Broken experience with multiple desktop environments

theasmitkid · 2026-01-06 11:05

Prerequisites
- TDE
- XFCE4 (configured and customised)

How to reproduce?
- login into TDE in TDM
- log out from TDE and choose "XFCE4 Session" in TDM
- A complete new empty uncustomised desktop environment shows up..
- log out from XFCE, choose Shutdown in TDM
- start machine, log in directly without changing environment
- customised XFCE session is back

That's.. weird?

Also, when using multiple desktop environments, I need to configure chrome completely from scratch in both.. that's painful

q4osteam · 2026-01-06 13:17

How did you install XFCE desktop alongside TDE ?

theasmitkid · 2026-01-06 13:33

sudo apt install xfce4-desktop xfce4-whiskermenu...

q4osteam · 2026-01-06 16:29

Well, this is possible, but not the recommended way. We provide Q4OS tools on top of Debian in order to get a better Q4OS experience, use them where it's possible.

So we recommend you to run Desktop profiler > untick "remove superfluous packages" box > select XFCE as an additional desktop > apply profile > reboot. Now you should experience "lightdm" display manager. Login and check, if you experience the issue or not.

We also recommend to get snapshot profile after setup for a future possible Q4OS installations, see https://www.q4os.org/dqa016.html#boome

Last edited by q4osteam (2026-01-06 16:43)

theasmitkid · 2026-01-06 18:41

Oh no, that would require me to configure XFCE from scratch? I did install lightdm later and made it the default using dpkg-reconfigure lightdm, logging into XFCE with lightdm, startup apps stopped autostarting.. and I don't know what else.. so I again made tdm the default dm.

The working session type in TDM is "Default Xsession", and "XFCE Session" has that some-stuff-gone-issue.

Can I still use the Desktop Profiler and manually set TDM as default?

q4osteam · 2026-01-06 18:49

You can use TDM, but it will launch some Trinity stuff what you don't want to launch. So you likely need to use Lightdm.

theasmitkid · 2026-01-06 19:01

i'm using klipper-trinity with xfce anyways so yeah I don't mind. diodon and clipman both are irritating to use when you have infinite history on, as you have to scrolling infinitely, whereas in klipper it peacefully makes a submenu when there's too many items.

It's the same reason I'm using nm-tray instead of nm-applet

Also, brightness control with xfce power manager doesn't work for some reason.. i can move the slider all I want but it doesn't do anything. Currently using Xakar to control brightness just like I used to do in TDE

q4osteam · 2026-01-06 19:18

Well, we assume using TDM. If you have installed XFCE without desktop profiler it's correct too. So back to the original issue. Is it reproducible on your machine ? Does it occur always or intermittently ?

theasmitkid · 2026-01-06 20:56

Well seems like install xfce4-desktop has set the "Default Xsession" to xfce, so If I log into Default Xsession then I get my normal xfce session, if I log into TDE Session, I get my normal tde session. And if I log into XFCE session, I get a new yet another xfce session

I mean if I explicitly choose xfce session instead of default Xsession then yup it's a complete new environment. It's not that big of a deal but I think default Xsession should point to tde/xfce session instead of having a complete new session in itself..

Q4OS Forum

#1 2026-01-06 11:05

Broken experience with multiple desktop environments

#2 2026-01-06 13:17

Re: Broken experience with multiple desktop environments

#3 2026-01-06 13:33

Re: Broken experience with multiple desktop environments

#4 2026-01-06 16:29

Re: Broken experience with multiple desktop environments

#5 2026-01-06 18:41

Re: Broken experience with multiple desktop environments

#6 2026-01-06 18:49

Re: Broken experience with multiple desktop environments

#7 2026-01-06 19:01

Re: Broken experience with multiple desktop environments

#8 2026-01-06 19:18

Re: Broken experience with multiple desktop environments

#9 2026-01-06 20:56

Re: Broken experience with multiple desktop environments

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