XFCE4 and Labwc

eriefisher · 2024-12-27 22:49:14

I am trying to start Xfce4 with labwc and I just keep getting sent back to lightdm. Is there anyone using this combo and how did you get it started?

ToZ · 2024-12-27 23:13:49

There's some active work being done on getting Xfce/labwc working properly/better. Have a read through this merge request - more detail and configuration files you could use that might help.

I've been successfully running with wayfire but plan on waiting until this merge request is accepted before I'll try with labwc.

eriefisher · 2024-12-27 23:33:43

Perfect! Thanks ToZ.

sstep · 2024-12-29 16:47:03

ToZ wrote:

There's some active work being done on getting Xfce/labwc working properly/better. Have a read through this merge request - more detail and configuration files you could use that might help.
I've been successfully running with wayfire but plan on waiting until this merge request is accepted before I'll try with labwc.

Awaiting this too. I understand labwc will be the default wayland composer for XFCE? When can we expect this to be released? Is there some cadence to XFCE releases?

Thanks!

Last edited by sstep (2024-12-29 16:48:32)

ToZ · 2024-12-29 17:32:52

It looks like both labwc and wayfire will be supported. The link above is for labwc, here is the work for wayfire (https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/xfce4-session/-/issues/210. I've been running Xfce on wayfire and it was relatively simple to set up once you got the wayfire.conf file figured out - there is a default one to use in this link if you're interested. If you're using a display manager you will also need to configure the wayland session display manager desktop file.

There is no info on when this might be released yet - basically "when it's ready", I guess.

sstep · 2024-12-29 20:25:20

Looks like it works with labwc. I just installed labwc and ran

startxfce4 --wayland

to start a session. It uses labwc as a default compositor.
Wow, everything is soooo much snappier with wayland!

Last edited by sstep (2024-12-29 20:26:41)

eriefisher · 2024-12-29 23:48:00

That works perfectly! It gives you vanilla labwc. Yes it is very quick.

k3dAR · 2024-12-30 16:49:54

ToZ wrote:

[...] here is the work for wayfire (https://gitlab.xfce.org/xfce/xfce4-session/-/issues/210 [...]

thanks for link :-) although i use Xfce@Wayfire almost week on my primary NB, then sure look on it :-)

EDIT: remains little offtopic part of the message moved to new thread

Last edited by k3dAR (2024-12-30 17:16:14)

Tamaranch · 2024-12-30 17:14:36

k3dAR wrote:

- as alternative for Xfce4-Clipman (don't have focus, so not usable with keyboard shortcut) you can try clipman or cliphist with combination of fuzzel, wofi or rofi(wayland fork) for menu

What do you mean? You can bind xfce4-popup-clipman to a shortcut in the compositor config? Then there's indeed a keyboard focus problem in labwc 0.8.2, but in wayfire 0.9.0 the menu gets focus on opening for me.

k3dAR · 2024-12-30 17:18:44

Tamaranch wrote:

k3dAR wrote:
- as alternative for Xfce4-Clipman (don't have focus, so not usable with keyboard shortcut) you can try clipman or cliphist with combination of fuzzel, wofi or rofi(wayland fork) for menu
What do you mean? You can bind xfce4-popup-clipman to a shortcut in the compositor config? Then there's indeed a keyboard focus problem in labwc 0.8.2, but in wayfire 0.9.0 the menu gets focus on opening for me.

thanks, good is working :-) but i unfortunately on wayfire 0.8 (Xubuntu 24.04), anyway i go install Arch to virtual for testing Xfce@Wayland with latest versions :-)

Tamaranch · 2024-12-30 18:03:08

Tamaranch wrote:

Then there's indeed a keyboard focus problem in labwc 0.8.2

Bug report: https://github.com/labwc/labwc/issues/2467

sstep · 2024-12-30 18:24:03

Used xfce with labwc a bit: feels half-baked.

1. with xfce-panel: whisker menu opens up on click, but does not close when you click somewhere else, just stays open.

2. when moving terminal (foot) window to postion 0,0 (top left corner) it hides title bar, as if it doesn't include title bar height into position calculation. In effect it moves it to position -10,0.
I'm using window rule:

  <windowRules>
      <windowRule identifier="foot">
        <action name="MoveTo" x="0" y="0" />
      </windowRule>
  </windowRules>

3. when toggling fullscreen for terminal it loses focus, so you have to click on the terminal window first to start typing on it.
I'm using

    <keybind key="F11">
        <action name="ToggleFullscreen"/>
        <action name="Focus"/>
    </keybind>

Shall I submit bugs about it on gitlab?

