XDM theme

bogomipz · 2004-07-10 23:38:08

Hi all,

Since KDM/GDM are so resource hungry and require you to bloat your system with libraries for their desktop environments, I decided to improve the otherwise not so pleasent look of XDM. This piece of software is included with xfree86 and x.org, which means that no extra packages are needed.

To try it out, get xdm-archlinux-0.1-1.tar.gz from incoming and install the pkg.tar.gz inside. Then make the xdm line near the end of /etc/inittab read:

x:5:respawn:/usr/X11R6/bin/xdm -nodaemon -config /etc/X11/xdm/archlinux/xdm-config

It's a good idea to test XDM either by manually changing to runlevel 5 (type 'init 5') or, even better, running xdm itself, before making 5 the default runlevel. Remember that ~/.xsession is the script used to start things when you login with XDM. To make the same WM and other programs start both with startx and XDM, simply symlink .xsession to .xinitrc. Hope you like it, feedback is appreciated.

dp · 2004-07-10 23:52:57

great work!!! (i do not boot into X, but if i would, it would be using this xdm-theme for some time)

one comment: is it possible to tell it what font to use for the user/password? maybe bitstream vera sans would look better

bogomipz · 2004-07-11 13:31:24

dp wrote:

one comment: is it possible to tell it what font to use for the user/password? maybe bitstream vera sans would look better

Yes, one reason why the defaults look so ugly is because of the fonts. I wanted to use a font that is included with the x-server and used Helvetica, but the Bitstream fonts are also part of the x-server packages. I tried the theme using bitstream vera sans, and I believe it looked slightly better. Changing fonts also changes the gap between lines, though. This is something I didn't manage to control.

Would it be a good idea to have a clock up in the NW corner and a console in the SW corner? Or is it better to keep it simple? Also, if there was a console, should it be killed when the user logged in, or live on when his desktop was started? I'm not quite sure whether I would want these extras. Any opinions?

aCoder · 2004-07-11 14:49:59

I think a clock would be nice, but anything else might be too much, and personally, once I log in, I never come back, so fire away! I don't much about XDM, but is there any chance this is just an easy config or two?

bogomipz · 2004-07-11 15:10:33

aCoder wrote:

I don't much about XDM, but is there any chance this is just an easy config or two?

It's all shell scripts and X resources. Fairly simple, but yet very few efforts have been made to theme XDM (judging from google's response). Could be because it doesn't really support theming in the traditional sense.

aCoder · 2004-07-12 02:06:32

I see... Let's go on an XDM theming campaign to spread Arch Linux propaganda!!! or not...

apeiro · 2004-07-14 01:29:42

Thanks for that theme. I like it.

I made a couple modifications to it so I could shutdown/reboot from the xdm login page. Stole it from the Cronos theme.

Xsetup:

### reboot & halt buttons
pidfile=/var/run/xdmbutton_0.pid
if [ -f $pidfile ]; then
  # Huh? Abnormally terminated?
  rm $pidfile
fi
HOME=/root /usr/bin/wish -name Powerbox <<EOF &
wm geometry . +0-0
tk_setPalette background black
button .halt  -background #223377 -foreground #ff0000 -font -altsys-silkscreen-m
-borderwidth 1 -text shutdown -command {exec /sbin/shutdown -h now 2>/dev/consol
button .reboot -background #223377 -foreground #00ff00 -font -altsys-silkscreen-
-borderwidth 1 -text reboot -command {exec /sbin/shutdown -r now 2>/dev/console 

pack .halt .reboot -side left -fill both
EOF
echo $! >$pidfile
###

xsetroot -solid "#223377" -cursor_name left_ptr

and this in GiveConsole:

# remove reboot/halt buttons
pidfile=/var/run/xdmbutton_0.pid
if [ -f $pidfile ]; then
  kill $(cat $pidfile)
  rm $pidfile
fi
chown $USER /dev/console
/usr/X11R6/bin/sessreg  -a -w "/var/log/wtmp" -u "/var/run/utmp" 
        -x "/etc/X11/xdm/Xservers" -l $DISPLAY -h "" $USER

bogomipz · 2004-07-14 17:34:20

Glad you liked it Judd.

I'll probably make another version of the package one of these days. It will use Bitstream fonts and have a clock, a console, and halt/reboot buttons. The latter is implemented using xmessage so that it won't require Tcl/Tk. I'll make the xconsole disabled by default, I think.

bogomipz · 2004-07-18 13:00:01

xdm-archlinux-0.2-1.tar.gz is now in incoming.

Dreameen · 2004-09-08 09:34:31

Where should i extract contents of this archive???

Spider.007 · 2004-09-12 18:29:10

bogomipz wrote:

xdm-archlinux-0.2-1.tar.gz is now in incoming.

Very nice addition! 1 minor thing; erromessages disappear behind the logo (I run 1600x1200). I've installed it on all my boxes

dp · 2004-09-12 22:04:24

Dreameen wrote:

Where should i extract contents of this archive???

it doesn't matter, but /var/abs/local is a good place ;-)

segmental · 2004-11-19 12:53:12

How do you make a screen shot of the xdm login?

bogomipz · 2004-11-19 13:21:37

segmental wrote:

How do you make a screen shot of the xdm login?

