Hi,

I've currently have redhat 8.0 with XFree86 version 4.2.1 running. I'd like to update to version 4.3 of XFree86. I downloaded the binaries from the xfree website "www_xfree_org" (sorry, but I can't post URLs yet) and ran their Xinstall.sh script from a terminal without running X. I downloaded the binaries for glibc22 which I am pretty certain are the correct ones. Then I restarted the X-server and that's where my problems would start.

My machine would still work, it's that all the nice desktop managers (kde, and Gnome) were gone. I was given a very basic looking login window (which worked). And then my desktop manager was incredibly basic, no taskbar at the bottom, no nothing. Not even a good way to bring up a 2nd terminal window.

I then replaced /etc/X11, /etc/fonts, and /usr/X11R6 with the backups I had made before starting this whole process and I was back to normal. I was wondering if what files do I need to move from my backups to my new installation to allow my new installation to see all the desktop managers? Thanks so much.


-NifflerX

Try running switchdesk.

You should be able to configure it that way, if not let us know. There are config files that can be changed to do it.

Hi, thanks for the reply. I tried switchdesk, and it ran and told me to restart my Xwindows to have the changes take place, but after restarting my Xwindows there were no changes. You said something about moving certain configuration files from my backup folders to my newly installed ones. Which ones did you have in mind? Thanks so much.



-NifflerX

The xinitrc file is normally used to start the window manager.

search for xinitrc like this

locate xinitrc

you can also put your own .xinitrc in your home folder if you want.

you may also have an Xclients file that will be used as a first choice by the xinitrc file.

locate Xclients

looking at the xinitrc file in /etc/X11/xinit/ will show you how it works. It sounds like you are defaulting to the failsafe setting which is what happens if no .Xclients file is found.


you can change twm in the file to the window manager you want like "startkde" or "gnome-session"

I tried substituting the files you suggested but it didn't work. I did run startkde and it opened a desktop that looked like the one I want but it was running inside a shell not as the actual desktop. One problem I think is that I can tell when I've got the newer version of XFree86 installed before I log in. My log in window looks very boxy and basic, and the background, instead of being blue is a gray. So I believe the problems occur before I even log in. Also, regardless of which session I choose from the pull down menu (gnome, failsafe, default, and kde) I get the same boxy basic desktop. Have I not configured something right from the beginning? Is that why my log in window looks so bad? Thanks for any and all ideas.


-NifflerX

check out /etc/sysconfig/desktop

that should set the default WM which will determine which login manager you get according to the /etc/X11/prefdm file that should have been called by /etc/inittab on boot or during a runlevel change to level 5

You can try this test to see what you get..

from terminal as root run this..

init 3

then as the user create a file /home/user/.xinitrc containing this..

exec startkde


now as the user run this..

xinit