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faq [2011/10/20 20:39] paiioufaq [2019/08/30 19:23] (current) – [Frequently Asked Questions] kevinbowen
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-====== Frequently asked questions ====== +====== Frequently Asked Questions ======
-This is a list of frequently asked questions about Xfce. Feel free to improve and/or extend this page, but keep it clean and easy to read for other users.+
  
-====== Getting started ======+<note important>Please see https://docs.xfce.org/faq for up to date documentation! 
 +</note> 
 + 
 +  * **[[faq#Getting Started|Getting Started]]** 
 +  * **[[faq#Installation|Installation]]** 
 +  * **[[faq#Starting Xfce|Starting Xfce]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#Login Problems|Login Problems]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#Logout Problems|Logout Problems]]** 
 +  * **[[faq#Usage|Usage]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#Keyboard|Keyboard]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#Kiosk|Kiosk]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#Menu|Menu]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#File Manager|File Manager]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#Desktop Manager|Desktop Manager]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#Window Manager|Window Manager]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#Session Manager|Session Manager]]** 
 +  * **[[faq#Visual Appearance|Visual Appearance]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#Applications|Applications]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#Themes|Themes]]** 
 +      * **[[faq#Windows|Windows]]** 
 +  * **[[faq#Development|Development]]** 
 + 
 +---- 
 +====== Getting Started ======
 ===== About Xfce ===== ===== About Xfce =====
  
 === What is "Xfce" and why should I use it? === === What is "Xfce" and why should I use it? ===
-Xfce is a desktop environment for Unix and other Unix-like platforms (such as Linux, Solaris or BSD). Xfce is "Designed for productivity. It loads and executes applications fast, while conserving system resources." (Olivier Fourdan). This philosophy should appeal to anyone looking for a fast, modern, and efficient working environment for a *NIX box.+Xfce is a desktop environment for Unix and other Unix-like platforms (such as Linux, Solaris or BSD). Xfce is "designed for productivity. It loads and executes applications fast, while conserving system resources." (Olivier Fourdan, creator of Xfce). This philosophy should appeal to anyone looking for a fast, modern, and efficient working environment for a *NIX box.
  
-=== How to pronounce Xfce and what it means === +=== How do you pronounce Xfce and what does it mean? === 
-"Ecks Eff See Eee". The name Xfce originally stood for XForms Common Environment, but since thenXfce was rewritten twice and doesn't use XForms toolkit anymore. The name survived, but the F is nolonger capitalized (not "XFce", but "Xfce"). Currently the acronym doesn't stand for anything (suggestion: X Freakin' Cool Environment).+Xfce is pronounced "ecks-eff-see-ee". The name Xfce originally stood for "XForms Common Environment", but since then Xfce has been rewritten twice and doesn't use the XForms toolkit anymore. The name survived, but it is no longer capitalized as "XFCEand is no longer an abbreviation for anything (although suggestions have been made, such as "X Freakin' Cool Environment").
  
 === What does the logo mean? === === What does the logo mean? ===
 A mouse, obviously, for all kinds of reasons like world domination and monsters and such. A mouse, obviously, for all kinds of reasons like world domination and monsters and such.
  
-=== On which platforms does Xfce run currently? === +=== On which platforms does Xfce currently run? === 
-Xfce is developed to be versatile. It is currently supported on Linux, Solaris and BSD, but has been known to run in some shape or form on IRIX, MacOS X, and Windows.+Xfce is developed to be versatile. It is currently supported on Linux, Solaris and BSD, but has been known to run in some shape or form on IRIX, Mac OS X, and Windows.
  
 === Under which license is Xfce distributed? === === Under which license is Xfce distributed? ===
 Xfce 4 components are licensed under free or open source licenses: GPL or BSDL Xfce 4 components are licensed under free or open source licenses: GPL or BSDL
 for applications and LGPL or BSDL for libraries. Read the documentation, for applications and LGPL or BSDL for libraries. Read the documentation,
-the source code, or [[http://www.xfce.org|the Xfce homepage]] for more+the source code, or refer to [[http://www.xfce.org|the Xfce homepage]] for more
 information. information.
  
-=== How long between two official release? === +=== How long a wait is it between each official release? === 
-There is no set schedule, but there are goals the developers try to meet That saidthe creation of deadlines does not lend itself well to those working without compensation So the overall goal is to release a new version as certain goals are reached Unfortunately, that does not allow the advanced statement of any release schedule.  Please check back often to read any news releases about the product.+There is no set schedule, a new version will be released when it is readyXfce's development is split up into key phaseseach of which can take months or even years to completeMore information on the release model can be found [[https://xfce.org/about/releasemodel|here.]] Currently the wait for Xfce 4.14 has been over 4 years, [[https://wiki.xfce.org/releng/4.14/roadmap|here is it's current status.]] Although this may seem like a long time - remember, Xfce is developed by a small group of hard-working volunteers!
  
 +[[|Back To Top]]
 +
 +----
 ====== Installation ====== ====== Installation ======
-===== Installation Options ===== 
- 
-Xfce can be installed in at least two different ways: 
-  * From source code - build the environment by yourself. 
-  * From the package manager of your distro - it will provide you the pre-compiled binaries or install instructions to build from source. 
-         * Arch:   pacman -S xfce4 (http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xfce#How_to_Install_Xfce) 
-         * Debian: su -c "apt-get install xfce4 xfce4-goodies" 
-         * Fedora: sudo yum groupinstall XFCE (http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Xfce) 
-         * FreeBSD: pkg_add -r xfce4 (http://www.freebsd.org/doc/en_US.ISO8859-1/books/handbook/x11-wm.html) 
-         * Gentoo: emerge -avt xfce4-meta (http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/xfce-config.xml) 
-         * Mageia: Mageia Control Center (add the package task-xfce) or, as root, urpmi task-xfce (http://www.mageia.org) 
-         * MidnightBSD: pkg_add -r xfce4 
-         * Mythbuntu: sudo apt-get install mythbuntu-desktop 
-         * Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop ([[http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=xubuntu-desktop|package description]]; [[apt://xubuntu-desktop|direct install]]) 
-<del>  * From the graphical installer provided by os-cillation - just follow the instructions on [[http://www.xfce.org/documentation/installers/xfce/index.html|this page]]. 
-  * From the Shaman GUI provided by The Chakra Project - just follow the information found at [[http://www.chakra-project.org/tools-shaman.html|this page]].</del> 
- 
-===== Package manager ===== 
-This is the ideal solution, if your distribution of permits. 
- 
-It also helps to go back, leaving no trace, if the environment Xfce is not for you (But is it possible?). 
- 
-<del>===== Xfce Installer ===== 
-=== The installer reports I'm missing dependencies === 
-Some distributions have separate -devel packages for libraries. The Xfce installer needs those package for compiling the Xfce desktop environment. When, for example, the dependency for glib is missing, make sure you have both the glib and the glib-devel package installed. 
- 
-=== The graphical installer fails with "C++ preprocessor fails sanity check" === 
-This error message tells you that the configure script was unable to verify that the C++ preprocessor is setup properly on your system. You can most probably fix this problem by installing the g++ package for your distribution. 
- 
-=== The graphical installer fails with "Unable to connect to Xserver" === 
-For some reason the installation wizard is not able to connect to an Xserver, which is required for the installer. This usually happens when you use su, and su in turn doesn't pass the DISPLAY environment variable properly. Try to use the commands: 
- 
-  $ xhost +localhost 
-  $ su --preserve-environment 
-  # ./xfce4-4.2.1.1-installer.bin 
  
