminal is unnecessary where PCManFM is launching from the menu.     

And yes, PCManFM will launch without any option from the terminal, where there is no problem present in its config.     

[Just17]

Neal, I guess I am trying to figure out why this should be so.

From a native LXDE install, does it launch using the %U from the terminal?

[Neal ManBear]

Neal, I guess I am trying to figure out why this should be so.

From a native LXDE install, does it launch using the %U from the terminal?

     
No.     
The .desktop file is the same on any install of PCManFM, whether it is as part of the task package, an ISO install or as a 'solo' install. It uses the pcmanfm %U launch command. That is why I requested it be used in the terminal test launch. Getting the "No such file or directory" response as user tells us that the problem is in the user's home - somewhere - and not in the actual installation of PCManFM. Remember, horusfalcon told us it would not launch from the menu. This simple test was just a way to start to diagnose the problem.     

[Just17]

Neal, I guess I am trying to figure out why this should be so.

From a native LXDE install, does it launch using the %U from the terminal?

     
No.     

Thanks, I was under the mistaken impression that it did.

[horusfalcon]

{snip: my previous}

horusfalcon,

Re-creating your test user might prove useful to you.

After confirming that pcmanfm does launch for that user (which I expect it will), compare the /home/xxxx/.config/pcmanfm/LXDE/pcmanfm.conf files between your normal user and the test user.

I say this because I had a similar problem (pcmanfm not launching) on another system, so I did as suggested above.
I observed that the ~/.config/pcmanfm/LXDE/pcmanfm.conf file was changed when I edited "Preferences" in PCManFM (as "test-user").
As root, I copied the contents of /home/test-user/.config/pcmanfm/LXDE/pcmanfm.conf into /home/normal-user/.config/pcmanfm/LXDE/pcmanfm.conf.

Code: [Select]

[root@localhost ~]# cat /home/test-user/.config/pcmanfm/LXDE/pcmanfm.conf > /home/normal-user/.config/pcmanfm/LXDE/pcmanfm.conf

Note:  I did this while logged in as "test-user".

PCManFM now launches for "normal-user".

The system I tried this on is LXDE, rather than KDE + task-lxde, so this information may or may not be helpful to you.

-Darryl

I have recreated my test account, and will be knocking around in it this evening later on to see what I can see.  I'll back up my old config files prior to making any changes so that their present states are preserved for reference.

I'll jot back as things progress...

Later On,
D

[horusfalcon]

Hi, Gang,

Well, after going through and comparing files in my ~/.config/pcmanfm/ folders with those in /home/test/.config/pcmanfm/, the only differences I found were:

1.) How the wallpaper was handled, and
2.) how window manager menus were displayed.  

(The first of these may take us back to the suggestion made by Ferdes Fides much earlier in the thread.  I still believe the eventual solution in my case will be slightly different from his, but they might share a "common ancestor".)

After backing up my original ~/.config/ folder (as the affected user), I logged in as root and deleted the affected user's folder ~/.config/pcmanfm/. (NOTE:  don't delete ~/.config/, as there is a lot of other stuff besides pcmanfm there - this will have wide-ranging impact on your system.)

I logged out as root (didn't want to do the deletions with the affected account still open), logged back in as the affected user, and noticed, of course, that my wallpaper had reverted to the single default wallpaper - the contents of ~/.config/pcmanfm were re-created (from /etc/skel/ if I'm right) and all the default desktop shortcuts were added to those I had created locally (I had previously gotten rid of some of these).

The annoying business where I had to open the configuration menu and double-click the Set Wallpaper icon to display my desktop (instead of the "plain brushed grey background" I'd mentioned earlier) has been corrected!  

PCManFM starts as it should from the menu, and from a .desktop item I created by sending that menu item to the desktop!  

This leads me to believe that something in the old ~/.config/pcmanfm/ folder was, indeed the culprit here.  (I wonder if it could be a stray space or other character causing a "parse error" when the file is read on log-in?)  It appears from the above that deletion of the affected user's ~/.config/pcmanfm/ folder was the "quick fix" here, but I'm a long way from done with this yet.

(I still want to identify the root cause, if possible.)

