min install with lubuntu desktop - can't start desktop from cmd line

[hbc2]

Hi all,


Thanks for all the replys! I'm away from my PC and will not be back to it until the weekend.


From memory I know I tried startlxde from the command line as well as putting it in a file. I can't be 100% sure it was ~/.xinitrx but I know I read that archlinux thread pointed to by will45. In any case, when I typed startx it ran the x.org stuff then is ran the config file with the "exec startlxde" line and died with an error. I don't recall the error msg but I recall thinking "Well, that's an improvement, no black screen of death that I can't even ctrl-alt-delete from." I suspect the error message was something like file not found because I recall search all around my install for startlxde but could not find it. I was doning something like cd / <hit return> ls -R | grep startlxde (yeah, i know that's probably not the official way to do it but see comment below.)


I'm pretty sure startlxde is not on my system and I KNOW i installed lubuntu desktop.


sudodus:
I'll give your suggestion "sudo service lightdm start" a try over the weekend. looks promising. One question: pressing ctrl+alt+F1 then does not kill the desktop, you have to follow that with "sudo service lightdm stop"?


Bucky ball:
you wrote "Just DON'T install *buntu-desktop anything as that defeats the purpose". I want to give "sudo apt-get install xfce4 xfwm4 lightdm synaptic xorg lxterminal gdm" that you've suggested but, honestly, the sound driver stuff is giving me lots of hell. So I need to stick with *buntu-desktop until i get it figured out. I did try Xbuntu-desktop (as a result of googling for info on your xfce4 suggestion) and that is working better than the Lubuntu on the sound front. One thing I noticed is that speaker-test actually works in Xubuntu without any command line params. However, it seems I can only get sound working when the desktop is running (what I mean is if I ssh into the host while the desktop is NOT running on the host I don't get sound from speaker-test) but with Lubuntu speaker-test over SSH works without the desktop running (but with some command line params).


Anyway, this is enough info for ten posts. I'll give sudodus' suggestion about lightdm a try when I get back and let you all know.





--------------------




Just a bit of background: I've been a linux noob since 1997 (started and quit so many times I lost count). Only this time I'm fed up with the Windows TAX completely so I bought a nice new PC and decided to get Xen going with a music player and if/when I needed to I'll spin up Windows VMs.


I'm still trying to get my base install going, thus this and a few other threads (order of business: base os with a light desktop, MDP (maybe XBMC but I don't think I want much) and then Xen). Fun stuff!

[steeldriver]

This is what worked for me to add a minimal, manually started Lubuntu desktop to 14.04 server:

sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends lubuntu-desktop

echo 'manual' | sudo tee /etc/init/lightdm.override

echo 'lxsession -e LXDE -s Lubuntu' > $HOME/.xsession

startx

If you're sure you never want to use the GUI display manager to login, you can replace lubuntu-desktop by lubuntu-core, which iirc doesn't include lightdm as a dependency

sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends lxde-common lubuntu-core 

echo 'lxsession -e LXDE -s Lubuntu' > $HOME/.Xsession

startx

(it seems to be necessary to install lxde-common explicitly in order to get the lxsession binary - see http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=2222849 ). Alternatively, if you just want to run an LX session (rather than the Lubuntu desktop themed one specifically) you should be able to do

sudo apt-get install --no-install-recommends lxde-common lxde-core 

echo 'lxsession -e LXDE -s LXDE' > $HOME/.Xsession

startx

[Bucky Ball]

If you're going to install *buntu-desktop anything, I repeat, just install the OS that belongs to that desktop. I.e. if you're installing ubuntu-desktop into a mini install you have defeated the purpose because you have now effectively installed Ubuntu. Same with lubuntu-desktop. If you're going that route, just install Lubuntu. No different and a waste of time going to the bother of a mini install. Save yourself some time and just install the full OS in the first place.

[sudodus]

...
sudodus:
I'll give your suggestion "sudo service lightdm start" a try over the weekend. looks promising. One question: pressing ctrl+alt+F1 then does not kill the desktop, you have to follow that with "sudo service lightdm stop"?

I tested it with 14.04 LTS, and it works like that for me: ctrl+alt+F1 does not kill the desktop, you have to follow that with

sudo service lightdm stop

Run the command in the text screen!

[will45]

Hi all,


Thanks for all the replys! I'm away from my PC and will not be back to it until the weekend.


From memory I know I tried startlxde from the command line as well as putting it in a file. I can't be 100% sure it was ~/.xinitrx but I know I read that archlinux thread pointed to by will45. In any case, when I typed startx it ran the x.org stuff then is ran the config file with the "exec startlxde" line and died with an error. I don't recall the error msg but I recall thinking "Well, that's an improvement, no black screen of death that I can't even ctrl-alt-delete from." I suspect the error message was something like file not found because I recall search all around my install for startlxde but could not find it. I was doning something like cd / <hit return> ls -R | grep startlxde (yeah, i know that's probably not the official way to do it but see comment below.)


I'm pretty sure startlxde is not on my system and I KNOW i installed lubuntu desktop.


sudodus:
I'll give your suggestion "sudo service lightdm start" a try over the weekend. looks promising. One question: pressing ctrl+alt+F1 then does not kill the desktop, you have to follow that with "sudo service lightdm stop"?


Bucky ball:
you wrote "Just DON'T install *buntu-desktop anything as that defeats the purpose". I want to give "sudo apt-get install xfce4 xfwm4 lightdm synaptic xorg lxterminal gdm" that you've suggested but, honestly, the sound driver stuff is giving me lots of hell. So I need to stick with *buntu-desktop until i get it figured out. I did try Xbuntu-desktop (as a result of googling for info on your xfce4 suggestion) and that is working better than the Lubuntu on the sound front. One thing I noticed is that speaker-test actually works in Xubuntu without any command line params. However, it seems I can only get sound working when the desktop is running (what I mean is if I ssh into the host while the desktop is NOT running on the host I don't get sound from speaker-test) but with Lubuntu speaker-test over SSH works without the desktop running (but with some command line params).


Anyway, this is enough info for ten posts. I'll give sudodus' suggestion about lightdm a try when I get back and let you all know.





--------------------




Just a bit of background: I've been a linux noob since 1997 (started and quit so many times I lost count). Only this time I'm fed up with the Windows TAX completely so I bought a nice new PC and decided to get Xen going with a music player and if/when I needed to I'll spin up Windows VMs.


I'm still trying to get my base install going, thus this and a few other threads (order of business: base os with a light desktop, MDP (maybe XBMC but I don't think I want much) and then Xen). Fun stuff!

If startlxde didn't work, I think I know why. And if you want text login, starting lightdm isnt the way to go as it is a display manager. (Just to say, im typing this on my tablet at the moment and im not good with touchscreen typing with big hands )

Make sure lxsession is installed.

sudo apt-get install lxsession

Then replace

exec startlxde

in the .xinitrc with

exec lxsession

Hope it works

Will

[hbc2]

I just tried both sudodus's and will45's suggestions. Both worked. Thanks!

I'm now in the process of rebuilding from scratch more in favor of Bucky Ball's & steeldriver's approach of installing the desktop after doing a min install. Steeldriver's suggestion of not needing a GUI login screen is what I will aiming for now.

Thanks for all your input. I've learned a lot.