[SOLVED] LXDE is broken

nauved-rex · 2024-08-12 20:44:35

What is broken is the setup. When you reach tasksel, when doing a netinstall, if you *only* choose to install LXDE, and not, for example, XFCE, then you end up with connman-gtk as the WiFi manager.

The first time you log into the desktop, you have to click on Preferences, Connman Settings, and then it sets up in the tray. So you click on the tray icon, and the window opens, which shows that WiFi is off. So you click on the button, and turn WiFi on. But instead of the window populating with nearby WiFi networks, it remains empty.

I've read about some people turning it off and on several times until it works. But as far as I can determine, connman-gtk is deprecated. I read somewhere that it's been abandoned since 2021. So, we've lost WICD and connman, and all that's left is good ole network-manager!

Here's where the story gets even stranger: I uninstalled connman-gtk and installed network-manager-gnome. After rebooting, and logging into the desktop, the network-manager-gnome was sitting in the tray. But it was "divorced" from the network hardware. The message I saw when I hovered over the tray icon was something about it being unattached. I'm sorry, now I can't remember the exact wording.

The only way I could get network-manager-gnome to work, was to start completely over, and *this time* choose to install "Devuan Desktop Environment" and/or "XFCE Desktop Environment". Then, when I log into the desktop, network-manager-gnome is sitting in the tray, and I'm connected to the WiFi network, and I can scan for other networks nearby!

Evidently, tasksel knows some tricks I don't, or there's some missing dependencies I don't know about, but tasksel does. Once I'm up and running with XFCE, then I can install LXDE, and everything works!

By the way: I am not complaining about Devuan at all! Debian Linux has the same issue: if I *only* install LXDE at the tasksel point, I get connman-gtk, etc, just as I described above.

I don't need any help getting up and running, everything is good. But my curiosity has definitely been piqued. There may not be as much info about LXDE because it's not a popular desktop anymore, and it does require a little but of tweaking. But it's not difficult, and works very well for my purposes.

Thanks for any feedback, and have a nice day! ~James

GlennW · 2024-08-12 22:52:02

Thanks James.

A long time ago, I used to use openbox, with kde apps... (but not wifi) your story reminds me of that.

I have wicd installed and running quite well on my laptop, Plasma 5 (KDE) because I had similar problems getting wifi to "just work".

It's a bit of a mystery...

I still haven't tried a net-install for a frugal install, getting tired of removing all the accessibillity software (brail and speech) each time I do a fresh install to try and tie down any loose ends security wise as well as minimising process power and overheads. I'm not saying accessibillity is a security risk, it just cuts down the messages and unused software for services, upgrades and disk-space. Not complaining, but it would be nice If I could install without dissabillity software.

I think I remember using LXDE for a gui with openbox.

nauved-rex · 2024-08-12 22:59:30

Thanks for your reply. WICD seems not to be in the repository. I'll see if it's on a GitHub somewhere.

When you say accessibility software, you can skip over that step.

Which media do you recommend installing with? The live CD?

Glad to hear from someone "down under" as we say in The States.

Last edited by nauved-rex (2024-08-12 23:03:38)

GlennW · 2024-08-13 05:09:44

wicd is still available in a earlier repo, perhaps chimaera, or beowulf.

I still use some programs off those and add the repos to my /etc/apt/sources.list after a fresh install.

The benifit is any obscure dependancies are also in that repo.

nauved-rex · 2024-08-13 05:48:31

Ahhh, it's been ages since I've played with mixed repos 😁

I had even considered going back to Chimera, as I don't need anything state of the art...

Maybe Firefox. Cool beans hahaha

nauved-rex · 2024-08-13 10:36:18

Actually, I went back and installed Chimera. I've never been comfortable with Debian Bookworm, and Daedalus, which is based on Bookworm: both distros seem boated and cumbersome. Chimera was noticeably faster than Daedalus, and the 5.X kernel is smaller and faster.

Interestingly, connman-gtk worked, after a fashion: the wireless networks quickly populated the app window, but my WiFi connection was flaky. So I uninstalled connman-gtk, and proceeded to install WICD, which is based on network-manager-gnome, network-manager, etc. The connecting was effortless, and the connection is stable.

stargate-sg1-cheyenne-mtn · 2024-08-14 15:04:02

@nauved-rex, you are not alone in returning to Chimaera after being unsatisfied with Daedalus.

nauved-rex · 2024-08-14 18:50:42

Wow. I'm glad I'm not alone.

EDIT: I really don't know what to say at this point. It seemed to me that Daedalus was somewhat systemD-like. I''m guessing that it's becoming harder and harder to strip systemD out of Debian, and I was wondering if Devuan would ever break away and go independent.

There seems to be a need for an alternative pathway that is not dependent on Debian.

Last edited by nauved-rex (2024-08-15 00:08:33)

rolfie · 2024-08-14 19:59:50

Well, I am happy with Daedalus and Cinnamon as desktop. It works fine ....

nauved-rex · 2024-08-15 00:04:17

Good for you! If something works, then use it. I'm happy with my own choices.

Mikey · 2024-08-15 16:29:30

I used devuan Daedalus (now Excalibur) with LXDE and Networkmanager and it works.
Try this:
If you are using Netinstall anyway, deselect everything.
After rebooting, install LXDE and Networkmanager as follows:

sudo apt install lxde-core network-manager-gnome

oder

sudo apt install --no-install-recommends lxde-core
sudo apt install network-manager-gnome

The second is my way, because I don't know what is in the meta package lxde-core for recommendations

nauved-rex · 2024-08-15 16:46:39

Yeah, I was doing something very similar. I actually chose to install "standard network utilities" on the first run, without installing a desktop. Then, in the second go, install LXDE, but then go in and fix after logging into the desktop. This entailed uninstalling connman-gtk, then setting up wpa_supplicant, then installing WICD.

Yeah, I was wondering if I could install LXDE and network-manager-gnome at the same time. I suspect I really don't need WICD. I've read about it, and it seems to offer some additional options, like writing my own connection routines. But I'm not planning to do that, so...

Useful info, thanks!

scar352 · 2024-09-15 18:42:01

I have a suggestion (not 100% sure it will work, but it could be attempted):
1. Install LXDE from tasksel as the OP did the first time (not XFCE).
2. Uninstall connman-gtk
3. Install network-manager-gnome
4. edit /etc/network/interfaces as to remove any reference to wifi interface (leaving only the loopback interface).
This is because If a network interface is manually managed in /etc/network/interfaces, network manger will not link with it and report it as "Not Managed".

Last edited by scar352 (2024-09-15 18:42:54)

nauved-rex · 2024-10-07 10:19:50

You are correct. You can change to "managed" by editing /etc/NetworkManager/NetworkManager.conf but yeah, you need to delete the wifi references.

The officially official Devuan Forum!

#1 2024-08-12 20:44:35

[SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#2 2024-08-12 22:52:02

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#3 2024-08-12 22:59:30

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#4 2024-08-13 05:09:44

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#5 2024-08-13 05:48:31

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#6 2024-08-13 10:36:18

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#7 2024-08-14 15:04:02

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#8 2024-08-14 18:50:42

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#9 2024-08-14 19:59:50

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#10 2024-08-15 00:04:17

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#11 2024-08-15 16:29:30

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#12 2024-08-15 16:46:39

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#13 2024-09-15 18:42:01

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

#14 2024-10-07 10:19:50

Re: [SOLVED] LXDE is broken

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