From the console, something like this perhaps:

$ DISPLAY=:0 import -window root login_shot.png

Or one could make the script that starts various apps displayed on the login screen (xclock, power buttons, etc) run the screen grab command

dp · 2004-11-19 16:50:33

segmental wrote:

How do you make a screen shot of the xdm login?

http://lists.ethernal.org/cantlug-0407/msg00954.html

segmental · 2004-11-20 02:05:12

When I run
DISPLAY=:0 import -window root login_shot.png

I get this message

Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol server

import: unable to open X server `:0.0'.

And I get this whether I am running kdm, gdm or xdm.
It does not matter if I am logged in as root or not.

segmental · 2004-11-20 04:35:31

Thanks to everyone for your help. After picking up some hints
here and there I finally came up with a solution. At the end
of Xsetup_0 I placed this:

# get the xdm screenshot
import -display :0.0 -window root -pause 5 /etc/X11/xdm/xdm_login.png &

This way, a screen shot of the xdm logon is taken every time
is loads.

IceRAM · 2004-11-20 09:31:56

segmental wrote:

When I run
DISPLAY=:0 import -window root login_shot.png
I get this message
Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
Xlib: No protocol server
import: unable to open X server `:0.0'.
And I get this whether I am running kdm, gdm or xdm.
It does not matter if I am logged in as root or not.

Try "xhost +localhost" (as a regular user) - I'm not really sure though that it would work.

segmental · 2004-11-26 07:10:31

Now that I have one, I thought I would post a screenshot of
my xdm logon:

And here is an archive of all of the files:
http://segmental.dyndns.org/arch/custom-xdm.tar.gz

There is included a small script (set-xdm) that copies the files
over to /etc/X11/xdm. If you are going to use it you had better
backup up your originals first. Otherwise they could get written
over.

polarrr · 2004-12-26 07:52:44

I've been using this XDM theme for a while, but since I upgraded ttf-ms-fonts 1.3-5 to 1.3-6, the fonts are kind of borked. Well, not really borked, but appears pretty much the same as the screen shot shown here. It was fine before I did the upgrade. I didn't mess around with it until now, but I was wondering if there's a way to fix it? Would be nice to get that pretty look again

Polarrr

P.S. Actually I'm gonna try segmental's theme too 8)

segmental · 2004-12-26 19:09:56

I am glad that at least one person tried using this theme
after I posted it.

As for the font problem, I don't know. If you look in the
Xresources file you will see that "xlogin", which is all I have
ever used, only uses the Adobe Helvetica Type 1 fonts included
in the xorg package.

"Chooser" in Xresources does specify "new century schoolbook"
but that font is not included in ttf-ms-fonts.

Greycloack · 2005-04-28 11:59:47

Here, I've put it on my site...

http://shabi.homelinux.org/xdm-archlinux-0.2-1.tar.gz

don't expect much of the download speed, but it's a small package so it should be enaugh

Grey

MrHyde · 2005-07-12 01:42:06

samsonov wrote:

thanks greycloack

ditto

Snowman · 2005-07-13 22:18:48

Here is a screenshot of my xdm theme:
http://www.astro.umontreal.ca/~belanger … enshot.png
I used bogomipz's configs as a template. I could make a pkg with the configs if someone is interested. Any comments, suggestion?

kleptophobiac · 2005-07-15 17:13:52

I've never used xdm before, and am running kdm on my HTPC for automatic X login.

Is there a way to do automatic login with XDM?

Arch Linux

#1 2004-07-10 23:38:08

XDM theme

#2 2004-07-10 23:52:57

Re: XDM theme

#3 2004-07-11 13:31:24

Re: XDM theme

#4 2004-07-11 14:49:59

Re: XDM theme

#5 2004-07-11 15:10:33

Re: XDM theme

#6 2004-07-12 02:06:32

Re: XDM theme

#7 2004-07-14 01:29:42

Re: XDM theme

#8 2004-07-14 17:34:20

Re: XDM theme

#9 2004-07-18 13:00:01

Re: XDM theme

#10 2004-09-08 09:34:31

Re: XDM theme

#11 2004-09-12 18:29:10

Re: XDM theme

#12 2004-09-12 22:04:24

Re: XDM theme

#13 2004-11-19 12:53:12

Re: XDM theme

#14 2004-11-19 13:21:37

Re: XDM theme

#15 2004-11-19 16:50:33

Re: XDM theme

#16 2004-11-20 02:05:12

Re: XDM theme

#17 2004-11-20 04:35:31

Re: XDM theme

#18 2004-11-20 09:31:56

Re: XDM theme

#19 2004-11-26 07:10:31

Re: XDM theme

#20 2004-12-26 07:52:44

Re: XDM theme

#21 2004-12-26 19:09:56

Re: XDM theme

#22 2005-04-28 11:59:47

Re: XDM theme

#23 2005-07-12 01:42:06

Re: XDM theme

#24 2005-07-13 22:18:48

Re: XDM theme

#25 2005-07-15 17:13:52

Re: XDM theme

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