MX Linux Forum

Probably makes sense to check your cables.

wbrells wrote: Sat Mar 29, 2025 4:53 pm 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.

It seems that your current system is already a bit messed up. So good luck finding the showstopper.

Latest clue: If I boot my "problem" system using the live usb created on that system I initially get the black background as expected. HOWEVER, with this setup I can select a different background and all appears well. If I switch to Workspace 2 I get the black wallpaper again but I can then select a real wallpaper. In other words, I can switch between two Workspaces and each has their own wallpaper.

Unfortunately, when I boot the "problem" system in the normal way from an SSD, I still get the unchangeable black wallpaper. All my apps, etc. run fine, so perhaps it is time to "give up" on any attempts at fixing the wallpaper. Thanks again for trying to help with this problem!

running the xfconf-query command previously given to list all settings might be useful to show when running the live-usb since it works.

You need to create a new user as was suggested and see the result. Creating a new user should never "mess up" your system and will tell if it is in your user settings. (which it definitely sounds like it is.)

Well, I created a new user but when I went to the Start menu and selected the Switch User icon the screen went black and I had to power off/restart my system! (Fortunately, it came back OK.) Suggestion?

As far as the xconf-query command is concerned, I'm not sure which Channel I should be looking at. Here is a list of all Channels:

xfconf-query -l
Channels:
accessibility
catfish
displays
keyboards
pointers
thunar
thunar-volman
xfce4-appfinder
xfce4-desktop
xfce4-keyboard-shortcuts
xfce4-mime-settings
xfce4-mixer
xfce4-notifyd
xfce4-panel
xfce4-power-manager
xfce4-screensaver
xfce4-session
xfce4-settings-editor
xfce4-settings-manager
xfce4-taskmanager
xfce4-terminal
xfwm4
xsettings

and

Here is the output from the above xconf-query command when run in the normal way on the "problem" system when the wallpaper is black and cannot be changed:

xfconf-query -c xfce4-desktop --list -v
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/image-path /home/wayneb/Pictures/Wayne hiking.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/image-show true
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/backdrop-cycle-enable true
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/backdrop-cycle-timer 2
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/last-image /usr/share/backgrounds/Farewell_To_Ugly_Duckling.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace1/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace1/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace1/last-image /usr/share/backgrounds/honesty-muted.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace0/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace0/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace0/last-image /usr/share/backgrounds/Honesty.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace1/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace1/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace1/last-image /usr/share/backgrounds/Honesty.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace0/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace0/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace0/last-image /usr/share/backgrounds/Honesty.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace1/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace1/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace1/last-image /usr/share/backgrounds/Honesty.jpg
/backdrop/single-workspace-mode false
/backdrop/single-workspace-number 1
/desktop-icons/file-icons/migrated-4.19 [ec67f7b6761b77649a1825c5601d0dd17c7f582e,f0073946de40555648e2b49c47fde448f2e40e3b]
/desktop-icons/file-icons/show-filesystem false
/desktop-icons/file-icons/show-home false
/desktop-icons/file-icons/show-removable false
/desktop-icons/file-icons/show-trash false
/desktop-icons/icon-size 56
/desktop-icons/single-click false
/desktop-icons/tooltip-size 120.000000
/last-settings-migration-version 1
/last/window-height 572
/last/window-width 705

And here is the output from that command when run from the "live" USB created on the same system when the wallpaper is normal and can be changed:

xfconf-query -c xfce4-desktop --list -v
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/image-path /home/wayneb/Pictures/Wayne hiking.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/image-show true
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/backdrop-cycle-enable false
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace0/last-image /home/wayneb/Pictures/Dilbert_Boss.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace1/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace1/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitor0/workspace1/last-image /usr/share/backgrounds/Honesty.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace0/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace0/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace0/last-image /usr/share/backgrounds/Honesty.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace1/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace1/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitorHDMI-1/workspace1/last-image /usr/share/backgrounds/Honesty.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace0/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace0/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace0/last-image /usr/share/backgrounds/Honesty.jpg
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace1/color-style 0
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace1/image-style 3
/backdrop/screen0/monitorLVDS/workspace1/last-image /usr/share/backgrounds/Honesty.jpg
/backdrop/single-workspace-mode false
/backdrop/single-workspace-number 0
/desktop-icons/file-icons/migrated-4.19 [ec67f7b6761b77649a1825c5601d0dd17c7f582e,f0073946de40555648e2b49c47fde448f2e40e3b]
/desktop-icons/file-icons/show-filesystem false
/desktop-icons/file-icons/show-home false
/desktop-icons/file-icons/show-removable false
/desktop-icons/file-icons/show-trash false
/desktop-icons/icon-size 56
/desktop-icons/single-click false
/desktop-icons/tooltip-size 120.000000
/last-settings-migration-version 1
/last/window-height 572
/last/window-width 705

There are some slight differences between these two outputs, but I'm not sure what items - if any - may be significant. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

Wayne

I had what might be the same or similar problem a while back.
My xfce-desktop settings had a bunch of background images, workspaces and displays that didn't exist.

I reset everything by:
Log out.
Open a (real) terminal by Ctrl+Alt+F1 from the login screen.
Run mc (file manager) so it's easier to navigate.
Deleted these files:
~/.cache/sessions
~/.cache/xfce4
~/.config/autostart/zxfce-single-workspace-number-fix.desktop
~/.config/xfce4/single-workspace-number-fix
~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/displays.xml
~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-desktop.xml

sudo reboot

Then log back in and set the wallpaper and other desktop settings the way I had them.