Posts by JQAdams

JQAdams · Desktop and Multimedia

That kcmshell6 command is EXACTLY what I was looking for. Now, if the Dolphin menu system has any more problems, all I need to do (I think) is to turn off Startup Services > Application Menus Daemon and restart.

All I needed was a way to locate and control that setting, and now I have it.

Thanks.

JQAdams · Desktop and Multimedia

Running Devuan Version 6 with KDE on an ASUS desktop computer.

In the System Settings of Ubuntu/KDE, there is a section enabling the user to choose which background services and applications automatically start during boot-up. This is missing in my Devuan/KDE installation. (I assume that it has something to do with not using Systemd.)

Do Devuan users rely on the Systemctl command to find out which services are running and to turn off undesired background services, or is there some other method that can be used?

I am asking because I ran into a minor glitch, and I found a work-around. However, the best solution, I believe, would be to restart one of the background services.

After adding and then removing one of the optional KDE Services from the Dolphin Context Menu, I lost the Dolphin Menubar, the Ctrl+M feature (which brings the Menubar back), and Settings > Show Menubar option in the Application Menu of the Dolphin Titlebar.

After doing some research online, I found that many Ubuntu/KDE users had experienced this, and they solved it in either of two ways:
(1) Turn off the Application Menu daemon, which is one of the Background Services. Then restart the computer. The service will start up again, and the problem should be cleared up.

(2) Under System Setting > Colors & Themes > Window Decorations, remove the Application Menu in the Titlebar. This menu seems to interact with the Menubar--- at least, it does when the Application Menu Daemon is malfunctioning (and needs to restart).

Getting rid of the System Menu in the Titlebar seems to have brought back the Dolphin Menubar. However, I am still curious about how to turn off and restart background services that have stopped working properly.

I have tried to use the Systemctl command--- just to see what software modules are loaded and running. Unfortunately, the command doesn't seem to be working as expected. It doesn't accept my command syntax. See the terminal dialog below:

[b]martin@homepc:~$ sudo systemctl --type=service --state=running
[sudo] password for martin: [/b]
/usr/bin/systemctl:1541: SyntaxWarning: invalid escape sequence '\w'
  expanded = re.sub("[$](\w+)", lambda m: get_env1(m), cmd.replace("\\\n",""))
/usr/bin/systemctl:1543: SyntaxWarning: invalid escape sequence '\w'
  new_text = re.sub("[$][{](\w+)[}]", lambda m: get_env2(m), expanded)
/usr/bin/systemctl:1628: SyntaxWarning: invalid escape sequence '\w'
  cmd3 = re.sub("[$](\w+)", lambda m: get_env1(m), cmd2)
/usr/bin/systemctl:1631: SyntaxWarning: invalid escape sequence '\w'
  newcmd += [ re.sub("[$][{](\w+)[}]", lambda m: get_env2(m), part) ]

0 loaded units listed.
To show all installed unit files use 'systemctl list-unit-files'.

