Linux Linpus - Acer Aspire One - activate normal Desktop

zk2008, all you need to do is open up terminal and press ctrl+alt+del. Look at the processes running, and find the one labeled "xfdesktop2". Right click and kill it, then type "xfdesktop-xfce" into terminal.

Now you should have the regular desktop, but when you restart, it will go back to the Acer version. To change that, you need to navigate to /etc/xdg/xfce4-session/ in the File Browser, and open the file xfce4-session.rc

Find where it says "Client0_Command=xfdesktopnew" and replace it with "Client0_Command=xfdesktop-xfce".

This is all outlined by Tybor in the first post in this thread. Hope that helps buddy, take care!

 

I got it to work in that way... but I decided that it was better for me if I was still able to use the right click "advanced mode hack" ... so in order to compromise, I chose a color for my background (a solid color-- not a background image) and then I edited some files so that the background for all the boxes in the front are all now the same color as my background (they're camouflage)... I also got rid of all the box labels and left only a few of the icons...

I know this is a little silly-- the boxes are still there- but they don't appear to be there due to their color. My desktop now looks like this...



I kept only the few icons (3) which I use most frequently... I'm going to set up hot-keys for some other programs that I use as well... I already have the terminal set up for "Alt + z"

Let me know if any of you want to do this trick.

Zack,

 

I think im just gonna get a 1gb 120gb blue linux AA1.

1. Reformat the drive into 100GB and a 20GB partition
2. Install XP off a usb on the 100GB partition
3. Put a proper linux distro on the 20GB
4. Sit back, relax and enjoy the best netbook there is!

 

Thanks to all the tips, I were able to get to the normal xfce4 desktop, however, there are more questions coming up than before the switch

1. when you right click on the desktop, there are no responses to some of the options within 'settings', for instance the 'settings manager'
2. ctrl+alt+del and the home key are not working anymore
3. how to add icons on the desktop?

any help would be greatly appreciated

also has anybody get the firefox 3 working now?

 

how do you set up the hotkey??

 

If you have advanced mode enabled, right click then go to settings, keyboard settings, and the shortcuts tab... hit Add... type in the name of the program... click OK and then perform your desired hotkey... (for example, Hold Alt and press z)... then it should show up beside the program title in the list with Alt + z.

Hope that helps!

 

...Same problem, also had to use the restore disk (twice now) after trying to set full desktop as default.

 

Hi jesada, bjrn !

Could you post your details about the Aspire One?
Type, country bought, language settings ?

gr33tz,
Tybor

 

I have enabled the XFCE desktop and have it now set at boot up by following this step:
/etc/xdg/xfce4-session/xfce4-session.rc replace the entry Client0_Command=xfdesktopnew with Client0_Command=xfdesktop-xfce

However, I want to now switch it back to xfdesktopnew. It will not allow me to and I keep getting the same "Can't Open File To Write" when I try to resave the Client command.

Anyone know how to get ot back to the xfdesktopnew setting?

Thanks!

 

Yahoo, finally got everything working. Was lurking around the posts and have managed to upgrade the RAM, install WINE to get some of my windows applications running, and generally learn a hell of alot about Linux in the last two days. Now that I have things the way I want it, more than happy to help out other users with their systems. My desktop is posted below:

Next step is to remove the search bar!

 

Jstern

In order to go back to your old desktop, follow the instructions below.

Can't write to file means that you are still using the user "root". In order to get around this, press "Alt-F2" to bring up your run window and enter xterm to bring up your terminal. Type in su - to change to user Root, you will need your Password you entered when first starting the Aspire One. After entering your password, type in "mousepad" at the prompt. This will bring up your text editor. Now `file', `open', and navigate to /etc/xdg/xfce4-session/. Open xfce4-session.rc, and edit the client0 entry back to Client0_Command=xfdesktopnew.
'

 

I got the most basic model with the 8GB SSD and 512MB RAM. I bought it in the netherlands, US keyboard, and I set it the language to English as well.

 

wow, gonna say the way your desktop looks totally rocks!

as I mentioned earlier in my post, once I switched into the normal Linux desktop, I had no idea how to add icons on the desktop, and some of the settings (for instance, setting manager and the keyboard settings in settings) are not responsive anymore. I tried again last night, and the machine actually almost died on me (it didn't freeze, just really really slow, the mouse was barely moving) after about 40 minutes or so

could you offer some more insights on exactly how you got it work?

 

van_stonesky;

The reason for the problem with copying things to your desktop is the fact that the system still logs you in as user `user' rather than `root', and the desktop appears to require root access to copy files to it. Open up an xterm and su - to change to user root, you will again need the password you used when you first set up the Aspire One. Now I'm not sure if this is required, however I kept the xterm window open and logged in as root, while I opened up the file manager. Browse to your /usr/bin directory and look around. You will find the vast majority of your major programs in there. Dragging these to your desktop will allow you to create desktop icons.

For amsn, which is a hell of alot better than the basic messenger, simply open an xterm, enter "su -" and then enter your password when prompted. Then on the prompt enter "yum install amsn". It will automatically download amsn and walk you through the install. The amsn icon will then appear in your advanced mode right click on the desktop, and you will find it as fully functional as MSN, including all of your contact information.

Please note however that I have not been succesful in keeping my desktop this way after reboot. I thought I had it licked, and guess what... nope. On a reboot my background image changed, I lost much of the function of my advanced mode right click, and had a hell of a time getting it back to work properly.

Will keep working here and advise.

 

Picked up the 8bg version in Bangkok so it has Thai and several chinese keyboard layouts on it but I'm using the English keyboard.
I did buy a 1g ram upgrade and brought it in to the Acer service center for them to install, so now have 1.5 of RAM.
Am going to try putting tinyxp on an usb stick today.

 

:mrgreen: HI if u have an external usb dvd drive u can create a usb thumb drive boot disk - i have created one but not tested it out yet - sad though cause u need the external to create it so it makes it almost pointless - but good for travel I guess!

 

surely you have another computer with an optical drive to create a bootable usb?

but yeh, if you have an external dvd reader then theres no point

 

i created a recovery disk off a usb thumb drive. when i set it to boot on that drive, the recovery management window shows up and when i hit the continue arrow it just freezes. when i hit enter it boots up to x. please help!!! :shock:

 

boots up to x???

 

blank screen with x in the middle