LinuxQuestions.org - Need to login twice to start KDE with compiz and kde-window-decorator from kdm

- Slackware (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/)

- - Need to login twice to start KDE with compiz and kde-window-decorator from kdm (https://www.linuxquestions.org/questions/slackware-14/need-to-login-twice-to-start-kde-with-compiz-and-kde-window-decorator-from-kdm-649262/)

Need to login twice to start KDE with compiz and kde-window-decorator from kdm

I have been experiencing an annoyance for some time. This box is setup to boot to run level 4 to kdm. When I log in the first time, KDE and compiz start, but kde-window-decorator fails to start so that I am left with windows with no borders and the Klipper icon fails to appear. If I logout and login again, everything starts OK.
This problem did not occur with Slackware 12.0, then appeared as I tracked Slackware-current to Slackware 12.1 (maybe when upgrading to KDE 3.5.9?). It is now a consistent problem at every boot.
This box has an nVidia 7300 LE GPU, and the problem continues with an update to the latest nVidia kernel module.
I am starting to suspect that the kde-window-decorator is being launched before compiz has completed. I have tried increasing the Server Timeout in kdmrc, but that made no difference.
There is nothing obviously useful in my ~/.xsession-errors file or /var/log/syslog.
This is the contents of my ~/.kde/share/config/ksmserverrc file.

Quote:

[$Version]
update_info=ksmserver.upd:kde3

[General]
screenCount=1

[LegacySession: saved at previous logout]
count=0

[Session: saved at previous logout]
clientId1=10b6c66770000121302606000000081570009
clientId2=10b6c66770000121302941000000041250010
clientId3=10b6c66770000121302943400000041250011
count=3
discardCommand1[$e]=rm,$HOME/.kde/share/config/session/konqueror_10b6c66770000121302606000000081570009_1213454813_975203
discardCommand2=
discardCommand3[$e]=
program1=konqueror
program2=
program3=kde-window-decorator
restartCommand1=konqueror,-session,10b6c66770000121302606000000081570009_1213454813_975203
restartCommand2=compiz,--sm-client-id,10b6c66770000121302941000000041250010,--replace,png,svg,decoration,wobbly,fade,minimize,cube,switcher,move,place,resize,rotate,scale
restartCommand3=kde-window-decorator,-session,10b6c66770000121302943400000041250011_1213454813_975311
restartStyleHint1=0
restartStyleHint2=135004162
restartStyleHint3=0
userId1=me
userId2=
userId3=me

Has anybody else had this problem, or any suggestions on a fix?

I never have experienced this problem. A first reasonable guess is a session problem/corruption. The next time you log out and return to the KDM login manager, logout without saving the session.

For comparison, here is my normal user ksmserverrc:

[$Version]
update_info=ksmserver.upd:kde3

[General]
confirmLogout=true
excludeApps=soffice.bin
loginMode=default
offerShutdown=true
shutdownType=0

You also could boot into runlevel three. After logging in at the command line, do not immediately run startx. Your KDE user session files are stored in $HOME/.kde/share/config/session. Delete the files. Then run startx. Exit X/KDE without saving the session. Reboot or telinit into runlevel four and login through KDM.

Perhaps the tip in this thread solves it?

Thanks for the good suggestions. Unfortunately nothing that I have tried to date has fixed the problem.

I am wondering if this may have something to do with loading dbus for the session.
I noted that I did not have DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS environment variable set,
and that a dbus session process was started after compiz and kde-window-decorator.

I have tried adding a ~/.bash_profile to my home directory, to load dbus when a KDE session is started.

Code:

# Avoid relying on autolaunch to improvise D-Bus sessions for each process

if test -z "$DBUS_SESSION_BUS_ADDRESS" ; then

    eval `dbus-launch --sh-syntax --exit-with-session`

fi

This now allows me to start compiz with the dbus plugin, but the original problem persists.