I noticed something odd, and feel it's worth reporting.  On log in and determining that PCManFM worked, I tried to launch Dolphin, KTorrent, and K3B, but none of them would launch.  (All had been working previously.)

"Hmm...," says I, then, I wonder for a moment and decide to try a restart of the computer.  Now, after logging back in, everything works.  (PCManFM, Dolphin, K3B, KTorrent all launch and run properly.)

Now there are a few more items on my "to do" list:

1.)  Attempt to set up individual wallpapers again and see if my problem recurs with this new configuration.  (I'll test after each change...)
2.)  If this new configuration works properly after I have got my desktop configured as I want it, back up the ~/.config/ folder again.
3.)  Restore the ~/.config/pcmanfm/ folder from my PREVIOUS backup and see if I can make the problem recur. (I expect it will...)
4.)  Compare the restored original folder's contents with those of the backup taken in step (2.) above to attempt to identify the bad actor(s).

Well, I'd better get crackin' if I want to get all this done tonight.  I'll jot back with what I find out.

Later On,
D

P.S.  I don't even have to setup a second wallpaper, just enable different wallpapers (uncheck the box in Set Wallpaper for "use the same wallpaper for all desktops") and it fails.  Now for a post-mortem on the .config/pcmanfm/ folder to see what changed.

Odd things:  in the file ~/.config/pcmanfm/LXDE/pcmanfm.conf, I had set desktops 1 and 2 to have different wallpapers.  When I logged back in, it appears that the system "fell back" to ~/.config/pcmanfm/default/pcmanfm.conf and loaded the single default wallpaper lxde-blue.

Meanwhile, the ~/.config/pcmanfm/LXDE/pcmanfm.conf file had wallpaper entries for wallpaper1 and wallpaper7 (no entry for wallpaper0).  I corrected this manually, making the wallpaper7 entry as the wallpaper0, and tried again (logged in and out).  The desktop still did not appear, presenting the plain grey brushed background, until I opened the configuration menu and double clicked on Set Wallpaper.  PCManFM still fails to launch as in my initial symptoms.

I copied the edited ~/.config/pcmanfm/LXDE/pcmanfm.conf file over the ~/.config/pcmanfm/default/pcmanfm.conf file, with the same result, except now the wallpapers are as I set them.

I'm beginning to believe that the failure of PCManFM to start is just a side effect, and this failure of the desktop to display on log in may be the real problem, but I ain't no-how sure any more.  I'm going to let this stew for a while before proceeding further in the hope that one of you may have some insight, or that some time away from it might help me break something loose.

[daniel]

i read, and read, and read again, but understand nothing. (maybe i'm only a german) 

What is here the problem?

How can i help?

[horusfalcon]

i read, and read, and read again, but understand nothing. (maybe i'm only a german) 

What is here the problem?

How can i help?

Thanks for asking, Leiche.  I've seen your work here - you're being far too humble.  Thanks for any assistance you can lend here.

The quote below is from my original post.  It describes what happens when I clear the checkbox for "Use the same wallpaper on all desktops" in Desktop Preferences and then close the dialog:

I read a thread which describes what I believe may be similar to the problem I'm having:

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,107552.0.html

but let me re-state what I have observed, as my symptom set may be a little different.

On log-in, the "desktop" displayed does not show any shortcuts or my selected wallpaper, just a brushed grey metallic background similar to that used for the default login screen.

If I open the LXDE Control Center, and double-click on the Set Wallpaper button, my wallpaper and shortcut icons are displayed just as I set them.  I can close the Set Wallpaper dialog (which opens under the Control Center dialog), and all wallpapers are as previously set by me.

If I then try to launch PCManFM from either the launcher bar or the menus (either one) it will not start up.

I'll add that I can see the panel upon log-in, just not the desktop.

I'll also add that I have to double-click (not single-click) on Set Wallpaper to open Desktop Preferences after this symptom set presents itself to be able to see my desktops, but that when I do, as soon as the Set Wallpaper dialog opens, all desktop wallpapers are as previously set and all desktop icons are visible. 

