I've got three user accounts using three different GUIs on my FC6 laptop as follows:

ACCOUNT NAME / DEFAULT GUI
linux / Gnome
a / KDE
x / Xfce

The idea was to learn more about Linux/FC and desktop environments.

I've encountered the following problems:

-When using a different GUI once for a session (for example, using Xfce instead of KDE when logging into my 'a' user account), I get two waste paper baskets and two 'homes'.

-On my x account / Xfce default GUI, I cannot seem to change the desktop image. I've chosen an image in settings and checked the "Allow Xfce to manage the desktop", however, I get the default Gnome background. When I go into settings and "Allow Xfce to manage the desktop", it does, but it's as though I set it manually each time. The next time I log in, it's back to the Gnome wallpaper (not even the plain Xfce background!)

-Here are a few other threads I've started that might be related to this problem, that is, to the fact that I'm using several different desktop environments within the same distro:

http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=521008
http://www.linuxquestions.org/questi...d.php?t=526967

I imagine it's a settings configuration problem, that the computer is confused because it doesn't know which settings to write as default.

This is what I'd like to know:

-Where are settings stored for the different GUIs (within a single GUI)
-Where are settings stored so that the computer knows which GUI to use (outside of the GUI)
-What are some useful commands that might help me know what is going on
-...useful configuration files...
-Why is all of this happening?
-I'd like different users to be able to choose their own GUI. How can I do this without creating problems? If I were a system administrator and wanted to make this possible, how would I do it? Would it be better to make only one GUI available to users and for everyone to use the same one?
-Any other useful info or advice...

Many thanks

Phew, rather more questions that I could begin to answer. Here's an answer from experience: I've been using KDE, Gnome and XFCE on single distros for qutie a while and I have never had any problems. The double waste baskets is a common issue, it happens to me too. I have found that I can delete it without any damage, after that it usually does not appear again.

By the way, what are you using, gdm or kdm?

As an aside, I have about 10 DE's in my Slackware, all of which came with the distro by default (you ARE talking desktop environments right?). I select which one I want when I log in. No issues of any kind have sprung up, though 99.9% of the time I use KDE because there just seems to be SOOO MUCH in need of doing in order to make any of the other ones livable..
I did go ahead a while back and install Dropline Gnome (Gnome for Slackware) and that caused a tiny bit of confusion because the login chooser for GDM and the login chooser for KDM kinda tried to both do the same job, and so I had a mixture of Gnome and KDE parts doing the login stuff. But functionally, there were no issues.
I later removed Dropline completely, and aside from having to restore some libraries back to the default Slackware versions rather than the Gnome versions they had been replaced with, there were again no real issues.
Incidentally, I don't recall any 'dual-trashcans' but currently I do have 2 'Desktop' folders for each of ROOT and my USER accounts because I have dual screens set up, and I guess each screen gets a desktop folder.
Maybe this was a bit much of semi-unrelated information, but hopefully it gives you a bit of insight.

I don't know what kdm's and gdm's are!

KDM is the 'KDE desktop Manager' and GDM is 'Gnome Desktop Manager'

Ah! So it's one or the other, even though I'm using several DEs. What command do I run to get the answer?

Besides KDM and GDM, there's also XDM (the real 'default' X desktop manager).
As far as which ?DM you would use for multiple users, I **think** it would be easiest to use the same one for every user, because X typically starts running as user ROOT. Since there is only one ROOT, it makes sense that regardless which user is sitting at a login screen, they will be looking at a ROOT-owned Desktop Manager.
Now, that said, each user, after logging in, could, if I'm not mistaken, configure their X-startup scripts in their own home environment, to run whatever actual Desktop Environment they wanted to, provided they have the access permissions to the necessary stuff to do so.
This is probably where you would **maybe** have to step in.. *Maybe*... Because the user's home folder would have to contain the correct symlink to the users chosen Desktop Environment startup script in the /etc folder.
Fedora I am not very familiar with in general, so I am in no way necessarily accurate with this stuff regarding Fedoras desktop management system---this is pretty general stuff I am telling you here.
You might want to dig around in /etc/X11/xinit/ and figure out which desktop environments you have available, what files are involved in starting each one for a user account, and also look in the users /home/ area for .hidden files and links relating to starting X session for the user.
Armed with whatever you can determine from this info, go to the Fedora forum and post specifics of what you're trying to do, and get a more authoritative and informed answer than I can provide

And, regarding your last post above, what 'answer' is it that you're seeking a command for?
Best of luck!