PCManFM always comes up maximized

[utu]

How do I train PCManFM to come up NOT maximized?

[utu]

Always is too strong (certainly wrong)

May have something to do with setting LXDE panel
to hide when not in use.

[dinosoep]

I wouldn't know but that sounds like a lxde bug.
did you post it on the lxde forums?

[Forester]

When PCManFM comes up maximised do you have the Minimize Wndow, Maximize Window and Close Window buttons in the top right hand corner of the PCManFM windows ?

[utu]

Thanks for the comments.

I don't know how I get into this situation, but occasionally it happens. Also, Forester, YES, and at times the frame of PCManFM is partially missing. I thought I'd work on the simpler problem first.

I'm sure it's a bug in LXDE/PCManFM, dinosoep, but I haven't got a good enough description of it yet.
Also, last time I visited LXDE forum it was a wasteland.

I can always recover by ctl-alt-backspace, killing and re-starting X.
A nuisance, since this also kills my wifi.

Hoping someone else seeing this and has a better description of what's going on.

Don't remember this before recent tweak to add 'hide-when-not-in-use ' to lower lxpanel.

One other clue is usually happens when I have a lot of GUIs going at the same time: IceWeasel+OOo spreadsheet+LXPanel +Leafpad+PCManFM.

[Forester]

I suspect the two are the same problem. I have been observing a similar effect with Knoppix 6.4.3 for several weeks. I didn't want to say anything until I'd seen if the problem persists in 6.4.4. Sadly it does.

Sometimes, not always, LXTerminal starts with, as utu puts it, an incomplete frame. The terminal comes up with a default sized window (that does not fill the entire desktop display area). The window cannot be moved by dragging and dropping or be resized. First thought is the window is not under control of the window manager, which I gather is Compiz. So first guess is this is a Compiz issue.

I've been using (occasionally) Debian LXDE on venerable desktops and laptops for a couple of years and have not seen this issue, which suggests (tentatively) that this is not an LXDE issue.

I first noticed this issue using kate (I've the DVD MAXI edition, so I've all the KDE programs you miss from Knoppix 5). Here, starting kate from the main menu usually, but not always, exhibits the issue. Starting kate from a terminal command line does not exhibit the issue (I don't recall it ever happening).

I've not seen this with the big, heavy applications I run but I don't start these all that often. I've not noticed this issue at work were I use a virtual machine on a desktop. I have the issue on my new laptop that makes all my other machines look like electric prams.

If you could have a go for a day or so running without Compiz to see if the problem goes away, I'll try running the KDE desktop to see if the problem persists.

Happy hunting.

[utu]

Thanks, Forester, worth a try.

Don't know if I can live without the wobbly windows and the magic lamp exit, however.

Killed expo and scale months ago.

[utu]

Professor Forester: Is there an OFF button somewhere on Compiz?

[utu]

Also ran across this

http://dreamlinuxforums.org/index.php?topic=2268.0

[utu]

There is also a workarounds section under compiz/utility.
Any ideas there? Anyone?

[Forester]

Is there an OFF button somewhere on Compiz?


There's this in the cheat codes sheet (their spelling, not mine)


knoppix no3d Don't use compiz 3d fuctionsVery Freudian.

Another approach might be to try


Main Menu > Preferences > (Re-) start 3D desktop compizwhen your frame is incomplete.

[utu]

Forester: Could be a valid Austrian term KK uses we're not familiar with.
Thanks for lots of good ideas.

Are any programs in 6.4.3 dependent on Qt?
I note Compiz has a workaround called 'Qt Window fix'.

[utu]

Per this article,

http://wiki.compiz.org/Troubleshooting#Checking_for_problems

Edited startcompiz to include '--replace ccp' in the LXDE menu item Preferences (Re-) start Compiz...

Will also try this to recover PCManFM from bad behavior.

[utu]

I just used Preferences / (Re-) start Compiz from the LXDE menu
to recover from a case of the 'Forester's lost frames syndrome'.
Didn't have to re-load my wi-fi, either.

I have post #13 mod and Compiz' Utility/Qt fix in also.
These may be unnecessary; I never tried the just menu item to recover before.
Just try the LXDE menu route first.

[utu]

I'm using Knoppix 6.4.4 as a LiveUSB.
My laptop uses an Intel i915 video chipset. Compiz is on by default.

I occasionally have video difficulties, which I assume arise
from conflicts among LXDE, PCManFM, Compiz and my hardware.

Here is the toolkit of work-arounds I have found and use.
I invite your comments and additions to the same.

1...The only temporary cure I know of is the cheatcode, no3d. If you are
really convinced, THEN add it to your DEFAULT line in
/mnt-system/boot/syslog/syslog.cfg.
Your problems won't then be caused by Compiz, anyway.

2...If your problem is missing frames on windows, or if the only
problem is that windows can't remember to come up un-maximized,
THEN use the LXDE Menu item Preferences/(Re-) start ... Compiz.

3...If your keyboard is un-responsive, or if your lxpanel won't
come out of hiding, or if the lxpanel app shows one of your cpus
is in overload THEN use control-alt-backspace to reset X.
Sorry, but this throws your wi-fi off-line as well.

4...If you are mildly 'anal' (as in analysis) about these things,
There is a list of work-arounds built into the CompizConfig Setting Manager.
Go to LXDE menu item Preferences/Compiz...Mgr/Category Utility/.
Try some of these and report you findings.

5...If you are really 'anal' try out ALL the choices in the
CompizConfig Settings Manager; keep the results to yourself.

[Forester]

Full marks for points 1 to 3. Not so sure about the scatological final 2 points.

I've been running KDE 4 from the MAXI edition and that isn't running with Compiz anyway. No problems with missing window frames.

When I've an unresponsive keyboard and a blank screen at work (where Knoppix is running in a Virtual Box) the following often works: press ctrl-alt-f1 to switch to the console window ... count to 10 very, very slowly ... repeat if nothing happens ... when-and-if the console window wakes up ... press ctrl-alt-f5 to switch back to the GUI.

[utu]

Only 5 is scat. The Compiz GUI is a nightmare I'd avoid.
4 is serious, but none of them worked for me. They are hardware dependent.
Had one serious crash 1-4 wouldn't handle;
I decided to rebuild rather than fuss with it any longer.
And no, I don't know how I crashed the system, but I did.
Keep squashing.

Isn't your alternative the same as ctl-alt-backspace the hard way?

[Forester]

Isn't your alternative the same as ctl-alt-backspace the hard way?

No. ctlr-alt-backspace restarts the X-server. This seems to involve the death and rebirth of all applications and potentially loss of context and or data. My alternative is an attempt to wake up an unresponsive desktop so I can carry on. It may be specific to my Virtual Machine set up but its worth a try anyway. There's nothing to lose.

[utu]

@ Forester

Some follow-up, FYI.

Working with no3d, but still having selected hide-when-not-in-use for the lxpanel,
I have found NO cases where I can recover from the panel staying hidden, except
via ctl-alt-backspace; and none so far that needed a complete re-boot.

ctl-alt-f1 and wait and ctl-alt-f5 NEVER allowed recovery.

Even though Compiz can't be blamed for this remaining problem, the apparent
responsiveness of the LXDE system to keyboard and/or GUI commands
is MUCH improved WITHOUT Compiz.