Tamaranch · 2024-12-30 18:31:36

For whisker menu, it might be worth it (see if there isn't already a report for that, and also see if it doesn't depend on the compositor and/or its version...)

As for the rest, if there's a bug, I think it's in labwc, so report it on github (not xfce): https://github.com/labwc/labwc

Last edited by Tamaranch (2024-12-30 18:32:32)

eriefisher · 2024-12-30 19:37:02

My two cents:

After installing labwc and getting it going I'm finding I prefer it to Wayfire. It' seems much more responsive and doesn't seem to be hitting the processors as much(just going by fan noise). Because it has been years since I played with Openbox it took me some time to get a basic configuration working properly. Seems to be a definite crux to get the background set when starting up. I can switch it once up and running no problem but this is wayland in general I guess. Other than the known incompatibilities still being worked on I'm liking it and where it's going.

One big difference I've seen in labwc compared to Wayfire is the window decoration with some apps. I found, in particular with google-chrome and a couple of multimedia apps that the title bar was a completely different theme. This isn't an issue with labwc. I was also getting a shadow list view below thunar occasionally. Sometimes it would flicker. Odd because thunar is set to icon view and if I ran the cursor over it I could erase it from the screen. I tried to take a screen shot of this but it wouldn't show up. This has not been an issue with labwc or at least I haven't seen it yet.

Anyway, keep up the great work!

k3dAR · 2024-12-30 19:48:50

eriefisher wrote:

[...] labwc [...] I prefer it to Wayfire. It' seems much more responsive and doesn't seem to be hitting the processors as much(just going by fan noise). [...]

This be sure gpu specific, as on my T480 (without Nvidia) is Wayfire without more CPU usage, and fan is on 0rpm in normal operations smile

eriefisher wrote:

One big difference I've seen in labwc compared to Wayfire is the window decoration with some apps. [...]

This i think be fixed in wayfire.ini [core] section changing "preferred_decoration_mode" from "client" to "server",
i change this for example disable QOwnNotes own decoration to same as other apps :-)

Jerry3904 · 2024-12-31 11:40:41

On Openbox and backgrounds, I have found it easiest and fastest to use feh and can post details if interested. I actually am near the end of a MX-23 Openbox remix and just solving a couple of annoyances ATM.

eriefisher · 2024-12-31 13:13:05

Jerry3904 wrote:

On Openbox and backgrounds, I have found it easiest and fastest to use feh and can post details if interested. I actually am near the end of a MX-23 Openbox remix and just solving a couple of annoyances ATM.

I haven't this but does Feh work on Wayland? I'd be interested in seeing what you have.

Jerry3904 · 2024-12-31 16:15:41

Ah, Wayland. My bad: I was just focusing on the Openbox part.

From a quick web glance feh apparently does not, at least not fully. Too bad, but yet another reason for me to stay on X.

Last edited by Jerry3904 (2024-12-31 16:16:57)

k3dAR · 2025-01-01 20:13:45

eriefisher wrote:

I haven't this but does Feh work on Wayland? [...]

yes, feh work on wayland, only problem i see, when run in fullscreen, switch using 'f' to window and back to fullscreen, then is show xfce4-panel, to real fullscreen again is need pres fullscreen hotkey defined in wayfire... and ofcourse don't work setting image as background, but this is i think different story smile

Jerry3904 · 2025-01-02 10:59:29

k3dAR wrote:

and ofcourse don't work setting image as background, but this is i think different story

Are you using just feh by itself when it fails? There is a nice method first laid out in BunsenLabs IRIC that works very well on X. I'll collect the components I'm using with Openbox and post back later in case anyone is interested.

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#1 2024-12-27 22:49:14

XFCE4 and Labwc

#2 2024-12-27 23:13:49

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#3 2024-12-27 23:33:43

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#4 2024-12-29 16:47:03

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#5 2024-12-29 17:32:52

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#6 2024-12-29 20:25:20

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#7 2024-12-29 23:48:00

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#8 2024-12-30 16:49:54

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#9 2024-12-30 17:14:36

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#10 2024-12-30 17:18:44

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#11 2024-12-30 18:03:08

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#12 2024-12-30 18:24:03

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#13 2024-12-30 18:31:36

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#14 2024-12-30 19:37:02

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#15 2024-12-30 19:48:50

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#16 2024-12-31 11:40:41

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#17 2024-12-31 13:13:05

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#18 2024-12-31 16:15:41

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#19 2025-01-01 20:13:45

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

#20 2025-01-02 10:59:29

Re: XFCE4 and Labwc

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