# Installation of LXDE Desktop on Rocky8.6-minimal **URL:** \ **Category:** Rocky Linux Help & Support\ **Created:** [September 28, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/installation-of-lxde-desktop-on-rocky8-6-minimal/7388 "2022-09-28T23:06:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![LenE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7bcc69/32.png) [@LenE](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/LenE)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2022, 11:06pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/installation-of-lxde-desktop-on-rocky8-6-minimal/7388/1 "2022-09-28T23:06:20Z")
Testing Hardware The test PC was a HP Compaq DC5800 which primarily has Intel device controllers, so that there were no graphics card or SATA disk controller problems. * * * LXDE Desktop Software There are current third-party LXDE component packages available for Rocky/AlmaLinux/Springdale 8.n, but time-proven Fedora 29 software was used for this installation. * * * REQUIRED EXTRAS * * * Signing Key Collection From [https://archives.fedoraproject.org](https://archives.fedoraproject.org), Fedora 29 updates, the package fedora-gpg-keys-29-6.noarch.rpm, when installed, loads a large number of fedora-version keys into /etc/pki/rpm-gpg. From there, the Fedora 29 required-one can be imported into the rpm database: ```auto sudo rpm --import RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-29-x86_64 ``` When the EPEL repo is activated, sudo yum install epel-release, the EPEL public key, RPM-GPG-KEY-EPEL-8, is placed in /etc/pki/rpm-gpg. The RPM-GPG-KEY-rockyofficial public key is in /etc/pki/rpm-gpg as part of the Rocky8.6 installation. * * * LXDE Desktop Libraries The packages in this list are downloaded from [https://archives.fedoraproject.org](https://archives.fedoraproject.org), Fedora 29 Updates and Release packages. They should be collected on a USB stick in a separate directory, e.g. LXDEDesktopLibs. They satisfy the dependencies of the main LXDE Desktop components: ```auto f29-backgrounds-base-29.1.3-1.fc29.noarch.rpm gtk3-3.24.1-3.fc29.x86_64.rpm keybinder-0.3.1-12.fc29.x86_64.rpm libappindicator-12.10.0-20.fc29.x86_64.rpm libdbusmenu-16.04.0-8.fc29.x86_64.rpm libdbusmenu-gtk2-16.04.0-8.fc29.x86_64.rpm libfm-1.3.1-1.fc29.x86_64.rpm libfm-gtk-1.3.1-1.fc29.x86_64.rpm libfm-gtk2-1.3.1-1.fc29.x86_64.rpm libfm-gtk-utils-1.3.1-1.fc29.x86_64.rpm libindicator-12.10.1-13.fc29.x86_64.rpm libwnck-2.31.0-11.fc29.x86_64.rpm lxmenu-data-0.1.5-5.fc29.noarch.rpm menu-cache-1.1.0-1.fc29.2.x86_64.rpm openbox-libs-3.6.1-10.fc29.x86_64.rpm unique-1.1.6-21.fc29.x86_64.rpm vte-0.28.2-26.fc29.x86_64.rpm wireless-tools-29-21.fc29.x86_64.rpm ``` * * * LXDE Desktop Components The packages in this list are downloaded from [https://archives.fedoraproject.org](https://archives.fedoraproject.org), Fedora 29 Updates and Release packages. (mousepad is an extra addition, for convenience, from the current EPEL repository.) They should be collected on a USB stick in a separate directory, e.g. LXDEDesktop. They are the main LXDE Desktop Components: ```auto desktop-backgrounds-compat-29.0.0-1.fc29.noarch.rpm leafpad-0.8.18.1-22.fc29.x86_64.rpm lxappearance-0.6.3-7.fc29.x86_64.rpm lxde-common-0.99.2-6.fc29.noarch.rpm lxdm-0.5.3-11.D20161111gita548c73e.fc29.x86_64.rpm lxinput-0.3.5-6.fc29.x86_64.rpm lxpanel-0.10.0-2.D20190301gitb9ad6f2a.fc29.x86_64.rpm lxpolkit-0.5.4-1.fc29.x86_64.rpm lxrandr-0.3.2-1.fc29.x86_64.rpm lxsession-0.5.4-1.fc29.x86_64.rpm lxsession-edit-0.5.4-1.fc29.x86_64.rpm lxtask-0.1.9-1.fc29.x86_64.rpm lxterminal-0.3.2-1.fc29.x86_64.rpm mousepad-0.5.6-1.el8.x86_64.rpm openbox-3.6.1-10.fc29.x86_64.rpm pcmanfm-1.3.1-2.D20181227git0619a81f.fc29.x86_64.rpm ``` * * * INSTALLATION PROCEDURE * * * The Initial Hard Drive Installation is routine. When installing the Rocky8.6- minimal .iso, the Server option with basic Development Tools is selected. The majority of software installs are from the command line without a GUI, because the GUI is activated only near the end of the procedure. ```auto sudo yum group