Date: Sat, 13 Jun 1998 22:31:12 -0700 From: Tim Gerchmez <fewtch@serv.net> To: Nik Clayton <nik@nothing-going-on.demon.co.uk>, Donald Burr <dburr@POBoxes.com>, DrAcO <XDrAcOX@mci2000.COM> Cc: newbies@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: Installing X-Windows Message-ID: <3.0.5.32.19980613223112.007e1270@mx.serv.net> In-Reply-To: <19980613111334.15162@nothing-going-on.org> References: <3.0.5.32.19980613015739.007e36a0@mx.serv.net> <3581B36E.C76B5891@mci2000.COM> <XFMail.980612200212.dburr@POBoxes.com> <3.0.5.32.19980613015739.007e36a0@mx.serv.net>
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At 11:13 AM 6/13/98 +0100, you wrote: >> Also of mention in FreeBSD is xdm, a windows manager that can help >> integrate several different X-clients. > >xdm isn't a window manager. Well, true. Let me restate. It's a Window Manager manager. Better? Actually, my exact words were that it's a "windows" manager (emphasis on the 's' at the end of windows), which is somewhat more true in that it manages X-windows clients (what I was trying to say in the first place). >At its simplest, xdm is a graphical replacement >for getty and login, letting you log in to X straight away, with no >intermediate console login How would you set it up to do that, if *root* has to log in first via the console to start it? I know this isn't the place for questions, but I'm asking you (Nik) personally. Email me the answer personally, if you have it. >and then having to type 'startx' (or whatever >you use), although it can do more than that. Some of the things *I* like about it as a newbie: * It passes pertinent info onto any client it starts, so I don't have to worry about $DISPLAY (which isn't set at all on my system for some reason) and the fact that just about anything I run that's graphical other than the default X stuff says "Can't open display." As a newbie, this problem has been hounding me since I first installed FreeBSD. I've tried passing 0.0, 0.1, :0.0, :0.1, :0, :1, :2, :3 (ad infinitum), unix:0.0, $DISPLAY, $DAMNITJUSTF%$#&*#RUN, anything else you can think of to graphical programs, and STILL the only graphical program that can find and open the display is xinit and the built in X stuff set up in XF86Config. I would prefer to AVOID the login/password stuff altogether in xdm, and really need something other than xdm, but I'm using it for what uses I can get out of it, that is, overcoming a problem I'm having right now getting anything graphical other than the built in FreeBSD X client to run. * It overcomes the problem I'm *beginning* to have remembering the names of all the X clients I have installed :-) * I like the idea in the future of setting up my system to be graphical from start to finish (the 'real' main purpose of xdm). >> For those that haven't, try typing xdm while logged on as root (only >> root can use it). > >Nope. It's meant to be started by root, probably as one of the things in >/etc/rc.local (there's a FAQ question about this). My mistake, only root can START it, that's what I meant (not that only root can USE it once it's going). Sorry I wasn't clear on that. >That's the point. xdm is managing your login, so when you quit X xdm thinks >you've logged out, and throws up another login prompt. Yah, I know, but for someone who just uses it as a program to manage multiple clients, it gets to be annoying and I get to wishing that behavior could be disabled. There should be a way to turn that behavior off, or someone should write an alternative, simpler program that just functions as a graphical X-client integrator, using the system defaults to start up with like xdm does. >It's less useful on a single user workstation (unless you *know* that >you're going to be running X as soon as your computer finishes booting, >in which case you may as well use it, and put a pretty picture on the >"Login" background :-) ) I don't agree. I use it to integrate multiple X clients (I haven't settled on one yet by a LONG shot. I don't want to have to remember the names and parameters of all the various X clients I play with, and xdm is good for making that easier. Anyway, I've said my piece on all this. *For me*, xdm is very useful on my desktop, as it integrates all my X clients. My attitude on what it does/can do/supposed to be used for is "take what I want/need and leave the rest." I could care less about its abilities as a login manager, I'm a single user who would actually prefer no security whatsoever and a DOS-like bootup into FreeBSD (what does a single-user, one person system in a *HOME* need a login/password for, anyway?), and the chooser is the most important aspect of it for me. Fair enough? To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe freebsd-newbies" in the body of the message
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