[Pkg-xfce-devel] Bug#653965: xfce4-session: Strange desktop behaviour after corruption of xfce4-session cache

[Paul Bryan Roberts]

Package: xfce4-session
Version: 4.6.2-3
Severity: normal

*** Please type your report below this line ***

Strange xfce desktop behaviour includes:
   - failure to log-out
     (reports "Failed to receive a reply from the session manager")
   - log-out panel icon offers to exit panel instead of logout
   - panel disappears
   - windows have no min/max buttons etc. and cannot be moved

The strange behaviour is not transient:  it persists over reboot.
Normal behaviour can be restored by deleting the xfce4-session file in
$HOME/.cache/sessions/.

Problems observed with xfce4-session 4.6.2-3 on both amd64 and i386
architectures.  Problems also observed with xfce4-session 4.8.1-3 and
amd64 architecture (Wheezy and LMDE).

Cause of cache corruption unknown.
Corruption noticed after package upgrades but this may not be significant.
The xfce4-session package itself has not been upgraded.

No idea how to reproduce (but corrupt cache files available on request).
It took weeks (and a fresh installation) to make any the connection between
the diverse symptoms.

Other possibly pertinent information:  problems observed with kvm virtual
machines with only 512 Mb of RAM.  No physical machines available for 
testing.

-- System Information:
Debian Release: 6.0.3
   APT prefers stable-updates
   APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable')
Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)

Kernel: Linux 2.6.32-5-amd64 (SMP w/1 CPU core)
Locale: LANG=en_GB.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_GB.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
Shell: /bin/sh linked to /bin/dash

Versions of packages xfce4-session depends on:
ii  fortune-mod           1:1.99.1-4         provides fortune cookies on 
demand
ii  libatk1.0-0           1.30.0-1           The ATK accessibility toolkit
ii  libc6                 2.11.2-10          Embedded GNU C Library: 
Shared lib
ii  libcairo2             1.10.2-6~bpo60+1   The Cairo 2D vector 
graphics libra
ii  libdbus-1-3           1.2.24-4+squeeze1  simple interprocess 
messaging syst
ii  libdbus-glib-1-2      0.88-2.1           simple interprocess 
messaging syst
ii  libfontconfig1        2.8.0-2.1          generic font configuration 
library
ii  libfreetype6          2.4.2-2.1+squeeze3 FreeType 2 font engine, 
shared lib
ii  libglade2-0           1:2.6.4-1          library to load .glade 
files at ru
ii  libglib2.0-0          2.24.2-1           The GLib library of C routines
ii  libgtk2.0-0           2.20.1-2           The GTK+ graphical user 
interface
ii  libice6               2:1.0.6-2          X11 Inter-Client Exchange 
library
ii  libpango1.0-0         1.28.3-1+squeeze2  Layout and rendering of 
internatio
ii  libsm6                2:1.1.1-1          X11 Session Management library
ii  libwnck22             2.30.4-2           Window Navigator 
Construction Kit
ii  libx11-6              2:1.3.3-4          X11 client-side library
ii  libxfce4util4         4.6.2-1            Utility functions library 
for Xfce
ii  libxfcegui4-4         4.6.4-1            Basic GUI C functions for Xfce4
ii  libxfconf-0-2         4.6.2-1            Client library for Xfce4 
configure
ii  xfce4-settings        4.6.5-2            graphical application for 
managing
ii  xfconf                4.6.2-1            utilities for managing 
settings in
ii  zlib1g                1:1.2.3.4.dfsg-3   compression library - runtime

Versions of packages xfce4-session recommends:
ii  consolekit             0.4.1-4           framework for defining and 
trackin
ii  dbus-x11               1.2.24-4+squeeze1 simple interprocess 
messaging syst
ii  hal                    0.5.14-3          Hardware Abstraction Layer
ii  x11-xserver-utils      7.5+3             X server utilities
ii  xfce4-panel            4.6.4-1           The Xfce4 desktop 
environment pane
ii  xfce4-utils            4.6.2-1           Various tools for Xfce
ii  xfdesktop4             4.6.2-1+b1        xfce desktop background, 
icons and
ii  xfwm4                  4.6.2-1           window manager of the Xfce 
project

Versions of packages xfce4-session suggests:
ii  sudo                 1.7.4p4-2.squeeze.2 Provide limited super user 
privile

-- no debconf information

-- 
Paul Bryan Roberts
pbronline-debian at yahoo.co.uk