xfce4-session-4.20.3

#### Beyond Linux® From Scratch (systemd Edition) - Version 13.0

### Chapter 35. Xfce Desktop

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# xfce4-session-4.20.3

## Introduction to Xfce4 Session

Xfce4 Session is a session manager for Xfce. Its task is to save the state of your desktop (opened applications and their location) and restore it during a next startup. You can create several different sessions and choose one of them on startup.

### Note

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS 13.0 platform.

### Package Information

- Download (HTTP): https://archive.xfce.org/src/xfce/xfce4-session/4.20/xfce4-session-4.20.3.tar.bz2

- Download MD5 sum: a97ee6039a463dd845b3869275f0c34e

- Download size: 1.1 MB

- Estimated disk space required: 16 MB

- Estimated build time: 0.1 SBU

### Xfce4 Session Dependencies

#### Required

libwnck-43.3, libxfce4windowing-4.20.5, and libxfce4ui-4.20.2

#### Recommended

desktop-file-utils-0.28, xfce4-screensaver or XScreenSaver-6.14, shared-mime-info-2.4 and polkit-gnome-0.105

#### Required Runtime

Xfdesktop-4.20.1

## Installation of Xfce4 Session

Install Xfce4 Session by running the following commands:

    ./configure --prefix=/usr       \
                --sysconfdir=/etc   \
                --disable-legacy-sm &&
    make

This package does not come with a test suite.

Now, as the `root` user:

    make install

## Command Explanations

`--disable-legacy-sm`: This switch disables legacy session management which isn't necessary on modern system.

## Configuring Xfce4 Session

There are several optional run time dependencies for Xfce4: dbus-1.16.2, GnuPG-2.5.17, hicolor-icon-theme-0.18, OpenSSH-10.2p1, and xinit-1.4.4

When building an Xfce4 package, some configuration files are installed in `/usr/share/applications`, `/usr/share/icons`, and `/usr/share/mime`. In order to use those files in your Xfce4 session, you need to update various databases. Do that by running, as the `root` user (you need to have the recommended dependencies installed):

    update-desktop-database &&
    update-mime-database /usr/share/mime

## Starting Xfce4

You can start Xfce4 from a TTY using xinit-1.4.4, or from a graphical display manager, such as lightdm-1.32.0.

To start Xfce4 using xinit-1.4.4, run the following commands:

    cat > ~/.xinitrc << "EOF"
    dbus-launch --exit-with-x11 startxfce4
    EOF

    startx

The X session starts on the first unused virtual terminal, normally vt7. You can switch to another vtn simultaneously pressing the keys Ctrl-Alt-Fn (n=1, 2, ...). To switch back to the X session, normally started at vt7, use Ctrl-Alt-F7. The vt where the command startx was executed will display many messages, including X starting messages, applications automatically started with the session, and eventually, some warning and error messages. You may prefer to redirect those messages to a log file, which not only will keep the initial vt uncluttered, but can also be used for debugging purposes. This can be done starting X with:

    startx &> ~/.x-session-errors

When shutting down or rebooting, the shutdown messages appear on the vt where X was running. If you wish to see those messages, simultaneously press keys Alt-F7 (assuming that X was running on vt7).

## Contents

Installed Programs: startxfce4, xfce4-session, xfce4-session-logout, xfce4-session-settings, and xflock4
Installed Library: None
Installed Directories: /usr/lib/xfce4/session

### Short Descriptions

startxfce4 | is a script responsible for starting an Xfce session.
xfce4-session | starts up the Xfce Desktop Environment
xfce4-session-logout | logs out from Xfce
xfce4-session-settings | is a GTK+ 3 GUI which allows you to alter your preferences for your Xfce Session

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