how, add new windows manager to slackware

[steel]

hi everyone and Merry Xmasi had a simple question and that is how do i add another windows managerdo i edit the /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession or i work with the /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrchow i use my fav windows manager i have to drop down to /etc/inittab = 3 :"> and type in afterstep so it works

[SonicDragon]

I think the /etc/Xii/xdm/Xsession but i'm not positive. Any file that you edit: BACK IT UP! cp /file.conf /file.conf.oldI'll have to take a closer look. Hopefully i'll be on later tonight, but right now i really need to pack for vacation or i'm never going to make it on time. Nothing like last minute :">

[steel]

thanks Sonic i already did a backup just dont know what file to config yet

[linuxdude32]

It would probably depend on which desktop manager Slackware is using (I haven't used Slack since version 7). Is it xdm, kdm, or gdm?

[Bruno]

Hi SteelIf I remember correctly, you are using kdm as login manager ? ( Or was that Greg ? )Then this could be interesting:http://www.linuxinfor.com/english/KDE-GUI-...on-HOWTO-3.htmlBut also if you use the default login manager ( gdm ) you can find info in that document :"> Bruno. . . . .

[steel]

hi Brunoi am uisng kdm as my default startup i wasnt sure how to enter Afterstep into the entery and Afterstep is my favourite windows manager i can see it through $ /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession exec startkde ;;gnome) exec gnome-session ;;openwin) exec olvwm ;;fluxbox) exec fluxbox ;;fvwm2) xsetroot -solid SteelBlue exec fvwm2 ;;fvwm95) xsetroot -solid SteelBlue exec fvwm95 ;;blackbox) exec blackbox ;;xfce) exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.xfce ;;windowmaker) exec /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.wmaker ;;afterstep) exec afterstep ;;enlightenment) exec enlightenment ;;but doesnt show up on my choices in gui only in cli i can start it was reading the link that you send me now trying to figure that out

[Bruno]

Hi SteelYou are well on the way . . . just edit the "/usr/share/config/kdmrc" file and it will show up in kdm ( do make a backup of that file just to be sure :"> )

The default line to change in kdmrc looks like this:

SessionTypes=kde;gnome;anotherlevel;default;

After adding selection labels for two new window managers, windowmaker and blackbox, the line looks like this:

SessionTypes=kde;gnome;windowmaker;blackbox;anotherlevel;default;afterstep;

:"> Bruno. . . . . Edited December 25, 2004 by Bruno

[Bruno]

Hi SteelShould there not be kde)Just above the line "exec startkde" in your /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession file ??:"> Bruno. . . . .

Edited December 25, 2004 by Bruno

[steel]

Bruno going through all the files i m missing something # locate kdmrc/opt/kde/share/doc/HTML/en/kdm/kdmrc-ref.docbook/opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrc/opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrc.new/opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrc.sample.defaultcp kdmrc /opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrc.ooldthe file /opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrcand cant see what to change yet if i type $ cat /opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrc.sample.defaultvery confusing

[steel]

Should there not be Just above the line "exec startkde" in your /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession file ??

hmmm # cat /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession# If a particular session type was requested in $1, start that session:case "$1" infailsafe) xsetroot -solid SteelBlue exec xterm -geometry 80x24-0-0 ;;kde) exec startkdeyes the first one on top

[Bruno]

Hi SteelIt is either :/opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrc ( <== most likely )or/opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrc.newShow me

# cat /opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrc

and

# cat /opt/kde/share/config/kdm/kdmrc.new

Bruno. . . . .

Edited December 25, 2004 by Bruno

[Bruno]

PART 2

hmmm # cat /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession# If a particular session type was requested in $1, start that session:case "$1" infailsafe)        xsetroot -solid SteelBlue        exec xterm -geometry 80x24-0-0        ;;kde)        exec startkdeyes  the first one on top

LOL . . . you forgot to copy and paste that part :DB) Bruno. . . . .

[steel]

yeah i am sorry forgot that part the file is huge got scared lol

[Bruno]

HI SteelMaybe you should have a look at "/opt/kde/share/config/kdm/Xsession" too . . . . . . or just pull up with "cat" any file that is found with "locate kdm" and look for the magic line that starts with "SessionTypes" . . . . . . I do not use kdm myself in Slack so there is no way I can verify. Bruno

[linuxdude32]

This thread might be of assistance if you need more info:http://linuxforums.org/forum/topic-24656.html

