Whenever I install a package (through apt-get or dpkg, etc.), the xfce panel will hang for some time (maybe 15 seconds) towards the end of the installation. the clock & weather report freeze, and icons are not highlighted (nor can I open a program). I can reproduce this 100% of the time. System specs: athlon xp 2200+ 512 mb ram maxtor 7200 rpm ata/100 hard drive james@a4-1800:~$ grep Control ~/.xfce4/xfce4rc|grep so <Control id="-1" filename="libmailcheck.so"> <Control id="-1" filename="libseparator.so"/> <Control id="-1" filename="libseparator.so"/> <Control id="-1" filename="libseparator.so"/> <Control id="-1" filename="libsystembuttons.so" button1="0" button2="1" showtwo="1"/> <Control id="-1" filename="libseparator.so"/> <Control id="-1" filename="libclock.so"> Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. start up xfce 2. panel hangs temporarily Another way: 1. install a program using dpkg 2. panel hangs temporarily
No idea how this could happen. The only thing I am aware of that can block the panel are plugins trying to connect to a network, which is unavailable; this include the mail checker and the weather plugin. Perhaps you could try removing those and see if it still happens.
it still occurs without the mail checker and weather plugins.
I have no idea what could be causing this. Anybody else have a suggestion?
Do you have the xfce menu in your panel?
I do. I tried removing it, and the hang went away.
Yep, that's what I thought. The menu is regenerating at the end of the install, since one of the .desktop dirs is changed. Not really anything that can be done about this. 4.4 will probably have a new menu system anyway.
This also happens when I'm just logging in to xfce.