Usability: No icons Just Lock Icons, No Task Manager Grouping
Guy Frank
Given the number of windows I need open when I work, even using multiple virtual desktops, and how much I need to switch between windows, I'm encountering a substantial usability issue. Namely, Qubes has imported no icons from Ubuntu and the task manager doesn't group windows by program no matter how many windows I have open on a desktop. Finding what I need is too time consuming. I realize the icon issue has been around a while.
I found an old reported bug mentioning the icon issue that suggested using this code to transfer icons to dom0: /usr/bin/qrexec-client-vm dom0 qubes.WindowIconUpdater /usr/lib/qubes/icon-sender . I get an error msg (see below) when I run this and continue to see only lock icons when I restart the template.
Any suggestions, including workarounds, would be welcome. I've considered using the Window List plasmoid and Activities (to group windows from the same program), but am not sure whether these are practical.
user@xenial:~$ /usr/bin/qrexec-client-vm dom0 qubes.WindowIconUpdater /usr/lib/qubes/icon-sender
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "/usr/lib/qubes/icon-sender", line 155, in <module>
retriever.watch_and_send_icons()
File "/usr/lib/qubes/icon-sender", line 146, in watch_and_send_icons
self.send_icon(ev.window)
File "/usr/lib/qubes/icon-sender", line 122, in send_icon
sys.stdout.flush()
IOError: [Errno 32] Broken pipe
cez...@gmail.com
First, welcome to Qubes, it's nice to see new people joining. Albeit I'm just a regular user like yourself.
As for the icons, did you try execute "qvm-sync-appmenus name-of-ubuntu-vm" ?
It must be done in Dom0 terminal, and also only on either full-HVM and templates, not AppVM's.
There is a good chance this will fix your icon issue, if not, then it might be a deeper issue with Qubes and KDE.
Also XFCE4 can be really nice if you manage and freshen it a bit up. Nudge and push it to your liking and style. You don't need KDE for proper system behavior, style and good looking. Also XFCE4 is fast, assuming you don't install any consuming plugins (watch out for those hungry resource plugins).
I didn't like XFCE4 at first either, especially out of the box, XFCE4 is downright ugly right out of the box. You may find you like it if you give it a chance, and set it up to your liking. For example install XFCE4 with the Whiskermenus, and add all your often used VM's and App's to the favorite menu. This makes it really easy to quickly start apps in different VM's, without having to dig through menu's, including better looks.
Also are you running Qubes 3.2?
Qubes 4 is basically right around the corner, you might want to wait with all the fancy setups and the detailed time consuming fixes of small issues, until you get on Qubes 4.
Guy Frank
Qubes 4 says it requires IOMMU and non-USB keyboard, which isn't my machine (no non-USB ports for keyboard e.g.), so am under the impression I can't move to 4 until I get new hardware. Am hoping that 3.2 will be supported for a couple years. Does anyone have any idea?
I didn't notice a way to make XFCE nicer (and am not sure it solves the icons issue). Will need to look into Whiskermenus. Would also have to find a way to get back to XFCE now that I activated KDE (didn't see instructions for reversing).
cez...@gmail.com
It's also discussed here: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/28386453/how-do-i-set-the-default-window-manager-under-fedora-21
Be sure you didn't remove XFCE4 first, similar you don't need to remove KDE, they can both be installed at the same time, but only one is allowed to be run at the same time.
Enter fullscreen command tty with "Ctrl+Alt+F2" and type in your credentials.
sudo systemctl stop gdm
sudo systemctl disable gdm
sudo systemctl enable lightdm
systemctl start lightdm
Last command should trigger graphics to return, if it doesn't, try manually "Ctrl+Alt+F1".
The enable/disable parts make it stick when you boot, while the stop/start is only until you reboot again. Be absolutely sure you never run them both at the same time.
