changing window managers

WingNut · 07-13-2003, 02:22 PM

I distinctly remember being able to switch window managers under slack 7. BUT I can't remember how I did that. Can anyone enlighten me? Has anyone outthere built or know where to get help for building a menu system for choosing the window manager when your ready to start an X session?

fancypiper · 07-13-2003, 02:37 PM

If you use startx, here is one way.

echo DESKTOP=AfterStep > ~/.desktop;startx
echo DESKTOP=icewm > ~/.desktop;startx
echo DESKTOP=KDE3 > ~/.desktop;startx
echo DESKTOP=WindowMaker > ~/.desktop;startx
echo DESKTOP=Sawfish > ~/.desktop;startx
echo DESKTOP=Gnome > ~/.desktop;startx
echo DESKTOP=XFce > ~/.desktop;startx
echo DESKTOP=BlackBox > ~/.desktop;startx
echo DESKTOP=FluxBox > ~/.desktop;startx
echo DESKTOP=Enlightenment > ~/.desktop;startx

XPediTioN · 07-13-2003, 02:44 PM

I want to know how to change window managers. I am actually using KDE but I want to try GNOME. How many windows managers come with Slackware? Which one is the best?

fancypiper · 07-13-2003, 02:50 PM

I don't know what Slackware includes, but you could find out at the Slackware Linux web site.

XPediTioN · 07-13-2003, 02:52 PM

How do I change between window managers?

Locura · 07-13-2003, 03:28 PM

Do you start KDE by typing startx at the command line, or do you use a graphical login?

XPediTioN · 07-13-2003, 03:35 PM

I use startx.

Locura · 07-13-2003, 03:38 PM

Then you probably have a line to start your window manager in either ~/.xinitrc or ~/.xsession. Just comment out the line that starts KDE, and put one in for the new WM. I have lines for several WM's in my .xinitrc, and I have all of them commented out except for the one that I am currently using.

XPediTioN · 07-13-2003, 04:06 PM

Where can I find those files so I can change them?

slakmagik · 07-13-2003, 04:13 PM

Find, locate, a file manager, any number of ways. The globals are in /etc and yours are in your home directory as Locura said. You have to do 'ls -al' or change a switch on your file manager, probably, as they're hidden.

LoungeLizard · 07-13-2003, 04:15 PM

I cant remember is Slackware supports switchdesk but you can give it a try
type:
switchdesk gnome

but like I said Slackware might not support it I dont remember, and I am not home right now to test it

WingNut · 07-13-2003, 06:38 PM

switchdesk no worky for me.

However I did finaly remember how to turn on graphical log in screen.

edit /etc/inittab to start runlevel 4 instead of 3.

also xwmconfig will allow you to appoint a new default window manager. A little easier than editing files when ever you wish to change.

ionstorm · 07-13-2003, 06:53 PM

If you still want to use startx, i remember a program called "selecwm" (or maybe "wmselect") and you "exec selectwm" in you .xinitrc and then it was a GUI menu to launch each one of your window mangers / desktops. Small but effective.

Ion

Pres · 07-13-2003, 08:39 PM

Before I learned the easy way of using xwmconfig I used to :

cd ~
cp /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.e .
mv xinitrc.e .xinitrc
startx

to change to enlightenment, for example. Prior to that I butchered my default xinitrc.kde file, or used mc to point the xinitrc link at different scripts (once I'd learned how to do that).

xwmconfig really is the easiest way I've done it by far !

A word for those who don't know, "startx" is a shell script, not a binary (xinit is the binary it kicks off) so you can have a good look at how it sets up things.

Kocil · 07-14-2003, 04:24 AM

The easy way:
1. As root run pkgtool
2. From the list, select Setup (the last one)
3. From the list, click xwmconfig
4. Click OK