Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

PackRat · 2025-01-06 19:38:01

Can the startxfce4 script be edited so that the BASEDIR can be changed? The goal is to have a new/different script that can be used for xfce4+labwc.

The default is:

if test "x$XDG_CONFIG_HOME" = "x"
then
  BASEDIR="$HOME/.config/xfce4/"
else
  BASEDIR="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/xfce4"
fi

I copied startxfce4 to xfce4-labwc, made it executable and changed that bit of code to:

if test "x$XDG_CONFIG_HOME" = "x"
then
  BASEDIR="$HOME/.config/labwc/xfce4/"
else
  BASEDIR="$XDG_CONFIG_HOME/labwc/xfce4"
fi

Ran the xfce4-labwc script from the command line (I don't use a desktop manager) and got to labwc, but it used the ~/.config/xfce4 files.

I was hoping to have separate BASEDIR files so thatI can have a wayland and X11 xfce4 setup.

eriefisher · 2025-01-06 19:59:42

If you have a look at

man labwc

it shows you can use a separate config file or a different config directory with the -c or -C option so:

startxfce4 --wayland -c or -C /path/to/DIR or FILE

may work. Wayland will be different fro X just by setting up the autostart, environment and rc.xml.

PackRat · 2025-01-06 20:40:34

That would be for labwc to use different rc.xml and menu.xml files wouldn't it?

What I would like is for xfce4 to use different files so that the xfce4 panels in Wayland and X11 could be different.

I was hoping to create a ~/.config/labwc/xfce4 location with separate config files when I edited the startxfce4 script. Using xfce4 in X11 would still read ~/.config/xfce4.

Last edited by PackRat (2025-01-06 20:42:43)

eriefisher · 2025-01-06 22:10:36

I'm not sure if Xfce4 can be started with secondary configs or not. It may take arguments pointing it to a configs directory other than the default.

Maybe @ToZ can say for sure.

Tamaranch · 2025-01-06 22:12:15

You should probably use something like

XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/labwc startxfce4

instead?

PackRat · 2025-01-07 02:52:03

Tamaranch wrote:

You should probably use something like
XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/labwc startxfce4
instead?

This sort of works, but need to add the --wayland

XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/labwc startxfce4 --wayland

Now looking at a separate xfce4 desktop for labwc.

But labwc and foot are not finding their config files.

Last edited by PackRat (2025-01-07 03:07:36)

k3dAR · 2025-01-07 06:42:06

PackRat wrote:

[...]
XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/labwc startxfce4 --wayland
[...]
But labwc and foot are not finding their config files.

Changing XDG_CONFIG_HOME to this, you say for ALL apps "Your config is not in ~/.config/ but in ~/.config/labwc/"
so labwc try load ~/.config/labwc/labwc/rc.xml, in this way you must duplicate or (maybe symlink be enough?) all from ~/.config/ to ~/.config/labwc/ :-)

BTW: right now i solved similar, but with change XDG_DATA_HOME for "wofi --show drun" to find .desktop from xfce4-panel launcher applet/plugin (wofi search *.desktop in ${XDG_DATA_HOME}/applications/), but my solution is not usable for you as i only change XDG_DATA_HOME before wofi run and in all started launcher from it i revert this variable to previous (if set) value

Tamaranch · 2025-01-07 08:58:44

PackRat wrote:

This sort of works, but need to add the --wayland

Oh yes, of course, I forgot to add --wayland, sorry.

PackRat wrote:

But labwc and foot are not finding their config files.

See k3dAR's post above, and otherwise you have the -c and -C options of labwc, as said by eriefisher.

PackRat · 2025-01-07 15:33:54

k3dAR wrote:

PackRat wrote:
[...]
XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/labwc startxfce4 --wayland
[...]
But labwc and foot are not finding their config files.
Changing XDG_CONFIG_HOME to this, you say for ALL apps "Your config is not in ~/.config/ but in ~/.config/labwc/"
so labwc try load ~/.config/labwc/labwc/rc.xml, in this way you must duplicate or (maybe symlink be enough?) all from ~/.config/ to ~/.config/labwc/ :-)
BTW: right now i solved similar, but with change XDG_DATA_HOME for "wofi --show drun" to find .desktop from xfce4-panel launcher applet/plugin (wofi search *.desktop in ${XDG_DATA_HOME}/applications/), but my solution is not usable for you as i only change XDG_DATA_HOME before wofi run and in all started launcher from it i revert this variable to previous (if set) value

I was going to try the symlink option next.

Edit - creating symlinks was enough.

I actually created a new directory ~/.config/xfce4-wayland and created some symlinks. This command:

XDG_CONFIG_HOME=$HOME/.config/xfce4-wayland startxfce4 --wayland

starts labwc with its own panels etc ...

Last edited by PackRat (2025-01-07 15:57:35)

glenjo · 2025-01-11 23:23:22

So is this considered the best way to beta test wayland with XFCE?

glenjo · 2025-01-13 18:36:39

So a bit more data for Wayland and XFCE:

I use Archlinux, with XFCE 4.20 and lightdm. I installed the labwc package, the Plasma package group and the kde-applications group (essentially installed a KDE desktop). After a reboot, lightdm now has Plasma (Wayland), Plasma(X), XFCE(Wayland), XFCE (X), and Labwc as available desktop sessions. I have tried all of these except labwc, and these all start up and work. No extensive checking for bugs or weirdness yet. I have a graphics card and monitor that support ten bit color and HDR, these seem to be working in KDE when enabled.

I realize I've gotten pretty far from the original topic, I'll follow up with a separate post after a couple more days of testing.

Thanks!

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#1 2025-01-06 19:38:01

Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

#2 2025-01-06 19:59:42

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

#3 2025-01-06 20:40:34

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

#4 2025-01-06 22:10:36

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

#5 2025-01-06 22:12:15

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

#6 2025-01-07 02:52:03

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

#7 2025-01-07 06:42:06

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

#8 2025-01-07 08:58:44

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

#9 2025-01-07 15:33:54

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

#10 2025-01-11 23:23:22

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

#11 2025-01-13 18:36:39

Re: Editing the startxfce4 script for use with labwc

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