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#1 Re: Installation » Devuan and vscode » 2026-05-28 11:28:45
@rations - thanks, that works fine.
1) download the latest .deb file
e.g.codium_1.121.03429_amd64.deb
2) in the Downloads folder, open Terminal, then:
sudo apt install ./codium_1.121.03429_amd64.deb
#2 Re: Installation » Devuan and vscode » 2026-05-27 09:43:19
Can anyone advise on the cleanest way to install VSCodium on Devuan?
Not sure which option shown here is the best.
https://vscodium.com/#install
#3 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » Accidental success: Devuan on a HP ZBook » 2026-05-16 21:57:29
Hello Altoid
"but wouldn't boot cleanly"
Sorry, I should have been more explicit. It would boot as far as GRUB, but I lacked the skills or knowledge to get it go any further.
#4 Hardware & System Configuration » Accidental success: Devuan on a HP ZBook » 2026-05-16 17:30:07
- Gnostic
- Replies: 3
At work, they were having a clearout of some obsolete hardware. One item was a HP ZBook, which worked fine from mains power, but the battery was dead. Not a problem for me, intending to use it as a desktop device.
Having read elsewhere here about the quirks of HP UEFI, I wasn't too confident about installing Devuan on it. Sure enough, it seemed to install but wouldn't boot cleanly. I tried installing twice, with different options, but still no success - or so it seemed.
Feeling rather sad about that, I thought I would at least try Linux Mint instead. Imagine my surprise when the Linux Mint installation told me I already had Devuan installed, and then gave me an option to install both with Gparted resizing the main partition to give both half-each of the main hard drive.
Booting that after installing Mint, it gave me both as options. Choosing Devuan, it now boots cleanly! Happy day.
#5 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » [SOLVED] Nemo - create new document - no templates installed » 2025-12-08 17:22:30
Thanks, found the answer.
In /home/{user}/Templates
Add a few empty files.
e.g.
New LibreOffice Writer doc.odt
New SQL script.sql
New text file.txt
#6 Hardware & System Configuration » [SOLVED] Nemo - create new document - no templates installed » 2025-12-07 16:35:37
- Gnostic
- Replies: 2
Inside Nemo file manager, when I right-click to create a new document, I can choose "Empty document". But also, it says "no templates installed". Is there a way to create or install templates?
#7 Re: Off-topic » Trying to explain what happened with Cloudflare? » 2025-12-05 10:15:24
We are still trying to teach our developers ideas and methods for resilient systems design. Simple things like having more than just Cloudflare as the DNS resolver. They looked puzzled last time, one even asked "Why would you need that?".
#8 Re: Off-topic » Trying to explain what happened with Cloudflare? » 2025-11-25 12:41:50
More RUST in the wheels of the internet.
On November 18, 2025, a significant portion of the internet went offline. X, ChatGPT, Canva, Letterboxd, and countless other services became inaccessible. The culprit? A single unwrap() call in Rust code that panicked across Cloudflare’s 330+ datacenters.
#9 Re: Installation » Upgrade from Devuan Daedalus 32-bit to Excalibur » 2025-11-23 21:21:34
What happens if usrmerge is uninstalled?
#10 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » Thunar cannot browse network (a work-around) » 2025-11-22 18:56:36
Footnote:
Installing Nemo has also fixed Thunar's problem with Browse Network.
So it must have been my muppetry with the dependencies after all.
But thanks to all who responded.
#11 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » Thunar cannot browse network (a work-around) » 2025-11-22 14:40:49
@kapqa - thanks, I will try finding the circumvents.
@stargate-sg1-cheyenne-mtn - thanks, it's reassuring (in a grim kind of way) to know I'm not the only one.
At the moment, I'm leaning more towards a Linux NAS which the Win10's and all other Linux devices can all see and share. To do all file transfers via that and forget about going direct from my own Linux to a Win10 device.
#12 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » Thunar cannot browse network (a work-around) » 2025-11-21 22:13:57
@stultumanto
File sharing to work on Windows 10
Not sure if this is related, but I've found that on Win10 we can no longer administer local users. Any new user has to be a Windows Online user that phones home to MS to get permission to use your own computer. I can no longer modify an existing local user account. Nor can I use an existing local user account for a shared drive to access it from another computer. It seems to have been done in one of various MS updates, but I have no idea how long ago.
Seems like making Win10 more like Win11?
All your users and files is belong to us.