~ ~ ~
hmm, I'm not sure if USB-VM is forced to be enabled, or if it is just "default". Like how Qubes 4 gives the choice between PV and HVM virtualization, I'd imagine it might also allow you to have a choice between USB-VM and USB in Dom0, even if USB-VM is default. I'm not sure, a lot changes in Qubes 4, and I haven't got the chance to try it much yet. I installed Qubes 4-RC1 temporarily on my Tablet/PC hybrid, and it worked fine despite my touchscreen is connected to the USB. I believe Qubes 4 will by default not force the USB-VM if it isn't feasible to do so. If I manually make a Qubes USB-VM on that machine, the entire screen freezes, so USB-VM is definitely a no-go, yet it still booted and worked just fine. Ran it for a couple of minutes, so I don't think you are forced to use PS/2 or USB keyboard through a USB-VM, Qubes seems to detect if you can't make a USB-VM. To be determined, there are some unanswered questions there. As for IOMMU, perhaps it is similar logic, it might still install, but it won't be optimal or recommended by Qubes. Remains to be seen also.
~ ~ ~
As for the Qubes 3.2 support, it has been extended from the default 6 months to 12 months, due to the hardware requirements as you noted. Qubes 4 is released about now, give or take some weeks, so roughly in one year Qubes 3.2 support is planned to end. That is, assuming no further extended support has been given, due to the hardware issue. Remains to be seeen I guess, but for now, you should have a year. The question is probably whether Qubes wants to force security, or if they will allow choice to opt-out some security in order to make it run on older hardware. They have shown a good positive attitude towards giving people choice before (within having resources/time to do so), so perhaps they will allow choice in Qubes 4. Who knows though, we still need an official statement on that. at least I haven't seen one.
There is also this page, which you may or may not have read yet https://www.qubes-os.org/news/2016/09/02/4-0-minimum-requirements-3-2-extended-support/
~ ~ ~
Taste is unique, but I'll tell you what I did so you can easier experiment to find yours. What I did with XFCE4 was to put the panel on the left side of the screen, Unity style like, albeit I heavily disliked Unity, I grew to like the side-panel. Having the panel there was inconvenient in the beginning, but eventually after a few days I got so used to it I wouldn't have it any other way. Then I removed any application/program text on the window buttons (in the default XFCE4 window plugin settings). I expanded the panel wider in the panel settings, so albeit the button-sizes can't be adjusted (that I know of), they will automatically grow bigger if the menu is bigger, while no text is enabled. Then I found the "dusk" theme to make it bit more stylish/dark'ish, it's default in XFCE4 appearance settings.
Then I moved the "Sound" button and "Logout/Lock-screen" buttons, etc. to a new panel, which is somewhere midscreen at the top, but has autodisappearenace. The reason is because that I cant resize the Sound button, so I gave it a new home instead of polluting the left-panel menu by its incredibly large unadjusted size. The second menu is smaller, therefore the sound icon is smaller too.
Then I did
sudo qubes-dom0-update xfce4-whiskermenu-plugin*
in Dom0 terminal to install the whispermenu plugin.
Then I went to XFCE4 panel settings, found the whiskermenu plugin that was automatically installed by the above command, and started putting settings to my liking. I also changed the icon of the menu to a more stylish icon.
Then right click on each icon in your sub-menu's to favorite them. Drag and drop in favorites to put them in the order you prefer.
I like to have them in order so that all my "Files" of relevant VM's are after each others, and all my different Firefox VM's are clustered together, in their different colors, and so on.
Then I just disabled the default menu's, since Whiskermenu provides everything.
At this point I do
sudo qubes-dom0-update htop
Careful not to install too much in dom0 for security and stability reasons, however htop is nice to keep track of resources with.
Start htop in dom0 terminal by simply "htop".
Then make sure XFCE4 or any of its plugins isn't eating up a lot of resources, like CPU/Memory. XFCE4 is normally very fast and light, but a bad plugin can quickly change that, especially on weaker systems.
There are many other ways to put up your XFCE4, try experiment till you find something you like. Also if you feel unsure of a design, try it for a few days, you never know if it will grow on you.
~ ~ ~
A bit length post, but I hope you could use some of it (:
cez...@gmail.com
I forgot to mention, whiskermenu might look wrong on some devices initially after first install, possibly due to low resolution screens. Drag and drop the lower right corner to increase the size, and it will look normal the instant it becomes a bit bigger.
Guy Frank
After running the code to transfer icons to dom0 you suggested, it certainly looks like my OS's have access to the icons. Problem is they aren't using them where needed most. I'm going to open a new thread explaining my new understanding of the problem, which may be due to some kind of corruption.