After log-in, also, the command "pcmanfm %U" from a shell throws the error "No such file or directory".  All attempts to launch PCManFM from its menu item fail with no feedback whatsoever.  (It matters not whether the desktop is visible or hidden by the "brushed grey" screen.)  The work-around for this particular item seems to be editing the desktop entry to remove "%U" from the Exec line (which raises further questions I don't really know how to frame yet.)

These problems persist at this time.  I burned a fresh LXDE 2012.06 Live CD last night, and booted from it.  I note that the option to enable unique wallpapers for each desktop is not available in Desktop Preferences from the Live CD.  Either something has changed, I've forgotten how I got that option to present itself, or this is something disabled in the Live CD.

Thanks again for asking about this problem.  If you have further questions, by all means ask.

Later On,
D

[Yankee]

@horusfalcon

You changed permissions successfully, but did you change
wallpaper0 to wallpaper in those configuration files ? ? ?

Only a temp glitch would cause wallpaper0, and I don't
think that's a valid config entry, AFAIK.

thanks,

FF

[horusfalcon]

@horusfalcon

You changed permissions successfully, but did you change
wallpaper0 to wallpaper in those configuration files ? ? ?

Only a temp glitch would cause wallpaper0, and I don't
think that's a valid config entry, AFAIK.

thanks,

FF

Huh.  I thought it was the other way around, namely that wallpaper was the bad entry and wallpaper0 was the good one... I'll check this out.  THANKS.

Tried this on my test account, and it is wallpaper that is the bad entry.  If I change wallpaper0 to wallpaper, then I lose the wallpaper image for desktop no. 1, but the image for desktop no. 2 (wallpaper1) still displays.  Otherwise, no change in symptoms.

Just for grins, I'll post a screenshot of my Desktop Preferences dialog:



Later On,
D

[daniel]

How i can see you choose Use the same wallpaper on all desktops, and you have different wallpapers on your desktops?

Understand i right, you set your wallpaper, and your icon set, and after a re-login they gone?

What is set under Desktop-Preference>Advanced? (Screenshot )

What is happen if you rename your current /home/YOU/.config/pcmanfm folder as /home/YOU/.config/pcmanfm.old, and starts a new session?

[horusfalcon]

How i can see you choose Use the same wallpaper on all desktops, and you have different wallpapers on your desktops?

No, when I clear (un-check) that checkbox for Use the same wallpaper on all desktops, then I have different wallpapers on my desktops.

Understand i right, you set your wallpaper, and your icon set, and after a re-login they gone?

No, and that's probably my fault (I seem to have the power to cloud men's minds   ).

It's more accurate to say that as soon as I uncheck that box we just talked about and log out and log back in, the desktop is not visible.  It's almost as though it were covered by the plain brushed grey screen I mentioned in previous posts.  (The panel is still visible - that's how I get to the next step...)

To be able to view my desktop and my icons after this happens, I have to start LXDE Control Center, and double-click on Set Wallpaper to open Desktop Preferences.  

As soon as I do this, my desktops are all visible, as are my icons.

When Desktop Preferences opens up, it will show None as the wallpaper selected, but if I close it and re-open it (and now I can single-click to open it), it will show the correct wallpaper for the desktop presently in use.

What is set under Desktop-Preference>Advanced? (Screenshot )

Let me duck out to my test account and take a few snapshots.  I still have it set up with multiple wallpapers.  I'll upload and edit this post to include them.

What is happen if you rename your current /home/YOU/.config/pcmanfm folder as /home/YOU/.config/pcmanfm.old, and starts a new session?

Can't answer that, but I have deleted the ~/.config/pcmanfm/ folder entirely.  When I did that, it was re-created on log-in, probably from somewhere in /etc/skel?  The re-created folder has relatively sane default values in its files.  (Having a test account has proven very liberating here.)

Here's a set of half-size screenshots from my test account in sequence.  First, what the desktop looks like on log-in after enabling multiple wallpapers (clearing that checkbox):



After log-in, showing the Desktop Preferences screen after double-clicking Set Wallpaper.  Note the value apparently set for wallpaper.



After closing and re-opening Desktop Preferences.  Note the now correct value for the wallpaper.



A shot of the Advanced tab for Desktop Preferences.



(I still have the full-sized shots available if you need to see them, but thought they would take up too much space in a post.)

Thanks for looking.

Later On,
D