install ‘RPM Development Tools’, installs 68 packages. sudo yum group install Fonts, installs 41 packages. ``` From the USB stick, sudo mount /dev/sdb1 /mnt, upload the LXDE Desktop Component and LXDE Desktop Libraries directories, (egs. create /usr/share/LXDEDesktop and /usr/share/LXDEDesktopLibs). From the USB stick, upload and localinstall fedora-gpg-keys-29-6.noarch.rpm. sudo yum install epel-release → activate EPEL repository from /etc/pki/rpm-gpg, ```auto sudo rpm --import RPM-GPG-KEY-EPEL-8, sudo rpm --import RPM-GPG-KEY-rockyofficial, sudo rpm --import RPM-GPG-KEY-fedora-29-x86_64. ``` from /usr/share/LXDEDesktopLibs, ```auto sudo yum localinstall *.rpm, installs 116 packages. ``` from /usr/share/LXDEDesktop. ```auto sudo yum localinstall *.rpm, installs 43 packages. ``` * * * NB – at this point, what is still required is the installation of xorg-x11-server-Xorg and other graphics driver components. Normally, one would sudo group install base-x, to satisfy this requirement, but it didn’t work properly in this case. What did work, (and I don’t know why), is to sudo yum install sddm from the EPEL repository, which installs fewer packages than the installation of base-x, but did include xorg-x11-server-Xorg and some other driver components. * * * ```auto sudo systemctl set-default graphical.target ---> enable graphics on reboot sudo reboot ``` * * * IMMEDIATE POST-INSTALL REQUIREMENTS Locking in some packages The Fedora 29 packages that have been used are specific to the LXDE Desktop, and shouldn’t be inadvertently pre-empted by newer el8 versions. Fortunately, such changes are prevented by locking the versions on only 4 packages. ```auto sudo yum install python3-dnf-plugin-versionlock --> install the version-locking plugin sudo dnf versionlock add libdbusmenu-16.04.0-8.fc29.x86_64 (the el8 version doesn’t have a separate gtk2 package) sudo dnf versionlock add openbox-3.6.1-10.fc29.x86_64 sudo dnf versionlock add openbox-libs-3.6.1-10.fc29.x86_64 (EPEL has newer versions for newer Fedora support) sudo dnf versionlock add desktop-backgrounds-compat-29.0.0-1.fc29.noarch.rpm (EPEL has a newer version for newer Fedora support) ``` The command sudo dnf versionlock list shows which packages are locked. Enable root login on lxdm edit /etc/pam.d/lxdm file, comment out the 2nd line: ```auto ### auth required pam_succeed_if.so user!=root quiet ``` * * * Len E. ---
**Author:** ![gerry666uk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dbc845/32.png) [@gerry666uk](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/gerry666uk)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 2:44pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/installation-of-lxde-desktop-on-rocky8-6-minimal/7388/2 "2022-09-29T14:44:28Z")
Is this able to use Wayland, as opposed to [x.org](http://x.org)? ---
**Author:** ![LenE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7bcc69/32.png) [@LenE](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/LenE)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 6:54pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/installation-of-lxde-desktop-on-rocky8-6-minimal/7388/3 "2022-09-29T18:54:32Z")
Hi gerry: I know nothing about Wayland. In response to your query, I can make 2 generalized comments: i) From [https://archives.fedoraproject.org](https://archives.fedoraproject.org), Fedora 29 Release packages, the following modules are available: ``` wayland-1.16.0-1.fc29.src.rpm wayland-devel-1.16.0-1.fc29.x86_64.rpm waylandpp-0.2.3-2.fc29.x86_64.rpm waylandpp-devel-0.2.3-2.fc29.x86_64.rpm waylandpp-doc-0.2.3-2.fc29.noarch.rpm wayland-protocols-devel-1.16-1.fc29.noarch.rpm ``` ii) From a cursory perusal of some web articles, it seems that Wayland will ultimately supplant [x.org](http://x.org), but it is still a work in progress. ``` Given that Rocky 8.n is to be supported until 2029, Wayland will likely become important to Rocky development. If you now have, or will have, more comments and/or test results on Wayland, I encourage you to add them to this post if you so choose. ``` Len E. ---
