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Old 08-13-2003, 08:46 PM   #1
General Dude
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Changing desktop manager


I am running debian 3 on a crappy p1 75mhz...i foolishly chose kde during config, now it grinds my machine to a halt...i want to designate gnome or something lighter , how do I do this?
 
Old 08-14-2003, 05:32 AM   #2
pe2338
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if your machine starts up the X on boot (and u don't have to run startx or xinit or Xsession ... and so on) you must reconfigure the rcinit files manually or with rcconf not to allow x to start on boot.

if you do need a desktop manager or just a window manager you can edit the .xsession file in your home dir and put in there "gome-session" if u want to run gnome or any window manager.

I just discovered enlightment (wm) and I love it.

it has good integration with gnome, but I don't think that it uses very few mem resources.

run dselect(I kinda' like it) from console(if gnome-apt is running slow) and search window manager ( "/window manager") to look for a lightweight wm

after that u can reinsert the xdm daemon again if u like/want to run the X on boot.

hope I've been helpful
 
Old 08-14-2003, 03:30 PM   #3
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apt-get install icewm

Though, I don't know how to make it the default upon startup. Maybe 'dpkg-reconfigure icewm'? Let us know what ends up working for you.

Also note, that upon booting, if the console seems to get "bypassed" and you end up at a graphical login screen, you can always use alt-f_2 (hmm... maybe ctrl-alt-f_2) to get to virtual console #2 (and the other f-keys to get to the other virtual consoles). Then from there, startx icewm might do the trick.
 
Old 08-15-2003, 02:18 AM   #4
pe2338
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Quote:
use alt-f_2 (hmm... maybe ctrl-alt-f_2) to get to virtual console #2 (and the other f-keys to get to the other virtual consoles). Then from there, startx icewm might do the trick.
once the X has startred (as in gdm or xdm has showwn up on reboot) you can't do much about it. It stays there forever 'cause is reentrant.

rewriting the .xsession .xinit files in your home dir will do the trick of starting the wanted desktop manager.

gnome can change the window manager by itself from the gomne control center (or how is called) and does a good job about many of the wms
 
Old 08-15-2003, 02:26 AM   #5
pe2338
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and another thing :
Quote:
you can't do much about it
I mean you can't(or at least I couldn't) change the wm by hand once the x has a wm started.


switching to the console doesn't kill X so you can't startx again

and startx doesn't take parameters


read the manual for x/xinit/xsession
 
Old 08-15-2003, 10:05 AM   #6
johnMG
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> switching to the console doesn't kill X so you can't
> startx again

Oh, I see what you mean. Interesting. I'm not in front of my box at the moment, but I was under the impression that you could start as many instances of X as you want...

Well, anyhow -- X is a complicated beast. There are many startup files/init scripts associated with it and they all seem to source eachother (hehehe ... ahem). I'm just happy to not have installed either GNOME *or* KDE upon initial installation. icewm isn't the greatest (I'm thinking of documentation here), but it works pretty well on my little G3 Powerbook.
 
  


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