LXDE Tips

Installing

With a Debian distribution, install the lxde package.

  # apt-get install lxde

Configuration

Autostart

To automatically start programs when your session starts you can either;

1.  create a .desktop file in `~/.config/autostart/` e.g.

  $ cat <<EOF >> ~/.config/autostart/lxterminal.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Type=Application
Exec=lxterminal
OnlyShowIn=LXDE;
EOF

2.  Add an entry to `/etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE/autostart`

See also:

gnome-power-manager

To use gnome-power-manager to manage the battery, add an entry to /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE/autostart e.g.

  $ cat <<EOF | sudo tee -a /etc/xdg/lxsession/LXDE/autostart
@gnome-power-manager
EOF

lxpanel

See https://wiki.lxde.org/en/LXPanel

To restart lxpanel:

  $ killall lxpanel
  $ lxpanel -p LXDE &

Alternatively, you may be able to use:

  $ lxpanelctl restart

Note: lxpanel in Debian 5.0 (Lenny) appears to fail to display the menu if there are other files in ~/.config/lxpanel/LXDE/panels, e.g. a backup file such as panel~. There also seems to be a bug when interactively modifying the panel settings where the alpha value is always set to zero and tintcolor is not updated with any change.

When the panel is initially created, it includes buttons which can’t be added using the interactive Application Launch Bar tool. If you wish to add them to an application launch bar, you will need to manually edit the ~/.config/lxpanel/LXDE/panels/panel configuration file. An entry such as the following will replace them:

  Plugin {
    type = launchbar
    Config {
      Button {
        id=/usr/share/applications/lxde-x-www-browser.desktop
      }
      Button {
        id=lxde-screenlock.desktop
      }
      Button {
        id=lxde-logout.desktop
      }
    }
  }

Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard and mouse bindings are configured in ~/.config/openbox/lxde-rc.xml

After making any changes, force openbox to reload the configuration with:

  $ openbox --reconfigure

To find the names of keys, run xev in a terminal, e.g. the following output is shown when the Print key is pressed:

  KeyPress event, serial 48, synthetic NO, window 0x3c00001,
    root 0x2d5, subw 0x0, time 8709884, (858,131), root:(1207,181),
    state 0x0, keycode 107 (keysym 0xff61, Print), same_screen YES,
    XLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XmbLookupString gives 0 bytes:
    XFilterEvent returns: False

The key’s name is shown on line three after keysym 0xff61,

Some changes you may like to make:

...
<placement>
  ...
  <monitor>Mouse</monitor>
  ...
</placement>
...
<theme>
  ...
  <keepBorder>no</keepBorder>
  ...
</theme>
...
<desktops>
  ...
  <number>4</number>
  ...
</desktops>
...
  <keyboard>
  ...
  <!-- Disable keys which conflict with Eclipse keys
  <keybind key="C-A-Up">
  <action name="DesktopUp">
    <dialog>no</dialog>
    <wrap>no</wrap>
  </action>
  </keybind>
  <keybind key="C-A-Down">
  <action name="DesktopDown">
    <dialog>no</dialog>
    <wrap>no</wrap>
  </action>
  </keybind>
  -->
  ...
  <!-- Modify S-A combinations to match Gnome defaults -->
  <keybind key="C-S-A-Left">
  <action name="SendToDesktopLeft">
    <dialog>no</dialog>
    <wrap>no</wrap>
  </action>
  </keybind>
  <keybind key="C-S-A-Right">
  <action name="SendToDesktopRight">
    <dialog>no</dialog>
    <wrap>no</wrap>
  </action>
  </keybind>
  <keybind key="C-S-A-Up">
  <action name="SendToDesktopUp">
    <dialog>no</dialog>
    <wrap>no</wrap>
  </action>
  </keybind>
  <keybind key="C-S-A-Down">
  <action name="SendToDesktopDown">
    <dialog>no</dialog>
    <wrap>no</wrap>
  </action>
  </keybind>
  <!-- End - Modify S-A combinations to match Gnome defaults -->
  ...
  <keybind key="W-l">
  <action name="Execute">
    <command>xscreensaver-command -lock</command>
  </action>
  </keybind>
  <keybind key="W-t">
  <action name="Execute">
    <command>lxterminal --geometry=96x30</command>
  </action>
  </keybind>
  <keybind key="A-C-l">
  <action name="Execute">
    <command>xscreensaver-command -lock</command>
  </action>
  </keybind>
    <keybind key="W-Print">
      <action name="Execute">
        <startupnotify>
          <enabled>true</enabled>
          <name>Screenshot</name>
        </startupnotify>
        <command>xfce4-screenshooter</command>
    </action>
  </keybind>
  <keybind key="A-F10">
  <action name="MaximizeFull"/>
  </keybind>
  <keybind key="A-F5">
  <action name="UnmaximizeFull"/>
  </keybind>
  <keybind key="A-F9">
  <action name="Iconify"/>
  </keybind>
  <keybind key="A-F7">
  <action name="Move"/>
  </keybind>
  <keybind key="A-F8">
  <action name="Resize"/>
  </keybind>
  ...
</keyboard>

