[NTLUG:Discuss] DCOP server & KDE 3.

[MadHat]

On Thu, 2002-11-07 at 21:17, Steve Baker wrote:
> MadHat wrote:
> 
> > We have discussed what DCOP is before, check the archive for links with
> > more info.  Basically it is a process that manages interprocess
> > communication for the KDE apps.  Sounds like the one that came with your
> > distro might be buggy, I recommend checking for updates.
> 
> My head is now spinning from reading HUNDREDS of emails in various
> archives from people with DCOP problems...it seems like this is by
> far the biggest KDE problem out there.

sorry...

> 
> There are over a dozen separate bits of advice that seem to have worked
> for different people - most seem highly dubious.  To summarise 5 extremely
> frustrating hours of Googling and reading...
> 
>    1) Delete every file beginning with '.' in your home directory
>       that seems even remotely to do with KDE.

probably not the best idea, as you loose a lot of setting and personal
data.

> 
>    2) Ditto for just about every file or directory in /tmp

I wipe temp at every boot on my laptop.

> 
>    3) Open permissions wide on every directory that seems remotely
>       related to 'ICE', 'MCOP', 'DCOP' or KDE.

no... bad, bad idea.

> 
>    4) Change the name of your computer in /etc/hosts and /etc/hostname
>       so that it doesn't have any domain components (eg: "batcave" and
>       not "batcave.sjbaker.org").

should have an alias, like
1.2.3.4		redqueen redqueen.unspecific.com

so they both work

> 
>    5) Reboot.

this is not windows.  There is almost always another/better solution.

> 
>    6) Reinstall KDE3 from scratch.

oh, thats a pain in the ass.  But might work, if you get the latest
version with patches...

> 
>    7) Downgrade (or alternatively upgrade) KDE or perhaps Qt.
> 

its a kde thing.  shouldn't 'have' to mess with QT, but upgrading is
usually a good thing.

>    8) Edit /usr/X11R6/bin/kde3 to include 'export KDEDIR=/opt/kde3'
>       (or other various hacks to that file).

opt?  depends on the distro.  yuck.  I don't like opt.

> 
>    9) Hand-start dcopserver

hmmmm....  not sure how that helps.  I log in via text and the us xinit
when I want to use X and have either startkde or startgnome in my
.xinitrc, seems to work fine for the most part.

> 
>   10) Run 'startx' as 'root'.
> 

no, don't run anything as root unless necessary.

>   11) Run 'iceauth'.
> 

not familiar with that one.

>   12) Don't use SuSE 8.0 because the KDE install doesn't work out of the box.
> 

heh

>   13) Make sure your search path includes /opt/kde3/bin and /usr/X11R6/bin
>       and EXCLUDES /opt/kde2/bin.
> 

Does suse use /opt?  I haven't played with it since....  I don't
remember, its been 3 years I think.  I liked it, but just don't have the
time to play with everything anymore.

> ...actually, what worked for me was changing my '/etc/passwd' so that my
> user account starts up in bash instead of tcsh (which is my preference),
> and then nuking a *bunch* of files in my home directory and in /tmp.
> 
> Using tcsh is the one thing I'd changed from the default installation...but
> I still don't see how it was the source of the problem.
> 
> Nobody mentioned that *ANYWHERE*.  I eventually realised when I found I
> could start KDE as root - AND using my son's user account (both of which
> are started into bash instead of tcsh.

well.... how are you starting X?  Maybe it has someting to do with an
ENV that is or is not getting set because the script are designed for
bash and you know that export does not work in tcsh...  just an idea.

> 
> The most horrible thing about this process is that the programs that
> are failing don't tell you *WHY* they failed.
> 
> For example, if you run 'dcopserver' manually - is says "Self-test Failed".
> Which is no use at all.  If it would only say "Self test failed BECAUSE x, y, or
> z didn't happen" - then I'd have a chance at finding the problem.
> 

Yeh thats fun.

> Aaarrggghhhhh!!!
> 
> ---------------------------- Steve Baker -------------------------
> HomeEmail: <sjbaker1 at airmail.net>    WorkEmail: <sjbaker at link.com>
> HomePage : http://web2.airmail.net/sjbaker1
> Projects : http://plib.sf.net    http://tuxaqfh.sf.net
>             http://tuxkart.sf.net http://prettypoly.sf.net
> 
> 
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> 
-- 
MadHat at Unspecific.com
"Anyone who understands Linux/Unix, really understands the universe.
 Anyone who understands Windows, really understands Windows."
          - Richard Thieme, DefCon 10, 2002