#13 Hardware & System Configuration » Thunar cannot browse network (a work-around) » 2025-11-21 16:38:26
- Gnostic
- Replies: 7
As Thunar is the default file manager, I've been trying to fix the failure whenever I try the menu for Go, Browse Network. It's been frustrating as various posts out there talk about installing things which (a) don't exist in my Devuan apt or (b) do nothing
e.g.
https://superuser.com/questions/1645590 … se-network
Suggests
sudo apt install gvfs-backends gvfs-bin
sudo apt install smbclient samba
No good.
https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=15025
cifs-utils
gvfs-backends
No good.
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=296465
sudo apt install gvfs-smb
sudo apt install gvfs-dnssd
No good.
Somewhere someone mentioned it's because Thunar is still coded to use an obsolete version of Samba. I've no idea if that's true or not. In the end, I gave up on Thunar. I had a look around for alternative file managers and saw nemo mentioned.
https://itsfoss.com/install-nemo-file-manager-ubuntu/
sudo apt install nemo
I had to take the entire Cinnamon desktop to get nemo, but - good news! - I can now Browse Network and see all other Linux computers. Not so much bothered about not seeing the Apple and Windows devices yet.
#14 Off-topic » Trying to explain what happened with Cloudflare? » 2025-11-20 20:15:19
- Gnostic
- Replies: 17
Especially if you have been trying to explain to a non-IT-literate person.
A picture is worth a thousand words.
#15 Re: Off-topic » Music » 2025-11-19 01:42:50
Sting: A Winter's Night... from Durham Cathedral
#16 Re: Off-topic » Music » 2025-11-19 00:43:41
The Stranglers Dads?
Actually, just a very well crafted fake.
But even so, still enjoyable.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Qs1J612nZs
#17 Re: Installation » [SOLVED] Black screen for Desktop » 2025-11-16 18:49:29
What happens if you run
xfdesktop
in a terminal?
#18 Re: Off-topic » So they asked me what I wanted for helping with the library... » 2025-11-15 11:58:11
@greenjeans
Can't find a "Like" button, so please accept a smilie 
#19 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » [SOLVED] Cannot change background » 2025-11-13 16:55:46
SOLVED!
Installed LXDE.
sudo apt install lxde
At boot, when the Slim logon appears, press F1 to cycle through the DE options until LXDE appears. Log in with that instead of XFCE.
As if by magic, the background that appears is one of the Devuan images.
I can now right-click on that background, choose Desktop Preferences and change the background to any of the other Devuan images.
#20 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » [SOLVED] Cannot change background » 2025-11-13 14:52:33
Not sure if this is progress or not.
After doing Ctrl-C on the terminal window and rebooting, I found I had a black background, The icons and wallpaper had disappeared.
When I open a new terminal and run
xfdesktop
(without any options), the icons and old wallpaper reappear.
Then when I run
Applications -> Settings -> Desktop
I get the following in the terminal window:
(xfdesktop-settings:3417): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 14:44:58.936: g_object_get_qdata: assertion 'G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
(xfdesktop-settings:3417): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:44:58.936: g_file_get_path: assertion 'G_IS_FILE (file)' failed
(xfdesktop-settings:3417): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: 14:44:58.961: g_object_get_qdata: assertion 'G_IS_OBJECT (object)' failed
(xfdesktop-settings:3417): GLib-GIO-CRITICAL **: 14:44:58.962: g_file_get_path: assertion 'G_IS_FILE (file)' failed
Would any of the options help?
Usage:
xfdesktop [OPTION?]Help Options:
-h, --help Show help options
--help-all Show all help options
--help-gapplication Show GApplication options
--help-gtk Show GTK+ Options
--help-sm-client Show session management optionsApplication Options:
-V, --version Display version information
-R, --reload Reload all settings
-N, --next Advance to the next wallpaper on the current workspace
-M, --menu Pop up the menu (at the current mouse position)
-W, --windowlist Pop up the window list (at the current mouse position)
-A, --arrange Automatically arrange all the icons on the desktop
-e, --enable-debug Enable debug messages
-d, --disable-debug Disable debug messages
-D, --disable-wm-check Do not wait for a window manager on startup
-Q, --quit Cause xfdesktop to quit
--display=DISPLAY X display to use
#21 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » Excalibur RC1 + Xfce + slim + auto login shows Untitled window » 2025-11-13 13:16:02
@Eeqmcsq
Thanks for mentioning Excalibur + slim display manager.
I had upgrade from Daedalus to Excalibur.
So my stack was Excalibur + xfce + lightdm
But it was only booting to the command line, and I had to run startx manually every time.
I've installed slim and chosen that as the display manager. Now on boot, startx does work automatically and I get to the slim logon.
