[Solved] Issue choosing desktop?

bassplayer69 · 02-04-2022, 02:14 PM

While I was installing 15.0, I selected the xfce desktop. After the install was finished, I changed /etc/inittab to 4:

Code:

# Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6)
id:4:initdefault:.

Reboot the system and then KDE plasma greeted me with a login.

I opened up a terminal and ran xwmconfig and it's defaulting to xinitrc.xfce. Something is not right here.

Anyone else notice that?

see attached. This was taken after running xwmconfig from konsole.

New Note:

In my home directory, the file: .xinitrc has at the bottom of the file:

Code:

###################################################
##  Start xfce Desktop Environment               ##
###################################################

exec /usr/bin/startxfce4

0XBF · 02-04-2022, 03:10 PM

'xwmconfig' sets the desktop environment for when you run 'startx' from runlevel 3. It also sets the desktop that is launched when you use the 'xdm' display manager from runlevel 4.

If you did a full install of 15 then chances are that you were greeted with the 'sddm' display manager. You can just select the desktop environment with the dropdown menu on the sddm screen. sddm does not use the settings from 'xwmconfig'

bassplayer69 · 02-04-2022, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 0XBF

'xwmconfig' sets the desktop environment for when you run 'startx' from runlevel 3. It also sets the desktop that is launched when you use the 'xdm' display manager from runlevel 4.

If you did a full install of 15 then chances are that you were greeted with the 'sddm' display manager. You can just select the desktop environment with the dropdown menu on the sddm screen. sddm does not use the settings from 'xwmconfig'

Thanks for the explanation. Just curious why I have to manually set the display manager after selecting xfce from the install. Don't recall having to do that with previous versions of slackware. Thanks again!

_peter · 02-04-2022, 04:02 PM

and from the sddm login screen you have an "Xfce session" choice as well as an "Xsession default" choice.
the later will follow what you selected via xwmconfig.

unable to get into fluxbox until i realized i didn't need any .xinitrc & such but running xwmconfig & selecting "Xsession default" from the sddm login screen was enough.

bassplayer69 · 02-04-2022, 05:47 PM

So, the only other selection I have on the plasama login screen is: Plasma (Full Wayland) (Wayland)

When I click the V (down arrow triangle) nothing happens after the Wayland option is selected. See attached.

Franklin · 02-04-2022, 05:57 PM

If you want to have the other WM included with Slackware added to the sddm dropdown menu:

Fluxbox for example:

Go to /usr/share/xsessions

Create a text file (as root) fluxbox.desktop

Code:

[Desktop Entry]
Comment=Use this session to run Fluxbox as your desktop environment
Exec=/usr/bin/fluxbox
Name=Fluxbox
Type=Application

You can do this for all the WM included with Slackware:

Fluxbox
Blackbox
wmaker
fvwm2
twm
mwm

rkelsen · 02-04-2022, 08:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassplayer69

Just curious why I have to manually set the display manager after selecting xfce from the install. Don't recall having to do that with previous versions of slackware.

Yeah, as per above, the new display manager (SDDM) works differently to KDM in that it ignores the settings made by xwmconfig. You're right, you haven't had to do this in previous versions. Once you set it, it'll stick.

_peter · 02-05-2022, 03:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassplayer69

So, the only other selection I have on the plasama login screen is: Plasma (Full Wayland) (Wayland)

When I click the V (down arrow triangle) nothing happens after the Wayland option is selected. See attached.

well indeed having only one option under the sddm login screen - bottom left - is not going to help you much.

you are running on a virtual machine, are you ?
a fresh installation with runlevel 4 (not typing startx) on actual computers leads to at least four desktop choices, one is xfce.

regarding xwmconfig

Code:

ls -1 /usr/share/xsessions/
plasma.desktop
xfce.desktop
xwmconfig.desktop             <-- here "Use /etc/X11/xdm/Xsession to start the desktop configured by xwmconfig"
z_plasma-safe.desktop