[SOLVED] Starting window managers other than kde

splitzjc · 05-07-2011, 09:38 PM

Hello,

I'm having trouble starting non-kde window managers. From the start-up command line, I get an error message about the XServer when typing "fluxbox" in as a command. However, when I put fluxbox in as a command in konsole, it gives an error message (which makes sense because I was using kde). I also can't start xfce as it is not a recognized command.

Thanks

allend · 05-07-2011, 09:44 PM

The command to change window managers is 'xwmconfig' which you run from the command line prior to starting X.

splitzjc · 05-07-2011, 10:15 PM

Hey thanks that helps. However, when running xwmconfig, xfce is absent, but I can start xfce through fluxbox. Is it supposed to be like that?

allend · 05-07-2011, 10:23 PM

No. xfce should be available.
What is the output of 'ls -l /etc/X11/xinit/'?

I see, for xfce, "lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root 28 Mar 31 23:26 xinitrc.xfce -> ../../xfce/xdg/xfce4/xinitrc"

splitzjc · 05-07-2011, 10:43 PM

There was more output given but here is the line for xfce:

Code:

lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  28 May  3 20:35 xinitrc.xfce -> ../../xfce/xdg/xfce4/xinitrc*

allend · 05-07-2011, 10:58 PM

Good. The symlink is in place, but what about the target?
What is the output of 'ls -l /etc/xfce/xdg/xfce4'?

mrclisdue · 05-08-2011, 04:50 PM

The command to start xfce from the cli is 'startxfce4', which should explain why 'xfce' is not found....

cheers,

jamesf · 05-08-2011, 06:32 PM

The following shows what DE/WMs are available:

Code:

james@somecomp:~$ ls -l /etc/X11/xinit/
total 28
-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 321 Mar 16  2003 README.Xmodmap
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  11 Oct  2  2010 xinitrc -> xinitrc.kde*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 651 Feb 27 21:59 xinitrc.blackbox*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 659 Feb 27 22:03 xinitrc.fluxbox*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 644 Feb 27 22:07 xinitrc.fvwm2*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 627 Jan  7 21:21 xinitrc.kde*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 725 Dec  1  2009 xinitrc.twm*
-rwxr-xr-x 1 root root 894 Feb 27 22:06 xinitrc.wmaker*
lrwxrwxrwx 1 root root  28 Mar 31 00:27 xinitrc.xfce -> ../../xfce/xdg/xfce4/xinitrc*

That xinit links to xinitrc.kde shows that when xwmconfig was last run as root the system default DE/WM was set to KDE. If a user runs xwmconfig and selects a different DE/WM then 'startx' for that user will start the selected DE/WM.

You can also start any one of them with a command of this form:

Code:

startx /etc/X11/xinitrc/xinitrc.xfce

That will start XFCE4.

I can't take any sort of credit for any of that, it all came from these forums, somewhere.

Naturally, this is limited to non-GUI runlevels (like 3). As you're all well aware (for completeness), selecting a different DE/WM from KDE is simply clicking on the button on the login screen. I'm not sure how to do that for xdm, maybe you can't.

[edit: last paragraph added]
[edit2: hrmph. I seem to have answered a slightly different question that what was asked. ;v) ]

splitzjc · 05-10-2011, 12:14 AM

Thanks all for the help. I don't have a big problem starting fluxbox and going from there.