Need to login twice to start KDE with compiz and kde-window-decorator from kdm

allend · 06-14-2008, 10:47 AM

I have been experiencing an annoyance for some time. This box is setup to boot to run level 4 to kdm. When I log in the first time, KDE and compiz start, but kde-window-decorator fails to start so that I am left with windows with no borders and the Klipper icon fails to appear. If I logout and login again, everything starts OK.
This problem did not occur with Slackware 12.0, then appeared as I tracked Slackware-current to Slackware 12.1 (maybe when upgrading to KDE 3.5.9?). It is now a consistent problem at every boot.
This box has an nVidia 7300 LE GPU, and the problem continues with an update to the latest nVidia kernel module.
I am starting to suspect that the kde-window-decorator is being launched before compiz has completed. I have tried increasing the Server Timeout in kdmrc, but that made no difference.
There is nothing obviously useful in my ~/.xsession-errors file or /var/log/syslog.
This is the contents of my ~/.kde/share/config/ksmserverrc file.

Quote:

[$Version]
update_info=ksmserver.upd:kde3

[General]
screenCount=1

[LegacySession: saved at previous logout]
count=0

[Session: saved at previous logout]
clientId1=10b6c66770000121302606000000081570009
clientId2=10b6c66770000121302941000000041250010
clientId3=10b6c66770000121302943400000041250011
count=3
discardCommand1[$e]=rm,$HOME/.kde/share/config/session/konqueror_10b6c66770000121302606000000081570009_1213454813_975203
discardCommand2=
discardCommand3[$e]=
program1=konqueror
program2=
program3=kde-window-decorator
restartCommand1=konqueror,-session,10b6c66770000121302606000000081570009_1213454813_975203
restartCommand2=compiz,--sm-client-id,10b6c66770000121302941000000041250010,--replace,png,svg,decoration,wobbly,fade,minimize,cube,switcher,move,place,resize,rotate,scale
restartCommand3=kde-window-decorator,-session,10b6c66770000121302943400000041250011_1213454813_975311
restartStyleHint1=0
restartStyleHint2=135004162
restartStyleHint3=0
userId1=me
userId2=
userId3=me

Has anybody else had this problem, or any suggestions on a fix?

Woodsman · 06-14-2008, 02:03 PM

I never have experienced this problem. A first reasonable guess is a session problem/corruption. The next time you log out and return to the KDM login manager, logout without saving the session.

For comparison, here is my normal user ksmserverrc:

[$Version]
update_info=ksmserver.upd:kde3

[General]
confirmLogout=true
excludeApps=soffice.bin
loginMode=default
offerShutdown=true
shutdownType=0

You also could boot into runlevel three. After logging in at the command line, do not immediately run startx. Your KDE user session files are stored in $HOME/.kde/share/config/session. Delete the files. Then run startx. Exit X/KDE without saving the session. Reboot or telinit into runlevel four and login through KDM.

adriv · 06-14-2008, 05:18 PM

Perhaps the tip in this thread solves it?

allend · 06-16-2008, 06:54 PM

Thanks for the good suggestions. Unfortunately nothing that I have tried to date has fixed the problem.

I am wondering if this may have something to do with loading dbus for the session.
I noted that I did not have DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS environment variable set,
and that a dbus session process was started after compiz and kde-window-decorator.

I have tried adding a ~/.bash_profile to my home directory, to load dbus when a KDE session is started.

Code:

# Avoid relying on autolaunch to improvise D-Bus sessions for each process
if test -z "$DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS" ; then
    eval `dbus-launch --sh-syntax --exit-with-session`
fi

This now allows me to start compiz with the dbus plugin, but the original problem persists.