Conflict of Gnome and XFce desktop management
 

I have had a curious problem with my Xubuntu 9.04 system since I installed DropBox (getdropbox.com). This service is an online storage service using a Nautilus-dependent client. When I installed it it installed numerous parts of Gnome as a dependency, which is ok with me (I'm also using gdesklets etc.), but on Xubuntu I naturally prefer XFce as my desktop manager.

Trouble is, on booting the system Gnome and XFce seem to duke it out among each other which one manages the desktop. Sometimes I get XFce, sometimes I get Gnome - I can see that from the content of the desktop context menu, and when Gnome is active there's a desktop icon for my external harddrive, while there is none when XFce is active, as I have set it to use no desktop icons.

What's worse, sometimes I get a hybrid with broken compositing. In that case, windows which are opened do not disappear when closed, and when dragged they trail ghost images which remain on the desktop - and the gdesklets I am using have no transparency then. I can then open the XFce settings manager and switch compositing off and back on the get my normal XFce desktop, but it's a bit of a pain.

I disabled the autoloading of DropBox, but that just means that Gnome seems to win out every time.

XFce used to have a checkbox saying 'allow XFce to manage the desktop' or somesuch, but the version used in Xubuntu 9.04 doesn't seem to have it. Likewise I do not see anything like that in the Gnome control center.

It seems to me that both GUIs load in a way. For instance, initally when I plugged in a USB stick an instance of each Thunar and Nautilus would open. I disabled the functionality in Nautilus so it doesn't open anymore, but I still get the impression that both desktops are running, one overlaying the other.

Does anyone have any suggestions what I can do? I know only very little about Gnome and just slightly more about XFce from the perspective of editing config files, so I don't quite know what to look for.

Robin

When you get to the login screen - click on options. This will give you a number of options one of which is choose or change session. Click on that and choose Xfce or Gnome and see what happens. This may be the way out for you.

I, personally, prefer gnome. I have Xfce on Sidux because I, again personally, can't stand KDE. Basically Xfce is my #2 choice.

What I like about gnome is nautilus. It is just too cool. Very versatile and powerful. I use it transferring files among partitions and HDDs.

Have Fun.

Sorry for replying only so late. Choosing XFce as a session instead of 'last session' achieved nothing, it would result in the broken compositing situation. When I chose Gnome it would give me an actual Gnome desktop with the Gnome panels along top and bottom instead of my XFce panel. But since I reverted back to the XFce session afterwards it has consistently given me the XFce desktop with working compositing, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed now.

Still have no idea what was wrong, though.

Robin

You originally posted on Monday. Maybe the box was hung over from a wild weekend?

Sorry.

I have had problems somewhat like yours and found that booting into something different sometimes helps. I have to admit, though, that it is usually after partial updates (with dial up you have to break them up to get them at all) and what I was doing was boot to something that worked and finish the update.


The failsafe options are good for that type of thing too.