:-)
#22 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » [SOLVED] Cannot change background » 2025-11-13 13:07:16
Did
xfdesktop -Q
and
xfdesktop -e
- got this:
DBG[xfdesktop-common.c:498] xfdesktop_debug_set(): debugging enabled
DBG[xfce-desktop.c:975] update_backdrop_workspace(): new_active_workspace -1, new_backdrop_workspace -1
DBG[xfce-desktop.c:1083] xfce_desktop_set_single_workspace_number(): single_workspace_num now 0
DBG[xfce-desktop.c:975] update_backdrop_workspace(): new_active_workspace -1, new_backdrop_workspace -1
DBG[xfdesktop-icon-view.c:2740] xfdesktop_icon_view_style_updated(): cell spacing is 2
DBG[xfdesktop-icon-view.c:2741] xfdesktop_icon_view_style_updated(): cell padding is 6
DBG[xfdesktop-icon-view.c:2742] xfdesktop_icon_view_style_updated(): cell text width proportion is 1.900000
DBG[xfdesktop-icon-view.c:2743] xfdesktop_icon_view_style_updated(): ellipsize icon label is true
DBG[xfdesktop-icon-view.c:2744] xfdesktop_icon_view_style_updated(): label radius is 4.000000
DBG[xfdesktop-file-icon-model.c:580] add_icon(): adding icon Home to icon view
DBG[xfdesktop-file-icon-model.c:580] add_icon(): adding icon File System to icon view
DBG[xfdesktop-file-icon-model.c:580] add_icon(): adding icon Trash to icon view
DBG[xfdesktop-file-icon-model.c:580] add_icon(): adding icon KINGSTON to icon view
DBG[xfdesktop-file-icon-model.c:580] add_icon(): adding icon rootfs to icon view
DBG[xfdesktop-file-icon-model.c:580] add_icon(): adding icon bootfs to icon view
DBG[xfdesktop-file-icon-model.c:580] add_icon(): adding icon Subscriptions | Substack to icon view
DBG[xfdesktop-thumbnailer.c:283] xfdesktop_thumbnailer_queue_thumbnail(): file: /home/keith/Desktop/Subscriptions | Substack.desktop not supported
DBG[xfdesktop-file-icon-model.c:580] add_icon(): adding icon Thunderbird to icon view
DBG[xfdesktop-thumbnailer.c:283] xfdesktop_thumbnailer_queue_thumbnail(): file: /home/keith/Desktop/Thunderbird.desktop not supported
DBG[xfdesktop-file-icon-model.c:580] add_icon(): adding icon Firefox ESR to icon view
DBG[xfdesktop-thumbnailer.c:283] xfdesktop_thumbnailer_queue_thumbnail(): file: /home/keith/Desktop/Firefox ESR.desktop not supported
DBG[xfdesktop-icon-view.c:2740] xfdesktop_icon_view_style_updated(): cell spacing is 2
DBG[xfdesktop-icon-view.c:2741] xfdesktop_icon_view_style_updated(): cell padding is 6
DBG[xfdesktop-icon-view.c:2742] xfdesktop_icon_view_style_updated(): cell text width proportion is 1.900000
DBG[xfdesktop-icon-view.c:2743] xfdesktop_icon_view_style_updated(): ellipsize icon label is true
DBG[xfdesktop-icon-view.c:2744] xfdesktop_icon_view_style_updated(): label radius is 4.000000
DBG[xfdesktop-icon-view.c:3788] xfdesktop_icon_view_size_grid(): created grid_layout with 180 positions
DBG[xfce-desktop.c:975] update_backdrop_workspace(): new_active_workspace -1, new_backdrop_workspace 0
DBG[xfdesktop-backdrop-renderer.c:644] xfdesktop_backdrop_render(): loading image /usr/share/backgrounds/xfce/xfce-x.svg
DBG[xfce-desktop.c:975] update_backdrop_workspace(): new_active_workspace 0, new_backdrop_workspace 0
DBG[xfdesktop-backdrop-renderer.c:644] xfdesktop_backdrop_render(): loading image /usr/share/backgrounds/xfce/xfce-x.svg
DBG[xfdesktop-file-icon-model.c:974] metadata_monitor_changed(): metadata file changed event
DBG[xfdesktop-file-icon-model.c:974] metadata_monitor_changed(): metadata file changed event
The strange thing is those results in the Terminal window didn't change or extend while I tried
Applications -> Settings -> Desktop,
to change the background.
Also, they didn't change while I went to
/usr/share/images/desktop-base/
and right-click on an image, and choose Set as wallpaper
Is it possible
xfdesktop
is not my active desktop?
#23 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » [SOLVED] Cannot change background » 2025-11-13 00:56:28
Thanks!
