no desktop directory for newly created user and some other issues.

[vishnu vardhan <vishnuvardhan.linux@gmail.com>]

no desktop directory for newly created user and some other issues.

OS : Debian Lenny 5.0.4
Desktop Environment : LXDE

I have the following issues and provide some suggestions for the below numbered list :

issue 1 : no Desktop directory for newly created user :

I have this issue earlier also while installing Debian on my machine.
These are the following steps I took at the time of installation :
[a] install base system
[b] boot into the system and installed lxde.
[c] boot into the system with lxde and unable to find directory folder.
[d] installed GNOME desktop environment and the issue is solved.
[e] purged almost every package related to GNOME.
[f] at present using the system with LXDE desktop environment.

if i open PCMan File Manager and in side pane the defaults are : usr home folder, Desktop and hard drive volume info. But the Desktop is missing in the new user and i am also not able to create any files in desktop folder.

I have used the following command to create a new user :
# adduser tmp

provided passwd and details as requested by the command.
shutdown the system with the command : # shutdown 0
booted and directly logged into new user "tmp" and the desktop folder is missing.

i have observed at the time of creating new user and read the man page of adduser : adduser command depends on skel directory.

The skel directory permissions and contents :

-rw-r--r--   1 root root  675 2008-05-13 00:32 .profile
-rw-r--r--   1 root root 3116 2008-05-13 00:32 .bashrc
-rw-r--r--   1 root root  220 2008-05-13 00:32 .bash_logout
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root 4096 2010-06-06 17:50 .
drwxr-xr-x 110 root root 4096 2010-08-05 12:10 ..

the ouput of .profile in skel folder :

Script started on Thursday 05 August 2010 12:53:52 PM IST
]0;vishnu@vishnuvardhan: ~ vishnu@vishnuvardhan:~$ cat /etc/skel/.profile 
# ~/.profile: executed by the command interpreter for login shells.
# This file is not read by bash(1), if ~/.bash_profile or ~/.bash_login
# exists.
# see /usr/share/doc/bash/examples/startup-files for examples.
# the files are located in the bash-doc package.

# the default umask is set in /etc/profile; for setting the umask
# for ssh logins, install and configure the libpam-umask package.
#umask 022

# if running bash
if [ -n "$BASH_VERSION" ]; then
    # include .bashrc if it exists
    if [ -f "$HOME/.bashrc" ]; then
    . "$HOME/.bashrc"
    fi
fi

# set PATH so it includes user's private bin if it exists
if [ -d "$HOME/bin" ] ; then
    PATH="$HOME/bin:$PATH"
fi
]0;vishnu@vishnuvardhan: ~ vishnu@vishnuvardhan:~$ exit

Script done on Thursday 05 August 2010 12:54:00 PM IST


the output of .bashrc in skel directory :

Script started on Thursday 05 August 2010 12:54:31 PM IST
]0;vishnu@vishnuvardhan: ~ vishnu@vishnuvardhan:~$ cat /etc/skel/.profile bash rc 
# ~/.bashrc: executed by bash(1) for non-login shells.
# see /usr/share/doc/bash/examples/startup-files (in the package bash-doc)
# for examples

# If not running interactively, don't do anything
[ -z "$PS1" ] && return

# don't put duplicate lines in the history. See bash(1) for more options
# don't overwrite GNU Midnight Commander's setting of `ignorespace'.
export HISTCONTROL=$HISTCONTROL${HISTCONTROL+,}ignoredups
# ... or force ignoredups and ignorespace
export HISTCONTROL=ignoreboth

# append to the history file, don't overwrite it
shopt -s histappend

# for setting history length see HISTSIZE and HISTFILESIZE in bash(1)

# check the window size after each command and, if necessary,
# update the values of LINES and COLUMNS.
shopt -s checkwinsize

# make less more friendly for non-text input files, see lesspipe(1)
#[ -x /usr/bin/lesspipe ] && eval "$(SHELL=/bin/sh lesspipe)"

