[SOLVED] Problems with Iceweasel and ClawsMail in LXDE.

tekra · 08-25-2016, 10:48 AM

After years of reliable use, I've finally had to abandon Opera for Iceweasel and ClawsMail, and get used to two apps instead of the convenience of an all-in-one.

However, neither obey the config I've set up in LXDE: Iceweasel opens decorated in Desktop #1 instead of undecorated in Desktop #4, and Claws doesn't open at all. I've used the same settings as for Opera: links in ~/.config/autostart/ to the .desktop files in /usr/share/applications/ and entries in ~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml:

Code:

    <application name="iceweasel">
      <desktop>4</desktop>
      <decor>no</decor>
      <maximized>true</maximized>
    </application>
    <application name="claws-mail">
      <desktop>7</desktop>
      <decor>yes</decor>
      <maximized>false</maximized>
    </application>

Since this is my first use of both, my own ignorance could be to blame, or there may be other settings that will do the trick. I'd be most grateful for any advice or suggestions from those with experience here.

hazel · 08-26-2016, 04:24 AM

The best way to find out what is going wrong with claws is to run it in a terminal. That way you can capture any output to standard error. But if you want an all-in-one internet tool, why not try seamonkey?

tekra · 08-26-2016, 05:34 AM

> run it in a terminal.

Hmm! Could be done during start-up, I suppose: invoke a terminal with an execute command. Certainly worth a try.

> why not try seamonkey?

It's not in my on-disk Debian 8.2 repo, but can be downloaded, I guess. I'm not familiar with the various Mozilla apps, so it's a good chance to explore them.

Thanks for both suggestions: very thought-provoking!

DavidMcCann · 08-26-2016, 11:29 AM

What Hazel meant about Claws is that if you launch it in a terminal, any bugs will be reported. But I don't think the problem is in the software.

Your lxde-rc.xml entries are obviously OK, and it's difficult to see how problems in the other files could cause the decoration and workspace issues. It could be you have some obscure bug in the LXDE. Are you using Debian Unstable?

This reminds me why I really hate LXDE! It also reminds me of my old dictum: run a distro with its default GUI, because you never know how much (or little) work went into the other ones. For a Debian-based LXDE, I'd go for WattOS (Stable) or Lubuntu (Unstable).

ondoho · 08-26-2016, 12:14 PM

your rc.xml should contain helpful comments just at the beginning of the application section:

Code:

  <applications>
    <!--
  # this is an example with comments through out. use these to make your
  # own rules, but without the comments of course.
  # you may use one or more of the name/class/role/title/type rules to specify
  # windows to match

  <application name="the window's _OB_APP_NAME property (see obxprop)"
              class="the window's _OB_APP_CLASS property (see obxprop)"
          groupname="the window's _OB_APP_GROUP_NAME property (see obxprop)"
         groupclass="the window's _OB_APP_GROUP_CLASS property (see obxprop)"
               role="the window's _OB_APP_ROLE property (see obxprop)"
              title="the window's _OB_APP_TITLE property (see obxprop)"
               type="the window's _OB_APP_TYPE property (see obxprob)..

see obxprop:
open a terminal, enter "obxprop".
point the crosshair to the app you need info about, and click.
use the right property.

tekra · 08-26-2016, 03:38 PM

> if you launch it in a terminal, any bugs will be reported.

Understood, but since the problem occurs during start-up it must somehow be done during that process. I've replaced the Exec=claws-mail %u line in claws-mail.desktop with Exec=xterm -e claws-mail %u - will report results next time.

> obscure bug in the LXDE. Are you using Debian Unstable?

No. Bought a 13-DVD set of 8.2 Stable and installed an on-disk repo. Works fine.

> This reminds me why I really hate LXDE! .. run a distro with its default GUI!

I only settled on LXDE after failing to configure Xfce the way I liked it, but have never found much affection for it, other than as a (supposed) canonical implementation of the Open Desktop Standard. It should at least have been a worthwhile educational experience: educational - I suppose; worthwhile? Well ... If Deb's default desktop is Gnome 3 then count me out! Hate what Gnome's turned into.

My all-time favourite DE was KDE 3.5, and I've installed Trinity DE on another partition to experiment with when time permits. It's based on Devuan, and I sure like the idea of getting back to init (won't mention the modern replacement in case I get stoned again) but haven't bothered with that level of mucking about for some years.

> see obxprop:

Great tip! Didn't know about it, so thanks!

ondoho · 08-27-2016, 02:40 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tekra

> see obxprop:

Great tip! Didn't know about it, so thanks!

erm, shouldn't this thread be solved by now?

fwiw, i have this in my rc.xml:

Code:

    <application class="Thunderbird" role="3pane">
      <decor>no</decor>
      <desktop>6</desktop>
      <maximized>yes</maximized>
      <fullscreen>no</fullscreen>
    </application>

and when i start thunderbird it always opens maximized and undecorated on desktop #6.

just to be clear, this has nothing to do with autostarting applications.

tekra · 08-28-2016, 08:20 AM

After rebooting with ClawsMail invoked via a terminal in claws-mail.desktop (see previous post) I caught a glimpse of the terminal window before it disappeared with the line "Unknown option". The %u in the Exec line was causing it to quit, and removing it resolved the problem. It also obeys the desktop assignment in lxde-rc.xml, unlike Iceweasel which continues to ignore both the decor and the desktop assignments.

Investigating the history of Iceweasel uncovered a real can of worms. I'd assumed that the strange animal names were an historical succession - FireFox -> SeaMonkey -> IceWeasel -? Swampdog - and the same with ThnderBox - sorry, Bird. No such luck. From https://lwn.net/Articles/676799/ comes:

"For roughly the past decade, Debian has shipped the Mozilla desktop applications (Firefox, Thunderbird, and Seamonkey) in a rebranded form that replaces the original, trademarked names and logos with alternatives (Iceweasel, Icedove, and Iceape). Originally, this effort was undertaken to work around incompatibilities between the Debian Free Software Guidelines (DFSG), the Mozilla trademark-usage policy, and the licenses of the Mozilla logos. But times\u2014and policy wordings\u2014change, and Debian now seems poised to resume calling its packages by the original, upstream Mozilla names."

So thanks to Hazel for her suggestions. Just one problem left now - no, two, since some of the new keybindings I've installed in Iceweasel operate even when used within a form entry field, whereas Opera ignored them as required.