Installing the Xfce DE in antiX

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Installing Xfce in antiX25

AntiX offers a number of Window Managers, the best , in my opinion, being IceWM or JWM. However some users may prefer a conventional DE. There are several popular DE’s available as packages

  • Xfce4 (package name xfce4)
  • Gnome ( package name gnome-classic)
  • KDE5 ( packages kde-plasma-desktop, kde-full, kde-standard)
  • Cinnamon ( package name cinnamon)
  • Mate ( package mate-core)
  • Budgie
  • LXDE
  • LXQT

I am going to try first with Xfce, because that is my familiar desktop.

The instructions, kindly researched for me by @Rosika, are

apt install xserver-xorg xfce4 xfce4-goodies lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter

“LightDM as your default display manager should be chosen.
And after a reboot, you should see the LightDM login screen.
Select Xfce from the session options and you should be able to log in with your credentials.”

Well let us see how it works.

root@antixdinit:/home/nevj# apt install xfce4
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  libspdlog1.15
Use 'apt autoremove' to remove it.

Installing:
  xfce4

Installing dependencies:
  exo-utils                      thunar
  libgarcon-1-0                  thunar-data
  libgarcon-common               xfce4-appfinder
  libgarcon-gtk3-1-0             xfce4-helpers
  libgtk-layer-shell0            xfce4-panel
  libpolkit-gobject-1-0          xfce4-pulseaudio-plugin
  libpolkit-gobject-elogind-1-0  xfce4-session
  libthunarx-3-0                 xfce4-settings
  libxfce4panel-2.0-4            xfdesktop4
  libxfce4ui-utils               xfdesktop4-data
  libxfce4windowing-0-0          xfwm4
  libxfce4windowing-common

Suggested packages:
  thunar-archive-plugin     gvfs-backends  xfce4-power-manager
  thunar-media-tags-plugin  xfce4-goodies  fortune-mod

Recommended packages:
  gvfs                   desktop-base      | logind             upower
  policykit-1-gnome      mate-polkit       light-locker         colord
  | polkit-1-auth-agent  tango-icon-theme  | xfce4-screensaver  xiccd
  thunar-volman          xfce4-notifyd     | xscreensaver
  tumbler                xorg              | mate-screensaver
  udisks2                default-logind    systemd-sysv

Summary:
  Upgrading: 0, Installing: 24, Removing: 0, Not Upgrading: 0
  2 not fully installed or removed.
  Download size: 6,467 kB
  Space needed: 36.2 MB / 25.0 GB available

Continue? [Y/n] 

.......

Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.41-12) ...
Processing triggers for runit-antix (2.2.0-3.0antix6) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 dinit-service-ufw
 dinit-service-haveged
Available xsessions have changed
Updating Slimski /etc/slimski.local.conf
desktop-session-update-wm-menus: Writing file: /usr/share/desktop-session/wm-menus/fluxbox-wm-menu
desktop-session-update-wm-menus: Writing file: /usr/share/desktop-session/wm-menus/icewm-wm-menu
desktop-session-update-wm-menus: Writing file: /usr/share/desktop-session/wm-menus/jwm-wm-menu
desktop-session-update-wm-menus: Writing file: /usr/share/desktop-session/wm-menus/RAW-wm-menu
Writing Menu: fluxbox
Writing Menu: jwm
Writing Menu: icewm
Error: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

Well there are errors, but I think it did the install.
Now lightdm

root@antixdinit:/home/nevj# apt install lightdm lightdm-gtk-greeter
The following package was automatically installed and is no longer required:
  libspdlog1.15
Use 'apt autoremove' to remove it.

Installing:
  lightdm  lightdm-gtk-greeter

Installing dependencies:
  elogind            libelogind0             libpam-elogind
  libelogind-compat  liblightdm-gobject-1-0

Suggested packages:
  accountsservice  upower  xserver-xephyr

Recommended packages:
  desktop-base

Summary:
  Upgrading: 0, Installing: 7, Removing: 0, Not Upgrading: 0
  2 not fully installed or removed.
  Download size: 1,638 kB
  Space needed: 5,856 kB / 25.0 GB available

Continue? [Y/n] 

......

Processing triggers for libc-bin (2.41-12) ...
Processing triggers for runit-antix (2.2.0-3.0antix6) ...
Processing triggers for man-db (2.13.1-1) ...
Processing triggers for dbus (1.16.2-2.0nosystemd3) ...
Processing triggers for hicolor-icon-theme (0.18-2) ...
Errors were encountered while processing:
 dinit-service-ufw
 dinit-service-haveged
 elogind
 libpam-elogind:amd64
 lightdm
Available xsessions have changed
Updating Slimski /etc/slimski.local.conf
desktop-session-update-wm-menus: Writing file: /usr/share/desktop-session/wm-menus/fluxbox-wm-menu
desktop-session-update-wm-menus: Writing file: /usr/share/desktop-session/wm-menus/icewm-wm-menu
desktop-session-update-wm-menus: Writing file: /usr/share/desktop-session/wm-menus/jwm-wm-menu
desktop-session-update-wm-menus: Writing file: /usr/share/desktop-session/wm-menus/RAW-wm-menu
Error: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
root@antixdinit:/home/nevj#

Same again, errors but I think it installed lightdm
During the install I had to answer a question… whether to use slimski or lightdm. Slimski is the antiX modified version of slim. I chose lightdm

Reboot and see what we get

We get the slimski screen ??

but it has the option ‘xfce’ if I toggle it with F1

So, login with that and we get

OK, there is an error, and a strange magnifier window, but the interesting thing is that menu of Window Managers.
I ‘ticked’ Xfce and said OK. I simply got the same xfce screen again.

