Switch window managers
 

Say I'm running KDE at the moment, is there any way to switch from it to Fluxbox and not have to kill the X server (just the window manager), so I don't have to restart all my programs?

I think what your asking is impossible as switching desktops usually from my understanding restarts the Xserver, thus would require killing any programs running, etc.

Well, I know it is possible at least one way, since I am running X right now with no window manager as an experiment. I renamed any xinitrc files I could find so there'd be no default WM. Then I typed 'startx' and got a blank screen with only an xterm (that's in the Xsession file for failsafe). I can type fluxbox or startkde in the xterm and they'll come up, then I can kill them and start the other and all the programs keep running. They don't have titlebars or resize drag thingies though, since that's the WM's job. Interesting huh? I was just wondering, if I do have an .xinitrc file with 'exec <something>' in it, would there be a way to switch the WM, since I now know it's possible?

I still don't think it's possible, but what you can try is running ps aux, then kill all the processes that relate to the WM but leave X running. Depending on what happens next... if you have a term then type 'exec kde' or 'exec fluxbox' or whatever.

I really don't think you're going to find joy though...because when you kill the WM, I think all the apps running under it are going to go down with it....

I don't think so either, I was just thinking about it and remembered that X exits whenever the last program in .xinitrc stops running. So the only way would be to start X with no window manager and running and start it later manually.

It is possible to do what you are saying. My xinitrc files are in /etc/X11/xinit/ and i have fluxbox set to my default and i have a link in my menu that says KDE which when clicked runs the command "startx /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.kde -- :1" and that starts kde on F8 so flux is on F7 and KDE is on F8 you could always do it the oppisite way with kde and use the xinitrc.fluxbox file or even xinitrc.gnome to start gnome:)

That, however, doesn't switch to KDE it merely opens up KDE in addition to your current WM. Very handy though - I think that SuSE does something similar in their 'start' menu.

I know it's been a while but i just thought of something else. You know how some WM's like IceWM or WindowMaker have stuff in the menu that says "Start <some other wm>", and you click that and the other WM pops up? That's what i'm talking about.