[steel]

thanks Bruno and linux its all working finally even if i had to look for every conf file on my comp till i was dreaming about them and thanks for the link linux what i did was this mv ~/.xinitrc ~/xinitrc.oold my way off 2 oo for oops lol echo afterstep > ~/.xinitrcInsert a call to the window manager within the X servers user script. If thepath to the installed binary is not in your PATH, then provide the full pathto it in the echo. By default the binaries are installed into /usr/local andthis is NOT in root's PATH! echo afterstep > ~/.xinitrcIf you prefer to continue using the old .steprc single file configurationinstead of the GNUstep logic hierarchy, use this modified version for the.xinitrc file echo "afterstep -f ~/.steprc" > ~/.xinitrcTo capture any error which might be output during the first run of AfterStep,you can direct any that might ocur into a file for inspection later. startx > ~/AF-debug 2>&1i thought that maybe there would be something in kde control panel where i could enter another session if there is i didnt see it but everything works good with Afterstep its the one that i am more used to its very easy to use and light

[Bruno]

Hi SteelGlad you found it ! . . . seems that it was a bit more complicated then I had expected Bruno

[steel]

Glad you found it !   . . . seems that it was a bit more complicated then I had expected

HI Bruno i know... i was hoping it was easy when i asked the question i was expecting a simple answer like maybe alt+ F2 --- type in kmenuedit -- xsession = type in your new windows manager --but nooooo they have to make it hard lol ... actually if there was a way to do that would make things so much easier for everyone, i looked and looked for something like that in control panel and never found it

[linuxdude32]

Good job steel! Your persistence paid off.

[steel]

Good job steel! Your persistence paid off.

thanks linuxdude honestly i was suprised it was that hard to do, i must of searched every .conf file i knew, i also searched the net for simple answers didnt really find anything, a new user to linux could insert a new windows manager on slackware, i was also suprised there wasnt a way to add a windows manager using kcontrol either that would of been the easiest way, they had to make it tough for this ontario dude

[trigggl]

I was the one who started a thread on getting the multiple user login menu for init 4. That, of course, led me to kdm as the default login manager and I posted a modified /etc/rc.d/rc.4 to load kdm by default instead of gdm (or whatever it's called). I was wondering if I should look at this thread or not because:1) I'm really only familiar with KDE and Gnome-when-I-have-to-be.2) I'm sure I wouldn't know the answer.3) Didn't figure it would have anything to do with kdm anyways.I'm glad it was figured out and posted for future reference of others.You really didn't expect non-standard setup in Slackware to be easy, did you?! This is one of the things I really like about Slackware. It forces me to learn the inner workings when I decide I want to change something.I guess I'll have to try afterstep sometime to check it out and see why you are willing to go through this to use it.

Edited December 29, 2004 by trigggl

[Bruno]

I made a note to combine the two threads in the Tip about kdm in Slack ( Slackware Tip 4 ) . . . . Bruno. . . . .

Edited December 29, 2004 by Bruno

[steel]

You really didn't expect non-standard setup in Slackware to be easy, did you?! This is one of the things I really like about Slackware.  It forces me to learn the inner workings when I decide I want to change something.I guess I'll have to try afterstep sometime to check it out and see why you are willing to go through this to use it.

hi Trigg it was a lil harder than i thought it would be to add Afterstep to Kde then i thought but yet managable, if you like window maker you will love afterstep i got this description from a site, and afterstep has been my favourite window manager for a long time, because its very fast and very easy to configure the way that you want .. before i used to love gnome and was my favourite windows manager but after gnome 2.2 when they changed there look i havent been much of a fan off gnome, i loved the old style of gnome better i still think that Galeon is one of the best browsers out there because its small and fast its perfectFrom an end user perspective, Window Maker and AfterStep are pretty much the same beast. They look slightly different, but behave similarly. They differ most in terms of configuration utilities, the pager, the availability of a panel, and visual appearance (slightly).AfterStep does include a panel, called the WinList, though you don't see it by default until you open some application windows. The panel lets you jump from application to application fairly quickly.Unlike Window Maker's clip-style pager, AfterStep has a pager similar to FVWM's with all desktops and pages visible at one time. This makes jumping to any given page very simple -- just a single click gets you there. Although it takes up a little more screen space, we find this sort of pager easier to navigate.AfterStep supports most dockable applications that work with Window Maker. So features like Audio, Network connection management and so forth are all possible from within the window manager itself. Dockable applications are visually connected to what's called "The Wharf" in AfterStep. The Wharf can also be used to launch external programs.here is the problem with kde and afterstep AfterStep also is considered GNOME compliant if you follow the steps outlined in the FAQ available from the Web site. It will run under the KDE environment but has limited compliance there. Configuration is currently done manuallyto add a session to gnome is soooooo easy type gnomecc add windows manager you want like this i like things simple so afterstep and slackware and i am a happy camper :o i just find that it would be very hard for a brand new user to linux to add a windows manager like afterstep on there slackware cos its tricky unless there default windows manager is gnome because gnome is easier to configure more so then kde Edited December 29, 2004 by steel

[steel]

I made a note to combine the two threads in the Tip about kdm in Slack ( Slackware Tip 4 ) . . . .