-or+Xfce can be installed either from the package manager of your distro or [[https://docs.xfce.org/xfce/building|from the source code]]. Installing via a package manager is preferred as it allows you to easily go back if the Xfce environment is not for you. Building from the source code allows you to try out the latest features that may be unstable for daily use. 
 +    * [[http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xfce|Arch]] 
 +    * [[http://wiki.debian.org/Xfce|Debian]] 
 +    * [[http://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Xfce|Fedora]] 
 +    * [[http://www.freebsd.org/handbook/x11-wm.html#X11-WM-XFCE|FreeBSD]] 
 +    * [[http://www.gentoo.org/doc/en/xfce-config.xml|Gentoo]] 
 +    * [[http://www.mageia.org|Mageia:]] Mageia Control Center (add the package task-xfce) or, as root, urpmi task-xfce 
 +    * MidnightBSD: pkg_add -r xfce4 
 +    * [[http://www.netbsd.org/docs/guide/en/chap-x.html#chap-x-other-window-managers|NetBSD]] 
 +    * Ubuntu: sudo apt-get install xubuntu-desktop ([[http://packages.ubuntu.com/search?keywords=xubuntu-desktop|package description]]; [[apt://xubuntu-desktop|direct install]])
  
-  $ xhost +localhost +[[|Back To Top]]
-  $ su +
-  # env DISPLAY=:0 ./xfce4-4.2.1.1-installer.bin+
  
-Instead (replace :0 with your display name if required). </del>+----
  
 ====== Starting Xfce ====== ====== Starting Xfce ======
  
 ==== Is it possible to start Xfce when I login on the console? ==== ==== Is it possible to start Xfce when I login on the console? ====
-There are three different ways to do this:+Yes, there are three different ways to do this:
   * You can just login with the command ''startxfce4''   * You can just login with the command ''startxfce4''
   * You can add ''exec startxfce4'' to your ''.xinitrc'' in your home directory and simply use ''startx''.   * You can add ''exec startxfce4'' to your ''.xinitrc'' in your home directory and simply use ''startx''.
-  * You put the following in your .bash_profile/.bashrc if you want that Xfce is started automatically when you login on tty1:+  * You can put the following in your .bash_profile/.bashrc if you want Xfce to start automatically when you login on tty1:
  
   if [ "$(tty)" = "/dev/tty1" -o "$(tty)" = "/dev/vc/1" ] ; then   if [ "$(tty)" = "/dev/tty1" -o "$(tty)" = "/dev/vc/1" ] ; then
Line 84: Line 81:
  
 ==== Is it possible to use Xfce with DMs? ==== ==== Is it possible to use Xfce with DMs? ====
-Oh yesAnd probably it is the default behavior of most distributions.+YesIt'probably the default behavior of most distributions.
  
 === Setting up LXDM === === Setting up LXDM ===
-LXDM is the display manager of LXDE. But it is universal. I (Paiiou) think that it is an excellent manager for Xfce: no dependencies on GNOME or KDE, nice interfacevery complete. Most distributions have a package to install. Regarding the configuration, check the presence of a file (or add) /usr/share/xsessions/06xfce4.desktop (the location may differ depending on the distributions), such as:+LXDM is the display manager of LXDE, but it is universal. It has no GNOME or KDE dependenciesnice interface and is very complete. Most distributions have a package available that you can install. Regarding the configuration, check the presence of a file (or add) /usr/share/xsessions/06xfce4.desktop (the location may differ depending on the distributions), such as:
  
   [Desktop Entry]   [Desktop Entry]
Line 101: Line 98:
  
 === Setting up SLiM === === Setting up SLiM ===
-If you want to avoid Gnome or KDE dependencies and a more attractive interface than XDM, you can give [[http://slim.berlios.de|SLiM]] a try. Read the SLiM [[http://slim.berlios.de/manual.php|manual]] for more information.+If you want to avoid GNOME or KDE dependencies and have a more attractive interface than XDM, you can give [[http://slim.berlios.de|SLiM]] a try. See the [[http://slim.berlios.de/manual.php|SLiM manual]] for more information.
  
 === Setting up GDM === === Setting up GDM ===
Line 114: Line 111:
     Type=Application     Type=Application
  
-It is usually enough to simply copy the example file to the Session directory used by gdm; this directory is usually located in /etc/dm/Sessions, /etc/X11/gdm/Sessions, /usr/share/xsessions, /usr/X11/share/gnome/xsessions or some other location, refer to the documentation of your system for details. You need to restart gdm after you created the file.+It is usually enough to simply copy the example file to the session directory used by gdm; this directory is usually located in /etc/dm/Sessions, /etc/X11/gdm/Sessions, /usr/share/xsessions, /usr/X11/share/gnome/xsessions or some other location. Refer to the documentation of your system for details. You need to restart gdm after you created the file.
  
