Date: Fri, 21 Jan 2000 23:42:33 GMT From: Salvo Bartolotta <bartequi@nojunk.com> To: c4_b2@yahoo.com Cc: questions@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: x-windows: how to play with multiple X sessions etc.: a simple recipe ? Message-ID: <20000121.23423300@bartequi.ottodomain.org> References: <20000120224324.29071.qmail@web119.yahoomail.com> <20000121.83900@bartequi.ottodomain.org>
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Dear Sir (or Madam ??),
I add some more details to the solution outlined yesterday.
I will limit myself to the case in which X is invoked from within a
CUI shell; which, incidentally, is a most flexible choice.
To begin with: CUI=3D=3DCharacter User Interface.
A simple way to switch between e.g. Gnome and KDE is to define
the following files (" ~ " stand for your home directory):
1) ~/.xinitrc_gnome, containing just one line: "exec gnome-session" ;
1A) the script (executable) ~/g, so defined (in csh shell):
#!/bin/csh
# in order for the script to be executed from any
# directory:
cd ~
# the following "if" instruction checks if the last graphical
#environment was Gnome in order to avoid a useless write operation; if
#the last GUI was *not* Gnome, then the symlink .xinitrc is created
#and points at .xinitrc_gnome.
if (`ls -l .xinitrc | grep .xinitrc | awk '{print $11;}'` !=3D
.xinitrc_gnome) then # from "if" to "then" stays in *one* line
ln -fs .xinitrc_gnome .xinitrc
endif
# the command actually starting X on screen 0, vt 9
# you need to turn at least *two* consoles off in /etc/ttys
# if you want to run *two* GUIs simultaneously.
startx -- :0 vt9
#please note: 0 is the "display".
###################### end of sample script #########################
Similarly:
2) ~/.xinitrc_kde, containing just one line: "exec startkde" ;
2A) the script (executable) ~/k, so defined (in csh shell):
#!/bin/csh
cd ~
if (`ls -l .xinitrc | grep .xinitrc | awk '{print $11;}'` !=3D
.xinitrc_kde) then # from "if" to "then" stays in *one* line
ln -fs .xinitrc_kde .xinitrc
endif
startx -- :1 vt10
###################### end of sample script #########################
If you issue " ./k " in your home directory, you will start KDE;
" ./g " will start Gnome.
Remark.
You can start more GUIS simultaneoulsy provided that:
i) the displays are *different* ;
ii) the " vt " are *different* ;
For example, I can run even four GUIs simultaneoulsy, as four
*different users*; each having its own locale (e.g. US English,
French, German, Italian); each having a different "display"
(:0 , :1, :2 ...) and correspondingly different Vts
(e.g. vt9 <-> :0, vt10 <-> :1, ...)
Please note: vtXX <---> Function key XX.
vt 9, 10, 11, 12 can work in that /etc/ttys has consoles 8,9,a,b
turned off. Attention: the consoles in ttys start from "0".
You could also e.g. launch *another* GUI session (e.g. Gnome)
**within** KDE, provided the displays and Vts are appropriately
defined (as in our sample scripts)... Just start it in a terminal
window. Exiting the second GUI will take you back to the first.
Finally, you can switch (via CTRL-ALT-Function keys) between the
various GUIs, whether or not they belong to different users.
If you prefer tcsh, the two little scripts above simplify, e g. 2A)
becomes:
#!/usr/local/bin/tcsh
if (-L .xinitrc !=3D .xinitrc_kde) ln -fs .xinitrc_kde .xinitrc
startx -- :0 vt9
###################### end of sample script #########################
Of course, you must have installed tcsh for this script to work.
I hope this information will help.
The sole limit is now only your RAM ...
Yours faithfully
Salvo Bartolotta
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