Where's a cave-man when you need one?

buccaneere · 10-22-2010, 02:38 PM

I need one, cause I know this is "So easy, a cave-man could do it" (and I can't) yikes.

I need a start up script to execute AFTER my desktop loads. It's for display resolution. I've added the same script in 3 places, and all will execute, but not until I do it manually. It's being over-written by another function...

1 script in /etc/gdm/Init/Default (as per Wiki page, which has a syntax error I found yesterday):

Quote:

#!/bin/sh
# Stolen from the debian kdm setup, aren't I sneaky
# Plus a lot of fun stuff added
# -George

PATH="/usr/bin:$PATH"
OLD_IFS=$IFS

if [ -x '/usr/bin/xsplash' ];
then
/usr/bin/xsplash --gdm-session --daemon
fi

xrandr --newmode "1280x1024" 109.00 1280 1368 1496 1712 1024 1027 1034 1063 -hsync +vsync

xrandr --addmode VGA-0 1280x1024

xrandr --output VGA-0 --mode 1280x1024

initctl -q emit login-session-start DISPLAY_MANAGER=gdm

gdmwhich () {
COMMAND="$1"
OUTPUT=
IFS=:
for dir in $PATH

(rest of file deleted for brevity)

another in /etc/init.d/display-init
(same 3 xrandr commands)

and another ON the desktop, thinking it would execute after the desktop loads
/home/chuckhtpc/Desktop/display-init
(don't laugh)

Can I create a run level 7, like rc7.d, that will execute after the desktop loads (and everything else)? I symlinked the second script to level 5 rd5.d, and it didn't go through. I haven't tried level 6.

buccaneere · 10-22-2010, 09:39 PM

After googling some more, I find something that's unfortunate - threads with flaming, and stupid questions and stupid answers, get thousands of hits, and get the top return on google searches.

I see on this page, 2 or 3 threads that are on par with my question. All the rest are by far more difficult and involved.

Of the 44 who've viewed this thread, I bet 33+ know the answer.

Thanks tho'...
http://static.linuxquestions.org/que..._lq/icon13.gif

mattca · 10-22-2010, 09:52 PM

Maybe I don't understand what you're trying to do completely, but I just put my xrandr command into my .xinitrc. Not sure how that works on your distro, but on my system I log in on the command line and then type "startx" to enter my window manager. The system runs .xinitrc to initialize your X session. Put whatever you want in there, and then put the command to start your desktop/window manager as the last command.

Here is my .xinitrc:

Code:

feh --bg-tile /home/matt/media/images/wallpapers/island-2960x1280.jpg
setxkbmap -option "ctrl:nocaps"
xscreensaver -nosplash &
xrandr --output VGA --mode 1680x1050 --output LVDS --mode 1280x800  --pos 1680x470
ratpoison

buccaneere · 10-23-2010, 02:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattca

Maybe I don't understand what you're trying to do completely, but I just put my xrandr command into my .xinitrc. Not sure how that works on your distro, but on my system I log in on the command line and then type "startx" to enter my window manager. The system runs .xinitrc to initialize your X session. Put whatever you want in there, and then put the command to start your desktop/window manager as the last command.

Here is my .xinitrc:

Code:

feh --bg-tile /home/matt/media/images/wallpapers/island-2960x1280.jpg
setxkbmap -option "ctrl:nocaps"
xscreensaver -nosplash &
xrandr --output VGA --mode 1680x1050 --output LVDS --mode 1280x800  --pos 1680x470
ratpoison

Thanks! Your explanation seems to be my solution, provided Karmic starts X the same way.

My desired resolution is not detected, so I had to xrandr --newmode, --addmode, then test (good), and make permanent.

Something however is over-writing the resolution setting, BETWEEN the login screen, and desktop load. The desktop loads at the UN-desired resolution.

The Wiki page script mod for gdm is not working as desired, and I've made no mistakes - I'm certain.

So I'm trying to figure a new place in the load sequence to put in the xrandr script.

I'll try your solution when I get back on that machine.

Thanks again there...

buccaneere · 10-23-2010, 03:01 AM

Ugh.Grr..........

I entered the script like you said there:

Quote:

#!/bin/bash
# $Xorg: xinitrc.cpp,v 1.3 2000/08/17 19:54:30 cpqbld Exp $

# /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc
#
# global xinitrc file, used by all X sessions started by xinit (startx)

# invoke global X session script
. /etc/X11/Xsession

xrandr --newmode "1280x1024" 109.00 1280 1368 1496 1712 1024 1027 1034 1063 -hsync +vsync

xrandr --addmode VGA-0 1280x1024

xrandr --output VGA-0 --mode 1280x1024

and booted, and it loaded, as usual, only the login screen at the desired resolution. Desktop loaded at a lower res.

