Switch Desktops/Window Manager

DuctTape · 02-28-2002, 04:38 PM

Grrr, I got KDE working but now I can't figure out how to run Gnome or any of the other desktops. HOw do you do it? And before you tell me to, yes I did try search the forum. javascript:smilie(%27%3B)%27)

dorward · 02-28-2002, 05:21 PM

"It Depends"

As I use a console log in followed by startx I use a ~/.xinitrc script.

My (heavily commented) script is available from http://david.us-lot.org/linux-config.php

taz.devil · 02-28-2002, 07:27 PM

That's a good thing you have going for people there on your site. It's always nice to see people giving back so kindly. I can't say that I would enjoy editing a file before startx, but it beats switchdesk (which I never got to work), though is an option for the question above. Even though xwmconfig in Slack is fast at changing your .xinitrc to a new WM, I think I would like to find or make a simple script that will allow perhaps an ncurses menu to pop-up on typing startx...Hmm...Maybe i'm just lazy?

dorward · 03-01-2002, 05:13 AM

(very very very first thought on the matter

Such a script wouldn't be too hard to write, it would just have to be lauched as the first command in the .xinitrc, although if you went down that route it would need a GUI (even if it was just xterm -e myprog), it could write the requested window manager to a file and the script could read that later when it comes to running the window manager.

TravisB · 03-01-2002, 05:37 AM

If you are in kde type "switchdesk" from the console and a window should pop up and ask you to choose kde, gnome, etc. Log out and startx again. If you have not already started x you can type "switchdesk" and it will give you a list of available desktop enviroments. Then you can type "switchdesk GNOME" or whatever one you want. Mine gives me some that I do not have intsalled such as KDE2. I'm not sure why it tells me I can select it when it in not available. Anyway, this works in redhat and i guess some others as well.

DuctTape · 03-01-2002, 10:54 AM

It says switchdesk is not a valid command.

TravisB · 03-01-2002, 11:22 AM

What distrobution of linux are you using?