LXAppearance

Many configuration changes can be made using the LXAppearance application, which is available from the LXDE menu under Preferences->Appearance.

Background Wallpaper

To change the background wallpaper, right-click on the desktop and select Desktop Settings from the pop-up menu. The wallpaper can be changed on the Desktop tab.

Desktop files (.desktop) are placed under;

  • /usr/share/applications
  • ~/.local/share/applications

See https://wiki.lxde.org/en/Main_Menu

Screenshots

Alternatively, if you are using Debian 6.0 (Squeeze) or later, you can use the shutter application.

  # apt-get install shutter

or

xfce4 Screenshot

  # apt-get install xfce4-screenshooter

Preferred Applications

You can change the default browser and e-mail client by running /usr/bin/libfm-pref-apps from the libfm-gtk0 package in Debian 6.0 (Squeeze). This is available on the Preferences menu, under Preferred Applications.

Using lightdm Display Manager

On Debian, try setting the default xsession with:

# /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/lightdm/lightdm-set-defaults -s lxde

If you are using ~/.xession you will need to modify the exec entry to exec startlxde

See also https://wiki.debian.org/LXDE

Debian Package Update Notifications

Install the package-update-notifier package.

When the display manager is next started, an icon is added to the System Tray panel applet, which is by default situated to the left of the Digital Clock panel applet in the task bar.

If the application is not running, it can be run in the background with:

$ package-update-indicator&

The running instance can be stopped with:

$ package-update-indicator --quit

Clicking on the package-update-indicator icon in the system tray lets you modify the application’s preferences. You can also alter the preferences from the desktop menu under Preferences > Package Update Indicator Preferences.

To view the application’s debug logging, run it from inside a terminal with:

$ G_MESSAGES_DEBUG=all package-update-indicator

Use Ctrl-c to terminate it running in the foreground, or suspend it with Ctrl-z and run it in the background with:

$ bg %1

When the Refresh cache interval is set to Always, it seems to update the cache three minutes after the application is first run and thereafter hourly. Presumably Always differs from Hourly in that Always will also refresh the cache each time you login to a new desktop session, whether within the hour or not.

– Frank Dean - 07 Aug 2025

Trouble-shooting

Screen Saver Auto Locks the Session after 10 minutes

This forces you to have to login again. This is the behaviour seen on Debian 12 (Bookworm) and Debian 13 (Trixie) if xscreensaver is not installed.

The current X screen saver settings can be viewed with:

$ xset q

To change the settings to disable both the screen saver and display blanking:

$ xset s 0 0 s noblank s noexpose -dpms

See the ‘s’ option in man xset for the meaning of these values.

To run those settings on subsequent sessions, append them to ${HOME}/.config/lxsession/LXDE/autostart, e.g.

$ echo 'xset s 0 0 s noblank s noexpose -dpms' \
>> ${HOME}/.config/lxsession/LXDE/autostart

– Frank Dean - 01 Dec 2025

Resources

– Frank Dean - 2 Dec 2011

Related Topics: DebianTips, LinuxHintsAndTips