Optimizing SLiM (slow respawn) *NOT SOLVED*

1311219 · 2007-03-30 15:43:21

This message is two things, my "solution" for an easier poweroff in SLiM, and a question:

I think many people (including myself) are getting a bit frustrated of having to write the root password when shutting down/rebooting the computer from SLiM, so I started to search for a way to do the shutdown easier. However I could not find any solution on this, so for the moment the nicest solution I have been able to figure out is to modify the source-code (hurray for open-source!:))for SLiM:
1: download the source code for SLiM.
2: extract the archive and modify the input.cpp file. simply add the folowing next to the screenshot command:

    // Take a screenshot
    if(keysym == XK_F11) {
        system(cfg->getOption("screenshot_cmd").c_str());
    }
    // Reboot
    if(keysym == XK_F9) {
        Action = REBOOT;
    }
    // Halt
    if(keysym == XK_F10) {
        Action = HALT;
    }

3: compile the code and cp (root) the executable over /usr/bin/slim. or make a PKGBUILD (might prevent compability issues, not that I have had any yet).
4:now it's possible to reboot the system from SLiM with F9 and halt it with F10!:cool:

Please reply if this is a to stupid solution or there are something that should be fixed.:P

Now to the question: whenever I log out from my ratpoison system (:quit), the SLiM manager takes alot of time to start, all there is is a black background and a cursor for around ~20 secounds (and then SLiM starts), I'm not sure this problem occurs with other window managers, so is this something thats easy to fix? (all errors I've found currently is "slim: unexpected signal 15" in the slim.log (but that could be just because I shutdown the system when logged in.:/ (plus "waiting for X server to shut downFreeFontPath", but thats normal right?). this problem does not occur when I first start my computer.
So, any suggestions?

Last edited by 1311219 (2007-04-09 18:36:18)

Stalwart · 2007-03-30 19:14:14

I use power button for turning off and ctrl+alt+f1, ctrl+alt+del to reboot

1311219 · 2007-03-30 20:31:16

The power button alternative seems interesting, but I think I want to continue to use the SLiM modification. (pressing F9 is just a little bit more practical... or I'm just to lazy.:P)

So, does anybody use SLiM+ratpoison without the logout delay problem?:/

Last edited by 1311219 (2007-03-30 20:31:33)

bender02 · 2007-03-30 21:27:58

I was using this setup in gentoo (not now in arch) and the delay you're talking about was only about 2-3sec. The thing is that after you quit ratpoison, the whole X terminates, and then it should immediately start again, launching slim. Since you see the cursor on the screen, I'd guess that X is not running at that time - in other words, the trouble is not with slim but with starting Xorg. I'd try to look at /var/log/Xorg.0.log to see if there's anything suspicious. Also - does it happen with every WM?

Stalwart · 2007-03-30 21:51:57

It's not a logout delay, but login delay. Slim just starts slow

iBertus · 2007-03-30 21:57:35

Can't you force Slim to run as a daemon and thus solve this slow restart issue?

1311219 · 2007-03-31 10:34:00

About SLiM starting slow, yes thats my theory to, but it starts really fast when the computer is first turned on (a few seconds), but when it starts the second time (after logout), it's really slow(around 20 sec).
About the daemon solution, it might work, but I would prefer to use the run-level-5 technique.
I have checked the xorg logfile, nothing weird (except for some warnings about some font paths not found )
I always have an test install of arch on a usb memory, and I have tried SLiM with both kde and ratpoison on it. and kde doesn't seem to cause this problem, so it might be a ratpoison-only problem.

UPDATE: I've been testing different wm and so far I have come up with the following:
KDE: works!:|
wmii: causes slim to restart slow.
blackbox: causes slim to restart slow.
fluxbox: causes slim to restart slow.
icewm: causes slim to restart slow.
ratpoison: causes slim to restart slow.

Also, if I shut down X with Ctrl+Alt+backslash, the respawn system then quickly starts X again, and SLiM starts in a matter of seconds!:o:/

Last edited by 1311219 (2007-04-02 12:53:40)

1311219 · 2007-04-09 17:04:19

It didn't work , however, it seems like it respawns a few seconds faster now.:/

OK, I solved it! aparently I should have payed more attention to the "waiting for X server to shut downFreeFontPath" message.:lol: I removed some font paths that didn't exist in my xorg.con and run mkfontdir and mkfontscale on my font dirs.
Thanks everybody!:)

Last edited by 1311219 (2007-04-09 18:38:16)

KamiCrazy · 2007-04-26 23:57:12

I am experiencing this slow restart problem as well. Doesn't make any sense to me that slim restarts so slow after logout.

I can't find any references to font dirs in my xorg.conf file. Not sure how to fix.

reverie · 2007-04-27 05:06:16

I can't remember the specifics, but there was some sort of security issue, so they had to change the code, unfortunately making it slow in the process... This was a while ago, but I'm sure that if you go back a few versions it'll be fast (but, apparently, insecure? pffft). Pity that I can't remember how many versions back that was ):

1311219 · 2007-05-24 15:09:31

I've tried the wolvix live-cd (it uses SLiM) and it doesn't have this problem... So I tried to use the xorg.conf from wolvix in arch, and after changing a few things (like /dev/mouse to /dev/input/mouse0 and other campability things) it doesn't work either.:o

So it must be something else than the config file...:(

I tried running SLiM on a knoppix live-cd, it seem to have this problems to... I don't know what to think anymore!

Last edited by 1311219 (2007-05-24 17:02:11)

1311219 · 2007-05-29 17:18:44

I just tried making a live-cd of my arch install, and tried it on another computer, I didn't have any problems on that one.

This problem seems hardware dependent (I'm using a GeForce FX 5200).:(

Last edited by 1311219 (2007-05-29 17:52:52)

Arch Linux

#1 2007-03-30 15:43:21