hi all,
I am using RHEL4 and using GNOME as the desktop env.
I have read some documentation and since I start up into runlevel 5 by default, I believe that I am usin the gdm display manager.
But I tried to explore the various files in my home dir and in the /etc/X11 dir, and got a bit confused !
It all started when I wanted to install and tryout a new window manager.
I understand that I need to do a exec /usr/bin/myWinMan, but there are too many of these exec statements in the shell scripts and all in different files. Seems like in my case gdm is calling xdm and then it checking and starts up the env.
How can I make some sense of all this ? can someone just provide a bit of guidance , I should be able to figure it out thereafter , maybe !
thanks in advance
nishith

Well, you can start a new session like this:

1. Start a terminal (Either tty or VT, doesn't really matter) and run 'xinit -- :1'
That will launch a X-server, with a shell. This is known as a failsafe. The parameter "-- :1" is used to start a new session on a different window (Alt+f8, or ctrl+alt+f8 from another X). You will need this, since you most likely have a running server on :0. You can use this on many windows, xinit -- :2, xinit -- :3, and so on.

2. Start your desired wm/de with exec, i.e. exec fluxbox
3. Work

Hi Dinithion,
thanks for ur reply.
I tried using VT (CTRL+ALT+F1), then logged in as root and issued the command xinit --:1, even tried :2 but it said :
Fatal Server Error
Server is already active for display 0
If this server is no longer running, remove /tmp/.X0_lock and start again.

Firstly, the server is running so I shouldnot remove any lock file and then I donot understand this .... can I not start two instances of the x server ?

Do I need to do something in the configure file ?

nishith

You're right: only one virtual terminal can run X-window. In Fedora (so presumably Red Hat too) it's 7.

Once you've installed a new desktop, like KDE, you can select it from the graphical log-in screen by clicking on Session. You can't (as far as I know) move from one GUI into another without logging out.

Notice that there is a space between -- and :1
Try that. It should work. I've never experienced a restriction in X-servers so far. I have used 3-4 at the same time, and never had any problems

Hi Dinithion,
I am using Redhat , what is your distro ?
If what David said is right then probably that's the end of it.

Anyway can anyone tell me once I choose the session , say GNOME from the login screen , what are the steps in which X starts up, I mean what are the config files it looks up and in what sequence ( remember the init sequence in linux and the rc scripts)

thanks in advance
nishith

I've tried this on slackware, ubuntu and probably others that I can't think of atm.

I was running RH 9.0 a while back with Gnome or KDE as the windows managers. I downloaded the source files compiled and ran Fluxbox. If I can recall correctly I had to mess about with the Xsession file and several other files in the /etc/X11 directory / subdirectories in order to show the Fluxbox option in the display manager and then to actually run the said window manager if the option was chosen.
Unfortunately I stopped using RH at 9.0 so do not know if the XDM, KDM. GDM managers are still used at GUI login or if the Xsession file still exist in the Fedora / RHEL releases.
Your ~/.xinitrc file should give you an idea of what software starts when you login into X as well as what window manager will be used.

hi uncle-c
yeah there are no .Xsession files in the /etc/X11 dir I created a simple one
in my home dir using vi and added one line
exec path/to/winmanagerexecutable
This is not working ?!?!
I donot see it in the desktop switching tool window under preferences in RH.
Could you suggest something else ?
thanks
nishith

make a .xinitrc file in your home directory and put that in there