 === Setting up KDM  === === Setting up KDM  ===
Line 121: Line 118:
 First you need to find where kdm searches for its .desktop files: First you need to find where kdm searches for its .desktop files:
     locate kde.desktop     locate kde.desktop
-Common locations are /usr/share/apps/kdm/sessions or /usr/local/share/kdm/sessions. Once you found the kdm session directory, you need to create a new file Xfce.desktop with the following:+Common locations are /usr/share/apps/kdm/sessions or /usr/local/share/kdm/sessions. Once you found the kdm session directory, you need to create a new file named Xfce.desktop with the following:
  
     [Desktop Entry]     [Desktop Entry]
Line 138: Line 135:
 =====Logout problems===== =====Logout problems=====
 === When I try to log out by pressing the logout button in the panel, I get a dialog asking me whether I want to quit the panel and/or xfce4-session-logout reports that no session manager is running, but it is! === === When I try to log out by pressing the logout button in the panel, I get a dialog asking me whether I want to quit the panel and/or xfce4-session-logout reports that no session manager is running, but it is! ===
-For some reason, your X applications can not connect to the session manager. Possible causes are: your hostname cannot be resolved (see Login problems section), your home partition or partition containing /tmp is filled up, your hostname contains non-ascii characters (no umlauts allowed, in particular) or that either ~/.ICEauthority or /tmp/.ICE-unix has wrong permissions. Also check .xsession-errors for clues.+For some reason, your X applications cannot connect to the session manager. Possible causes for this are: your hostname cannot be resolved (see Login problems section), your home partition or partition containing /tmp is filled up, your hostname contains non-ascii characters (no umlauts allowed, in particular) or either ~/.ICEauthority or /tmp/.ICE-unix have wrong permissions. Check .xsession-errors for clues.
  
 +[[|Back To Top]]
 +
 +----
 ====== Usage ====== ====== Usage ======
 ===== Keyboard ===== ===== Keyboard =====
-=== Is there some way to call the menu with the keyboard in the xfce? === +=== Is there some way to call the menu with the keyboard in the Xfce? === 
-Assign a key with the Keyboard Settings -> Shortcuts to the command ''xfdesktop -menu''. (This does not work reliable since Linux Kernel is tickless, so xfdesktop -menu needs a fix) The menu will popup where your mouse is located. You can also use ''xfce4-popup-menu'' to popup the panel menu (also provided by xfdesktop and make sure you have the plugin in your panel ^_~).+Assign a key via Settings Manager -> Keyboard -> Application Shortcuts to the command ''xfdesktop -menu''. (This does not work reliably since the Linux kernel is tickless, so xfdesktop -menu needs a fix) The menu will popup where your mouse is located. You can also use ''xfce4-popup-applicationsmenu'' to popup the panel menu.
  
 === Is it possible to focus the Verve plugin with a key? === === Is it possible to focus the Verve plugin with a key? ===
-Assign a key to the command ''verve-focus'' +Assign a key to the command ''verve-focus''.
- +
-=== My windows button does not work in the Keyboard Settings > Shortcuts. === +
-The windows button (also known as the superkey) not working as a modifier is related to the toolkit, GTK+ in the case of Xfce. If you want to have the windows-key working we recommend you to upgrade GTK+ to at least version 2.10.0+
  
 === How do I get numlock to start on login? === === How do I get numlock to start on login? ===
-There are two possibilities to achieve this. Or you should use a display manager that turns the numlock on (eg. gdm, check the settings) or you can use a little program called [[http://freshmeat.net/projects/numlockx|numlockx]],  adding ''numlockx'' on in your .xinitrc will do the job.+There are two ways to achieve this. You can use a display manager that turns the numlock on automatically (e.g. gdm) or use a little program called [[http://freshmeat.sourceforge.net/projects/numlockx|numlockx]], and add ''numlockx'' to your .xinitrc.
  
-=== Is it possible to use Media keys in the Shortcut Editor? === +=== Is it possible to use media keys in Application Shortcuts? === 
-Use xmodmap to assign keycodes to your Media keys to make them available for the Xfce shortcut editor:+Use xmodmap to assign keycodes to your media keys to make them available for the Xfce shortcut editor:
  
-To determine keycodes of the multimedia keys use the program ''xev''. Create a ''.Xmodmap'' file in your $HOME directory containing those keycodes and assign keysyms to them. Example+To determine keycodes of the multimedia keys use the program ''xev''. Create a ''.Xmodmap'' file in your $HOME directory containing those keycodes and assign keysyms to them. Here is an example
  
  
Line 172: Line 169:
    keycode 178 = XF86WWW    keycode 178 = XF86WWW
  
-All possible keysyms can be found in /usr/lib/X11/XKeysymDB or /usr/share/X11/XKeysymDB. To ensure that the .Xmodmap file is loaded when you start Xfce add ''/usr/bin/xmodmap $HOME/.Xmodmap'' to your ''.xinitrc'' or ''.xprofile'' file. When you start the shortcut editor the assigned keysyms should show up when you press one of your multimedia keys. Now it is possible to assign a command to them. +All possible keysyms can be found in /usr/lib/X11/XKeysymDB or /usr/share/X11/XKeysymDB. To ensure that the .Xmodmap file is loaded when you start Xfceadd ''/usr/bin/xmodmap $HOME/.Xmodmap'' to your ''.xinitrc'' or ''.xprofile'' file. When you start the shortcut editor the assigned keysyms should show up when you press one of the multimedia keys. Now it is possible to assign a command to them. 
-Note: Several problems with auto-loading of .Xmodmap files at xfce startup have been reported (also when issued as autostart command). Search the xfce bugzilla sites for current problems. As a workaround, run ''xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap'' by hand every time, or try out +Note: Several problems with auto-loading of .Xmodmap files at xfce startup have been reported (also when issued as autostart command). Search the Xfce Bugzilla site for current problems. As a workaround, run ''xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap'' manually every time, or try editing the somewhat less straightforward xkb configuration files.
-editing the somewhat less straightforward xkb configuration files.+
  
-===What should I do to change keyboard layout?===+=== How to determine keycodes with xev ===
  
-There are several options. One is to use ''xfce4-xkb-plugin''see http://goodies.xfce.org/projects/panel-plugins/xfce4-xkb-plugin  You can also use the ''setxkbmap'' command with the two letter keyboard code as argument; you can edit your X server configuration file to choose different keyboard layout (change the value after ''Option "XkbLayout"'', e.g.''Option "XkbLayout" "dvorak"'').+As all keyboards are differentkeycodes can differ. You can acquire keycodes from your keyboard with xev by entering the following in terminal:
  
-===Is it possible to change the default shortcut keys?=== 
-Yes, of course... Keyboard shortcuts are defined on two locations. The shortcuts to handle the window manager are defined in the Settings Manager > Window Manager Settings > Keyboard. The ''Default'' theme can not be changed, but when you add a theme you can change that one. More global keyboard shortcuts, like volume adjustements, can be found in Settings Manager > Keyboard Preferences > Shortcuts. Again you need to add a new theme before you can start customizing it. 
  
