lost kdm login screen --how to restart it?
 

If I have two users logged in (e.g. by using ctl-alt F-something to change between users) then when I log out from any user I never see the kdm login/splash/greeter thingy again.

To be more specific, I think it happens whenever I use Kde's menu item -- something like 'start another session' -- or if I use ctl-alt-F7 from kde.

This is annoying because if I then use "startx" I will be starting kde, which I don't want to do (I want icewm.)

I can start xdm as root, and get the xdm login widget, but then I don't get to choose what window manager I want -- it will just be default kde again.
I know I could go and edit xinit in my home dir and change the default windowmanager.
But this seems excessive.
Is it possible at all to re-start the kdm login/splash/greeter?

I have seen advice about respawning it in inittab, but I would rather hear somebody confirm that that's okay. E.g.:
x:5:respawn:/opt/kde3/bin/kdm -nodaemon

by the way, unlike some systems I have seen referred to, I see no file here "etc/init.d/kdm". But xdm is in there. I think xdm is told to use kdm, because if I type "etc/init.d/xdm restart" it returns "starting kdm". But it still doesn't give me any login gui.


files I have noticed:
/usr/sbin/rckdm
/opt/kde3/bin/kdm
(But typing "/opt/kde3/bin/kdm start" as root from the pre-gui screen does not help)

On the other hand, is there a valid command like "startx exec icewm"? I couldn't work it out from the man page: looks to me like X always wants to start whatever window manager is defined in pre-set variables.

All this time, if I run Top as root I see that kdm is still running.
My suspicion is that if I log in two users Kde breaks kdm -- and it will never be right again until reboot.
Please tell me it isn't so!

You can only have one KDM session at a time on one machine. If you want multiple user logins, you have to use CTL+ALT+F2 (F2-F6). It will only be in the console.

To restart KDM type ALT+CTL+BACKSPACE

That will restart KDM and should fix any lockout or problems you are having.

Hi linuxbotx,
Many thanks for the advice.

If you have a moment,
is this limitation to do with kde or kdm? -- e.g. could I try having 2 icewm users logged in?

How about one kde and one icewm?

My objective was partly to let the children leave their kde session running while I do a quick job in ice, e.g. check my email.

You can only have on X session at a time. KDM is the X manager for KDE. But XFREE86/X.ORG can only have one active session at a time per PC.

Thanks again for your help.