i3 window manager error

validator456 · 10-02-2018, 08:33 AM

I have installed the i3 window manager on Ubuntu 16.04 which is running in Virtualbox.
I start i3 with

Quote:

sudo startx i3

and I get a white terminal with this message:

Quote:

[libi3] libi3/font.c Using Pango font monospace, size 8
[libi3] libi3/font.c X11 root window dictates 96.290984 DPI
i3status: trying to auto-detect output_format setting
i3status: auto-detection: parent process is "sh", looking at its parent
i3status: auto-detected "i3bar"
ConfigBase::load: Unable to open /home/porter/.config/terminator/config (No such file or directory
PluginRegistry;;load_plugins: Importing plugin__init__.py failed: 'module has no attribute 'AVAI

x-terminal-emulator:4224): IBUS-WARNING **: the owner of /home/porter/.config/ibus/bus is not root!

I cannot do anything in this terminal. I can however start a new terminal with: MOD + ENTER. That terminal has the normal black color.
How can I start i3 on Ubuntu in a decent way without the errormessages?

sevendogsbsd · 10-02-2018, 09:02 AM

First off, you should not be starting X as root, which is what sudo is doing. If you are booting to a command line and not X, once you log in with a regular user, just type startx (assuming you have an appropriate ~/.xinitrc built) and i3 should start. Maybe someone who uses i3 can chime in on .xinitrc syntax for i3.

validator456 · 10-02-2018, 12:27 PM

You can switch windows managers by selecting a different manager at startup. But by doing so, I have created a login loop. I cannot get past login. Fortunately this os is installed on Virtualbox and it is not my main system. I will have to reinstall the os anew.

But my questions remains: how can I switch from Unity to i3 (and not use above mentioned option)?

sevendogsbsd · 10-02-2018, 12:32 PM

Unity (old ubuntu interface) uses a login manager. It should be as simple as installing i3 and choosing it when you login. Probably a way to set it as default as well but I don't use ubuntu so can't speak to it.

I am making the assumption you are using the default login manager of course.