Xfce: How to disable toolbar text in KDE apps

Recently I’ve experienced quite a funny situation. I use Krusader for file browsing that calls Kompare for file comparisons. However I was not able to copy changes from left to right (or vice versa) in the compared files, as I could not see all the toolbar buttons (these were too big). I didn’t even notice for quite some time, that there are others, not displayed on my screen.

But who needs text description in toolbars? Well, I don’t!

I remembered global setting from the Gnome world that it should be possible, so searched from the KDE equivalent.

Found it (in my Fedora + Xfce) in:

Xfce menu button -> Options (hope this one is right, as I have it as Einstellungen) -> KDE SystemOptions (for me KDE SystemEinstellungen) -> Style (Stil) -> Fine Tuning tab -> Toolbars section
where I just chose No Text in the both: Main toolbar text as well as in the Secondary toolbar text.

That did the job for me.

Making notify-send work on Fedora 17 + Xfce.

Q: Is not notify-send command working for you on Fedora 17 with Xfce?
A: You need to install required packages.

In my case:

sudo yum install xfce4-notifyd notification-daemon libnotify

did the job.

Where if you don't have xfce4-notifyd installed, command will execute without error, but no notification will be shown.

Now you can enjoy notifications like this one:

notify-send it\'s\ alive!

For inspirational sample messages, see: http://www.thegeekstuff.com/2010/12/ubuntu-notify-send/

Keyboard shortcut (Ctrl+Space) caught in Xfce

Q: Did you ever face the problem of keyboard shortcut Ctrl+Space not working in Xfce?

This will be another one of my keyboard shortcut troubleshooting posts when living daily in Xfce (previous one can be found here).

My primary IDE is Eclipse, therefor Ctrl+Space is something I need like a salt. While coding I use it for code completion intensively.

However some months ago it stopped working for me. Stackoverflow ideas didn't help. So I gave up. As one of my favorite songs says: "Never know what you got till it's gone".

But couple days ago, I've observed, when pushing this combination accidentally twice in a row I got keyboard switch dialog.

While looking around, I've found IBus applet in my xfce panel (not sure how it got there :) ). When going for it's options, I've found out that my favorite keyboard shortcut was eaten by that one. Changing it to whatever else, solved the code completion in Eclipse for me.

Xfce: changing standard global keyboard shortcuts

Q: Did you ever face the problem with Xfce not all of the globally defined keyboard shortcuts can be changed?

In my case Eclipse IDE shortcuts that I'm used to:

• Perspective switch (Ctrl + F8)
• Editor switch (Ctrl + F6)
• ...

all of these were eaten by Xfce (as they're supposed to be used for some multi-workspace experience)
But hey! I don't use multiple workspaces! I'd rather like to use the full power of eclipse here.

Changing via UI 

But if you go over: Menu -> Settings -> Keyboad
There are not all the global shortcuts listed (at least those mentioned earlier are missing).

Looking for help

As I faced this problem already quite some time ago, I even participated in some discussions (like this on myeclipse related), and even submitted Xfce bug report.

Good old plain xml way 

But when I came back to this problem after some time, I've googled and found some references to file:
~/.config/xfce4/xfconf/xfce-perchannel-xml/xfce4-keyboard-shortcuts.xml

As I checked the contents, there seem to be even the shortcuts I'm facing the problem with.

I've seen there:

  <property name="xfwm4" type="empty">
    <property name="default" type="empty">
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Insert" type="empty"/>
      <property name="Escape" type="empty"/>
      <property name="Left" type="empty"/>
      <property name="Right" type="empty"/>
      <property name="Up" type="empty"/>
      <property name="Down" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Tab" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;Tab" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Delete" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Down" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Left" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Page_Down" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F4" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F6" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F7" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F8" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F9" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F10" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F11" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F12" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Left" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;End" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;Home" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Right" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Up" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_1" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_2" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_3" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_4" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_5" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_6" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_7" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_8" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_9" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;space" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Page_Up" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Right" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;d" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Up" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Super&gt;Tab" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F1" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F2" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F3" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F4" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F5" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F6" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F7" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F8" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F9" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F10" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F11" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F12" type="empty"/>
    </property>
    <property name="custom" type="empty">
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F3" type="string" value="workspace_3_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F4" type="string" value="workspace_4_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F5" type="string" value="workspace_5_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F6" type="string" value="workspace_6_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F7" type="string" value="workspace_7_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F8" type="string" value="workspace_8_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F9" type="string" value="workspace_9_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Tab" type="string" value="cycle_windows_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Right" type="string" value="right_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="Left" type="string" value="left_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;d" type="string" value="show_desktop_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Left" type="string" value="move_window_left_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Right" type="string" value="move_window_right_key"/>
      <property name="Up" type="string" value="up_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F4" type="string" value="close_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F6" type="string" value="stick_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Down" type="string" value="down_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F7" type="string" value="move_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F9" type="string" value="hide_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F11" type="string" value="fullscreen_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F8" type="string" value="resize_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Super&gt;Tab" type="string" value="switch_window_key"/>
      <property name="Escape" type="string" value="cancel_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_1" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_1_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_2" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_2_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_3" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_3_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_4" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_4_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_5" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_5_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_6" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_6_key"/>
      <property name="Down" type="string" value="down_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Up" type="string" value="move_window_up_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Page_Down" type="string" value="lower_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F12" type="string" value="above_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_8" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_8_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_9" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_9_key"/>
      <property name="Right" type="string" value="right_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F10" type="string" value="maximize_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Up" type="string" value="up_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F10" type="string" value="workspace_10_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_7" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_7_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;End" type="string" value="move_window_next_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Delete" type="string" value="del_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Left" type="string" value="left_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F12" type="string" value="workspace_12_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;space" type="string" value="popup_menu_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;Tab" type="string" value="cycle_reverse_windows_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Page_Up" type="string" value="raise_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Insert" type="string" value="add_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;Home" type="string" value="move_window_prev_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F2" type="string" value="workspace_2_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F1" type="string" value="workspace_1_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F11" type="string" value="workspace_11_key"/>
      <property name="override" type="bool" value="true"/>
    </property>
  </property>

That sounds promissing! Let's remove multi-workspace relevant and see if that helps.

