In Debian/Devuan there are essentially 2 runlevels - 1 and 2 (aka 3,4,5). This was also a surprise for me at the time.

The login screen was all grey and white, no user names or ids only icons, no session selection KDE/XFCE

Loaded Synaptic and deleted Plasma and all that had to go down with it, as well as xfce4-power-manager.

I boot any one of 6 distros every day, 3 use kde the other 3 XFCE, 3 use openrc 3 use systemd. Debian's all set up for XFCE.

This is one reason I by far prefer slackware's way: you log in at init 3 and THEN startx with  the then desired DE like startx kde, or startx xfce

Thanks every one for the help, may Providence grant you your every wish!

--
https://imgur.com/M1WNQ6q.png

startplasma-x11

instead of startx

It's probably trying to start wayland... mine borks with that as well.

I hope this helps.

Any form of SSH is unfortunately way above my pay-grade (of clueless mouse-molester).

It's worth learning about. Assuming you have the same userid on both your systems just try ssh laptop on the desktop or vice versa (replace "laptop" with the IP address of the laptop if you havn't set up DNS or /etc/hosts entries for it). Reply y (or yes) to the prompt about accepting the host key, then it should ask you for your password.

If it hangs for a bit then times out ping the target to check the IP address is right.

That should get you started. man ssh will tell you lot more if you need to know more. Eg about how to copy files between the systems with scp or sftp.

KDE is a complete working environment that allows you to configure everything from your control center. With a more or less modern computer it is very effective.

You're welcome.

I'd say completely remove KDE.
But cannot say much beyond that as I have never installed it, much less along another desktop.

Someone else here may have a suggestion on how to do that properly.

Best,

A.

A lot has gone down in the last two days, mostly with no internet connection (it never rains but pours). My desktop was due for a little upgrade as well so I installed Daedelus on it, copied the partition to the laptop and booted it. It's missing all the laptop stuff which I don't need anyway.

I installed both XFCE and KDE but it boots into KDE and I don't know how to change that to XFCE which half of my six distros use including Devuan.

https://imgur.com/x2A9zHw.png

No need to purge xfce4.
Just the xfce4-power-manager package which is (apparently) an important part of the problem you are having. 

But before we continue, please add the necessary 'code' tags so that the printouts can be seen as code.
ie: white lettering on black background.

It is easier to see and analyse that way.

Like this:

[code]
Like this ...
[/code]

You can do it manually or select/paint the text and click on the |code block| section.

Thanks.

A.

# dmesg --level=alert,crit,err,warn > /dmesg.txt

[    0.098947] x86/cpu: SGX disabled by BIOS.
[    0.098972] MDS CPU bug present and SMT on, data leak possible. See https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/ … n/mds.html for more details.
[    0.098972] MMIO Stale Data CPU bug present and SMT on, data leak possible. See https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/ … _data.html for more details.
[    0.098972]  #3
[    0.151573] ENERGY_PERF_BIAS: Set to 'normal', was 'performance'
[    0.383860] pnp 00:0b: disabling [mem 0x000c0000-0x000c3fff] because it overlaps 0000:00:02.0 BAR 6 [mem 0x000c0000-0x000dffff]
[    0.383868] pnp 00:0b: disabling [mem 0x000c8000-0x000cbfff] because it overlaps 0000:00:02.0 BAR 6 [mem 0x000c0000-0x000dffff]
[    0.383874] pnp 00:0b: disabling [mem 0x000d0000-0x000d3fff] because it overlaps 0000:00:02.0 BAR 6 [mem 0x000c0000-0x000dffff]
[    0.383879] pnp 00:0b: disabling [mem 0x000d8000-0x000dbfff] because it overlaps 0000:00:02.0 BAR 6 [mem 0x000c0000-0x000dffff]
[    0.715044] hpet_acpi_add: no address or irqs in _CRS
[    1.060870] usb: port power management may be unreliable