-===How do I make a shortcut that doesn't steal focus?=== +    xev | grep -A2 --line-buffered '^KeyRelease| sed -n '/keycode /s/^.*keycode \([0-9]*\).* (.*, \(.*\)).*$/\1 \2/p'
-You can't.+
  
-===Ok, why were the default shortcuts suddenly changed in 4.6?===+- then press the key of which you want the keycode.
  
-=== How do I enable menu accelerators? === 
-Menu accelerators let you set a keyboard shortcut to a menu item or entry. To enable menu accelerators go to the main menu and select: 
  
-Settings -> Appearance -> Settings tab+=== How can I change the keyboard layout? ===
  
-and select the 'Enable Editable Acceleratorsoption.+There are several options. One is to use the [[https://goodies.xfce.org/projects/panel-plugins/xfce4-xkb-plugin|xfce4-xkb-plugin]]. You can also use the ''setxkbmap'' command with the two letter keyboard code as an argument, oryou can edit your X server configuration file to choose a different keyboard layout (change the value after ''Option "XkbLayout"'', e.g.: ''Option "XkbLayout" "dvorak"'').
  
-Alternatively you can run the command **xfce4-appearance-settings** from a terminal or from the Alt-F2 run command instead of using the menu to get to the appearance settings to enable accelerators.+=== How can I change the default shortcut keys? === 
 +Keyboard shortcuts are defined in two locations: The shortcuts to handle the Window Manager are defined in Settings Manager -> Window Manager -> Keyboard, and more global keyboard shortcuts such as volume adjustments, can be found in Settings Manager -> Keyboard > Application Shortcuts.
  
 +=== How can I see a list of all the shortcut keys? ===
 +Use the following command, which will produce a nicely formatted text list to standard output:
 +  xfconf-query -c xfce4-keyboard-shortcuts -l -v | cut -d'/' -f4 | awk '{printf "%30s", $2; print "\t" $1}' | sort | uniq
 +If you want to put this list into a file, add ''> filename'' at the end of command.
 +
 +=== Can I make a shortcut that doesn't steal focus? ===
 +Unfortunately, Xfce doesn't have this ability yet.
 +
 +=== How do I enable editable menu accelerators? ===
 +Menu accelerators let you set a keyboard shortcut to a menu item or entry. To enable editable menu accelerators, go to Settings Manager -> Appearance -> Settings tab, and select the 'Enable editable accelerators' option.
 +<note important>Editable menu accelerators were removed in GTK 3, so won't work in applications made in GTK 3 and above</note>
 +
 +[[|Back To Top]]
 +
 +----
 ===== Kiosk ===== ===== Kiosk =====
  
-=== I want to use Xfce in a corporate environment and not let users modify their menu. === +=== I want to use Xfce in a corporate environment, how can I stop users from modifying parts of the system? === 
-Use [[howto:kiosk_mode|kiosk mode]] (see [[http://www.xfce.org/documentation/4.2/manuals/xfce4-session#xfsm-kiosk-mode|xfce4-session]]  and [[http://www.xfce.org/documentation/4.2/manuals/xfce4-panel#panel-kiosk|panel]] docs).+See [[howto:kiosk_mode|kiosk mode.]] 
 + 
 +[[|Back To Top]]
  
 +----
 ===== Menu ===== ===== Menu =====
  
 === The left-click to get the menu on the title bar menu button seems a little slow. How do I change that? === === The left-click to get the menu on the title bar menu button seems a little slow. How do I change that? ===
-The left-button single-click menu button display speed is linked to the double click speed. If one wants the menu to appear quicker, just change the double click speed in the Xfce 4 Settings Manager Mouse properties to be faster. Or, one can right click on the title bar to get the menu displayed almost instantly without adjusting the double-click speed. The menu will display both ways.+The left-button single-click menu button display speed is linked to the double click speed. To make the menu appear quicker, just change the double click speed in Settings Manager -> Mouse and Touchpad -> Behaviour. Or, right-click on the title bar to display the menu instantly without adjusting the double-click speed. The menu will display both ways.
  
 === How do I display a list of all windows? === === How do I display a list of all windows? ===
-There are two possibilities. The first is by middle clicking on the desktop (if you have xfdesktop running) or you can add the window list plugin to the panel (is provided with a ''xfce4-popup-windowlist'' command).+There are two possibilities. The first is by middle clicking on the desktop (if you have xfdesktop running)or you can add the window list plugin to the panel (which is provided with a ''xfce4-popup-windowlist'' command).
  
 === How to edit the auto generated menu with the menu editor? === === How to edit the auto generated menu with the menu editor? ===
Line 226: Line 236:
   <xfdesktop-menu>   <xfdesktop-menu>
  
-That's all. Now you can run the menu editor, remove the few duplicates and edit all as you like.+That's all. Now you can run the menu editor, remove the few duplicates and edit freely.
  
-Settings > Desktop > Menu > Menu Editor+Settings -> Desktop -> Menu -> Menu Editor
  
-Notes: by removing the "system" line, you will remove all the duplicates menu entries from the auto generated file. So, if it is changed in this auto generated file, they don't appear anymore, but you will get rid of most of the duplicates.+Notes: by removing the "system" line, you will remove all the duplicate menu entries from the auto generated file. So, if it is changed in this auto generated file, they don't appear any more, but you will get rid of most of the duplicates.
  
-To restore the original menu, just do in a terminal:+To restore the original menu, run the following in in a terminal:
  
   mv menu.xml menu3.xml; mv menu.orig.xml menu.xml   mv menu.xml menu3.xml; mv menu.orig.xml menu.xml
  
-===What are the exact commands used when launching the 'Setting' applications?=== +===What are the exact commands used when launching the 'Settings' applications?=== 
-Please see [[mcs-manager_plugin_parameters|this wiki entry]].+Please see [[mcs-manager_plugin_parameters|this Wiki entry.]] 
 + 
 +[[|Back To Top]] 
 + 
 +----
  
 ===== File Manager ===== ===== File Manager =====
-You can find more information about Thunar on the [[http://thunar.xfce.org|homepage]] or in the [[http://thunar.xfce.org/pwiki/|wiki]].+You can find more information about Xfce's default file manager, Thunar, in the [[http://docs.xfce.org/xfce/thunar/|docs section]].
  
