From owner-freebsd-questions Mon Dec 9 5: 9:10 2002 Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id E88C337B401 for ; Mon, 9 Dec 2002 05:09:08 -0800 (PST) Received: from smtp.infracaninophile.co.uk (smtp.infracaninophile.co.uk [81.2.69.218]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 22D0C43F29 for ; Mon, 9 Dec 2002 05:09:07 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from m.seaman@infracaninophile.co.uk) Received: from happy-idiot-talk.infracaninophile.co.uk (localhost.infracaninophile.co.uk [IPv6:::1]) by smtp.infracaninophile.co.uk (8.12.6/8.12.6) with ESMTP id gB9D8p46015839 for ; Mon, 9 Dec 2002 13:08:51 GMT (envelope-from matthew@happy-idiot-talk.infracaninophile.co.uk) Received: (from matthew@localhost) by happy-idiot-talk.infracaninophile.co.uk (8.12.6/8.12.6/Submit) id gB9D8jao015838 for freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG; Mon, 9 Dec 2002 13:08:45 GMT Date: Mon, 9 Dec 2002 13:08:45 +0000 From: Matthew Seaman To: "'freebsd-questions@freebsd.org'" Subject: Re: xdm keeps showing me login window Message-ID: <20021209130845.GA15604@happy-idiot-talk.infracaninophi> Mail-Followup-To: Matthew Seaman , "'freebsd-questions@freebsd.org'" References: <2F03DF3DDE57D411AFF4009027B8C3670289D5EB@exchange-uk.isltd.insignia.com> Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <2F03DF3DDE57D411AFF4009027B8C3670289D5EB@exchange-uk.isltd.insignia.com> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.1i X-Spam-Status: No, hits=-2.7 required=5.0 tests=IN_REP_TO,QUOTED_EMAIL_TEXT,REFERENCES,SPAM_PHRASE_03_05, USER_AGENT,USER_AGENT_MUTT version=2.43 Sender: owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Precedence: bulk List-ID: List-Archive: (Web Archive) List-Help: (List Instructions) List-Subscribe: List-Unsubscribe: X-Loop: FreeBSD.ORG On Mon, Dec 09, 2002 at 12:31:06PM -0000, local.freebsd.questions wrote: > On Mon, 9 Dec 2002 11:00:54 -0000 , m.seaman@infracaninophile.co.uk > (Matthew Seaman) wrote: > > >On Mon, Dec 09, 2002 at 02:32:14AM -0800, Ali S. wrote: > >> i have installed freebsd 4.7 on > >> compaq proliant 1600 with cirrus 5446 vga card > >> i have configured X with "xf86config" > >> > >> but > >> when i run xdm and enter my username &password > >> it refreshes the screen and shows me the login > >> window again... > >> > >> any idea? > > > >You should have a script ~/.xsession which contains a shell script to > >run the various X programs you require during your login session. > >That script should not exit until you decide to end your session. > >Typically that's done by running a session manager or a window manager > >in the foreground. eg. this is what I use: > > (details snipped) > > But you shouldn't *have* to do this. I did a 4.7 install, added > XFree86-4 from ports, did the XF86Config, and new users (with empty > home directories) get dropped into twm. The ~/.xsession should only > be needed if you want something other than this. Yes. Quite so. xdm(8) will cope with a completely missing ~/.xsession by giving you some sort of default session --- if twm(1) does it for you, then all is fine and dandy. What xdm(8) doesn't manage in a very friendly manner is a broken ~/.xsession file. However, if you want to customise your X desktop and you don't have sufficient access or you prefer not to fiddle with the system-wide default session, then you're going to be writing yourself your own ~/.xsession, which can be tricky for the inexperienced. The more heavy weight X environments like KDE or GNOME move most of that configuration step into their own window or session managers, which have a user friendly point'n'drool^Wclick interface. Even so, they will still need something in the ~/.xsession to get themselves going. Cheers, Matthew -- Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil. 26 The Paddocks Savill Way Marlow Tel: +44 1628 476614 Bucks., SL7 1TH UK To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-questions" in the body of the message