[TAG] 2-cent tip: Experimenting with window managers

[Ben Okopnik]

On Thu, Jul 15, 2004 at 08:47:16PM +0100, Thomas Adam wrote:
> On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 10:58:03 -0400
> Ben Okopnik <ben at callahans.org> wrote:
> 
> > On Thu, Jul 15, 2004 at 03:15:42PM +0100, Thomas Adam wrote:
> > > On Thu, 15 Jul 2004 09:29:17 -0400
> > > Ben Okopnik <ben at callahans.org> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > trying to actually change (or add) a WM to the [xkg]dm system is a
> > > > bloody nightmare, for which I hope some evil bastard rots in hell.
> > > 
> > > That's why defining a ~/.xsession removes the need to order a
> > > toupee.
> >  
> > I've spent plenty of time trying to confirm this, and have not been
> > successful. IMO, display managers are a blight upon the land.
> 
> Well, KDM and GDM are separate entities in themselves. Being the
> bloated pile of jelly they are, not only do they consume the PC, but
> they also like to do thing Their Way -- to the extent that GDM actually
> ignores ~/.xsession . And I have no idea how the hell KDM operates --
> that's just a nightmare.
 
[Nod] I was conflating the three of them, but yeah - "xdm" isn't quite
as bad as the others, and GDM has not _actually_ eaten any small
children while I was watching (although I've heard rumors.) KDM, now -
that thing should not be let out on the streets, or should at least be
heavily medicated, have a transmitter strapped to its ankle, and be
continuously monitored by professionals armed with tasers and nets.

> And xdm _does_ honour ~./.xsession, that much I assure you. If it
> ever gets ignored, the tip I can always suggest is that you treat it
> *exactly* as a shell-script -- actually give it a she-bang line, and
> chmod +x it.
 
I've actually run into that with .xinitrc in the distant past, although
I don't recall the context.

> > [snip] Thanks for detailing it (would be nice if this was in the docs
> > somewhere), but - yep, been through all that. *Lots* of times. Trying
> > to set it up to allow a choice of WMs just doesn't work for yours
> > truly; there may be someone for whom it does, but that someone isn't
> > me.
> 
> You'll have to be more specific as to how and what you have tried, even
> the files you have edited...
 
Ye Ghods; the quick answer is "everything". I haven't kept notes, but a
cursory look in /etc/X11 (OK, OK, I'll keep the cursing down this once)
reminds me that I've burned eyetracks into the screen while reading
everything X-startup-specific (not stuff like /etc/X11/xfireworks, etc.)
I've also studied the contents of /etc/kde{2,3}, /etc/gdm, /etc/gnome,
and a number of files in /usr/lib. Unless I start digging again, I won't
be able to recall all that's relevant.

> Yup. "selectwm" has been damned useful. One thing I used to do to xdm,
> was assign the function keys to various window managers. I still do,
> in fact. So that, rather than pressing enter, I'd press CTRL-F2 and
> have it launch 'twm', CTRL-F3, and have it launch 'fvwm', or whatever.
> Note that 'F1' by itself in xdm defaults to an xterm -- so-called
> "failsafe".
> 
> > > As to how "x-window-manager" is used, that is defaulted to for
> > > $STARTUP when a user config file is not found.
> > 
> > Mine points to "lwm", which I haven't used for years. I don't even
> > have the slightest idea of how it got that way.
> 
> You didn't dist-upgrade from potato, did you?

Uh... wouldn't surprise me in the least. I go doing stuff like that
regularly behind my own back, sneaking it in before I can notice those
shenanigans. Boy, if I ever catch myself at it, I'll be in bad
trouble...


* Ben Okopnik * okopnik.freeshell.org * Editor-in-Chief, Linux Gazette *
-*- See the Linux Gazette in its new home: <http://linuxgazette.net> -*-