Bruno i also found another way for RH mv ~/.xinitrc ~/xinitrc.oold mv ~/.xsession ~/.xsession.ooldecho "exec afterstep" > ~/.xinitrcecho "exec afterstep" > ~/.xsessionchmod 700 ~/.xsessionit would be so nice if you can click on ALT + F2 and type .. kcontrol .. kde components .... session manager... and enter your windows manager, but kde is a pain ...for some things gnomecc is so much easier to work with the kde

[Bruno]

I am sure you are aware you have to be very careful with "echo xxxxx > xxxxx" don't you ? Because it overwrites the original file . . . . . if you would only want to add a line to that file you use ">>" ( I saw you were clever enough to make a backup first )I just like to mention it here so that other people that read this thread don't make any mistakes using it. It is a very nice but dangerous command . . . and that is one of the reasons it has not made it to The Tips yet :DB) Bruno

[steel]

Bruno you are right echo is very dangerious command thats why any configuration you should always backed up, i wish that kcontrol would have the option of changing things easy,.i dont know what to say. i would hate to have someone try these commands without backing up files and have there system messed up all i know is this is i did but would feel terrible if someone else tried it and messed up badly ... Bruno i was also thinking would it be possible to create a new xinitrc if you ever deleted your old one by mistake, maybe this way? you think it would work ??? type touch xinitrctype echo "startkde"type cp xinitrc .xinitrcand just replace the second line with what windows manager you are using??

Edited December 30, 2004 by steel

[tranquilo]

One other option is to use a symbolic link to link to your current .xinitrc or .xsession file...mv .xinitrc .xinitrc.afterstepln -s .xinitrc.afterstep .xinitrcln -s .xinitrc.afterstep .xsession ( if your .xinitrc and .xsession files are the same... )ortouch .xinitrc.afterstepecho "exec afterstep" > .xinitrc.afterstepln -s .xinitrc.afterstep .xinitrcln -s .xinitrc.afterstep .xsession ( if your .xinitrc and .xsession files are the same... )just delete the old link and create a new link when you change window managers.Good luck...

Edited December 30, 2004 by tranquilo

[Bruno]

HI Steel,Yep you could ! I just wanted to make clear that you can edit a file that way by completely replacing the content. And if we would for example look in Mandrake, it has no .xinitrc file, and one would do a "Locate" and find the "/etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc" . . with out doing "cat /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc" first you would not see that that file has more then one line:

#!/bin/sh# © 2000-2002 MandrakeSoft# $Id: xinitrc-xinitrc,v 1.2 2002/09/10 05:53:43 flepied Exp $# Set a background here because it's not done anymore# in Xsesion for non root usersif [ "`whoami`" != root ]; then    xsetroot -solid "#21449C"fiexec /etc/X11/Xsession $*

If someone would replace that by one line . . . . . . see what I mean ? So for the sake of being prudent a little "cat" could be advisable :DB) Bruno. . . . .

[trigggl]

i had a simple question and that is how do i add another windows manager

I can't wait to see what a difficult question looks like. After looking a little closer at the thread, I noticed "~/.xinitrc". I decided to look at the file to see what all was in there (to get a better idea of what's going on). Naturally, I started looking in my /home/greg directory. Of course, it wasn't in there. Then I looked for it in /root. Here is what I found:

#!/bin/sh# $XConsortium: xinitrc.cpp,v 1.4 91/08/22 11:41:34 rws Exp $userresources=$HOME/.Xresourcesusermodmap=$HOME/.Xmodmapsysresources=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/.Xresourcessysmodmap=/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xinit/.Xmodmap# merge in defaults and keymapsif [ -f $sysresources ]; then    xrdb -merge $sysresourcesfiif [ -f $sysmodmap ]; then    xmodmap $sysmodmapfiif [ -f $userresources ]; then    xrdb -merge $userresourcesfiif [ -f $usermodmap ]; then    xmodmap $usermodmapfi# Start the window manager:startkde

There seems to be a lot more in there than the command to start up the window manager. I'd like to know if I could leave all the other commands in there, also this probably doesn't put Afterstep in kdm does it? Perhaps it would be in the menu as default?

[tranquilo]

For kde, you might try creating a *.desktop file in /opt/kde/share/apps/kdm/sessions (see existing *.desktop files for the format... ), and creating a .xsession file in your home directory which starts the desired window manager, if its something other than kde. If you have an existing .xinitrc, you can create a symbolic link if you intend to use identical settings.ln -s ~/.xinitrc ~/.xsessionor to create a new filecat ~/.xinitrc > ~/.xsession.xinitrc and .xsession are usually created by the user...kdm only lists a few options under menu/session type. "Custom" works, but requires a .xsession file in the users home directory, which should start the window manager of choice.Good luck.

Edited December 30, 2004 by tranquilo