Window Manager configurations unintendedly removed

[Durhammer]

I had this happen before and sorta dismissed it as a one-off, but now it's happened again, and I think I know why.

I had a nice working IceWM custom configuration and JWM custom configuration and they were working quite well. However, I was trying out other WMs (currently on OpenBox) and DEs, and had installed LXQt, tried it and was quite less than pleased with it (could be a lengthy post as to why), so I logged out, logged back into O-box and removed the lxqt package. The next time(s) I tried logging in to either IceWM or JWM, they each had reverted to the default crappy settings!

I checked the ~/.icewm and ~/.jwmrc files and found that they no longer existed! I remembered that LXQt has not window manager of its own, so at its startup, asks which of a list of WMs to choose from. I had chosen JWM, not that that matters. I'm now pretty sure that when the lxqt package is removed by apt, it also takes pains to remove any user config files (!!!!), though it doesn't remove the actual WM.

Should this be considered a bug? If not, is there a way to avoid it from occurring?

QSI:

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 6.1.0-37-amd64 [6.1.140-1] arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-37-amd64 root=UUID=<filter> ro quiet splash
  Desktop: Openbox v: 3.6.1 info: tint2 vt: 7 dm: LightDM v: 1.32.0 Distro: MX-23.6_fluxbox_x64
    Libretto September 15 2024 base: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: SAMSUNG product: RF511/RF411/RF711 v: 10HX serial: <superuser required>
    Chassis: type: 9 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: SAMSUNG model: RF511/RF411/RF711 v: 10HX serial: <superuser required>
    UEFI: American Megatrends v: 10HX.M034.20110426.SSH date: 04/26/2011
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT1 charge: 33.7 Wh (75.9%) condition: 44.4/48.8 Wh (90.9%) volts: 10.6 min: 11.1
    model: SAMSUNG Electronics type: Li-ion serial: N/A status: not charging
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_0 model: Logitech ERGO M575 Trackball serial: <filter> charge: 80%
    rechargeable: yes status: discharging
CPU:
  Info: model: Intel Core i7-2630QM bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Sandy Bridge gen: core 2 level: v2
    built: 2010-12 process: Intel 32nm family: 6 model-id: 0x2A (42) stepping: 7 microcode: 0x2F
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 4 tpc: 2 threads: 8 smt: enabled cache: L1: 256 KiB
    desc: d-4x32 KiB; i-4x32 KiB L2: 1024 KiB desc: 4x256 KiB L3: 6 MiB desc: 1x6 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1204 high: 1834 min/max: 800/2900 scaling: driver: intel_cpufreq
    governor: ondemand cores: 1: 879 2: 1282 3: 1050 4: 1686 5: 960 6: 989 7: 1834 8: 955
    bogomips: 31928
  Flags: avx ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: gather_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: indirect_target_selection status: Not affected
  Type: itlb_multihit status: KVM: VMX disabled
  Type: l1tf mitigation: PTE Inversion; VMX: conditional cache flushes, SMT vulnerable
  Type: mds mitigation: Clear CPU buffers; SMT vulnerable
  Type: meltdown mitigation: PTI
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Unknown: No mitigations
  Type: reg_file_data_sampling status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_rstack_overflow status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass mitigation: Speculative Store Bypass disabled via prctl
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines; IBPB: conditional; IBRS_FW; STIBP: conditional; RSB
    filling; PBRSB-eIBRS: Not affected; BHI: Not affected
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics vendor: Samsung Co
    driver: i915 v: kernel arch: Gen-6 code: Sandybridge process: Intel 32nm built: 2011 ports:
    active: LVDS-1,VGA-1 empty: DP-1,HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0 chip-ID: 8086:0116 class-ID: 0300
  Device-2: NVIDIA GF108M [GeForce GT 540M] vendor: Samsung Co driver: N/A alternate: nouveau
    non-free: series: 390.xx+ status: legacy-active (EOL~late 2022) arch: Fermi code: GF1xx
    process: 40/28nm built: 2010-16 pcie: speed: Unknown lanes: 63 link-max: gen: 6 speed: 64 GT/s
    bus-ID: 01:00.0 chip-ID: 10de:0df4 class-ID: 0302
  Device-3: Silicon Motion WebCam SCB-1100N type: USB driver: uvcvideo bus-ID: 1-1.1:3
    chip-ID: 2232:1008 class-ID: 0e02
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
    dri: crocus gpu: i915 display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1600x2820 s-dpi: 96 s-size: 422x744mm (16.61x29.29") s-diag: 855mm (33.68")