So, open a terminal window and see what is going on. … First thing, connmand is not running

$ ps ax | grep conn
 2558 pts/0    S+     0:00 grep conn

root@antixdinit:/home/nevj/Desktop# dinitctl status connmand
Service: connmand
    State: STARTING
    Activation: explicitly started
    Process ID: 2925

It runs and stops immediately.
Without connmand I have no communication with the host.
So, search with google for the error message

https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/unable-to-create-an-interface-to-connman-on-the-system-bus/
https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/connman-cant-connect-to-wifi/
https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/i-get-a-cmst-error-everytime-i-boot-into-my-system/
https://www.antixforum.com/forums/topic/cmst-critical-error/
https://antixlinux.com/connman-not-connecting/

It seems antiX has been plagued with this connman issue for years, and in my case it IS a connman issue, not an Xfce issue, but it only appears when Xfce is running… if I use IceWM there is no issue, connman works.

Lets try some of the recommended fixes

  • a start of connmand does not work … it just stops again
  • /etc/connman/main.conf has
    #PreferredTechnologies =
    Replace this with
    PreferredTechnologies = ethernet,wifi
    Then dinitctl start connmand and it hangs for a minute and interface eth0 comes up, then it times out and eth0 goes down again.
  • /etc/connman/main.conf has
    #OnlineCheckMode = one-shot and that is the default
    replace with
    OnlineCheckMode = continuous
    Same … connmand starts then times out

Nothing works. My solution is to abandon connman , and use ifupdown.
To do that we disable connmand

dinitctl disable connmand

and then we can either use ceni or we can edit the file /etc/network/interfaces by hand. I did the latter

root@antixdinit:/etc/network# cat interfaces
# interfaces(5) file used by ifup(8) and ifdown(8)
# Include files from /etc/network/interfaces.d:
source /etc/network/interfaces.d/*

auto eth0
iface eth0 inet dhcp

Then reboot , and eth0 interface comnes UP… no problem.
I still get the message about cmst error, but that can be ignored.

I now have a working Xfce in antiX. It is really minimal… has a terminal, a File Manager and an Application Finder.
I need to add some more Xfce4 packages, but that is trivial. We have demonstrated that one can install Xfce in antiX25.

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Hi Neville, :waving_hand:

thank you very much for your effort. :heart:

O.K., for beginners it might be best to stick to e.g IceWM.
If one isn´t satisfied with it there´s still the possibility to install Xfce, as you demonstrated.

As far as connman is concerned, it´s strange that the issue would be present only when Xfce is running.
But - most importantly - you could replace it with ifupdown, which is a great success. :+1:
Thanks a lot for the clear instructions. Your work is highly appreciated.

Many greetings from Rosika :slightly_smiling_face:

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I am afraid it is not only Xfce that disturbs connman. I have encountered problems with nfs installs too.
I am told connman is really good for people who want to wander around with a laptop, connecting to Wifi hotspots… but it seems to fail regularly with ethernet interfaces.

AntiX comes with both connman and dhcpcd running. That seems to me to be wrong… they will clash… connman has its own builtin dhcp , it does not need dhcpcd. However, ifupdown can work with dhcpcd, and I think it needs it, so I left dhcpcd running.
It is also possible to configure dhcpcd to manage ethernet interfaces on its own.,

antiX seems to be poorly setup to network a desktop. Maybe its real forte is wireless laptops.

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Hi Neville, :waving_hand:

thanks for the update.

Yes, I see that when both services are active they may compete for control over network interfaces.
So, disabling one of the services seems the right thing to do.

Say, I´d choose connman for my purposes, then:

  • sudo systemctl stop dhcpcd # to stop dhcpcd
  • sudo systemctl disable dhcpcd # to disable dhcpcd

would be the way to go?

Cheers from Rosika :slightly_smiling_face:

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I neglected to mention this.
Please note my test install of Xfce was for antiX with dinit.
The connman issues reported here may be specific to dinit, but I have experienced connman issues before in antiX with runit.

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I think that is correct. … but not systemd commands… antiX does not have systemd.
For dinit

dinitctl stop dhcpcd
dinitctl disable dhcpcd

I need to test that to be sure. If I am right we need to tell the antiX people .

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Because your experience is valuable, why?

Huge thanks for this post

BTW, the latter is JWM (Joe’s Window Manager)?

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Why do I prefer IceWM?
It is almost as flexible as Xfce… it has workspaces, which I use a lot … its RoxTerm terminal is as usable as Xfce terminal.
The only Xfce feature I use that IceWM does not have is Sessions.

in antiX I use the default xxx-icewm… there are several other varieties of IceWM offered as well as JWM and Fluxbox.

