I am very curious how X knows to start fluxbox when you install the fluxbox Debian package. For that matter, this question might be answered with any windows manager. I know if you install fluxbox from source, you need to setup an ~/.xinitrc file to fire it up when you startx. What I want to know, though, is how X knows to start fluxbox when you install the Debian package. Something in the package tells the system to use fluxbox as the windows manage intead of just an X session w/o any windows manager.

Can anyone shed any light on how this is done? It has me baffled.

Thanks!

All the package does is edit that ~/.xinitrc file, or an .xsession, or the corresponding files in /etc.

No magic, just scripts that run when you install the package.
Check your config files, and you'll find they've been modified.

--Rounan

Well, it does nothing regarding anything in ~/ (no .xinitrc / .xsession). As far as something in /etc, i sure can't find anything. Scoured /etc/X11 to no end for changes, but can't figure it out. I have been assuming it makes chagnes to some preexisting script, but which I do not know. So far no one knows that I have asked.

I'm on another system at a remote location right now, but send me an Email message to remind me, and I will find you both the script and the file that make changing window managers easy. You can select your desktop or window manager on a Debian system right from the gdm or kdm login, depending on which login manager you're using. If you're not using either gdm or kdm, one easy way to do it would be to install gdm or kdm.

To do that is easy:

apt-get install gdm

Then when you login, you'll have the option of selecting any window or desktop manager that's available.

I use startx and that's how I wish to continue to do it. I prefer booting to the console. Any way you take it, I'm not at all looking for a solution--all I'm trying to do is find out what the Debian Fluxbox package is doing when intalled to automatically start with X (and I do assume it's making adjustments to some scripts, though I have to find out what script(s)). I may wind up just emailing the package maintainer to find out.

I use debian, and for me the script called is /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc
Which does nothing but call a second script, /etc/X11/Xsession
This script, in turn, gets config information from these:
OPTIONFILE=/etc/X11/Xsession.options

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

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

Remember, a "dir" won't show you files that begin with ".". to see these hidden config files, do "ls -a".

basically, if you put a .xsession in your home directory, that's the script that will be called when the user runs startx. Otherwise, it resorts to the system defaults listed above. If fluxbox didn't stick a .xsession in your ~/, then it modified the system defaults (Which I'd think would generally be bad form).

--Rounan

Great post Rounan, the issue remains...

If the only WM you install on debian is flux, and I can see ALL the files the flux package HAS from debians website... How is debian knowing to start fluxbox?

We also followed the process starting w/ the 'startx' script... But it leads to defaults.. But at no time is there an actual 'exec fluxbox' line... Yet flux loads....

check /usr/bin/x-session-manager
For me, it's a script generated by KDE (the only WM I have installed)

Also, there's a symlink: /usr/bin/x-window-manager that, for me, points to /usr/X11R6/bin/twm
Maybe that's been redirected to your fluxbox.

Now THAT is some help... I'll look into it..

this may help:

http://www.phildev.net/linux/x.html

Bing--that's it. I TOTALLY forgot about alternatives. Running:

update-alternatives --list x-window-manager

points to /usr/bin/fluxbox. As soon as you uninstall the Debian fluxbox package, it's gone. I had completely forgoten about alternatives with debian. Thanks for pointing that out! Finally got what I need.

Big thx for the info and the link!

excellent - glad to hear that helped.