Re: layers and layers of windows managers

[Peter Leftwich <Hostmaster Video2Video Com>]

Just an update for the archives, and future troubleshooters:

1. To fix this problem, make your .xinitrc look something like this.
	setenv WINDOW_MANAGER metacity
	metacity &
	exec gnome-session
Once Gnome 2 is working again, you can eliminate some of these.

2. Edit ~/.gnome2/default.wm to look something like this:
[Default]
WM=/usr/X11R6/bin/metacity

3. Rename or remove ~/.gnome2/session and re-run startx

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Peter Leftwich <Hostmaster Video2Video Com>
X-X-Sender:  <pete earl-grey cloud9 net>
To: Adam Weinberger <adam vectors cx>
Cc: FreeBSD LIST <FreeBSD-Questions FreeBSD ORG>
Subject: Re: layers and layers of windows managers
Date: Sun, 1 Sep 2002 16:41:49 -0400 (EDT)

On Sun, 1 Sep 2002, Adam Weinberger wrote:

Adam, you are super, major, happily knowledgeable and HELPFUL.  I hope you
don't mind my continued questions?

> if you wish to keep using gnome and just change which window manager
> starts up, open the gnome control center (bin/gnomecc) and modify the
> "Window Manager" page of the "Desktop" category.

I wish to keep using Gnome (I guess) but startkde seemed much simpler (as
used a few weeks ago), and KDE 2.2.2 because I couldn't figure out how to
upgrade to 3.0.1 if it wasn't a pkg_add nor a /stand/sysinstall :)

When you say "open the gnome control center," can this be done from a
textual environment?  That is, I am command line only until I can figure
this out -- it is beyond me why when I run "startx" I get the standard
error message about my DHCP hostname and how it should be added to
/etc/hosts then one desktop wallpaper (path found in ~/.gnome/Background)
then a different one which covers that one completely then just a cursor
and nothing more.  Ctrl-Alt-Backspace!

> alternatively, edit ~/.gnome/default.wm and put the windowmanager in > there.
> [Default]
> WM=/usr/X11R6/bin/metacity
> or whatever.

I didn't have this default.wm file so I created one with your sample
contents above - it didn't work.  By the way, I also have a ~/.gnome2/
directory.  Does this matter?

> if you don't wish to run gnome at all, then just edit your .xinitrc file
> and change the exec line to something else. that file is a script. i'm
> attaching mine.

I'll keep trying Gnome, it seems quite popular.  I just haven't found out
which windows manager(s) are most popular -- if any of them have some kind
of start button or icon in the lower left, I'm sold!  *grins*

> if you're running startx, all you need is an .xinitrc file. i typically
> just link .xinitrc and .xsession. if something is spawning multiple root

Symlink the two?

> images, just search for them recursively.
> ~/$ for i in image1.jpg image2.jpg; grep -r $i \.*
> -Adam

Wait wait, what does the above do?  And thanks for the .xinitrc file below
- It may serve SUPER ULTRA useful later, especially getting xmodmap to use,
accept, and understand the "Windows" key on my keyboard!  Now if only I
could get imwheel (port) and my Logitech Cordless Wheel Mouse scroll wheel
working in Mozilla ;-)

Thanks again Adam for all your assistance,
-Peter

> ======================begin .xinitrc
[snip]
> ============================end .xinitrc
> --
> "Oh good, my dog found the chainsaw."
>         -Lilo, "Lilo & Stitch"
> Adam Weinberger
> adam vectors cx
> http://vectors.cx

--
Peter Leftwich
President & Founder
Video2Video Services
Box 13692, La Jolla, CA, 92039 USA
+1-413-403-9555