Re: Xfce desktop problem

[David Wright <deblis@lionunicorn.co.uk>]

On Sun 01 Jan 2023 at 15:31:04 (-0600), William Torrez Corea wrote:
> How to can restore my last configuration?

So I assume your "last configuration" is in ~/.config/xfce4-session/
and ~/.config/xfce4/ .

> Try resetting to defaults

I assume that by this you mean "move my configuration out the way
and left a new set of defaults be created by running xfce", ie move:

> mv ~/.config/xfce4-session/ ~/.config/xfce4-session-bak
> mv ~/.config/xfce4/ ~/.config/xfce4-bak

and then run xfce.

> When i want to restore the old configuration, i remove the -bak that's
> been appended to the old directories; but i don't get any result.

I assume that means you typed something like:

  mv ~/.config/xfce4-session-bak/ ~/.config/xfce4-session
  mv ~/.config/xfce4-bak/ ~/.config/xfce4

That depends with how you define "result". As far as file manipulation
is concerned, files /are/ moved. However, you don't appear to have
investigated /where/ they are moved. Why not look at:

  ls -l ~/.config/xf*

and observe that your own configuration finish in the wrong place,
and are probably ignored by xfce.

--✄------

$ emacs /tmp/myconfig/file{1,2}          # create my config files (size 32)
$ ls -Glg /tmp/myconfig/
total 8
-rw-r----- 1 32 Jan  1 16:45 file1
-rw-r----- 1 32 Jan  1 16:45 file2
$ mv -i /tmp/myconfig/ /tmp/myconfig-bak # move out of the way
$ ls -Glg /tmp/myconfig-bak/
total 8
-rw-r----- 1 32 Jan  1 16:45 file1
-rw-r----- 1 32 Jan  1 16:45 file2
$ emacs /tmp/myconfig/file{1,2}    # simulate xfce creating its default config (size 14)
$ ls -Glg /tmp/my*                 # (emacs asks to create /tmp/myconfig/ when first file is saved)
/tmp/myconfig:
total 8
-rw-r----- 1 14 Jan  1 16:48 file1                   ← "default" config
-rw-r----- 1 14 Jan  1 16:47 file2

/tmp/myconfig-bak:
total 8
-rw-r----- 1 32 Jan  1 16:45 file1                   ← my moved config
-rw-r----- 1 32 Jan  1 16:45 file2

$ mv -i /tmp/myconfig-bak/ /tmp/myconfig # Intention: to restore my configuration files
$ ls -GlgR /tmp/my*
/tmp/myconfig:
total 12
-rw-r----- 1   14 Jan  1 16:48 file1           ← "default" files still in active position
-rw-r----- 1   14 Jan  1 16:47 file2
drwxr-x--- 2 4096 Jan  1 16:45 myconfig-bak    ← this is what mv actually did

/tmp/myconfig/myconfig-bak:
total 8
-rw-r----- 1 32 Jan  1 16:45 file1             ← so my configuration files are
-rw-r----- 1 32 Jan  1 16:45 file2             ← "hidden" in this subdirectory
$ 

Cheers,
David.