Bunsen/Gnome?

Nermal · 2015-12-29 23:37:00

I'm looking at doing some computer upgrades early next year. Currently my wife is using an older Ubuntu LTS (12.04 I think) and generally using Gnome as her desktop environment. I've been using CrunchBang, and now BunsenLabs for a several years now.

For reasons of simplicity, I'd like to get us both on the same base OS. She's in need of of enough of a computer upgrade that she'll need a full OS re-install. And she probably needs Gnome and her other programs brought up to date (although she does keep her web browser current).

Anyway, to the point: I'd like to install Bunsen on both our computers, and I strongly suspect she'll want Gnome back. Is there anything I should be aware of before I do sudo apt-get install gnome?

Last edited by Nermal (2015-12-29 23:37:35)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-30 01:11:48

The only thing I can think of is that GDM may replace LightDM but I don't know how this would effect the openbox-session that BunsenLabs runs by default.

If you give me a bit, I'll try it out in QEMU and see if anything b0rks.

johnraff · 2015-12-30 01:29:25

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

...GDM may replace LightDM but I don't know how this would effect the openbox-session that BunsenLabs runs by default.

The DM shouldn't matter so much - the default skel won't be copied in but for gnome you might not need that anyway - but since Gnome uses another window manager then the BL openbox session won't be run at all.

In fact, it's hard to see anything of BL remaining - or usefully remaining - in a Gnome session, so why not just install Gnome on top of a basic Debian netinstall?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-30 01:32:15

johnraff wrote:

since Gnome uses another window manager then the BL openbox session won't be run at all

There should be an option to select "openbox-session" from GDM which will run the BL desktop.

You will have to bear with me, I haven't set up I/O properly in my QEMU yet

It's taking ages to update

EDIT: I can say for sure that installing gnome-core and just the needed packages from the desktop would be a better idea than the entire GNOME metapackage.

johnraff · 2015-12-30 02:06:13

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

There should be an option to select "openbox-session" from GDM which will run the BL desktop.

But then no Gnome stuff will be run, right?
@Nermal Is the idea to have both Gnome and BL available on the one machine, depending on choice at login?

I can say for sure that installing gnome-core and just the needed packages from the desktop would be a better idea than the entire GNOME metapackage.

This sounds very sensible.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-30 02:06:27

Update: APT asks which display manager to use when GDM is configured -- make sure that "LightDM" is selected to keep the BL-themed login screen.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-30 02:07:18

johnraff wrote:

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:
There should be an option to select "openbox-session" from GDM which will run the BL desktop.
But then no Gnome stuff will be run, right?

I think that no GNOME-specific programs should run if openbox-session is selected but I'm not sure.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-30 03:30:25

Right, it's finished.

The "Default xsession" selects the GNOME desktop so change that to "openbox" to start the BL desktop.

It all seems to be fine though, no rogue GNOME programs running in `htop` or `pstree`

EDIT: Love the new faded look for the launcher icons

Nermal · 2015-12-30 04:35:21

johnraff wrote:

@Nermal Is the idea to have both Gnome and BL available on the one machine, depending on choice at login?

Yeah, I'd be hoping I could log into what's familiar to me (I tend to modify the base install very little) to do system management for her, and she could log into what's familiar for her (Gnome) for her day to day tasks. I'd likely stick with straight Bunsen/Openbox on my machine.

And the suggestion to do gnome-core instead of gnome on apt-get is exactly the type of advice I was looking for, and probably is an option I'd have missed if I hadn't asked. In fact, I may play with that a bit on my machine (my Christmas present was an SSD so I'm due for a reinstall onto a new drive anyway).

damo · 2015-12-30 12:30:01

^ When you get it all set up, maybe you could post a HowTo? It sounds like the kind of thing others might be thinking of.

PackRat · 2015-12-30 14:47:26

What's the version of gnome on Ubuntu 12.04 - or whatever version your wife is running. Did Ubuntu switch to 3.x at that point, or will you want to look at installing Mate to provide her the same user interface?

Nermal · 2015-12-30 15:53:16

Its definitely an early version of gnome 3. I don't have access to her machine at the moment, but a quick google says Gnome 3.4 released shortly before Ubuntu 12.04 released, as that Ubuntu 12.04 was expected to release with a mostly 3.2 install. She switched from Unity to Gnome at a later time though (I think she slightly borked something in Unity), so she may have managed to install a later version via PPA.

