MX Linux Forum

While doing a bit of browsing I came across the discussion below (edited) which seems to address a similar problem. I haven't tried running xfdesktop or xfdesktop-settings, and I wondered if would be safe to use these commands?

Thanks - Wayne
============================
kosbar wrote:

I can see all pictures in the folders (eg /home/user/Downloads/ or /home/user/Pictures) but I can't change background, when I click on icon of picture nothing going on.

Are you sure that xfdesktop is managing your desktop instead of one of the other desktop managers (nemo, caja, pcmanfm, nautilus, etc). Look at your process list to see if any of those apps are running.

We on the right way!
I just typed in the terminal 'xfdesktop' and my background desktop color changed! Wow! After that I could change background to the picture!
Interesting...

Solution
1) Run thunar
2) Go to the folder /usr/share/xfce4
3) Click once over the folder /backdrops (this folder will contain all the images you want for your dektop)
4) Drag the folder to the left to include it in your preferred folders
5) Run xfdesktop-settings
6) Choose the folder backdrops, that now will appear in your list and will be accessible
7) The images will be diplayed
Chose a nice image
9) Enjoy

There was a suggestion within post #10, to check whether a new user would have similar issues your current user seems to have.
In case the issue would not show up with a new user, it would be in indication something with the current user was maybe badly tweaked
(maybe by the user) or made such that the provided upgrade path failed

I will try adding a new user and see what happens with the wallpaper. Also, I have a live USB version of MX Linux that was made shortly BEFORE the wallpaper problem developed. Are there, perhaps, some files that I could compare to see what may have changed and thereby caused the wallpaper problem?

wbrells wrote: Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:06 am I will try adding a new user and see what happens with the wallpaper.

The tool "MX User Manager" have been proven to be fairly stable and reliable to create or delete an user account.

wbrells wrote: Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:06 am Also, I have a live USB version of MX Linux that was made shortly BEFORE the wallpaper problem developed. Are there, perhaps, some files that I could compare to see what may have changed and thereby caused the wallpaper problem?

Probably, but suggest check first whether a new user works ok, and afterward compare any files if needed to be changed.

VERY STRANGE: I just took a "snapshot" of the system with the problem wallpaper & then created a live USB from that "snapshot". When I booted that live USB from an identical system, everything including the wallpaper came up fine!!! (I should note that this "identical" system uses a slightly different monitor so the desktop icons are all present but are shifted around.)

Any thoughts on what this test may indicate?

When I looked at the Display Settings on the "problem" system I see that the Refresh rate is listed as 0.00 Hz which is obviously wrong. Also, neither the resolution nor the Refresh rate can be changed.

On the system that I'm testing with the live USB, the Refresh rate is shown as 60.00 Hz which is correct. Also, on thay system it IS possible to change both the resolution and the Refresh rate. Very odd!

Wayne

Interesting. Xfce does store wallpapers on a per display per workspace basis. If the monitor was never identified properly then that could be the explainer right there.

It's clear that the monitor is NOT being properly identified:

xrandr -q
xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 1920 x 1200, current 1920 x 1200, maximum 1920 x 1200
default connected 1920x1200+0+0 0mm x 0mm
1920x1200 0.00*

The output of this command on the correctly-working system looks fine!

Is there some way to force xfce to identify a monitor? (The monitor on the "problem" system is a fairly fancy Dell with the somewhat unusual resolution of 1920 x 1200.)

wbrells wrote: Sat Mar 29, 2025 4:05 pm It's clear that the monitor is NOT being properly identified:

xrandr -q
xrandr: Failed to get size of gamma for output default
Screen 0: minimum 1920 x 1200, current 1920 x 1200, maximum 1920 x 1200
default connected 1920x1200+0+0 0mm x 0mm
1920x1200 0.00*

The output of this command on the correctly-working system looks fine!

Is there some way to force xfce to identify a monitor? (The monitor on the "problem" system is a fairly fancy Dell with the somewhat unusual resolution of 1920 x 1200.)

Are you saying you have the identical issue with a new user?

I'm a little hesitant to add a new user to my main system for fear of "messing up" things more than they already are. However, I'll experiment on my other (identical) system to make sure I know how to safely add (and the remove) a user.

BTW: On the correctly working system the monitor is listed as connected to "HDMI-1 connected", while on the "problem" system it is shown as "default connected". It really seems I need to have the system rescan for monitors...