After tail -f ~/.xsession-errors.
$ tail -f ~/.xsession-errors
[2905:2905:1113/002130.274806:ERROR:gpu/command_buffer/service/gles2_cmd_decoder_passthrough.cc:1091] [GroupMarkerNotSet(crbug.com/242999)!:A060580034000000]Automatic fallback to software WebGL has been deprecated. Please use the --enable-unsafe-swiftshader (about:flags#enable-unsafe-swiftshader) flag to opt in to lower security guarantees for trusted content.
Opening in existing browser session.
[2905:2905:1113/002920.123524:ERROR:gpu/command_buffer/service/gles2_cmd_decoder_passthrough.cc:1091] [GroupMarkerNotSet(crbug.com/242999)!:A060580034000000]Automatic fallback to software WebGL has been deprecated. Please use the --enable-unsafe-swiftshader (about:flags#enable-unsafe-swiftshader) flag to opt in to lower security guarantees for trusted content.
[2905:2905:1113/003220.166154:ERROR:gpu/command_buffer/service/gles2_cmd_decoder_passthrough.cc:1091] [GroupMarkerNotSet(crbug.com/242999)!:A060580034000000]Automatic fallback to software WebGL has been deprecated. Please use the --enable-unsafe-swiftshader (about:flags#enable-unsafe-swiftshader) flag to opt in to lower security guarantees for trusted content.
[2905:2905:1113/004411.084519:ERROR:gpu/command_buffer/service/gles2_cmd_decoder_passthrough.cc:1091] [GroupMarkerNotSet(crbug.com/242999)!:A060580034000000]Automatic fallback to software WebGL has been deprecated. Please use the --enable-unsafe-swiftshader (about:flags#enable-unsafe-swiftshader) flag to opt in to lower security guarantees for trusted content.
Opening in existing browser session.
[2905:2905:1113/004452.875371:ERROR:gpu/command_buffer/service/gles2_cmd_decoder_passthrough.cc:1091] [GroupMarkerNotSet(crbug.com/242999)!:A090580034000000]Automatic fallback to software WebGL has been deprecated. Please use the --enable-unsafe-swiftshader (about:flags#enable-unsafe-swiftshader) flag to opt in to lower security guarantees for trusted content.
[2760:2760:1113/004514.556395:ERROR:ui/gfx/x/atom_cache.cc:232] Add chromium/x-window-drag to kAtomsToCache
[2760:2760:1113/004543.596970:ERROR:chrome/browser/ui/views/user_education/impl/browser_user_education_interface_impl.cc:154] Attempting to show IPH IPH_DiscardRing before browser initialization complete; IPH will not be shown.
Opening in existing browser session.
After
xfdesktop-settings -e
and trying to choose a different background.
DBG[xfdesktop-background-settings.c:793] xfdesktop_settings_generate_per_workspace_binding_string(): name /backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/last-image
DBG[xfdesktop-background-settings.c:871] cb_image_selection_changed(): got /usr/share/backgrounds/xfce/xfce-light.svg, applying to screen 0 monitor 0 workspace 0
DBG[xfdesktop-background-settings.c:793] xfdesktop_settings_generate_per_workspace_binding_string(): name /backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/last-image
DBG[xfdesktop-background-settings.c:881] cb_image_selection_changed(): Saving to /backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/last-image//usr/share/backgrounds/xfce/xfce-light.svg
DBG[xfdesktop-background-settings.c:793] xfdesktop_settings_generate_per_workspace_binding_string(): name /backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/last-image
DBG[xfdesktop-background-settings.c:1129] xfdesktop_settings_update_iconview_folder(): current_folder /usr/share/backgrounds/xfce/xfce-light.svg, dirname /usr/share/backgrounds/xfce
DBG[xfdesktop-background-settings.c:793] xfdesktop_settings_generate_per_workspace_binding_string(): name /backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/last-image
DBG[xfdesktop-background-settings.c:1008] update_icon_view_model(): folder didn't change
DBG[xfdesktop-background-settings.c:958] stop_image_loading(): xfdesktop_settings_stop_image_loading
#24 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » [SOLVED] Cannot change background » 2025-11-12 20:27:23
Desktop Settings, go to the Folder drop-down menu, choose the directory you want, then DO NOT select a file from the list. Just click on the Open button. It will open that directory and show you thumbnails that you can select.
Tried that, but sadly still no change to the background.
#25 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » [SOLVED] Cannot change background » 2025-11-12 20:18:41
Ah, thanks.
Yes, it is XFCE.
That's after an upgrade from Daedalus to Excalibur.
As described here:
https://www.devuan.org/os/documentation … -excalibur
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