  Monitor-1: LVDS-1 pos: primary,bottom model: ChiMei InnoLux 0x1733 built: 2012 res: 1600x900
    hz: 60 dpi: 106 gamma: 1.2 size: 382x215mm (15.04x8.46") diag: 448mm (17.6") ratio: 16:9
    modes: 1600x900
  Monitor-2: VGA-1 pos: top model: Dell P2214H serial: <filter> built: 2015 res: 1080x1920 hz: 60
    dpi: 102 gamma: 1.2 size: 268x477mm (10.55x18.78") diag: 547mm (21.5") ratio: 16:9 modes:
    max: 1920x1080 min: 720x400
  API: OpenGL v: 3.3 Mesa 22.3.6 renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 3000 (SNB GT2)
    direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio vendor: Samsung Co 6
    driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus-ID: 2-1:2 bus-ID: 00:1b.0 chip-ID: 8087:1024 class-ID: 0300
    chip-ID: 8086:1c20 serial: <filter> class-ID: 0403
  Device-2: NVIDIA GF108 High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie:
    speed: Unknown lanes: 63 link-max: gen: 6 speed: 64 GT/s bus-ID: 01:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:0bea
    class-ID: 0403
  Device-3: Intel USB2.0 Device type: USB driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid
  Device-4: AKAI MPKmini2 type: USB driver: hid-generic,snd-usb-audio,usbhid bus-ID: 2-2.2:4
    chip-ID: 2011:0715 class-ID: 0103 serial: <filter>
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-37-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: Broadcom BCM4313 802.11bgn Wireless Network Adapter vendor: Askey driver: wl v: kernel
    modules: bcma pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 02:00.0 chip-ID: 14e4:4727
    class-ID: 0280
  IF: wlan0 state: up mac: <filter>
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet vendor: Samsung Co
    driver: r8169 v: kernel pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 1 port: b000 bus-ID: 03:00.0
    chip-ID: 10ec:8168 class-ID: 0200
  IF: eth0 state: down mac: <filter>
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Broadcom BCM2070 Bluetooth Device type: USB driver: btusb v: 0.8 bus-ID: 3-1.3:3
    chip-ID: 0a5c:219c class-ID: fe01 serial: <filter>
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 rfk-id: 1 state: up address: <filter> bt-v: 2.0 lmp-v: 3.0
    sub-v: 4203 hci-v: 3.0 rev: 274
  Info: acl-mtu: 1021:8 sco-mtu: 64:1 link-policy: rswitch hold sniff park
    link-mode: peripheral accept service-classes: rendering, capturing, audio, telephony
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 2.96 TiB used: 304.33 GiB (10.0%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Samsung model: SSD 860 EVO 1TB size: 931.51 GiB block-size:
    physical: 512 B logical: 512 B speed: 6.0 Gb/s type: SSD serial: <filter> rev: 2B6Q scheme: MBR
  ID-2: /dev/sdb maj-min: 8:16 type: USB vendor: Seagate model: BUP Slim BK size: 1.82 TiB
    block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B type: N/A serial: <filter> rev: 0109 scheme: GPT
  ID-3: /dev/sdc maj-min: 8:32 type: USB vendor: Sabrent model: SABRENT size: 238.47 GiB
    block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B type: N/A serial: <filter> rev: 0204 scheme: GPT
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 100 GiB size: 97.87 GiB (97.87%) used: 21.14 GiB (21.6%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/sdc3 maj-min: 8:35
  ID-2: /boot/efi raw-size: 512 MiB size: 511 MiB (99.80%) used: 428 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/sdc2 maj-min: 8:34
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: partition size: 12 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) priority: -2 dev: /dev/sdc4
    maj-min: 8:36
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 60.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos:
  Packages: 2553 pm: dpkg pkgs: 2541 libs: 1344 tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,nala,synaptic pm: rpm
    pkgs: 0 pm: flatpak pkgs: 12
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/brave-browser-release.list
    1: deb [arch=amd64 signed-by=/usr/share/keyrings/brave-browser-archive-keyring.gpg] https://brave-browser-apt-release.s3.brave.com/ stable main
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb http://mirror.math.princeton.edu/pub/mxlinux/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
Info:
  Processes: 260 Uptime: 10h 58m wakeups: 15 Memory: 7.67 GiB used: 2.49 GiB (32.5%) Init: SysVinit
  v: 3.06 runlevel: 5 default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 12
  Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.15-release inxi: 3.3.26
Boot Mode: UEFI

[j2mcgreg]

Your topic has been moved to the MX Modified forum because your problem relates to the adaptations you have made rather than being a defect in our default versions.

