Using Debian Sarge with both Gnome and KDE installed. The two problems may not be related.

The first is not really a problem but a preference. Initial login to desktop is being managed by Gnome and I prefer the KDE login manager. How do I switch to the KDE login manager? (Just to be clear I can log in to the KDE desktop.That's not the problem. It's just I want to change which login manager handles that .)

A search at Google yielded very little. One thread here suggested adding KDE entries to etc/x11/xintrc and deleting Gnome entries about the login manager but that appears to be the wrong file.

The second problem is I can't shutdown from the KDE desktop. When I click "Log Out" instead of getting the KDE dialog box that asks, "Logout- Shutdown-Restart" I go directly to the Gnome login manager and have to shut down from there. With the requirement to type my root password each time that's extra hassle.

I have looked in both the Gnome and KDE preference GUIs but couldn't find a way to set one as default or change shutdown dialog.

Thanks in advance

Technically, the login is managed by a display manager. You probably mean login is managed by GDM (Gnome Display Manager), which is not the same as Gnome (the desktop environment).

In Debian, it's pretty simple to switch. If you want to get rid of GDM and switch to KDM, just do this:

apt-get remove gdm
(alternatively, to remove any configuration files as well, use "apt-get --purge remove gdm)

and then
apt-get install kdm

If you don't think you need to get rid of GDM, just do "apt-get install kdm". Either way, you'll get a screen with a choice of which display manager to use; you can then just select KDM.

I suspect the second problem may take care of itself after you install KDM, but if it doesn't, you can look for more help by entering "help:/kdm" in Konqueror's location bar. In section 4 on "configuring KDM" there is a subsection named "Shutdown".

HTH

Thanks for the reply. I thought about just deleting Gnome but wasn't sure if KDE would just take over. I see now that what I really need to get rid of is just the Gnome display manager and add KDM.

Yes, I did too which is why I posted both problems in the same thread. As you explain it now I see that even though I have KDE desktop the logout probably is being handled by GDM.

Yes, that worked. Thanks

Just a note for any one else reading this. The first time I did it I got the KDM login screen but the login didn't work. It went to a black screen then back to the login screen. I had to:
apt-get --purge remove kdm
apt-get install kdm

Hi All!!

Using to advantage the Thread of our friend Ray2047 I have another question:

For example:

I have both display managers (GDM and KDM) in my machine. The question is:

Is There a command to set what login manager will be the default??

Thanks

You can try "dpkg-reconfigure gdm" or "dpkg-reconfigure kdm", it doesn't matter which of these two commands you choose.

Hi Dead Parrot
The command "dpkg-reconfigure gdm" worked well.

Thanks