[ozgta]

Hi,
Using Zen-mini on USB drive.
I have used USB Creator 0.9.7 to create a bootable USB drive.
During the setup I choose Xfce yet when the process is finished the boot display show Xfce yet when it fully loads I get a Gnome desktop.
I have repeated the process with USB Creator 0.9.7 three times and always I get a Gnome desktop.
Is there a way around this issue?

[ongoto]

Need to do some testing....
When you boot there is a file on the first usb partition named /boot/grub/menu.lst which comes into play. Could you copy and post the contents of that file?

[ozgta]

@ongoto,
There is only the one partition on the USB drive and there is not a /menu.lst in /boot/grub.

I noticed on boot that options read with Xfce;
Xfce
Xfce with persistance
Xfce with Copy to Ram
Memory Test

though it opens with the Gnome desktop.

Hope this is of help.

[ongoto]

I'm a little confused. You installed Zen-mini on the usb but you are expecting to see xfce? I would think you should have xfce installed.

[ozgta]

When I used USB Creator 0.9.7 to create the USB drive one of the options was to choose a desktop enviromnent.
From memory there was KDE, Gnome, Xfce, and I think LXDE and a couple of others.
I picked Xfce
The installation went ahead...all good.
On reboot I get;
Xfce
Xfce with persistance
Xfce with Copy to Ram
Memory Test

If I pick any of the three Xfce options the booting goes ahead however the desktop enviroment I get is Gnome.

I've repeated the process from the start with USB Creator 0.9.7 about five times with the same result.
True story.

[ongoto]

After you chose XFCE as a desktop environment, you got a file chooser window to select an iso file to install. Is that correct? or did you install from a live CD? Which iso did you install? (Phoenix or Zen-mini) Phoenix is the PCLOS version of XFCE.

If you chose Zen-mini, then, in essence, you have renamed Zen to XFCE. But it is still the Zen operating system installed.

You can install more than one desktop environment on your usb (if space allows). If you want, I can outline the steps I would take to do that.

[ozgta]

I downloaded the latest version: zen-mini-x23-2012.1.iso so I directed the file chooser to it.

If you chose Zen-mini, then, in essence, you have renamed Zen to XFCE. But it is still the Zen operating system installed.

Not sure what you mean by that as there are maybe six desktop enviroments that are to choose from when creating the USB Drive.
I understand that it's still Zen running however it's with Gnome not the Xfce that was choosen at USB drive creation.

just realised...is it possible that zen-mini doesn't come with Xfce and I only thought it did when USB Creator 0.9.7 offered Xfce as well as other desktop enviroments by default as part of the setup.

[ongoto]

I downloaded the latest version: zen-mini-x23-2012.1.iso so I directed the file chooser to it.

If you chose Zen-mini, then, in essence, you have renamed Zen to XFCE. But it is still the Zen operating system installed.

Not sure what you mean by that as there are maybe six desktop enviroments that are to choose from when creating the USB Drive.
I understand that it's still Zen running however it's with Gnome not the Xfce that was choosen at USB drive creation.

just realised...is it possible that zen-mini doesn't come with Xfce and I only thought it did when USB Creator 0.9.7 offered Xfce as well as other desktop enviroments by default as part of the setup.

Exactly. The step in the USB Creator that led you to think you were selecting a DE was actually asking you for a name to use in a menu. Each PCLOS iso only includes one DE. What you are installing to the USB is a complete operating system. You can have multiple OSs installed if you have room.

To do what you are thinking of can be done after you get Gnome installed. Using Synaptic->Custom->Tasks, you can find installable DEs which you choose from at the time you login and give your password, not from the menu you see when you first boot up. The first menu you see (Grub menu) lets you select a partition (OS) to boot into. The login menu (GDM) is a different thing altogether. There you can choose from different DEs if you have them installed.

[ozgta]

Thanks ongoto,
There is only one 32bit .iso to choose from and it must have Gnome by default, I was distracted by USB drive creation process thinking there were other options for desktop enviroments.
I'll try what you suggested to install Xfce...didn't mean to waste your time over a misdirection.

[ongoto]

No trouble at all. I love puzzles. When things don't make sense, let us know. That benefits everyone.

Good luck.