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beyecixramd

Member

Registered: 2009-07-23

Posts: 22

[SOLVED]Start X (GUI) apps without a DE/WM

Is it possible to start an X app from terminal? Let's say for example Nexuiz. Can I avoid starting up a WM for that matter and just type the name of the program (nexuiz in this case) or a command and just go away?

Is this applicable to desktop apps like Pidgin, Kopete, Firefox, etc?

Thanks :)

Last edited by beyecixramd (2010-10-26 20:58:32)

Nichollan

Member

From: Stavanger, Norway

Registered: 2010-05-18

Posts: 110

Re: [SOLVED]Start X (GUI) apps without a DE/WM

There are instructions for how to run Urban Terror in a separate X server on the wiki. I just tested this with Firefox and managed to get it to work. Like so:

$ xinit /usr/bin/firefox $* -- :1

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: [SOLVED]Start X (GUI) apps without a DE/WM

There are instructions for how to run Urban Terror in a separate X server on the wiki. I just tested this with Firefox and managed to get it to work. Like so:

$ xinit /usr/bin/firefox $* -- :1

If you want to start multiple apps that way (in separate X sessions), you need to adjust the last digit - the display number.
If you want them all on the same display, do 'xinit /usr/bin/<appname> $* -- :1'.

skanky

Member

From: WAIS

Registered: 2009-10-23

Posts: 1,847

Re: [SOLVED]Start X (GUI) apps without a DE/WM

Is it possible to start an X app from terminal? Let's say for example Nexuiz. Can I avoid starting up a WM for that matter and just type the name of the program (nexuiz in this case) or a command and just go away?

Is this applicable to desktop apps like Pidgin, Kopete, Firefox, etc?

Thanks

Do you mean run an X app without running X? If so, then *some* apps can be run in fbterm which in AUR.

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beyecixramd

Member

Registered: 2009-07-23

Posts: 22

Re: [SOLVED]Start X (GUI) apps without a DE/WM

No. I don't worry about X. What i don't want is to have a desktop/window manager running in the background doing absolutely nothing while i play games (i need no WM to play games). Or for very basic things like just browsing the web.

Btw, 'xinit /usr/bin/<appname> $* -- :[x]' What's that number and how can i switch? using Ctrl + Alt + F[x] as usual? Or does it start in 7 like X.org would normally do, so it would be Ctrl + Alt + F [x]+7?

schen

Member

Registered: 2009-06-06

Posts: 468

Re: [SOLVED]Start X (GUI) apps without a DE/WM

I always run urban terror in a separate TTY. From what I've seen, it just starts the game in the next open TTY.

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: [SOLVED]Start X (GUI) apps without a DE/WM

No. I don't worry about X. What i don't want is to have a desktop/window manager running in the background doing absolutely nothing while i play games (i need no WM to play games). Or for very basic things like just browsing the web.

Btw, 'xinit /usr/bin/<appname> $* -- :[x]' What's that number and how can i switch? using Ctrl + Alt + F[x] as usual? Or does it start in 7 like X.org would normally do, so it would be Ctrl + Alt + F [x]+7?

The Fx number (usually F7) is based on the number of consoles you open (usually on boot) - you can change that in your inittab. I have only 3, so X spawns on tty4 for me.
Using a lightweight WM is also an option.

beyecixramd

Member

Registered: 2009-07-23

Posts: 22

Re: [SOLVED]Start X (GUI) apps without a DE/WM

karol, if I use a 1 in the X, in the command above, would it open in TTY 7 (in case i haven't configured it to spawn less TTYs)?

karol

Archivist

Registered: 2009-05-06

Posts: 25,440

Re: [SOLVED]Start X (GUI) apps without a DE/WM

karol, if I use a 1 in the X, in the command above, would it open in TTY 7 (in case i haven't configured it to spawn less TTYs)?

As schen already wrote, it will open in the next free one. If you have no X running and have the default 6 consoles it should be tty7. If you already have an X session running it will open on tty8.
If you have an X running on tty7 and try :0 you will get an error saying that this display is already running.

Last edited by karol (2010-10-26 21:00:25)

adamlogan

Member

Registered: 2010-01-29

Posts: 38

Re: [SOLVED]Start X (GUI) apps without a DE/WM

Awesome. I like this method. No chance of being able to move things around though? EG if I launched gimp, I would not be able to move panels or documents around? Is it possible to customize X a little more for these standalone sessions?

Nichollan

Member

From: Stavanger, Norway

Registered: 2010-05-18

Posts: 110

Re: [SOLVED]Start X (GUI) apps without a DE/WM

You could use a window manager... oh wait.

Perhaps a lightweight one, like dwm or EvilWM?

Last edited by Nichollan (2010-12-05 13:27:11)