---------------------------------------------------

So I added the script to the .xsession file also, at the end:

Quote:

#!/bin/sh
#
# /etc/X11/Xsession
#
# global Xsession file -- used by display managers and xinit (startx)

# $Id: Xsession 967 2005-12-27 07:20:55Z dnusinow $

set -e

PROGNAME=Xsession

message () {
# pretty-print messages of arbitrary length; use xmessage if it
# is available and $DISPLAY is set
MESSAGE="$PROGNAME: $*"
echo "$MESSAGE" | fold -s -w ${COLUMNS:-80} >&2
if [ -n "$DISPLAY" ] && which xmessage > /dev/null 2>&1; then
echo "$MESSAGE" | fold -s -w ${COLUMNS:-80} | xmessage -center -file -
fi
}

message_nonl () {
# pretty-print messages of arbitrary length (no trailing newline); use
# xmessage if it is available and $DISPLAY is set
MESSAGE="$PROGNAME: $*"
echo -n "$MESSAGE" | fold -s -w ${COLUMNS:-80} >&2;
if [ -n "$DISPLAY" ] && which xmessage > /dev/null 2>&1; then
echo -n "$MESSAGE" | fold -s -w ${COLUMNS:-80} | xmessage -center -file -
fi
}

errormsg () {
# exit script with error
message "$*"
exit 1
}

internal_errormsg () {
# exit script with error; essentially a "THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN" message
# One big call to message() for the sake of xmessage; if we had two then
# the user would have dismissed the error we want reported before seeing the
# request to report it.
errormsg "$*" \
"Please report the installed version of the \"x11-common\"" \
"package and the complete text of this error message to" \
"<debian-x@lists.debian.org>."
}

# initialize variables for use by all session scripts

OPTIONFILE=/etc/X11/Xsession.options

SYSRESOURCES=/etc/X11/Xresources
USRRESOURCES=$HOME/.Xresources

SYSSESSIONDIR=/etc/X11/Xsession.d
USERXSESSION=$HOME/.xsession
USERXSESSIONRC=$HOME/.xsessionrc
ALTUSERXSESSION=$HOME/.Xsession
ERRFILE=$HOME/.xsession-errors

# attempt to create an error file; abort if we cannot
if (umask 077 && touch "$ERRFILE") 2> /dev/null && [ -w "$ERRFILE" ] &&
[ ! -L "$ERRFILE" ]; then
chmod 600 "$ERRFILE"
elif ERRFILE=$(tempfile 2> /dev/null); then
if ! ln -sf "$ERRFILE" "${TMPDIR:=/tmp}/xsession-$USER"; then
message "warning: unable to symlink \"$TMPDIR/xsession-$USER\" to" \
"\"$ERRFILE\"; look for session log/errors in" \
"\"$TMPDIR/xsession-$USER\"."
fi
else
errormsg "unable to create X session log/error file; aborting."
fi

# truncate ERRFILE if it is too big to avoid disk usage DoS
if [ "`stat -c%s \"$ERRFILE\"`" -gt 500000 ]; then
T=`mktemp -p "$HOME"`
tail -c 500000 "$ERRFILE" > "$T" && mv -f "$T" "$ERRFILE" || rm -f "$T"
fi

exec >>"$ERRFILE" 2>&1

echo "$PROGNAME: X session started for $LOGNAME at $(date)"

# sanity check; is our session script directory present?
if [ ! -d "$SYSSESSIONDIR" ]; then
errormsg "no \"$SYSSESSIONDIR\" directory found; aborting."
fi

# Attempt to create a file of non-zero length in /tmp; a full filesystem can
# cause mysterious X session failures. We do not use touch, :, or test -w
# because they won't actually create a file with contents. We also let standard
# error from tempfile and echo go to the error file to aid the user in
# determining what went wrong.
WRITE_TEST=$(tempfile)
if ! echo "*" >>"$WRITE_TEST"; then
message "warning: unable to write to ${WRITE_TEST%/*}; X session may exit" \
"with an error"
fi
rm -f "$WRITE_TEST"

# use run-parts to source every file in the session directory; we source
# instead of executing so that the variables and functions defined above
# are available to the scripts, and so that they can pass variables to each
# other
SESSIONFILES=$(run-parts --list $SYSSESSIONDIR)
if [ -n "$SESSIONFILES" ]; then
set +e
for SESSIONFILE in $SESSIONFILES; do
. $SESSIONFILE
done
set -e
fi

xrandr --newmode "1280x1024" 109.00 1280 1368 1496 1712 1024 1027 1034 1063 -hsync +vsync

xrandr --addmode VGA-0 1280x1024

xrandr --output VGA-0 --mode 1280x1024

exit 0

# vim:set ai et sts=2 sw=2 tw=80:

And that did the same thing - login screen at the correct resolution, desktop at the lower resolution.

Where can I put the script, that it executes AFTER the desktop loads?

OR

Can I execute it on a delay, like the Update notification applet???
update-notifier --startup-delay=60
How would that work???

Thanks again...

mattca · 10-23-2010, 11:36 AM

This is a good example of why I think the "old fashioned way" is simpler. If my computer tries to do too much for me, it makes it difficult to control, or even figure out what it's doing, and where it's doing it. Too many cooks in the kitchen.

It sounds like your system is loading a separate xinit file when your desktop loads. If you can find that file, you can probably just add your xrandr commands to that file. I'm not sure where it would be, but I'd probably start looking in /usr/share. You can also do

Code:

locate xinitrc

to see if there is a global .xinitrc file.

Also, by the way, you'll get much more helpful responses if you change the title of the thread to something a bit more descriptive. Also, this is not a programming issue so much as one of configuration. You are not writing a script, you are configuring your X session (notice my xinitrc did not have #!/bin/bash). You also might get more helpful replies if you ask a mod to move the thread to a more appropriate forum.

wje_lq · 10-23-2010, 06:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mattca

you'll get much more helpful responses if you change the title of the thread to something a bit more descriptive.

This.

buccaneere · 10-24-2010, 08:15 PM

Yes - thread titles can make or break the help responses, but often, I see thread responses with an answer to the title, and it's obvious that the details in the description weren't read.

In this case, I got good responses - thanks. (except for the 'other' reply)...