From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG Sun Jun 24 21:17:20 2012 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [69.147.83.52]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 2CC30106564A for ; Sun, 24 Jun 2012 21:17:20 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from freebsd-questions@m.gmane.org) Received: from plane.gmane.org (plane.gmane.org [80.91.229.3]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id D8D0A8FC1B for ; Sun, 24 Jun 2012 21:17:19 +0000 (UTC) Received: from list by plane.gmane.org with local (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1SiuBK-00069m-IE for freebsd-questions@freebsd.org; Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:17:18 +0200 Received: from cpc3-walt15-2-0-cust148.13-2.cable.virginmedia.com ([86.21.186.149]) by main.gmane.org with esmtp (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:17:18 +0200 Received: from walterhurry by cpc3-walt15-2-0-cust148.13-2.cable.virginmedia.com with local (Gmexim 0.1 (Debian)) id 1AlnuQ-0007hv-00 for ; Sun, 24 Jun 2012 23:17:18 +0200 X-Injected-Via-Gmane: http://gmane.org/ To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org From: Walter Hurry Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2012 21:17:08 +0000 (UTC) Lines: 26 Message-ID: References: Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 8bit X-Complaints-To: usenet@dough.gmane.org X-Gmane-NNTP-Posting-Host: cpc3-walt15-2-0-cust148.13-2.cable.virginmedia.com User-Agent: Pan/0.135 (Tomorrow I'll Wake Up and Scald Myself with Tea; GIT 30dc37b master) Subject: Re: Understanding XDM X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: User questions List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Sun, 24 Jun 2012 21:17:20 -0000 On Sun, 24 Jun 2012 22:19:54 +0200, Christian Graulund wrote: > Hello Guys, > > I just install FreeBSD 9, and after compiling Xorg, I started trying to > figure out how to install a Window Manager. > When Following the handbook, I suggest installing XDM. I want to use > something like Openbox, as my window manager, and I can't figure out if > Openbox is a replacement for XDM, or something on top of XDM. I now > there are alternative to XDM directly like LightDM ect., but the same > questions applies to them. > > So what is the function of XDM (or alternatives), and is it necessary to > have to run a WM, or DE for that sake? XDM is not a window manager - it is a display manager. In short it provides a GUI login and then starts your window manager of choice. So if you want a GUI login and a GUI DE, you need both a DM and an WM. I use XDM + Openbox, and it works very well indeed for me. Vastly preferable to some heavyweight like GDM, IMHO. The handbook provides excellent guidance on installing and configuring XDM.