Horizon_Brave · 2015-12-31 02:29:44

So is it my understanding that if openbox is started with lightdm (or any display manager), then the Xsession file is not read? and instead the openbox-session file is used instead?

pvsage · 2015-12-31 08:41:31

^ On my LXDE system, ~/.xsessionrc is read when logging in via LightDM. My understanding of what's going on "behind the curtain" is limited, but I think Xsession is involved.

KrunchTime · 2015-12-31 11:49:11

johnraff wrote:

...so why not just install Gnome on top of a basic Debian netinstall?

Isn't there an option when doing the netinstall to install Gnome? It may be worded as default desktop or something like that.

@Nermal: I would suggest first trying it out in a VM so you can experiment or easily blow it away if it doesn't work out.

Last edited by KrunchTime (2015-12-31 11:50:18)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2015-12-31 12:08:21

Horizon_Brave wrote:

So is it my understanding that if openbox is started with lightdm (or any display manager), then the Xsession file is not read? and instead the openbox-session file is used instead?

AFAIK, only xdm(1) will actually source ~/.xsession on startup.

Most display managers follow the freedesktop.org autostart specification:
http://standards.freedesktop.org/autost … c-0.5.html

The openbox autostart file is only run if "openbox-session" is selected, rather than "openbox", which just starts the window manager.

Horizon_Brave · 2015-12-31 15:02:30

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Horizon_Brave wrote:
So is it my understanding that if openbox is started with lightdm (or any display manager), then the Xsession file is not read? and instead the openbox-session file is used instead?
AFAIK, only xdm(1) will actually source ~/.xsession on startup.
Most display managers follow the freedesktop.org autostart specification:
http://standards.freedesktop.org/autost … c-0.5.html
The openbox autostart file is only run if "openbox-session" is selected, rather than "openbox", which just starts the window manager.

Oh wow, I didn't know there was an actual standard and specification on autostarts...I seriously thought it was just something openbox made up. I thought that each window manager or Desktop env. just rolled their own implementation. Good to know they have to follow a standardized way of doing things though.

balloon · 2016-01-01 09:12:21

Nermal wrote:

I'm looking at doing some computer upgrades early next year. Currently my wife is using an older Ubuntu LTS (12.04 I think) and generally using Gnome as her desktop environment.

I thought this sentence wonder. Is it really GNOME? (GNOME2?)

If correct GNOME2 is, now GNOME (GNOME3 a.k.a. GNOME Shell) is a different desktop now.

Last edited by balloon (2016-01-01 09:16:10)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-01-01 12:13:47

balloon wrote:

GNOME2 is, now GNOME (GNOME3 a.k.a. GNOME Shell) is a different desktop now.

This is very true, I didn't think of that :8

@Nermel:

If your significant other dislikes the changes the GNOME team have made, have a look at the MATE desktop instead
https://wiki.debian.org/Mate

tknomanzr · 2016-01-01 19:09:42

I think in Ubuntu 12.04, gnome2 was called gnome-fallback. I ran Ubuntu 12.04 with gnome-fallback for quite some time before migrating to Crunchbang.

#1 2015-12-29 23:37:00

Bunsen/Gnome?

#2 2015-12-30 01:11:48

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#3 2015-12-30 01:29:25

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#4 2015-12-30 01:32:15

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#5 2015-12-30 02:06:13

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#6 2015-12-30 02:06:27

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#7 2015-12-30 02:07:18

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#8 2015-12-30 03:30:25

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#9 2015-12-30 04:35:21

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#10 2015-12-30 12:30:01

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#11 2015-12-30 14:47:26

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#12 2015-12-30 15:53:16

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#13 2015-12-31 02:29:44

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#14 2015-12-31 08:41:31

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#15 2015-12-31 11:49:11

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#16 2015-12-31 12:08:21

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#17 2015-12-31 15:02:30

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#18 2016-01-01 09:12:21

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#19 2016-01-01 12:13:47

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

#20 2016-01-01 19:09:42

Re: Bunsen/Gnome?

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