[b]martin@homepc:~$ sudo systemctl list-unit-files[/b]
/usr/bin/systemctl:1541: SyntaxWarning: invalid escape sequence '\w'
  expanded = re.sub("[$](\w+)", lambda m: get_env1(m), cmd.replace("\\\n",""))
/usr/bin/systemctl:1543: SyntaxWarning: invalid escape sequence '\w'
  new_text = re.sub("[$][{](\w+)[}]", lambda m: get_env2(m), expanded)
/usr/bin/systemctl:1628: SyntaxWarning: invalid escape sequence '\w'
  cmd3 = re.sub("[$](\w+)", lambda m: get_env1(m), cmd2)
/usr/bin/systemctl:1631: SyntaxWarning: invalid escape sequence '\w'
  newcmd += [ re.sub("[$][{](\w+)[}]", lambda m: get_env2(m), part) ]
[b]
UNIT FILE       STATE[/b]
basic.target    static
default.target  enabled
graphical.target        disabled
local-fs.target static
multi-user.target       enabled
network.target  static
nfs-client.target       disabled
poweroff.target static
reboot.target   static
remote-fs.target        enabled
rescue.target   static
sysinit.target  static
timers.target   static
.depend.boot.service    disabled
.depend.start.service   disabled
.depend.stop.service    disabled
ModemManager.service    enabled
NetworkManager-dispatcher.service       static
NetworkManager-wait-online.service      enabled
NetworkManager.service  enabled
README.service  disabled
accounts-daemon.service enabled
alsa-restore.service    static
alsa-state.service      static
alsa-utils.service      masked
anacron.service enabled
anacron.timer   enabled
apparmor.service        enabled
apt-listchanges.service static
apt-listchanges.timer   enabled
avahi-daemon.service    enabled
avahi-daemon.socket     enabled
binfmt-support.service  enabled
bluetooth.service       enabled
bolt.service    static
bootlogd.service        masked
bootlogs.service        masked
bootmisc.service        masked
bootmisc.sh.service     disabled
brightness.service      masked
checkfs.service masked
checkfs.sh.service      disabled
checkroot-bootclean.service     masked
checkroot-bootclean.sh.service  disabled
checkroot.service       masked
checkroot.sh.service    disabled
clamav-freshclam-once.service   disabled
clamav-freshclam-once.timer     disabled
clamav-freshclam.service        disabled
configure-printer@.service      static
console-setup.service   enabled
console-setup.sh.service        disabled
cron.service    enabled
cups-browsed.service    enabled
cups.path       enabled
cups.service    disabled
cups.socket     enabled
dbus-fi.w1.wpa_supplicant1.service      disabled
dbus-org.bluez.service  disabled
dbus-org.freedesktop.Avahi.service      disabled
dbus-org.freedesktop.ModemManager1.service      disabled
dbus-org.freedesktop.nm-dispatcher.service      static
dbus.service    disabled
deepin-boot-maker.service       enabled
display-manager.service static
dpkg-db-backup.service  static
dpkg-db-backup.timer    enabled
drkonqi-coredump-processor@.service     enabled
e2scrub@.service        static
e2scrub_all.service     static
e2scrub_all.timer       enabled
e2scrub_fail@.service   static
e2scrub_reap.service    enabled
elogind.service disabled
eudev.service   disabled
exim4-base.service      static
exim4-base.timer        enabled
exim4.service   enabled
fprintd.service static
fwupd-refresh.service   static
fwupd-refresh.timer     enabled
fwupd.service   static
gdomap.service  disabled
geoclue.service static
grub-common.service     disabled
halt.service    masked
hostname.service        masked
hostname.sh.service     disabled
hwclock.service masked
hwclock.sh.service      disabled
ifup@.service   static
ifupdown-pre.service    static
ifupdown-wait-online.service    disabled
iio-sensor-proxy.service        static
ipp-usb.service static
keyboard-setup.service  enabled
keyboard-setup.sh.service       disabled
killprocs.service       masked
kmod.service    masked
lm-sensors.service      enabled
logrotate.service       static
logrotate.timer enabled
man-db.service  static
man-db.timer    enabled
mount-configfs.service  masked
mountall-bootclean.service      masked
mountall-bootclean.sh.service   disabled
mountall.service        masked
mountall.sh.service     disabled
mountdevsubfs.service   masked
mountdevsubfs.sh.service        disabled
mountkernfs.service     masked
mountkernfs.sh.service  disabled
mountnfs-bootclean.service      masked
mountnfs-bootclean.sh.service   disabled
mountnfs.service        masked
mountnfs.sh.service     disabled
network-manager.service disabled
networking.service      enabled
nftables.service        disabled
nm-priv-helper.service  static
openntpd.service        enabled
pam_namespace.service   static
polkit.service  static
power-profiles-daemon.service   enabled
ppp@.service    disabled
procps.service  disabled
rc.local.service        masked
rc.service      disabled
rcS.service     disabled
reboot.service  masked
rmnologin.service       masked
rsync.service   disabled
rsyslog.service enabled
rtkit-daemon.service    disabled
saned.service   masked
saned.socket    disabled
saned@.service  static
sddm.service    static
seatd.service   enabled
sendsigs.service        masked
single.service  masked
smartd.service  disabled
smartmontools.service   enabled
speech-dispatcher.service       disabled
speech-dispatcherd.service      disabled
stop-bootlogd-single.service    masked
stop-bootlogd.service   masked
sudo.service    masked
switcheroo-control.service      enabled
syslog.service  disabled
udev.service    masked
umountfs.service        masked
umountnfs.service       masked
umountnfs.sh.service    disabled
umountroot.service      masked
upower.service  disabled
urandom.service masked
usb_modeswitch@.service static
usbmuxd.service static
wacom-inputattach@.service      static
wpa_supplicant-nl80211@.service disabled
wpa_supplicant-wired@.service   disabled
wpa_supplicant.service  enabled
wpa_supplicant@.service disabled
wtmpdb-update-boot.service      enabled
x11-common.service      disabled

167 unit files listed.
martin@homepc:~$

I don't see the Application Menu daemon anywhere in this list.

