xfce session starts multiple instances of xfce4-power-manager and xfce4-volumed

[Darko Veberic]

the xfce desktop session starts multiple instances of xfce4-power-manager and xfce4-volumed, rendering power management ineffective and audio volume buttons dead. additionally, the lid switch causes hibernation irrespective of power management settings.

workaround:
- edit /etc/xdg/autostart/xfce4-power-manager.desktop and change the corresponding line to
  Exec=xfce4-power-manager --no-daemon &
- edit /etc/systemd/logind.conf and make sure to have this line enabled in the [Login] section
  HandleLidSwitch=ignore
- disable automatic session saving in Settings | Settings Manager | Session and Startup | General
- logout from your xfce desktop
- login again
- run "ps awxu | grep xfce" and kill (-9) all instances of xfce4-power-manager and xfce4-volumed
- logout (might take a while for the connection to nonexisting power manager to timeout)
- login again. run the "ps" command above again and check that there are no multiple instances of the two processes. if there are, repeat the kill procedure again, logout and run "ps" again
- at this point starting of multiple instances stops (is there a bug in session saving?) and you should have properly working power management and volume buttons
-note that updates of certain packages might reemergence of the symptoms, just repeat the procedure again

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: xfce4-session 4.10.1-1ubuntu1
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-13.20-generic 3.11.6
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-13-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: wl
ApportVersion: 2.12.5-0ubuntu2.1
Architecture: amd64
Date: Mon Nov 25 22:16:59 2013
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-11-07 (17 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 13.10 "Saucy Salamander" - Release amd64 (20131016.1)
MarkForUpload: True
SourcePackage: xfce4-session
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)

[Darko Veberic (darko-veberic-kit)]

it is interesting to note that when your desktop crashes for some reason, upon next login you can end up with several instances of volumed. it seems the session is somehow saved before the crash occurs, even though the settings have the "save session" button explicitly switched off.

[Darko Veberic (darko-veberic-kit)]

btw, i have the "start gnome services" switched on. is it possible that something from the gnome restarts those daemons?

[Thaddaeus Tintenfisch (thad-fisch-deactivatedaccount)]

So, you have disabled automatic session saving, but did you also delete the remaining session cache (Settings Manager > Session and Startup > Session > Clear saved session)?

[Darko Veberic (darko-veberic-kit)]

@thad-fisch
yes, i did. now, the session management became a real nightmare. it was always broken in ubuntu 13.10, but it used to work without problems in ubuntu 13.04. something like a month or two ago, a xfce update broke that also in 13.04. btw, i have backports switched on...

i regularly have to do a manual cleaning of processes. usually two power-managers are started which disables all the related functionality like screen dimming, hibernation etc. i kill all duplicate processes mentioned above in the bug report, then do a desktop restart (sometimes killing and restarting needs a second cycle).

power-manager issue is quite annoying since relying on critical battery level setting i regularly experience draining of the battery (with consequent crash) when two power-managers are running and not managing anything.

and volume controls don't work when two volumeds are running...

what changed between those two versions? i never had to care about the xfce session settings, except for maybe switching off the session saving...?

is seems when the fxce desktop is not closed properly, the running processes leave files somewhere, according to which they are restarted on next login irrespective of the "save-session" flag. maybe the logic should be reverted, instead of "save-session" a "restore-session" should be programmed since it seems running processes in a session are saved/identified by default.

[Thaddaeus Tintenfisch (thad-fisch-deactivatedaccount)]

Darko, thanks for your quick and detailed reply. Your problem might be same like the one addressed in bug 1204919. Please follow the instructions given by comment #7 and report back.

[Darko Veberic (darko-veberic-kit)]

in fact, this looks similar to the bug 1204919 except that for me the multiple processes are started only if the session is crashed (like after freeze on de-hibernation etc).

[Darko Veberic (darko-veberic-kit)]

i always logout through the logout button in the applet. i even stopped using shutdown since the reappearance of multiple processes occurs more often in this way.

[Thaddaeus Tintenfisch (thad-fisch-deactivatedaccount)]

I suggest that you monitor ~/cache/sessions/ and compare its content before (empty) and after a crash has occurred. On top of that, please add a comment to the other report with some details about your problem.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

Status changed to 'Confirmed' because the bug affects multiple users.

[Martin Spacek (mspacek)]

I was suffering from multiple processes of both xfce4-power-manager and xfce4-volumed as well. Thanks Darko for the workaround in the bug description. However, that wasn't enough to make my volume controls work reliably. Note that Bug #1314782 is very related. The workaround posted there (add --no-daemon to the xfce4-volumed processe as well) worked for me. See https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/xfce4-volumed/+bug/1314782/comments/7.