SOLVED Need help on downgrading Thunar from 1.8.4 to 1.6.3

[efrpcabo]

Can anybody please help me on downgrading Thunar from 1.8.4 to 1.6.3?

I'm using Debian Buster and I use Thunar custom actions very much.

The problem is that Thunar custom actions don't work on the Desktop, as you can read here:
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php ... 7#p1807697

So, either I upgrade XFCE from 4.12 to 4.13
or
I downgrade Thunar from 1.8.4 to 1.6.3

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it is best to choose downgrade Thunar.

So, I need some help to do this right.

I've googled around and I've read I should run this command:
apt policy thunar

which gives me this result, which I believe says I only have version 1.8.4-1 available:
thunar:
Installed: 1.8.4-1
Candidate: 1.8.4-1
Version table:
*** 1.8.4-1 500
500 http://deb.debian.org/debian stable/main amd64 Packages
100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

If this is so, it seems I'm stuck!...
Can someone shed some light in here, please?

[djk44883]

I know if you use synaptic you can use the menu Package > Force Version (after you select the package you want)

You can configure a pin for the file. I've done it, but you'll have to look into apt pinning for get it right.

man apt-get shows a --allow-downgrades option, but then I bet you'll need to apt-mark hold the package - Never did this --- research further

There may be other and/or easier methods...

[CwF]

Since the earlier version is from Stretch you need to arrange to have it seen by apt in a local pool. That's a page of explanation!

Then with whatever tool try to remove the current and install the last in one step, and simply see what it says. It may help to have changed the default FM to something else first, I used spacefm, and actually like it. If synaptic doesn't want to do it, then maybe drop down to a root VT and see if aptitude (and you) can make sense of it....Bottom line is you can rip it out and reinstall what you have to as long as apt can see both versions, and then you pick. I never bother with pinning things, it's a mess. I simply control what apt sees.

Or some other way?

I've mentioned this, and complained some over the last months. Since I use staged images I caught it and have full buster images with spacefm, hybrid Buster with the thunar upgrade skipped, and my main hypervisor still on stretch because of thunar.

[efrpcabo]

Thank you both. I will try following your directions and see if I can accomplish this.

[djk44883]

I hadn't look into the specifics, just the methods. I suggest you first read https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian before creating a FrankenDebian.

https://packages.debian.org/stretch/thunar and download the .deb file directly.

*possibilities
1 Use gdebi pkg to install new-downloaded one (does have simulate and takes apt-get options) Might need to uninstall current version.

2 use dpkg to force install of new-downloaded one (dpkg does not do dependencies)

I'm not 100% this works, but reasonably certain I've used something similar for less of a system issue. You need to research just what a bad idea these may be and confirm either will do what you need.

[efrpcabo]

I hadn't look into the specifics, just the methods. I suggest you first read https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian before creating a FrankenDebian.

https://packages.debian.org/stretch/thunar and download the .deb file directly.

*possibilities
1 Use [url]=https://manpages.debian.org/buster/gdebi-core/gdebi.1.en.htmlgdebi[/url] pkg to install new-downloaded one (does have simulate and takes apt-get options) Might need to uninstall current version.

2 use dpkg to force install of new-downloaded one (dpkg does not do dependencies)

I'm not 100% this works, but reasonably certain I've used something similar for less of a system issue. You need to research just what a bad idea these may be and confirm either will do what you need.

Thank you.
I will test this first on a virtual machine.

[stevepusser]

I am working on backports of XFCE 4.1.4 for Buster and Stretch, but it might be a day or so before I'm finished.

This has Thunar 1.8.9...

https://build.opensuse.org/project/show ... :xfce-4.14

[efrpcabo]

I am working on backports of XFCE 4.1.4 for Buster and Stretch, but it might be a day or so before I'm finished.
This has Thunar 1.8.9...
https://build.opensuse.org/project/show ... :xfce-4.14

Thank you, but:
"To get custom actions on the desktop with thunar 1.8.x, you need to be running xfdesktop 4.13.2 - which supports the new Thunarx-3 API."

Source: post #5 in this link:
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php ... 7#p1807697

[stevepusser]

Yes--they work fine with Thunar 1.8.9 and xfdesktop 4.14 from my repo, because it supports the same "3" API. I have the MX 19 developer's private alpha4, which has the same packages, and all our custom desktop actions work.

