I don't understand why I can't use my favorite Fedora packages in Xfce

xtian · 2011-08-20 15:53:09

I'm having trouble using some common apps from Gnome. I used YUM and installed gcalctool (a calculator I used in Gnome--I think. Package names are still difficult). When I attempted to run this app I get this error:

g_dbus_connection_real_closed: Remote peer vanished with error: Underlying GIOStream returned 0 bytes on an async read (g-io-error-quark, 0). Exiting.
Terminated

I'm new to switching DE/WM and have just migrated from Gnome/Fedora 11 to Xfce/Fedora 15. I installed Gnome, Xfce, and Kde to begin with to test how they performed on my laptop. Then I reinstalled with only Xfce and Fluxbox. What I didn't know before switching desktops is how often Xwindows applications send parameters with the execute command for the application. Or, about dependencies as in the case of the Xfce DE itself. To work properly, I launch it with the command,

exec ck-launch-session dbus-launch startxfce4

The calculator app not working has lead me to ask the relationship between different DEs and the main Linux distro I'm using. I expect to find interdistribution issues [1] between distros (Fedora/Redhat, openSUSE, Ubuntu, etc.). The GTK+[2] vs. Qt[3] GUI toolkits is a core difference between branches of Linux distros. There is also the package management differences. Fedora/Redhat uses RPM and other distros use whatever they use.

Then what might be happening with gcalctool? Xfce and Gnome seem to both share the package manager YUM, but not the same packages to run the calculator? What can help me understand how to begin troubleshooting this problem. How might I understand what is happening under the hood when YUM installed gcalctool, but gcalctool does not run...?

// edited the last line about YUM, because the issue isnot (YUM ?= gcalctool); is ((YUM -> gcalctool)-> (gcactool -> error));

[1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linux_dist … ion_issues
[2]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GTK%2B
[3]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qt_%28framework%29

Last edited by xtian (2011-09-10 19:41:37)

Sideburns · 2011-08-20 19:47:16

Are you booting into runlevel 3? If not, you should have either gdm or kdm installed and use it for your login screen. Then, once you've selected your username it will allow you to pick your DE/WM before entering your password. Much simpler, and it may well clear up this issue.

BTW, as another Fedora user, both XFCE and Gnome (and any other DE) use yum in Fedora because that's Fedora's package manager, just as they'd use apt-get under any Debian-based distro.

angstrom · 2011-08-21 00:31:48

For the error with g_dbus_connection : it's out of my league :-(

About dependency between distribution, DE, KDE, gnome, xfce, fluxbox, etc ... I can try to explain. For the readers : please feel free to correct me !

On Fedora, to install a software, you will need a .rpm file. Once you have the .rpm of your software (in your DVD or on the net), you install it with the software rpm. Problem : on opensource system, a software needs some libraries, who it self can be dependent of other libraries. The rpm is capable to check all the package installed on your computer and see if all the libraries required by your new software is installed or not ? If all is here, it will intall your new software : cool ! Otherwise, it will NOT install your software and show the list of libraries that you need to install first.
Normally you will have to go search on your DVD (or internet) and install the missing libaries. (You may encounter : to be able to install a missing library, you have to to install other libraries, etc....the hell !!!). So you have YUM (which is a software) that will go on the net, search and resolve all the required libraries, install them and install your desired software : cool !!

On Debian, you have the equivalent : for the software and libraries : .deb file. For the installer, instead of rpm, you have dpkg. instead of yum, you have apt-get.

DE for Desktop Environment is a set of software that manage how to draw your windows, your panel, what to do when you right click on the desktop, etc ... You have some names : Xfce, Kde, Gnome, Fluxbox, etc ... Those softwares will depend on some libraries. Eg : gnome and xfce, depend on gtk; kde depends on qt.

Normally you can install the DE you want on the Linux distribution of your choice. But, linux distribution have their "preference", meaning their developpers will work on, maintain, repair bug more on a specific DE. Fedora favor Gnome like Ubuntu. Opensuse favor KDE. Xubuntu favor Xfce.

Some softwares are specific to DE. Eg : kate (a text editor) is made by KDE developpers. It depends on KDE libraries. So if you want to install kate, you have to install kde libraries and all his dependance !! gcalctool is a Gnome software so it will depends on a lot of libraries that Gnome required.

More complex, gcalctool may need some parameter to be set and some other program to be started before itself. When you log with Gnome session, this program is started quietly by Gnome but that not the case with Xfce session.

xtian · 2011-09-10 19:48:36

angstrom wrote:

When you log with Gnome session, this program is started quietly by Gnome but that not the case with Xfce session.

Yes! That's a great idea to add to the Xfce wiki. It would be a natural branch also covering other related issues such as "package bloat" from adding extra packages to get apps like Kate (which is totally awesome), or "package conflict" or how to choose a package in the Xfce philosophy of light weight for laptops! Or maybe how some package names on different branches have slightly different names (I think Python has some packages like this)...

My2c

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#1 2011-08-20 15:53:09

I don't understand why I can't use my favorite Fedora packages in Xfce

#2 2011-08-20 19:47:16

Re: I don't understand why I can't use my favorite Fedora packages in Xfce

#3 2011-08-21 00:31:48

Re: I don't understand why I can't use my favorite Fedora packages in Xfce

#4 2011-09-10 19:48:36

Re: I don't understand why I can't use my favorite Fedora packages in Xfce

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