# set variable identifying the chroot you work in (used in the prompt below)
if [ -z "$debian_chroot" ] && [ -r /etc/debian_chroot ]; then
    debian_chroot=$(cat /etc/debian_chroot)
fi

# set a fancy prompt (non-color, unless we know we "want" color)
case "$TERM" in
    xterm-color) color_prompt=yes;;
esac

# uncomment for a colored prompt, if the terminal has the capability; turned
# off by default to not distract the user: the focus in a terminal window
# should be on the output of commands, not on the prompt
#force_color_prompt=yes

if [ -n "$force_color_prompt" ]; then
    if [ -x /usr/bin/tput ] && tput setaf 1 >&/dev/null; then
    # We have color support; assume it's compliant with Ecma-48
    # (ISO/IEC-6429). (Lack of such support is extremely rare, and such
    # a case would tend to support setf rather than setaf.)
    color_prompt=yes
    else
    color_prompt=
    fi
fi

if [ "$color_prompt" = yes ]; then
    PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\[\033[01;32m\]\u@\h\[\033[00m\]:\[\033[01;34m\]\w\[\033[00m\]\$ '
else
    PS1='${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h:\w\$ '
fi
unset color_prompt force_color_prompt

# If this is an xterm set the title to user@host:dir
case "$TERM" in
xterm*|rxvt*)
    PS1="\[\e]0;${debian_chroot:+($debian_chroot)}\u@\h: \w\a\]$PS1"
    ;;
*)
    ;;
esac

# Alias definitions.
# You may want to put all your additions into a separate file like
# ~/.bash_aliases, instead of adding them here directly.
# See /usr/share/doc/bash-doc/examples in the bash-doc package.

#if [ -f ~/.bash_aliases ]; then
#    . ~/.bash_aliases
#fi

# enable color support of ls and also add handy aliases
if [ -x /usr/bin/dircolors ]; then
    eval "`dircolors -b`"
    alias ls='ls --color=auto'
    #alias dir='dir --color=auto'
    #alias vdir='vdir --color=auto'

    #alias grep='grep --color=auto'
    #alias fgrep='fgrep --color=auto'
    #alias egrep='egrep --color=auto'
fi

# some more ls aliases
#alias ll='ls -l'
#alias la='ls -A'
#alias l='ls -CF'

# enable programmable completion features (you don't need to enable
# this, if it's already enabled in /etc/bash.bashrc and /etc/profile
# sources /etc/bash.bashrc).
if [ -f /etc/bash_completion ]; then
    . /etc/bash_completion
fi
]0;vishnu@vishnuvardhan: ~ vishnu@vishnuvardhan:~$ exit

Script done on Thursday 05 August 2010 12:54:39 PM IST


the output of .bash_logout from skel folder :

# ~/.bash_logout: executed by bash(1) when login shell exits.

# when leaving the console clear the screen to increase privacy

if [ "$SHLVL" = 1 ]; then
    [ -x /usr/bin/clear_console ] && /usr/bin/clear_console -q
fi


the output of my installed packages [ the link is valid for one month ] :
pastebin.com/2Y38Txmt


issue 2 : sometimes I am receiving the following error after booting into the system :

Error: Unable to establish connection with FAM.
Do you have "FAM" or "Gamin" installed and running?

the screen would be blank and my panel is almost blank , e.g. time will not appear. recently i have found a solution. if i click PCMan File Manager icon on the panel everything is restored.

Is any package is broken or not properly configured ?


issue 3 : at present i am using the following to completly remove the packages from the system :

# aptitude purge --purge-unused

is there any way better than the above to completly remove the packages from the system ?


issue 4 : how do i gracefully shutdown the system ? everytime i use the command it will ask for root password and to continue i will press Ctrl+D. is this good procedure ?

at present i am using the following procedure :

# shutdown 0
Alt+A & shutdown.


issue 5 : how do i find the packages with unmet dependencies ?


issue 6 : i have two users on my system. how do i restrict another user to use shutdown ?


if you need further more info and please provide commands for retrieving the information. i don't know many commands.

I don't have an active internet connection at present. Please reply to this thread only and i am subscribed to this mailing list.

thank you,
vishnuvardhan.