[efrpcabo]

I hadn't look into the specifics, just the methods. I suggest you first read https://wiki.debian.org/DontBreakDebian before creating a FrankenDebian.

https://packages.debian.org/stretch/thunar and download the .deb file directly.

*possibilities
1 Use gdebi pkg to install new-downloaded one (does have simulate and takes apt-get options) Might need to uninstall current version.

2 use dpkg to force install of new-downloaded one (dpkg does not do dependencies)

I'm not 100% this works, but reasonably certain I've used something similar for less of a system issue. You need to research just what a bad idea these may be and confirm either will do what you need.

Thank you for your tips.
I've tried that and I managed to install Thunar 1.6.15.
But the problem is that still the Thunar custom actions didn't work on the Desktop folder.

Before I make my changes, I even installed Nautilus and set it as the filemanager in Menu, Settings, Preferred Applications; so I could remove Thunar from there as per one advice I got; and after making the changes, I put Thunar there again.


Here's what I've done:

=============================================
install nautilus and replace thunar as the filemanager, in:
menu, settings, preferred applications

=============================================
remove thunar 1.8.4-1
without dependencies

remove
dpkg -r --force-all thunar

purge
dpkg -P --force-all thunar

=============================================
install thunar 1.6.15-1
without dependencies
and freeze it (hold)

download
https://launchpadlibrarian.net/36359717 ... ian.tar.xz
thunar_1.6.15-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb

use dpkg to force install of new-downloaded one
dpkg does not do dependencies
dpkg --force-all -i /home/user1/thunar_1.6.15-0ubuntu1_amd64.deb

=============================================

afterwards, when I tried to lauch Thunar, it complained about missing "libthunarx-2-0" and I've installed it the same way I installed Thunar 1.6.15 above.
Rebooted.
Everything worked, but not the customs actions on Desktop; i.e., same as before.

I noticed libthunarx-3-0 was also installed, and I've removed it - also like removed Thunar above - to see if customs actions on Desktop would work this time, then rebooted, but they didn't work again.
I think Thunar is too much intertwined with XFCE so I can achieve this, because I am messing with more than I can understand.

I did all this in a testing virtual machine, with a clone virtual disk of my physical system following the small guide I wrote here:
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=143279#p706289

That way I can make clone of my physical hard drive in about 15m and use the virtual disk to create a testing virtual machine exactly as my physical system (as in this case).
The best part is that I can make snapshots and easily revert the changes, and try again in a different way.
So no harm done.

[efrpcabo]

Yes--they work fine with Thunar 1.8.9 and xfdesktop 4.14 from my repo, because it supports the same "3" API. I have the MX 19 developer's private alpha4, which has the same packages, and all our custom desktop actions work.

Ok, now I understand:
You meant 4.14 in your previous post (and not 4.1.4):

I am working on backports of XFCE 4.1.4 for Buster and Stretch, but it might be a day or so before I'm finished.
This has Thunar 1.8.9...
https://build.opensuse.org/project/show ... :xfce-4.14

The difference a simple point can make!
Yes, that makes sense.
Thunar 1.8.9 and xfdesktop 4.14 work well together.
I will try it.
Thank you.

[efrpcabo]

Yes--they work fine with Thunar 1.8.9 and xfdesktop 4.14 from my repo, because it supports the same "3" API. I have the MX 19 developer's private alpha4, which has the same packages, and all our custom desktop actions work.

Could you please tell me how can I use backports to install this?

I've tried, but I couldn't make it work:
[This last line was edited. Before was: "I've tried, but I could make it work"]

=============================================
# apt update
Ign:1 http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable InRelease
Hit:2 http://ftp.debian.org/debian buster-backports InRelease
Hit:3 https://repo.skype.com/deb stable InRelease
Hit:4 http://deb.debian.org/debian stable InRelease
Hit:5 http://linux.teamviewer.com/deb stable InRelease
Hit:6 http://deb.debian.org/debian stable-updates InRelease
Hit:7 http://deb.debian.org/debian-security stable/updates InRelease
Ign:8 http://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb stable InRelease
Hit:9 https://www.deb-multimedia.org buster InRelease
Hit:10 http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable Release
Hit:11 http://dl.google.com/linux/earth/deb stable Release
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
All packages are up to date.

