#### Beyond Linux® From Scratch (System V Edition) - Version 12.3

### Chapter 35. Xfce Desktop

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# xfce4-session-4.20.0

## 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.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS 12.3 platform.

### Package Information

- Download (HTTP): https://archive.xfce.org/src/xfce/xfce4-session/4.20/xfce4-session-4.20.0.tar.bz2

- Download MD5 sum: f98b892974a489120ccdddf442ca00fa

- Download size: 1.1 MB

- Estimated disk space required: 15 MB

- Estimated build time: 0.1 SBU

### Xfce4 Session Dependencies

#### Required

libwnck-43.2, libxfce4windowing-4.20.2, and libxfce4ui-4.20.0

#### Recommended

desktop-file-utils-0.28, xfce4-screensaver or XScreenSaver-6.09, 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-1.16.0, GnuPG-2.4.7, hicolor-icon-theme-0.18, OpenSSH-9.9p2, and xinit-1.4.3

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 runlevel 3, using xinit-1.4.3, or from runlevel 5, using a Display Manager, such as lightdm-1.32.0.

To start Xfce4 using xinit-1.4.3, 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

### Note

You may wish to drop dbus-launch, e.g., just using startxfce4 in ~/.xinitrc. However some capabilities such as mounting or umounting file systems from a file manager will not be possible, or the reboot option will be absent or inoperative, among other problems.

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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