 === Can I disable the trash? === === Can I disable the trash? ===
-Noyou can notBut you can do for example:+UnfortunatelyXfce doesn't have this capabilityHowever, you can:
  
-  - use 'SHIFT + del' to bypass the trash bin and immediately delete something for real+  - Use 'SHIFT + del' to bypass the trash bin and permanently delete something. 
-  - use cron to clean the trash every now and then.+  - Use cron to empty the trash on a regular basis. 
 +  - Enable Thunar's option to permanently delete a file via the context menu by opening Thunar and going to Edit -> Preferences... -> Behaviour and selecting "Show action to permanently delete files and folders"
  
-=== I want to assign a keyboard shortcut in Thunar to "whatever actionin the menus === +=== How can I assign a keyboard shortcut in Thunar to an action in one of it'menus=== 
-Thunar allows you to edit menu accelerators by simply hovering over the chosen action and by clicking the new keyboard shortcut you want to assign. +To activate the editable menu accelerators, go to Settings Manager -> Appearance -> Settings and select the "Editable editable accelerators" option. Then you can hover over the chosen action in Thunar and press the key on your keyboard that you want to assign it to.
-To activate the editable menu accelerators select the "Editable menu accelerators" entry in the User Interface Settings plugin.+
  
-=== Where are the deleted items from the trash located? === +Unfortunately, this capability was removed in GTK 3As a workaround, you can edit them manually in the file ''~/.config/Thunar/accels.scm''.
-Thunar is following the freedesktop standards in thisFollowing the links below you can find out more of this freedesktop specifications. Read more [[http://www.ramendik.ru/docs/trashspec.html|here]] and [[http://standards.freedesktop.org/basedir-spec/basedir-spec-0.6.html|here]].+
  
-You will find your deleted items in ''~/.local/share/Trash/files''+=== Where are the deleted files in the trash located? === 
 +You can find the contents of the trash in ''~/.local/share/Trash/files''.
  
-=== Can Thunar display video thumbnails? === +=== How can I get Thunar to display video thumbnails? === 
-Two possible ways. First, You'll need to build thunar with support for gconf (GNOME thumbnailers) and install one of the available  +You can install the package ''ffmpegthumbnailer''.
-movie thumbnailers for GNOME, i.e. Totem includes the totem-video-thumbnailer. Second, You can get thumbnails without GNOME by  +
-installing [[http://goodies.xfce.org/projects/thunar-plugins/thunar-thumbnailers|thunar-thumbnailers]] plugin.+
  
-=== When will it support samba/network browsing? === +[[|Back To Top]]
-It already does! Just mount your shares and go to them with Thunar! Just kidding. +
- +
-You are obviously asking about Thunar being able to discover remote machines on a network and mount/unmount shares from them. What you are asking for is nice, but there is no common framework for it yet that Thunar can build on. +
- +
-Thunar is designed to be a file manager, not a network file system manager. Once such a beast exists, Thunar and all other applications will be able to use it, and you can browse your samba or NFS shares in firefox or emacs, whatever. +
- +
-Short answer: not any time soon unless you write it yourself. +
- +
-For Linux users, and especially Xubuntu users, the following thread can help: Xubuntu How to: Thunar Native Windows Network Browsing. You will need fusesmb. For me it worked like a charm with Feisty. You should read the post from EatMorePie, as it avoids unnecessary steps.+
  
 +----
 ===== Desktop Manager ===== ===== Desktop Manager =====
-=== I want to disable the trashhome and filesystem icons on my desktop, is that possible? ===+=== How can remove the TrashHome and Filesystem icons on my desktop? === 
 +Go to Settings Manager -> Desktop -> Icons and uncheck the icons you want to remove under "Default Icons"
  
-Yes, in Xfce 4.4 you can hide some of the desktop icons. You can read more about those hidden settings [[http://svn.xfce.org/svn/xfce/xfdesktop/branches/xfce_4_4/README|here]].+=== Why can't I add items to my desktop? === 
 +You have the option to display icons turned offGo to Settings Manager -> Desktop -> Icons and select File/launcher icons under "Icon type".
  
-=== My Xfce Desktop doesn't have any shortcut icons, why? === +[[|Back To Top]]
-  * **Xfce 4.2**: You will need a third party program to provide you the icons. Suggestions are: pcmanfm, rox, nautilus etc etc... Beware that those programs will kill xfdesktop and the ability to use the right click menu. +
-  * **Xfce 4.4**: You can enable the icons in : Settings > Desktop Preferences > Behavior > Desktop Icons. You will need to build xfdesktop with thunar-vfs and dbus support. (''./configure --enable-thunar-vfs --enable-exo''+
- +
-=== I have more questions about xfdesktop === +
-[[http://spuriousinterrupt.org/projects/xfce4#faq|Xfdesktop faq @ spuriousinterrupt]]+
  
 +----
 ===== Window Manager ===== ===== Window Manager =====
-=== Firefox jumps between workspaces, why? === +=== Why does Firefox jump between workspaces? === 
-When a new tab is opened from an external link in Firefox, it asks the WM to show the window containing the new tab. If the window that has requested to be raised is not on the current desktop, the Xfce Window manager will bring it to the current desktop by default. If you do not want this behavior, there is a hidden option to control this behavior. For Xfce 4.4 in +When a new tab is opened from an external link in Firefox, it asks the Window Manager to display the window containing the new tab. If the window that has requested to be raised is not on the current workspace, the Xfce Window Manager will raise it in the current workspace by default.
-''~/.config/xfce4/xfwm4/xfwm4rc'' you can put the following: +
- +
-    activate_action=bring|switch|none +
- +
-For Xfce 4.6 you can go to //Xfce Menu > Settings > Window Manager Tweaks// and go to the tab Focus, or you need to use the //xfconf-query// tool to change the setting: +
- +
-    xfconf-query -c xfwm4 -p /general/activate_action -s bring|switch|none+
  
-As the name suggeststhe "bring" option moves the window requesting to be raised to the current +To change this behaviorgo to Settings Manager -> Window Manager Tweaks -> Focus, and select "Switch to window's workspace".
-workspace, the "switch" option switches workspaces, and the "noneoption takes no action.+
  
 === Some of the windows are always centered, why? === === Some of the windows are always centered, why? ===
-The Xfce Window Manager has a feature called smart placement which can be adjusted based on the window size. Basically it will automatically center windows that are below a certain size and once they get bigger than that, new windows will try to be arranged automatically in the best place to have coverage. You can adjust the minimum size setting under Settings -> Window Manager Tweaks -> Placement.+The Xfce Window Manager has a feature called smart placement which automatically centers windows that are below a certain size. Windows above that size will be arranged automatically on the screen. You can adjust the minimum size that this happens under Settings Manager -> Window Manager Tweaks -> Placement.
  