=============================================
# apt upgrade -y
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
Calculating upgrade... Done
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded.

=============================================
# apt-get -t buster-backports install "xfdesktop4"
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
xfdesktop4 is already the newest version (4.12.4-2).
xfdesktop4 set to manually installed.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 79 not upgraded.

=============================================
# apt-get -t buster-backports install "thunar"
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
thunar is already the newest version (1.8.4-1).
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 79 not upgraded.

=============================================
# apt-get -t buster-backports install "xfce4"
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree
Reading state information... Done
xfce4 is already the newest version (4.12.5).
xfce4 set to manually installed.
0 upgraded, 0 newly installed, 0 to remove and 79 not upgraded.

=============================================

[stevepusser]

They are in my own repository on the OBS, not in buster-backports, and may never be there.

For Buster, run in a root terminal:

Code: Select all

echo 'deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/stevenpusser:/xfce-4.14/Debian_10.0/ /' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:stevenpusser:xfce-4.14.list

rm -f Release.key && wget -nv https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:stevenpusser:xfce-4.14/Debian_10.0/Release.key -O Release.key

apt-key add - < Release.key && rm -f Release.key

apt update


and then upgrade:

Code: Select all

apt full-upgrade

You may see several unmaintained panel plugins removed, such as the cellmodem plugin, or the verve one. The xfce4-goodies package will also be removed until I get an updated version in there--this is also normal and shouldn't hurt anything.

Then log out and back in.

Your present theme may not support GTK 3 well, so you might have to switch to one that does. I know the arc theme works well, or the ones that are built into XFCE.

[djk44883]

Yes--they work fine with Thunar 1.8.9 and xfdesktop 4.14 from my repo, because it supports the same "3" API. I have the MX 19 developer's private alpha4, which has the same packages, and all our custom desktop actions work.

Could you please tell me how can I use backports to install this?

I've tried, but I could make it work:

You have to start by adding

Postby stevepusser » Wed Aug 14, 2019 3:59 pm
I am working on backports of XFCE 4.1.4 for Buster and Stretch, but it might be a day or so before I'm finished.

The backport reppository stevepusser built!! https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/stevenpusser:/xfce-4.14/Debian_10/ I'm not sure where the detailed instructions are. After it's added you'll need to get the key file, via apt-key. or apt install (maybe).

[efrpcabo]

They are in my own repository on the OBS, not in buster-backports, and may never be there.

For Buster, run in a root terminal:

Code: Select all

echo 'deb http://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/stevenpusser:/xfce-4.14/Debian_10.0/ /' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:stevenpusser:xfce-4.14.list

rm -f Release.key && wget -nv https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:stevenpusser:xfce-4.14/Debian_10.0/Release.key -O Release.key

apt-key add - < Release.key && rm -f Release.key

apt update


and then upgrade:

Code: Select all

apt full-upgrade

You may see several unmaintained panel plugins removed, such as the cellmodem plugin, or the verve one. The xfce4-goodies package will also be removed until I get an updated version in there--this is also normal and shouldn't hurt anything.

Then log out and back in.

Your present theme may not support GTK 3 well, so you might have to switch to one that does. I know the arc theme works well, or the ones that are built into XFCE.

Thank you, it worked!
Thunar now shows "custom actions" when I right-click on my Desktop area.
And the theme I was using had also the GTK 3 version and it's very beautiful.
I really like the appearance.
And I think that when this XFCE 4.14 version reaches the main repo everybody will like it because it really is beautiful.

=============================================
I just had to correct some typos in the 2 links.
These are your commands already with the 2 links corrected:

Code: Select all

echo 'deb https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/stevenpusser:/xfce-4.14/Debian_10/ /' > /etc/apt/sources.list.d/home:stevenpusser:xfce-4.14.list

rm -f Release.key && wget -nv https://download.opensuse.org/repositories/home:/stevenpusser:/xfce-4.14/Debian_10/Release.key -O Release.key

apt-key add - < Release.key && rm -f Release.key

apt update

apt full-upgrade


=============================================

Thank you all!
Regards