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log > /xorglog.txt

[   221.482]
X.Org X Server 1.21.1.7
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[   221.484] Current Operating System: Linux localhost 6.1.0-10-amd64 #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.38-1 (2023-07-14) x86_64
[   221.484] Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz root=/dev/nvme0n1p12
[   221.485] xorg-server 2:21.1.7-3devuan1 (https://www.devuan.org/os/community)
[   221.486] Current version of pixman: 0.42.2
[   221.486]     Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
    to make sure that you have the latest version.
[   221.487] Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
    (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
    (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[   221.489] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sat Feb 10 02:38:54 2024
[   221.490] (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[   221.491] (==) No Layout section.  Using the first Screen section.
[   221.491] (==) No screen section available. Using defaults.
[   221.491] (**) |-->Screen "Default Screen Section" (0)
[   221.491] (**) |   |-->Monitor "<default monitor>"
[   221.491] (==) No monitor specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
    Using a default monitor configuration.
[   221.491] (==) Automatically adding devices
[   221.491] (==) Automatically enabling devices
[   221.491] (==) Automatically adding GPU devices
[   221.491] (==) Automatically binding GPU devices
[   221.491] (==) Max clients allowed: 256, resource mask: 0x1fffff
[   221.492] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/X11/cyrillic" does not exist.
[   221.492]     Entry deleted from font path.
[   221.493] (==) FontPath set to:
    /usr/share/fonts/X11/misc,
    /usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi/:unscaled,
    /usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi/:unscaled,
    /usr/share/fonts/X11/Type1,
    /usr/share/fonts/X11/100dpi,
    /usr/share/fonts/X11/75dpi,
    built-ins
[   221.493] (==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
[   221.493] (II) The server relies on udev to provide the list of input devices.
    If no devices become available, reconfigure udev or disable AutoAddDevices.
[   221.493] (II) Loader magic: 0x55ea98815ea0
[   221.493] (II) Module ABI versions:
[   221.493]     X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
[   221.493]     X.Org Video Driver: 25.2
[   221.493]     X.Org XInput driver : 24.4
[   221.493]     X.Org Server Extension : 10.0
[   221.493] (++) using VT number 1

