script for startx

this may be a ? more for the programing forum, but, i'll take my chances here. is there, or, could i write a script (my programing experience is limited( a little html and a little visual basic) i have recently delved into perl(still learning)) that would give me the option of which window manager loads when i startx? i understand wfmconfig and have successfully used it to explore different window managers just for the heck of it (learning). i'm just wondering if i could talk slack into asking me which wm to load when i startx. anyone who reads this, understand , it is not imperitive, i'm not in dire need of help here. just curios. thx in advance.

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but what i do is edit my ~/.xinitric file for whic WM to load when you do startx to start

Just put them all there, comment them all out, and uncomment the one you want to use.

thx for the response. what i mean is i can run wfmconfig every time i log in. what i'd like to do is get some kind of script or config that when i type startx...the sys asks me which wm to load. kinda like when i was running mandrake, and, could just pick a dropdown box for which session to run, but different in that i always start from the command line (now). I'd ultimatly like to type startx and have the sys ask which wm would you like to load? it may be a stretch, but, i'm learning and the more i learn about how configurable the linux sys is the more ? i have as to what i can really config the sys to do. again just curious, not in any trouble, just learning.

One way of dealing with that would be to edit
/usr/X11R6/bin/startx...
Where it says

userclientrc=$HOME/.xinitrc

you could make like 5 similar entries, corresponding
to five similar .xinitrcX files in the users home.

userclientrc1=$HOME/.xinitrc1
userclientrc2=$HOME/.xinitrc2
userclientrc3=$HOME/.xinitrc3
userclientrc4=$HOME/.xinitrc4
userclientrc5=$HOME/.xinitrc5

echo "1 = Fluxbox"
echo "2 = Blackbox"
echo "3 = Openbox"
echo "4 = IceWM"
echo "5 = Ratpoison"
echo "Press a number and <Enter>"
read selection

case "$selection" in
  "1"   ) userclientrc=$userclientrc1;;
  "2"   ) userclientrc=$userclientrc2;;
  "3"   ) userclientrc=$userclientrc3;;
  "4"   ) userclientrc=$userclientrc4;;
  "5"   ) userclientrc=$userclientrc5;;
esac

Is that what you meant? :)


Cheers,
Tink

Tink nails it.

Another way wouldbe to write another script.... Actually, an alias might work.

alias xstart="xwmconfig; startx"

then try to use xstart.

If that works, you can define that alias in your .bash_profile or elsewhere.
-Shade

originally posted by Tinkster Is that what you meant?

Another way wouldbe to write another script.... Actually, an alias might work.

that's exactly what i'm trying to do. i'll give both a try and post the results. thx Tinkster you truly are a guru. also thx Shade. i love being part of something (this forum) where there is so much information, and so many individuals just waiting to help someone learn. thx again.

From what I understand the disadvantage of
xwmconfig is that it will kill individual settings
that you put in your scripts, though. That is,
if you have .xinitrc start stuff before the actual
windowmanager (like gkrellm or you default
xterm) it will be removed.


Cheers,
Tink

I believe all xwmconfig does is link xinitrc.whatever to xinitrc in /etc/X11/xinit...

I may be wrong though.
Am I missing something, Tink?

-Shade

Isn't what you're looking for exactly what xdm, kdm, gdm... do?

Try starting X with one of those commands instead of startx, they give you a choice of which WM to use (btw, xdm = x desktop manager i think)

greetz

something is going wrong, when i type starx i get the prompt for the options o.k., but, whether i select 1 or 2 i still get gnome. i am posting the edit. also when gnome comes up it's like 4 destops at 1 time w/ no end, or i should say no right side of the screen end. it stops in the middle of the screen and the next desktop stars...etc. 4 times.

userclientrc1=$HOME/.xinitrc1
userclientrc2=$HOME/.xinitrc2
userclientrc3=$HOME/.xinitrc3
userclientrc4=$HOME/.xinitrc4
userclientrc5=$HOME/.xinitrc5

echo "1 = KDE"
echo "2 = Gnome"
echo "3 = IceWM"
echo "4 = Fluxbox"
echo "Press a number and <Enter>"
read selection

case "$selection" in
  "1"   ) userclientrc=$userclientrc1;;
  "2"   ) userclientrc=$userclientrc2;;
  "3"   ) userclientrc=$userclientrc3;;
  "4"   ) userclientrc=$userclientrc4;;
esac

can anyone see anything wrong with this code. i may have messed it up as i only used the code tink provided as a guide. i thought i followed it pretty closly though. thx.

edit: i tried 3 & 4 also, still getting gnome w/ the above problems.thx

What do your ~/.xinitrcX files look like?


Cheers,
Tink

Originally posted by Shade I believe all xwmconfig does is link xinitrc.whatever to xinitrc in /etc/X11/xinit... I may be wrong though. Am I missing something, Tink? -Shade

Hmmm ...

less `which xwmconfig`

# Also set up a new $HOME/.xinitrc:
if [ -r /etc/X11/xinit/$OUTPUT -a ! "$HOME" = "/" ]; then
  if [ -r $HOME/.xinitrc ]; then
    rm -f $HOME/.xinitrc-backup
    mv $HOME/.xinitrc $HOME/.xinitrc-backup
  fi
  cat /etc/X11/xinit/$OUTPUT > $HOME/.xinitrc
fi

Nope :)

It does change your ~/.xinitrc if you're not running
as root ... which we don't.



Cheers,
Tink

What do your ~/.xinitrcX files look like?

here is .xinitrc

#!/bin/sh
# $XConsortium: xinitrc.cpp,v 1.4 91/08/22 11:41:34 rws Exp $

userresources=$HOME/.Xresources
usermodmap=$HOME/.Xmodmap
sysresources=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/.Xresources
sysmodmap=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/.Xmodmap

# merge in defaults and keymaps

if [ -f $sysresources ]; then
xrdb -merge $sysresources
fi

if [ -f $sysmodmap ]; then
xmodmap $sysmodmap
fi

if [ -f $userresources ]; then
xrdb -merge $userresources
fi

if [ -f $usermodmap ]; then
xmodmap $usermodmap
fi

# Start the window manager:
startkde
Tinkster did you see anything wrong with the code? also do i need to edit any other files? thx.

Peace, that looks fine, even though I don't understand
how it could EVER start up Gnome :) since it says
startkde on the last line ...

The idea would be to have 4 ~/.xintrc's, with 1 to 4
attached and pointing to the respective WM's in
the last line.


Cheers,
Tink

i'm going to do some more doodling when i get home this afternoon, and try to fix it. i'll post any success. thx again.