How can I set the default desktop to KDE in CentOS 6.4?

PeterSteele · 03-20-2013, 01:08 PM

I always run KDE, and under CentOS 6.3 I could set the default desktop to KDE by setting /etc/sysconfig/desktop to

DESKTOP="KDE"
DISPLAYMANAGER="KDE"

This does not seem to work under CentOS 6.4. I tried changing DISPLAYMANAGER to KDM but that didn't work. I've tried other variations as well, but I always get gnome. What has changed in 6.4 that's preventing me from getting KDE?

PeterSteele · 03-20-2013, 01:22 PM

Note: According to /etc/X11/prefdm, I need to set DISPLAYMANAGER to KDE:

Code:

...
if [ -f /etc/sysconfig/desktop ]; then
        . /etc/sysconfig/desktop
        if [ "$DISPLAYMANAGER" = GNOME ]; then
                preferred=/usr/sbin/gdm
                quit_arg="--retain-splash"
        elif [ "$DISPLAYMANAGER" = KDE ]; then
                preferred=/usr/bin/kdm
...

This is what I've been using under 6.3 and it works. Not 6.4 though. Something odd is going on. I decided to change it back to KDE and what I get is the expected KDE login but then I end up in a plain vanilla desktop with a basic unadorned xterm. I tried running kdm in this window but nothing happens. What is the command to launch KDM interactively. Not that I want this to be the solution. There must be a way to set KDE as the default.

Madhu Desai · 03-20-2013, 03:02 PM

Quote:

This does not seem to work under CentOS 6.4. I tried changing DISPLAYMANAGER to KDM but that didn't work. I've tried other variations as well, but I always get gnome. What has changed in 6.4 that's preventing me from getting KDE?

What i am missing here... i also run Centos 6.4 KDE. When i installed "kde desktop", and rebooted the machine at login screen at bottom i selected "kde". since then every-time it logs in to kde desktop automatically ...

PeterSteele · 03-20-2013, 03:26 PM

I guess this was a case of user-error. I forgot that you have to select the session type during the login; it's been a year or so since I last did this. After setting the session type to KDE, I am now successfully running KDE as my default.

Out of curiosity, did you have to edit /etc/sysconfig/desktop manually? I definitely had to do that. Without doing that, I just got the default login screen which does not have the session type.

What's in your /etc/sysconfig/desktop file?

Madhu Desai · 03-20-2013, 03:34 PM

Quote:

Out of curiosity, did you have to edit /etc/sysconfig/desktop manually? I definitely had to do that. Without doing that, I just got the default login screen which does not have the session type.

No. I did not edit any config files. In fact i even didn't knew i have to change some config files to get kde.

Quote:

What's in your /etc/sysconfig/desktop file?

Code:

[root@cent64 ~]# cat /etc/sysconfig/desktop
cat: /etc/sysconfig/desktop: No such file or directory

PeterSteele · 03-21-2013, 06:57 AM

That's odd. For me, if this file doesn't exist, I don't get the kde login where I can set the session type, I just get the normal gnome login.

When you say that you installed "kde desktop", how did you do this. In my case, when I did my CentOS install, during the phase where you can select the type of system you want, I selected "Customize now" and added several additional packages, one of them being KDE. Is this what you did, or did you install KDE after the main OS install, via the gnome package manager?

Madhu Desai · 03-21-2013, 08:31 AM

Quote:

I don't get the kde login where I can set the session type, I just get the normal gnome login.

if you are refering to just login screen, then i dont know. since its my home pc and i'm the only user, i have setup to autologin. so i dont get login screen. if i want to swap between gnome and kde, i just disable autologin at that time and choose desktop type. i usually prefer gnome though. its simple and clean.

Quote:

Is this what you did, or did you install KDE after the main OS install, via the gnome package manager?

while installing centos i did not choose kde desktop. i have setup local repository. so i installed through it.

Code:

# yum groupinstall "kde desktop" --disablerepo=base

Madhu Desai · 03-21-2013, 08:58 AM

ok i just did this, and i'm getting kde login screen. looks good.

But i still prefer autologin.

vi /etc/sysconfig/desktop
DESKTOP="KDE"
DISPLAYMANAGER="KDE"