How to gain control over the system?
Hi all,
Anyone having an idea how to get back the command over my desktop,
including the panels? Until two weeks ago I ran Debian 8 ("jessie"), but
after a unsuccessful clean-up operation the whole system became totally
corrupted, and I decided to to a complete new install of the new Debian
9 ("stretch") and Mate (which I was using in jessie too). I was using
the live DVD put on a memory stick. All went fine, and the system
started without problems. I was happy to notice that I could now use the
Nouveau driver for the screen. Until now I have had to use the nVidia
driver certainly without problems, but it is good being able to use free
software.
But now I discovered an issue, I cannot manage my desktop. I have always
at the previous installations, and they are quite many now, been advised
to, for security reason, leave the root password unset, which causes the
root account go passive, and for all tasks where I need root authority I
go via su/sudo. It has always worked fine, and this using su/sudo still
does. But I cannot control the panels, I have two of them, one on top
intended for icons of my most used programs, as a kind of favourite
menu, and one at bottom where the active programmes appear as buttons.
The bottom panel is working mostly as I want, but I cannot add new apps
to it, e.g. the window switch, I used to have. And I cannot add the
program icons to top panel. Via a right click on a program menu item I
have the option "Put this to the panel" (well, possibly not the correct
words, this is a home made translation from my Swedish version), but,
when trying to select that, nothing happens.
However the related options to save icon to the desktop works fine, and
I can also sort the icons to what I find useful, but it does not survive
a cold start. All the icons come back in some kind of default order,
which I have not been able found out. It is at least not alphabetic.
So can someone help me get the command back, or do I have to make a new
reinstall, hoping for better luck. Possibly setting a password on the
Admin, hence activating that account, which I would prefer not having to.
Thank you in advance
Kaj
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