[   221.493] (II) seatd_libseat init
[   221.493] (II) [libseat/backend/seatd.c:64] Could not connect to socket /run/seatd.sock: No such file or directory
[   221.494] (II) [libseat/libseat.c:76] Backend 'seatd' failed to open seat, skipping
[   221.495] (EE) [libseat/backend/logind.c:660] Could not get primary session for user: No data available
[   221.496] (II) [libseat/libseat.c:76] Backend 'logind' failed to open seat, skipping
[   221.497] (II) [seatd/seat.c:39] Created VT-bound seat seat0
[   221.497] (II) [seatd/server.c:145] New client connected (pid: 2708, uid: 0, gid: 0)
[   221.498] (II) [libseat/backend/seatd.c:633] Started embedded seatd
[   221.498] (II) [seatd/seat.c:170] Added client 1 to seat0
[   221.499] (DB) [common/terminal.c:198] Setting process switching to 1
[   221.499] (DB) [common/terminal.c:246] Setting KD keyboard state to 0
[   221.500] (DB) [common/terminal.c:273] Setting KD graphics state to 1
[   221.500] (II) [seatd/seat.c:480] Opened client 1 on seat0
[   221.500] (II) [libseat/libseat.c:73] Seat opened with backend 'builtin'
[   221.500] (II) [libseat/backend/seatd.c:212] Enabling seat
[   221.500] (II) seatd_libseat enable
[   221.500] (II) seatd_libseat handled 2 events
[   221.600] (II) seatd_libseat client activated
[   221.612] (--) PCI:*(0@0:2:0) 8086:5916:17aa:225d rev 2, Mem @ 0xeb000000/16777216, 0xa0000000/268435456, I/O @ 0x0000e000/64, BIOS @ 0x????????/131072
[   221.613] (II) LoadModule: "glx"
[   221.615] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/extensions/libglx.so
[   221.624] (II) Module glx: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[   221.624]     compiled for 1.21.1.7, module version = 1.0.0
[   221.624]     ABI class: X.Org Server Extension, version 10.0
[   221.624] (==) Matched modesetting as autoconfigured driver 0
[   221.624] (==) Matched fbdev as autoconfigured driver 1
[   221.624] (==) Matched vesa as autoconfigured driver 2
[   221.624] (==) Assigned the driver to the xf86ConfigLayout
[   221.624] (II) LoadModule: "modesetting"
[   221.625] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/modesetting_drv.so
[   221.626] (II) Module modesetting: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[   221.626]     compiled for 1.21.1.7, module version = 1.21.1
[   221.626]     Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[   221.626]     ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 25.2
[   221.626] (II) LoadModule: "fbdev"
[   221.627] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/fbdev_drv.so
[   221.627] (II) Module fbdev: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[   221.627]     compiled for 1.21.1.3, module version = 0.5.0
[   221.627]     Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[   221.628]     ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 25.2
[   221.628] (II) LoadModule: "vesa"
[   221.628] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/drivers/vesa_drv.so
[   221.629] (II) Module vesa: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[   221.629]     compiled for 1.21.1.3, module version = 2.5.0
[   221.629]     Module class: X.Org Video Driver
[   221.629]     ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 25.2
[   221.629] (II) modesetting: Driver for Modesetting Kernel Drivers: kms
[   221.629] (II) FBDEV: driver for framebuffer: fbdev
[   221.629] (II) VESA: driver for VESA chipsets: vesa
[   221.630] (EE) open /dev/dri/card0: No such file or directory
[   221.630] (WW) Falling back to old probe method for modesetting
[   221.630] (EE) open /dev/dri/card0: No such file or directory
[   221.630] (II) Loading sub module "fbdevhw"
[   221.630] (II) LoadModule: "fbdevhw"
[   221.630] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libfbdevhw.so
[   221.631] (II) Module fbdevhw: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[   221.631]     compiled for 1.21.1.7, module version = 0.0.2
[   221.631]     ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 25.2
[   221.632] (EE) Unable to find a valid framebuffer device
[   221.632] (WW) Falling back to old probe method for fbdev
[   221.632] (II) Loading sub module "fbdevhw"
[   221.632] (II) LoadModule: "fbdevhw"
[   221.632] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libfbdevhw.so
[   221.632] (II) Module fbdevhw: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[   221.632]     compiled for 1.21.1.7, module version = 0.0.2
[   221.632]     ABI class: X.Org Video Driver, version 25.2
[   221.632] (II) FBDEV(2): using default device
[   221.632] vesa: Refusing to run on UEFI
[   221.633] (EE) Screen 0 deleted because of no matching config section.
[   221.633] (II) UnloadModule: "modesetting"
[   221.633] (EE) Screen 0 deleted because of no matching config section.
[   221.633] (II) UnloadModule: "fbdev"
[   221.633] (II) UnloadSubModule: "fbdevhw"
[   221.633] (II) FBDEV(0): Creating default Display subsection in Screen section
    "Default Screen Section" for depth/fbbpp 24/32
[   221.633] (==) FBDEV(0): Depth 24, (==) framebuffer bpp 32
[   221.633] (==) FBDEV(0): RGB weight 888
[   221.633] (==) FBDEV(0): Default visual is TrueColor
[   221.633] (==) FBDEV(0): Using gamma correction (1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
[   221.633] (II) FBDEV(0): hardware: EFI VGA (video memory: 8100kB)
[   221.633] (DB) xf86MergeOutputClassOptions unsupported bus type 0
[   221.633] (II) FBDEV(0): checking modes against framebuffer device...
[   221.633] (II) FBDEV(0): checking modes against monitor...
[   221.633] (II) FBDEV(0): Virtual size is 1920x1080 (pitch 1920)
[   221.633] (**) FBDEV(0):  Built-in mode "current": 207.4 MHz, 85.3 kHz, 77.2 Hz
[   221.633] (II) FBDEV(0): Modeline "current"x0.0  207.38  1920 1952 2192 2432  1080 1084 1088 1104 -hsync -vsync -csync (85.3 kHz b)
[   221.633] (==) FBDEV(0): DPI set to (96, 96)
[   221.633] (II) Loading sub module "fb"
[   221.633] (II) LoadModule: "fb"
[   221.633] (II) Module "fb" already built-in
[   221.633] (**) FBDEV(0): using shadow framebuffer
[   221.633] (II) Loading sub module "shadow"
[   221.633] (II) LoadModule: "shadow"
[   221.633] (II) Loading /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libshadow.so
[   221.634] (II) Module shadow: vendor="X.Org Foundation"
[   221.634]     compiled for 1.21.1.7, module version = 1.1.0
[   221.634]     ABI class: X.Org ANSI C Emulation, version 0.4
[   221.635] (II) FBDEV(0): FBIOBLANK: Invalid argument (Screen blanking not supported by kernel - disabling)
[   221.637] (==) FBDEV(0): Backing store enabled
[   221.638] (==) FBDEV(0): DPMS enabled
[   221.639] (II) Initializing extension Generic Event Extension
[   221.639] (II) Initializing extension SHAPE
[   221.640] (II) Initializing extension MIT-SHM
[   221.640] (II) Initializing extension XInputExtension
[   221.641] (II) Initializing extension XTEST
[   221.641] (II) Initializing extension BIG-REQUESTS
[   221.642] (II) Initializing extension SYNC
[   221.642] (II) Initializing extension XKEYBOARD
[   221.642] (II) Initializing extension XC-MISC
[   221.643] (II) Initializing extension SECURITY
[   221.643] (II) Initializing extension XFIXES
[   221.643] (II) Initializing extension RENDER
[   221.644] (II) Initializing extension RANDR
[   221.644] (II) Initializing extension COMPOSITE
[   221.645] (II) Initializing extension DAMAGE
[   221.645] (II) Initializing extension MIT-SCREEN-SAVER
[   221.645] (II) Initializing extension DOUBLE-BUFFER
[   221.645] (II) Initializing extension RECORD
[   221.646] (II) Initializing extension DPMS
[   221.646] (II) Initializing extension Present
[   221.646] (II) Initializing extension DRI3
[   221.646] (II) Initializing extension X-Resource
[   221.647] (II) Initializing extension XVideo
[   221.647] (II) Initializing extension XVideo-MotionCompensation
[   221.647] (II) Initializing extension SELinux
[   221.647] (II) SELinux: Disabled on system
[   221.647] (II) Initializing extension GLX
[   221.647] (II) AIGLX: Screen 0 is not DRI2 capable
[   221.810] (II) IGLX: Loaded and initialized swrast
[   221.810] (II) GLX: Initialized DRISWRAST GL provider for screen 0
[   221.810] (II) Initializing extension XFree86-VidModeExtension
[   221.811] (II) Initializing extension XFree86-DGA
[   221.811] (II) Initializing extension XFree86-DRI
[   221.811] (II) Initializing extension DRI2