JQAdams · Installation

I re-installed Devuan 6.1.1 (Excalibur). During installation, I supplied only a User Name and User Password. (I bypassed the prompt to enter a Root Password.)

Opening the Dolphin file manager, I found that I needed only to click my partitions to mount them-- except for just one partition, Media1 (sda7). After clicking on it, I got the following message:

Authentication is required to mount WDC WD1003FZEX-00MK2A0 (dev/sda7).

I had to enter my user account password to mount Media1.

I opened the Gnome Disk Utility, deleted the entire sda7 partition (Media1) and reformatted it as EXT4. After restarting, I opened Dolphin and tried to remount Media1 again by clicking on it. I got the same message: Authentication is Required. I had to enter my account password to mount it.

This is what I found in the KSystem Journal (the Authentication Log)::

2026-05-15T18:21:14.461306-04:00
homepc polkitd[1836]: Operator of unix-session:2 FAILED to authenticate to gain authorization for action org.freedesktop.udisks2.filesystem-mount-system for system-bus-name::1.57 [/usr/bin/dolphin] (owned by unix-user:martin)

2026-05-15T18:21:20.581825-04:00
homepc polkitd[1836]: Operator of unix-session:2 successfully authenticated as unix-user:martin to gain TEMPORARY authorization for action org.freedesktop.udisks2.filesystem-mount-system for system-bus-name::1.57 [/usr/bin/dolphin] (owned by unix-user:martin)

2026-05-15T21:02:45.699332-04:00
homepc polkitd[1662]: Error opening rules directory: Error opening directory “/run/polkit-1/rules.d”: No such file or directory (g-file-error-quark, 4)

The following is output from the inxi-Fzr Command:
System:
Kernel: 6.12.88+deb13-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64
Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 6.3.6 Distro: Devuan GNU/Linux 6 (excalibur)

Machine:
Type: Desktop Mobo: ASUSTeK model: MAXIMUS VIII GENE v: Rev 1.xx
serial: <superuser required> UEFI: American Megatrends v: 3801
date: 03/14/2018

CPU:
Info: quad core model: Intel Core i5-6500 bits: 64 type: MCP cache:
L2: 1024 KiB

Speed (MHz): avg: 800 min/max: 800/3600 cores: 1: 800 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800

Graphics:
Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 530 driver: i915 v: kernel
Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.16 with: Xwayland v: 24.1.6
compositor: kwin_wayland driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
dri: iris gpu: i915 resolution: 1440x900~60Hz

API: EGL v: 1.5 drivers: iris,swrast
platforms: gbm,wayland,x11,surfaceless,device

API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: intel mesa v: 25.0.7-2
renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 530 (SKL GT2)

API: Vulkan v: 1.4.309 drivers: intel,llvmpipe surfaces: xcb,xlib,wayland
Info: Tools: api: clinfo, eglinfo, glxinfo, vulkaninfo
de: kscreen-console,kscreen-doctor wl: wayland-info x11: xdriinfo,
xdpyinfo, xprop, xrandr

Audio:
Device-1: Intel 100 Series/C230 Series Family HD Audio driver: snd_hda_intel
Device-2: ASUSTek Xonar SoundCard driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid
type: USB

API: ALSA v: k6.12.88+deb13-amd64 status: kernel-api
Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.4.2 status: active

Network:
Device-1: Intel Ethernet I219-V driver: e1000e
IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>

Drives:
Local Storage: total: 931.51 GiB used: 503.88 GiB (54.1%)
ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Western Digital model: WD1003FZEX-00MK2A0
size: 931.51 GiB