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Hi Rosika,
I was wrong about that. Connman seems to require dhcpcd to be running for it to work properly.

I tested it in my antiX with IceWM, to take Xfce out of the equation.
If I disable dhcpcd, then reboot, I have connmand running, and ip a shows eth0 UP… but only for about 2 minutes… then connmand dies and eth0 is DOWN.

I suspect connmand is waiting for dhcpcd to do something, and when nothing happens it dies. How it temporarily brings UP eth0 I do not know?

That is clear. The Xfce case is still a mystery

Regards
Neville

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Hi Neville, :waving_hand:

Oh, I see. Thanks for clarifying the matter.

Yes, that seems pretty conclusive. O.K., dhcpcd is still needed then. That´s good to know.

Many greetings from Rosika :slightly_smiling_face:

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Thanks for the explanation Neville! :beer_mug:

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Hi Rosika,
Now I read this

" Yes, ConnMan is a network manager that includes a built-in DHCP client for both IPv4 and IPv6

. It manages network connections and integrates various features like DHCP, DNS, and NTP, so it does not rely on a separate DHCP client like dhcpcd for its core functionality."

that was google AI

So it is possible for connman to work without dhcpcd… but mine did not. A connman configuration issue maybe?

Both connman and dhcpcd can be dhcp clients.

This debug trail has many false leads… I think now the problem is the ethernet link not staying up … dhcp cant work without the link… maybe the VM emulated ethernet link is disturbing connman.?

Regards
Neville

Update:
It would seem that this connman issue is only a problem when using dinit init system.
I switched to runit … everything is OK … connmand stays running, the eth0 interface stays up, dns works, and Xfce seems normal .
I also tried s6-66 … no problems.
So, it would seem the package dinit.service.connmand is not configuring the connmand dinit service files properly.

I wonder if @ProwlerGr has any insight into this issue?

This apt-install output may give some clues

Do you want to continue? [Y/n] y
Setting up dinit-service-ufw (0.0.2.0antix3) ...
dinit not detected as init - enabling service via symlink
ln: '/etc/dinit.d/ufw' and '/etc/dinit.d/boot.d/ufw/ufw' are the same file
dpkg: error processing package dinit-service-ufw (--configure):
 installed dinit-service-ufw package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Setting up dinit-service-haveged (0.0.2.0antix4) ...
dinit not detected as init - enabling service via symlink
ln: '/etc/dinit.d/haveged' and '/etc/dinit.d/boot.d/haveged/haveged' are the same file
dpkg: error processing package dinit-service-haveged (--configure):
 installed dinit-service-haveged package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
Setting up elogind (255.17-1.0antix2) ...
cp: cannot stat '/usr/share/runit/sv/elogind': No such file or directory
dpkg: error processing package elogind (--configure):
 installed elogind package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1
dpkg: dependency problems prevent configuration of libpam-elogind:amd64:
 libpam-elogind:amd64 depends on elogind (= 255.17-1.0antix2); however:
  Package elogind is not configured yet.

dpkg: error processing package libpam-elogind:amd64 (--configure):
 dependency problems - leaving unconfigured
Errors were encountered while processing:
 dinit-service-ufw
 dinit-service-haveged
 elogind
 libpam-elogind:amd64
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

some dinit packages ( and some elogind packages) have issues.

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In terms of connman dying in dinit after a few minutes, a fix should be coming soon through the repo.

I had it as the wrong type (by mistake).

It should be type = process (instead of type = scripted)

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On another note we have managed to port turnstile into antiX, to work both both runit & dinit. A few updates will need to hit the repos before it is useable for users, but I’ll post an update when things come through

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I looked at that and thought scripted was strange.
OK I will wait.

The good news is Xfce is performing well in runit and s6-66. It integrates seamlessly into the slimsky login manager.

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This one

So it is a logind alternative
Well done.

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I should recommend installing consolekit & libpam-ck-connector (instead of elogind) prior to installing xfce on antiX.

Many services (such as spice-vdagent) work well with consolekit

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Thank you, I shall try that. … New fresh install.
It is great getting this feedback.

This beta testing is important. We want antiX25 to be a hit. You have work to do on dinit.

" Turnstile is designed to not care about what service manager it is used with. "
That says it all. It fits with init diversity.

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Hi Neville, :waving_hand:

thank you very much for the update. :heart:

I see. So connman does not need a running separate DHCP client after all.
I think that´s good news.

That´s good to know. It´s an important note for the time being.
It´s good to know though that @ProwlerGr will look into that. Thanks a lot to him, by the way.

All the best from Rosika :slightly_smiling_face:

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I edited that, and I installed consolekit & libpam-ck-connector prior to a fresh Xfce install. There is no elogind installed.

Result is Xfce works properly now in dinit, and connmand does not die.
and those install messages about elogind have disappeared.

Thanks, I shall carry on looking at DE’s. Most of the people in this forum would want a DE of some sort. I personally find IceWM adequate.

dinitctl shutdown does an untidy shutdown in a VM.
poweroff does it properly and shuts off the VM.

4 Likes