**Author:** ![gerry666uk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dbc845/32.png) [@gerry666uk](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/gerry666uk)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 7:09pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/installation-of-lxde-desktop-on-rocky8-6-minimal/7388/4 "2022-09-29T19:09:39Z")
The Wayland rpms above are used by Gnome, and have been since RHEL 8.0, but I don’t know if LXDE has been updated to use them? ---
**Author:** ![LenE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7bcc69/32.png) [@LenE](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/LenE)\ **Post date:** [September 29, 2022, 11:33pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/installation-of-lxde-desktop-on-rocky8-6-minimal/7388/5 "2022-09-29T23:33:31Z")
Hi gerry: I have an answer to your original query. I booted up a copy of Rocky-Workstation-Lite-8, which uses a minimal Gnome desktop, and noted that it uses a transitional approach to Wayland. All the xorg packages are retained, and it simply adds the xorg-x11-server-Xwayland package. On the test configuration I’ve described herein, I added that package, sudo yum install xorg-x11-server-Xwayland, and rebooted. I didn’t perceive any difference in behaviour, which is probably a good sign: at least nothing was broken with the addition. Len E. ---
**Author:** ![label](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@label](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/label)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 1:32am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/installation-of-lxde-desktop-on-rocky8-6-minimal/7388/6 "2022-09-30T01:32:06Z")
As a warning: Mixing packages from Fedora to an Enterprise Linux machine could cause problematic behavior or unforeseen issues and it is never recommended to do this. It is highly recommended to rebuild the packages using mock. If users wish to have LXDE as an option to Rocky Linux (8 or 9), they can request it be branched to the EPEL branches by the Fedora maintainer or be co-maintainers. ---
**Author:** ![jlehtone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9a140/32.png) [@jlehtone](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/jlehtone)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 7:39am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/installation-of-lxde-desktop-on-rocky8-6-minimal/7388/7 "2022-09-30T07:39:24Z")
> [@LenE](#): > > I booted up a copy of Rocky-Workstation-Lite-8, which uses a minimal Gnome desktop, > and noted that it uses a transitional approach to Wayland. > All the xorg packages are retained, and it simply adds the xorg-x11-server-Xwayland > package. “Transitional” as in: - Both Wayland and X11 servers exists. GDM itself defaults to Wayland session, but each user session can choose either server - The XWayland is a mediator in a Wayland session that allows running X11 clients within (user) Wayland session ---
**Author:** ![gerry666uk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dbc845/32.png) [@gerry666uk](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/gerry666uk)\ **Post date:** [September 30, 2022, 8:22pm UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/installation-of-lxde-desktop-on-rocky8-6-minimal/7388/8 "2022-09-30T20:22:17Z")
Yes, it’s not really about which packages are installed, but more about which packages are being used in a specific desktop session. On Rocky 8.6 the quickest way to check is using environment variables, but what’s really needed is a way to trace through the display stack and prove that it’s bypassing the x org server. Wayland has less overhead, and some say x org is not as secure, due to lack of isolation. ---
**Author:** ![brian](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex020/user_avatar/forums.rockylinux.org/brian/32/5777_2.png) [@brian](https://forums.rockylinux.org/u/brian)\ **Post date:** [August 25, 2023, 3:38am UTC](https://forums.rockylinux.org/t/installation-of-lxde-desktop-on-rocky8-6-minimal/7388/9 "2023-08-25T03:38:46Z")