Partition:
ID-1: / size: 115.2 GiB used: 6.67 GiB (5.8%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda11
ID-2: /boot/efi size: 951.1 MiB used: 10.5 MiB (1.1%) fs: vfat
dev: /dev/sda1
ID-3: /home size: 45.84 GiB used: 259.7 MiB (0.6%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda9

Swap:
ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 7.81 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%)
dev: /dev/sda10

Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 25.0 C mobo: N/A
Fan Speeds (rpm): N/A

Repos:
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
1: deb http://deb.devuan.org/merged excalibur main non-free-firmware
2: deb-src http://deb.devuan.org/merged excalibur main non-free-firmware
3: deb http://deb.devuan.org/merged excalibur-security main non-free-firmware
4: deb-src http://deb.devuan.org/merged excalibur-security main non-free-firmware
5: deb http://deb.devuan.org/merged excalibur-updates main non-free-firmware
6: deb-src http://deb.devuan.org/merged excalibur-updates main non-free-firmware

Info:
Memory: total: 16 GiB available: 15.49 GiB used: 2.18 GiB (14.1%)
Processes: 218 Uptime: 9m Shell: Bash inxi: 3.3.38
martin@homepc:~/Documents$

JQAdams · Installation

My apologies. I installed:

Devuan GNU/Linux 6
KDE Plasma Version 6.3.6
Kernel Version 6.12.86+deb13-amd64 (64-bit)

JQAdams · Installation

My PC has Home, Swap, and Root partitions from a previous Linux distro. I erased and reformatted them for the Devuan OS installation.

The same hard drive also has additional EXT4 partitions that are non-Linux and had nothing to do with the OS install. I have used the chown command to make sure that I am the owner of everything on those partitions. I use them to hold documents, articles, audio, and video. On one of these partitions, which is called Media1, I also had a copy of the Devuan Installation ISO. I used that ISO to create a bootable USB drive for the installation of Devuan, and I left the ISO on Media1.

Here Is My Problem
I believe that the ISO on Media1 may have somehow caused a problem during the OS installation. At least, that is the only explanation that I can think of for what has happened. This is what is happening:

Each time that I boot up (or restart), Devuan demands that I enter the Root SUDO password to authorize the mounting of the Media1 partition (which is sd7). When I enter the password, Media1 gets mounted, and I am logged onto a desktop that the ROOT created. It is not my personal desktop. If I log out of this desktop and log back on, under my name and account, then I see my normal personalized desktop. The next time that I reboot or restart, I must go through this whole process again. I must give the SUDO password to mount Media1 (sd7), and I am logged back onto that alternate desktop.

I have re-used the chown command to make sure that I own the Media1 partition. I have also checked the file system using the KDE Partition Manager. Additionally, under System Settings > Device Auto Mount, I have verified that the Media1 partition is supposed to be auto-mounted at startup. I also looked in the KSystem Logs, but I found nothing related to Sd7.

Is it possible that Devuan somehow got the bootable UBS Install drive confused with the Install ISO on Media1? What can I do to fix this?

JQAdams · Installation

I am about to install Devuan (Stable) with the KDE Desktop onto a desktop PC. I have a couple of questions, however.

(1) Is it OK if I use the Synaptic Package Manager (or Apper), whenever possible, to install software applications instead of FlatPak (or some other distribution system)?

Other distros, like Linux Mint, require that you use FlatPak. Using something else appears to cause problems. However, I don't like FlatPak, Snap, Discover, and other similar package managers. I would prefer to avoid them.

(2) Should I install ONLY ONE desktop environment? Or, can I install both KDE and GNOME?

The officially official Devuan Forum!

#1 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » How to Turn Background and Startup Services On and Off » 2026-05-19 03:53:32

#2 Desktop and Multimedia » How to Turn Background and Startup Services On and Off » 2026-05-19 01:08:24

#3 Re: Installation » The OS Demands Password Access to a Non-Linux Partition » 2026-05-16 01:35:11

#4 Re: Installation » The OS Demands Password Access to a Non-Linux Partition » 2026-05-15 21:15:13

#5 Installation » The OS Demands Password Access to a Non-Linux Partition » 2026-05-15 20:10:47

#6 Installation » Avoiding FlatPak, Snap, and Other Package Managers » 2026-05-15 01:07:45

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