[siamhie]

WM/DE's will not touch other WM/DE config folders when they are installed/removed.

How did you install LXQt?
(I've installed it myself in the past from MXPI on my fluxbox install and had no problems removing it).

[Durhammer]

Hi @siamhie -- I thought so, too, but now I'm pretty sure that's not the case.

I simply installed LXQt using "sudo apt install lxqt" (the meta-package). I tried it out -- right away, it asks for a WM to use. I had both a working IceWM and JWM setup atop my Fluxbox edition of MX 23.6 and told LXQt to use JWM. It did so, and I think initially it came up with my wallpaper and such. I don't know what was going on with LXQt, but it filled my top monitor with some strange looking grey-blue curvy background that might have been related to the panel. Somewhere along the line, I found out I could at least shift that background to the left some, which exposed my stretched wallpaper on the right side. That was just one annoyance, if major -- it greatly diminished the use of the upper monitor (in portrait mode).

There were plenty of other things I didn't like about it, so I logged out, logged back in (perhaps to this O-box environment) and ran "sudo apt remove lxqt". I continued working for a while in this environment, but at some point, I decided to log back in to JWM (I think I was trying to compare the initial memory use of each WM). What came up was vanilla JWM. Nothing I had customized (tint2, etc.) was there. I then tried IceWM -- same thing. Then I went to $HOME and looked for their respective config files, and saw that both were gone.

This is not the first time this has happened. Earlier, soon after installing MX Linux Fluxbox, I installed IceWM and started playing with it. I got the germ or my current customizations, and had a great time with it. Somewhere along the line, the same thing as above happened, and IceWM was back to its old kludgy self. I was floored. It was after that that I downloaded and started fiddling with JWM, essentially coming up with a similar custom configuration (without some of the quirks that IceWM has, like initial window placement). I then sorta forgot about the disappearing IceWM issue until it happened again yesterday (or the day before?).

That's my story. Sorry it's so lengthy. :).

BTW, a similar thing happened on a different distro I fiddle around in -- Q4OS. I was to fiddle with UXUI and when I uninstalled that, it changed the greeter (had been gddm, now I don't know what it is, but it's terrible and a totally different story and forum).

[siamhie]

Can you replicate this using a live ISO then?

[Durhammer]

Can you replicate this using a live ISO then?

Live ISO of what?

I was thinking of how to replicate it with what I have. I've more or less at least re-created my JWM environment file (.jwmrc) and this time, made a backup. :-) I was thinking of making a much simpler .jwmrc file that at least just looks different (something extra in the panel, say) and then testing it, then installing lxqt, logging in to that, then out and back in (to jwm? Openbox? Dunno if it makes a difference?) to see what happens when you remove lxqt.

[siamhie]

Can you replicate this using a live ISO then?

Live ISO of what?

Take your live ISO of fluxbox and add the WM's including LXQt, then remove LXQt and see if the other WM config folders get removed.

[figueroa]

Just restore from your backup.

[Durhammer]

Take your live ISO of fluxbox and add the WM's including LXQt, then remove LXQt and see if the other WM config folders get removed.

Sounds so easy! But it's not. What do I need to do to the environment to be able to FIND jwm and (especially) LXQt? The apt search command for either returned nothing. MX Package Installer does not show them. IceWM is available, FWIW. I can deal with that. It's the essential lxqt package that needs to be installed so it can eventually be removed.

I rely too much on Bitwarden and forgot my forum password. Tried installing Bitwarden on F-fox but it now requires verification via email, and I ain't gonna install an email app. Sheesh. (I wrote down my p-word for next time, of course!)

[siamhie]

Take your live ISO of fluxbox and add the WM's including LXQt, then remove LXQt and see if the other WM config folders get removed.

Sounds so easy! But it's not. What do I need to do to the environment to be able to FIND jwm and (especially) LXQt? The apt search command for either returned nothing. MX Package Installer does not show them. IceWM is available, FWIW. I can deal with that. It's the essential lxqt package that needs to be installed so it can eventually be removed.

I rely too much on Bitwarden and forgot my forum password. Tried installing Bitwarden on F-fox but it now requires verification via email, and I ain't gonna install an email app. Sheesh. (I wrote down my p-word for next time, of course!)

Don't worry about software you use on a daily basis. Just install the WM's from the enabled tab in MXPI and test your theory of config folders getting removed. It's just a live environment after all.