 === Is it possible to have windows remember their position? === === Is it possible to have windows remember their position? ===
-Short answer: no.+If the application supports it, it will appear at the location you last specified. If the application doesn't support it, you can use tools such as ''devilspie'' and ''wmctrl'' to control where a window is placed.
  
-Long answer: If the application supports itit will restore itself at the location and size you last specified (example: Terminal or Thunar). If the application doesn't support it you can use  window matching application like ''devilspie'' or ''wmctrl''+=== How can I programmatically switch workspacesmove windows, etc? === 
 +You can use a tool such as ''wmctrl'' to switch workspaces, move windows between workspaces, change window positions, maximize windows, and much more. ''libwnck'' is a library that also does similar things.
  
-=== How do I programmatically switch workspaces, move windows, etc? === +=== Why did my window suddenly become transparent? === 
-''wmctrl'' is a commandline tool that can switch workspaces, move windows between workspaces, move window positionsmaximize windowsetc.+If display compositing is enabled, the Xfce Window Manager allows you to adjust the opacity of a window by hovering your mouse over the title barholding down the Alt keyand using the scroll wheel. Hold Alt and scroll up to to restore opacity.
  
-''libwnck'' is a library that does similar things.+=== Why have my window borders suddenly disappeared? === 
 +If your window borders have disappeared and you can't move windows around, ''xfwm4'' has probably quitIf this happens, you can restart ''xfwm4'' by entering the following command in a terminal:
  
-=== A window suddenly became transparent! How do I undo this? === +    xfwm4 --sm-client-id=${SESSION_MANAGER##*/} & disown
-If display compositing is enabled, the Xfce Window Manager allows you to adjust the opacity of a window by hovering your mouse over the title bar, holding down the Alt key, and using the scroll wheel (down lowers the opacity, and up raises it). So use Alt+ScrollWheelUp to reset the transparency.+
  
 +[[|Back To Top]]
 +
 +----
 ===== Session Manager ===== ===== Session Manager =====
  
-=== Some of my applications are always started when I login === +=== Why are some of my applications automatically started when I login=== 
-There are two possible reasons why the application is started: It is saved in the last session or it is listed in the auto started applications. Follow 1 of the two steps below to get rid of the applications.+This occurs when a previous session is restored or the application is set to auto start.
  
-  * Start the ''xfce4-autostart-editor'' and remove the application(s). You can also manually delete those files in ''~/Desktop/Autostart'' and ''~/.config/autostart''+To prevent Xfce from restoring your last session, go to Settings Manager -> Session and Startup and uncheck "Automatically save session on logout".
-  * Most of the time closing all the applications and save your session when you logout is sufficient. If this doesn't work, remove the content of the ''~/.cache/sessions/'' directory when you're **not** logged in. And if you don't want xfce remember every session you should turn off (uncheck"Automatically save session on logout" in Settings Manager -> Sessions and Startup (tab General)+
  
-=== I'unable to shutdown or restart my computer when running Xfce. === +To stop an application from automatically starting on login, go to Settings Manager -> Session and Startup -> Application Autostart and remove the application from the list. You can also manually delete it's .desktop file in ''~/.config/autostart''
-There are two way to fix thissudo and hal/dbus. Default starting from version 4.4 is hal.+ 
 +=== Why am I unable to shutdown or restart my computer=== 
 +In order to fix this, you can use sudo or hal and dbus.
  
 == Using sudo == == Using sudo ==
-You have to allow the user(s) to execute ''$installdir/libexec/xfsm-shutdown-helper'' with sudo. Install sudo and run ''visudo'' (rootand add the following line (replace prefix with the correct path):+You need to allow the user(s) to execute ''<prefix>/libexec/xfsm-shutdown-helper'' with sudo. ''<prefix>/libexec/'' may be different depending on your distribution. Install sudo and run ''visudo'' as root and add the following line, replacing "<prefixwith the correct path:
  
    %users ALL = NOPASSWD:<prefix>/libexec/xfsm-shutdown-helper    %users ALL = NOPASSWD:<prefix>/libexec/xfsm-shutdown-helper
  
-Add the user to the ''users'' group (root):+Then add the user to the ''users'' and ''power'' group as root:
  
    gpasswd -a <username> users    gpasswd -a <username> users
 +   gpasswd -a <username> power
  
-When you logout and login againthe shutdown and restart buttons should be sensitive. For more information you can referrer to the xfce4-session and sudo documentation.+When you re-login, you should now be able to shutdown and restart the system.
  
 == Using hal and dbus == == Using hal and dbus ==
 Make sure that the hal and dbus daemons are started on boot, and that you are running a recent version of dbus (at least 1.1). Refer to your distribution for exact steps. Make sure that the hal and dbus daemons are started on boot, and that you are running a recent version of dbus (at least 1.1). Refer to your distribution for exact steps.
  
-In the steps below the groupname "**power**" is used. This is __DEPENDING ON YOUR DISTRIBUTION__.+In the steps below the groupname "power" is used. This can vary depending on your distribution.
  
 Your /etc/dbus-1/system.d/hal.conf should contain a section similar to this: Your /etc/dbus-1/system.d/hal.conf should contain a section similar to this:
Line 349: Line 349:
   </policy>   </policy>
  
-Add the user to the ''power'' group (root):+Add the user to the ''power'' group as root:
  
    gpasswd -a <username> power    gpasswd -a <username> power
  
-When you logout and login againthe shutdown and restart buttons should be sensitive.+When you re-login, you should now be able to shutdown and restart the system.
  
-=== I don't see the logout dialog when I press the quit button === +=== Why can'see the logout dialog box when I press the quit button=== 
-Enable the checkbox "Prompt on logout" in the session manager settings.+You need to enable the "Prompt on logout" option in Settings Manager -> Session and Startup -> Logout Settings
  
-===== Panels ===== +[[|Back To Top]]
-=== How do I disable the taskbar in Xfce 4.2? === +
-Just don't run it at startup... +
-  * If you use the session manager, kill the taskbar, save your session on logout, and the taskbar will be gone when you'll log back in. +
-  * If you don't use the session manager, comment out the ''xftaskbar4'' line in your ''$sysconfdir/xdg/xfce4/xinitrc'' or ''~/.config/xfce4/xinitrc''+
-  * If you use the session manager and want to remove the taskbar system-wide, comment out the taskbar line in the ''$sysconfdir/xgd/xfce4-session/xfce4-session.rc'' file. +
- +
-=== What is the "use startup notification" option? === +
-If you select this option, the window manager will show an hourglass while the program is loading. The startup notification libraries have to be installed. They are probably available with your distribution. This feature is only supported by modern applications (Gtk2.x and Qt3.x based). +
- +
-{{wiki:information.png }}Please note that the API is not yet frozen, and therefore Xfce 4 is only guaranteed to work with the startup-notification library version >= 0.5. +
  