Does ctrl-alt-F1 get back to a text console? Try it before the lockup or on another distro, you should have six text consoles (ctrl-alt-F1 to ctrl-alt-F6) and ctrl-alt-F7 would take you back to the GUI.

If you have another system can you log onto the Lenovo T480 over the network by ssh (or possibly telnet)? If you can you could use the ssh session to investigate (px -ef, dmesg, tail /var/log/Xorg.0.log etc) or shut it down relatively gently.

That sort of narrows things down a bit.

Right ...
Xserver definitely involved and may have an issue (?) with that xfce plug-in.
Not at all surprised.

When I first set up xfce, the first thing I discovered was that I had to get rid of anything xfce power management related.
But then I have a workstation, not a laptop.

That said, I don't think it anyone will be able to help past this preliminary evaluation unless you post some more data.
I certainly cannot.

You may want to consider posting:

1.
the dmesg printout

~$ sudo dmesg --level=alert,crit,err,warn

2.
the Xorg.0.log file

~$ cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log

You may also want to consider running a test by logging in as root and completely removing the xfce4-power-manager software package.

Then reboot and see if you can start the desktop without it.

~$ sudo apt-get purge --auto-remove xfce4-power-manager   

Using the purge options along with auto-remove, will get rid of everything regarding the xfce4-power-manager package.
That will be good for if/when you want to reinstall it again.
ie: (supposedly) no debris left behind.

Best,

A.

On booting I get to a cLi login prompt and I can log in as root or as user.

If I enter 'starx' as user the desktop (xfce I think, kde was also 'installed') loads but locks right up, no mouse, no keyboard, only an error annunciation:

"Power Manager Plugin unexpectedly left the panel"

There is only a hard reset available. Can I recover from this 'lockup' or is a re-install necessary? Beyond being able to log in at cLi level, I can also mount the partition from another system if required.

TIA