After my update:

  <property name="xfwm4" type="empty">
    <property name="default" type="empty">
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Insert" type="empty"/>
      <property name="Escape" type="empty"/>
      <property name="Left" type="empty"/>
      <property name="Right" type="empty"/>
      <property name="Up" type="empty"/>
      <property name="Down" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Tab" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;Tab" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Delete" type="empty"/>
<!--
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Down" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Left" type="empty"/>
-->
      <property name="&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Page_Down" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F4" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F6" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F7" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F8" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F9" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F10" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F11" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F12" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Left" type="empty"/>
<!--
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;End" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;Home" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Right" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Up" type="empty"/>

      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_1" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_2" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_3" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_4" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_5" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_6" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_7" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_8" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_9" type="empty"/>
-->
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;space" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Page_Up" type="empty"/>
<!--
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Right" type="empty"/>
-->
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;d" type="empty"/>
<!--
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Up" type="empty"/>
-->
      <property name="&lt;Super&gt;Tab" type="empty"/>
<!--
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F1" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F2" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F3" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F4" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F5" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F6" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F7" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F8" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F9" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F10" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F11" type="empty"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F12" type="empty"/>
-->
    </property>
    <property name="custom" type="empty">
<!--
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F3" type="string" value="workspace_3_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F4" type="string" value="workspace_4_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F5" type="string" value="workspace_5_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F6" type="string" value="workspace_6_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F7" type="string" value="workspace_7_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F8" type="string" value="workspace_8_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F9" type="string" value="workspace_9_key"/>
-->
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Tab" type="string" value="cycle_windows_key"/>
<!--
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Right" type="string" value="right_workspace_key"/>
-->
      <property name="Left" type="string" value="left_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;d" type="string" value="show_desktop_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Left" type="string" value="move_window_left_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Right" type="string" value="move_window_right_key"/>
      <property name="Up" type="string" value="up_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F4" type="string" value="close_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F6" type="string" value="stick_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Down" type="string" value="down_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F7" type="string" value="move_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F9" type="string" value="hide_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F11" type="string" value="fullscreen_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F8" type="string" value="resize_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Super&gt;Tab" type="string" value="switch_window_key"/>
      <property name="Escape" type="string" value="cancel_key"/>
<!--
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_1" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_1_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_2" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_2_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_3" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_3_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_4" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_4_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_5" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_5_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_6" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_6_key"/>
-->
      <property name="Down" type="string" value="down_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Up" type="string" value="move_window_up_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Page_Down" type="string" value="lower_window_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F12" type="string" value="above_key"/>
<!--
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_8" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_8_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_9" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_9_key"/>
-->
      <property name="Right" type="string" value="right_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;F10" type="string" value="maximize_window_key"/>
<!--
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Up" type="string" value="up_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F10" type="string" value="workspace_10_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;KP_7" type="string" value="move_window_workspace_7_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;End" type="string" value="move_window_next_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Delete" type="string" value="del_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Left" type="string" value="left_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F12" type="string" value="workspace_12_key"/>
-->
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;space" type="string" value="popup_menu_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Shift&gt;Tab" type="string" value="cycle_reverse_windows_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Shift&gt;&lt;Alt&gt;Page_Up" type="string" value="raise_window_key"/>
<!--
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;Insert" type="string" value="add_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Alt&gt;&lt;Control&gt;Home" type="string" value="move_window_prev_workspace_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F2" type="string" value="workspace_2_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F1" type="string" value="workspace_1_key"/>
      <property name="&lt;Control&gt;F11" type="string" value="workspace_11_key"/>
-->
      <property name="override" type="bool" value="true"/>
    </property>

to be honest, I'm not sure if I need to update them in both sections, but to make things fast, let's do so.

OK, I guess I need to log-out/and in and see if that helped.

And as you could guess it...... worked!  (otherwise I would not write a blog post, right? :-) )

Xfce: keyboard layouts

If you use multiple keyboard layouts on the Xfce, you might have noticed problems on restart of the system, that all layouts added via keyboard plugin are gone.

Well that is quite annoying to add these each time you need it.

As I searched for the problem (whether I'm the only one facing it), I've found following bug reports:
- ubuntu bug report
- upstream bug report
- arch linux discussion (with possibly working patch)

However, as I'm not willing to build some xfce components myself, I rather searched for a workaround.

Workaround found

After briefly reading the notes in the ubuntu bug report I've found following idea: Adding keyboard layout via Menu -> System -> Settings -> Keyboard (hope the names are exact, as for me it's Menu -> Einstellungen -> Tastatur) solves the problem.

As it seems the settings section saves preferences to permanent store, however keyboard plugin uses some other place (that possibly gets overwritten by the settings one).