 +----
 ====== Visual Appearance ====== ====== Visual Appearance ======
 ===== Applications ===== ===== Applications =====
-=== Help, my panel/task bar/desktop/window borders has disappeared === +=== Why have my panels/workspaces/window borders disappeared=== 
-As Xfce is modular by design all of those visual elements are actually separate processes. You can just start their process again to regain them. If you want to make sure that they are started again next time you login you should check the "Save session for future logins" in the logout dialog or check "Save session automatically on logout" in "Sessions and startup settings".+One of the processes responsible for it has quit. You can restart it by entering the following in a terminal, depending on what has disappeared:
  
-Panel | ''xfce4-panel'' | +Panel
-| Taskbar | ''xftaskbar4'' (Xfce 4.2 only) | +    xfce4-panel 
-Window Manager | ''xfwm4'' | +Window Manager
-Desktop | ''xfdesktop'' (can depend on the dbus service, Xfce 4.4 only) |+    xfwm4 
 +Desktop / Workspace: 
 +    xfdesktop
  
-=== My desktop is so nice, want to make a screenshot! How can I do that in Xfce? === +=== How can take a screenshot in Xfce? === 
-There are at least 6 possibilities: +Install a screenshotting application such as [[http://goodies.xfce.org/projects/applications/xfce4-screenshooter|xfce4-screenshooter]], gnome-screenshot, or the command line only scrot.
-  - The [[http://goodies.xfce.org/projects/applications/xfce4-screenshooter|xfce4-screenshootern]]+
-     * Add it to your panel and click to make a screenshot, or use the xfce4-screenshooter stand-alone application. +
-  - Salasaga - http://www.salasaga.org/ +
-     * Dedicated application for doing screenshots and application captures +
-     * Add a keyboard shortcut (i.e. Control-Printscreen) for the "salasaga_screencapture" command +
-  - The Gimp +
-     * In the Acquire menu: http://www.gimp.org/ +
-  - scrot: http://linuxbrit.co.uk/scrot/ +
-     * e.g. "scrot -s -t 150x150" (either select a window or select a rectangle with the mouse) +
-  - Import from ImageMagick +
-     * e.g. "import image.png" (select a window with the mouse) +
-  - Using good old xv with grab function +
-     * http://www.trilon.com/xv/downloads.html#src-distrib+
  
-=== The file chooser is very slow, what is it? ===+=== Why is the file chooser so slow? ===
  
-It is more likely that the icon theme you are using renders too many SVGs making it very hard to scroll.  Switch to another icon theme.+The icon theme you are using renders too many SVGsmaking it resource intensive to scroll. To fix this, try switching to a different icon theme.
  
-=== Response to Terminal application is slow? ===+=== Why is my terminal application so slow? ===
  
 For NVidia users, add this to your settings: For NVidia users, add this to your settings:
Line 406: Line 386:
   nvidia-settings -a InitialPixmapPlacement=0 -a GlyphCache=1   nvidia-settings -a InitialPixmapPlacement=0 -a GlyphCache=1
  
-For all users, your driver may not support argb visuals very well.  You can disable it for Terminal by exporting the environment variable XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1.  To disable it for Terminal only, put the next lines inside ~/bin/Terminal for example (given you have a personal bin directoryyou can also put it inside /usr/local/bin):+Otherwise, your driver may not support argb visuals very well. You can disable it for the terminal by exporting the environment variable XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1.  To disable it for only the terminalcreate a file named "Terminal" in ''~/bin''or ''/usr/local/bin'', and enter the following in it:
  
   #!/bin/sh   #!/bin/sh
   XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 /usr/bin/Terminal   XLIB_SKIP_ARGB_VISUALS=1 /usr/bin/Terminal
  
 +[[|Back To Top]]
 +
 +----
 ===== Themes ===== ===== Themes =====
-=== The gtk-xfce-engine themes do not appear in the "user interface" settings dialog === +=== How can I theme various parts of my Xfce desktop environment? === 
-The gtk-xfce-engine-2 package has to be installed using same prefix as Gtk2 itself. When installed from sources, the engine is, by default, installed in /usr/local, while Gtk2 is often installed in /usr. Just install gtk-xfce-engine-2 again using ''./configure --prefix=/usr'', and the themes will hopefully become available.+Please refer to the [[howto:install_new_themes|How to install new themes]] Wiki page. 
 + 
 +[[|Back To Top]]
  
-=== How can I customize my Xfce desktop environment === +----
-You can read everything about changing themes in the [[howto:install_new_themes|How to install new themes]] wiki page.+
  
 ===== Windows ===== ===== Windows =====
Line 438: Line 422:
 Enabling EXA will normally provide a speed increase for compositing and font rendering, but may cause a small reduction in OpenGL rendering speed. Enabling EXA will normally provide a speed increase for compositing and font rendering, but may cause a small reduction in OpenGL rendering speed.
  
-Once the Composite extension is activated, go to ''Settings -> Panel'' and ''Settings -> Window Manager Tweaks''.+Once the Composite extension is activated, go to Settings Manager -> Panel -> Appearance and Settings Manager -> Window Manager Tweaks -> Compositor.
  
-== ATI users (X.org radeon driver) ==+== ATI users (X.org Radeon driver) ==
  
 ATI R3xx/R4xx (9500 to X850, X1050) users may also need this in the ''device'' section for the card: ATI R3xx/R4xx (9500 to X850, X1050) users may also need this in the ''device'' section for the card:
Line 449: Line 433:
    Option "EnableDepthMoves" "true"    Option "EnableDepthMoves" "true"
  
-== nVidia users ==+== NVidia users ==
  
 NVidia users may also need this in the ''device'' section for the card: NVidia users may also need this in the ''device'' section for the card:
Line 456: Line 440:
    Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true"    Option "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true"
  
-Read ''/usr/share/doc/nvidia-glx/README.txt.gz'' (and search for "RenderAccel" and "AllowGLXWithComposite") to see if they are recommended at all for your system. At least for recent NVidia GLX drivers, "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true" is only for X servers older than X11R6.9.0, and "RenderAccel" "true" is the default setting, and therefore not required. If you are running a recent NVidia driver and a recent xorg-server, you do not need these settings (and should not use the "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true" setting).+Read ''/usr/share/doc/nvidia-glx/README.txt.gz'' (and search for "RenderAccel" and "AllowGLXWithComposite") to see if they are recommended for your system. At least for recent NVidia GLX drivers, "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true" is only for X servers older than X11R6.9.0, and "RenderAccel" "true" is the default setting, and therefore not required. If you are running a recent NVidia driver and a recent xorg-server, you do not need these settings (and should not use the "AllowGLXWithComposite" "true" setting). 
 + 
 +[[|Back To Top]] 
 + 
 +----
  
 ===== Panel ===== ===== Panel =====
  
-=== Is it possible to change the icon used by the icon box or task bar for a given application? === +=== How can I change the icon used by an application? === 
-It's not possibleThis setting has to be managed by the application itself.+For an application launcher, right-click on the launcher and select "Properties", then under General select "Edit the currently selected item"Click on the icon to select a new one.
  
-=== I've installed a plug-in for the panelbut the indicators don't use different colors. What can I do? === +To change the application icon used in the Window ButtonsWorkspace Switcher or elsewhere, change the icon theme used by the system in Settings Manager -> Appearance -> Icons.
-First, try another Gtk theme, since some themes override the color. If it doesn't solve the problem, you probably have an old ~/.gtkrc-2.0 : remove it and try again+
  
-=== How do I set the panel layer in Xfce 4.2 and 4.4? === +=== How do I change the panel layer in Xfce 4.2+? === 
-In order to improve focus management this option was removed.+In order to improve focus managementthis option was removed.
  
 === Is there a world clock applet? === === Is there a world clock applet? ===
-You need to add the Orage Clock to the panel. Then you can middle-click the clock to open the "Global Timewindow, to which you can add any number of clocks.+Orage Clock provides this functionality. Add it to the panel, then middle-click the clock to open the Global Time window, where you can add any number of clocks.
  
-====== Development ======+[[|Back To Top]]
  
 +----
 +====== Development ======
 === How can I report bugs? === === How can I report bugs? ===
-You can report bugs [[http://bugzilla.xfce.org/|here]] or ask on the [[http://www.xfce.org/community/lists|mailing lists]] or [[http://forum.xfce.org/|forums]] for help. If you want to report a bug please read the [[http://spuriousinterrupt.org/projects/xfce4-debug|Xfce debug guide]] and the [[http://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/GetABacktrace|Pidgin get backtrace]] to ensure your bug report actually makes sense and is useful.+You can report bugs on the [[https://bugzilla.xfce.org/|Xfce Bugzilla site]]the [[https://mail.xfce.org/mailman/listinfo/xfce-bugs|Xfce-bugs mailing list]]or you ask on our IRC channel [[irc://irc.freenode.net/#xfce|#xfce on Freenode]] for help. Please do not use the forums to report bugs. Before submitting a bugplease try your best to check if it has already been reported. When writing your bug report, try to be as descriptive as possible, but avoid verbosity. Mozilla has a nice guide on [[https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Mozilla/QA/Bug_writing_guidelines|how to write bug report]].
  
 === How often are new releases made? === === How often are new releases made? ===
-Whenever we feel like it is ready to be releasedIf you are unhappy with this you can always choose to hire the whole Xfce developer crew and pay us (we accept VISA/MasterCardbut not American Express)... Then we can even tailor it to your liking... +See [[https://wiki.xfce.org/faq#how_long_a_wait_is_it_between_each_official_release|previous answer]]. Xfce's development is split up into key phases, each of which can take months or even years to complete. Although this may seem like a long time - remember, Xfce is developed by a small group of hard-working volunteers! 
 + 
 +=== I have asked a question / reported a bug on the mailing list / Bugzilla, why isn't anyone answering? === 
 +  * Give it time. Maybe the responsible developer is on vacation, or hasn't checked the mailing list / Bugzilla yet. Keep in mind that the developers have their own lives outside of contributing to Xfce and may be quite busy. 
 +  * Try giving more detailed information. Perhaps no one can figure out what it is you are trying to say, and they just don't want to take the time to contact you or reply to your post to find out. Usually the more information you providethe better. 
 +  * Consider if you've been been disrespectful when asking your question / reporting a bugWhile you are allowed your own opinion on things, remember that the software you are talking about was made by volunteers and provided to you for freeYou didn't pay for it, so you are asking for a favour. By asking your question in a polite, respectful way, you are increasing your chances that somebody will reply to you. 
 +  * The developers / volunteers in question simply may not want to reply to you. Perhaps they are having a bad day, or they think your report doesn't necessarily warrant a replyDon't take it personally if you don't get a responseTry asking again after a good amount of time, as your question / report may not have been seen, taking caution not to come across as nagging. Taking time out of your day to report a bug is always greatly appreciated, and it may have been seen by a developer, just not replied to. 
 + 
 +[[|Back To Top]]
  
-=== I have asked a question / reported a bug on the mailing list / bugs.xfce.org and no one is answering === +----
-2 possibilities: +
-  * Give it time. Maybe the responsible developer is on vacation, maybe he didn't check the mailing list / bugzilla yet.  Keep in mind that someone may be having a bad day and may not care to respond at all.  Time can help. +
-  * Try givng more detailed information.  Perhaps no one can figure out what it is you are trying to say, and they just don't want to take the time to contact you or reply to your post to find out.  Usually, the more information, the better. +
-  * Maybe you have been disrespectful when asking your question / reporting a bug. While you are totally allowed to rate a product just as you please, you do have to realise that in the case of open source products you didn't pay for the product or the support on the product, and the developers may not value your feedback. So when you report something that affects you, you are actually asking a favor. When reporting such a problem you can improve your chances on goodwill of the developers by asking your question in a polite, respectfull way. Do realise that even if you do so the developer might not be interested in/lack time to implement the feature/fix the bug you reported. A patch that fixes the issue might still convince him to spend time on it. [[http://gezeiten.org/post/2009/11/New-Personal-Bugzilla-Policy||Read what Jannis has to say on the topic]] +
-  * When you are reporting a legitimate issue, it is understood that you are taking your valuable time to offer feedback to the developers.  That does not mean that they will appreciate it, so don't have any expectations for a particular type of response.  Sometimes you must just roll with the punches and meet them on their own terms.  Unreasonable expectations often lead to bad feelings, so you are better off just not having them in the first place.  Everyone thinks differently, and you should expect that your issue and/or approach may be misunderstood.+