Where is the GDM setup gone?

johnpatcher · 2009-10-12 16:44:48

Hi,

I've just upgraded my system to Gnome 2.28 and basically it runs just fine. During the upgrade process pacman told me that the new GDM config file /etc/gdm/custom.conf is saved as /etc/gdm/custom.conf.pacnew. As I haven't written anything critical in there, I decided to replace the new (blank) one with the old one and start configuring it from scratch.

With my old installation I have done it with some Gnome application, but I can't find it anymore . It seems that the shortcut has been deleted , although I have enabled all entries using Alacarte .

Does anyone of you know how I can enter this application again in order to change the theme of GDM? Is it normal that the shortcut disappears, or is this kind of a bug? What can I do about it?

Best regards
johnpatcher

johnpatcher · 2009-10-12 16:50:46

Ok, it seems that this is a feature :

https://bugzilla.gnome.org/show_bug.cgi?id=587750

Now I have to configure GDM from scratch manually, what a waste of time .

johnpatcher · 2009-10-12 17:32:33

Ok, I finally managed it to get it working again, but I think this is a step backwards .

combuster · 2009-10-12 17:54:30

Could you explain how?

aierK · 2009-10-12 18:25:53

johnpatcher wrote:

Ok, I finally managed it to get it working again, but I think this is a step backwards .

Explain how please.

thx

uwinkelvos · 2009-10-12 18:35:13

as mentioned here http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=79706&p=9#213 you can change the visual apearance by doing the following:

gksudo -u gdm dbus-launch gnome-appearance-properties

combuster · 2009-10-12 18:37:39

Wont load for me...

ammon · 2009-10-12 19:26:47

What was wrong with gnome guys to remove gdm-setup.
Now it is hard to config it, especially for regular user.

And no more gdm themes.... blaaah

Last edited by ammon (2009-10-12 19:39:19)

graysky · 2009-10-12 20:10:40

combuster wrote:

Wont load for me...

Same here... prompts for pw and then nothing
EDIT: you have to do that as root, i.e.:

# gksudo -u gdm dbus-launch gnome-appearance-properties

For more on customizing the gdm stuff, see this thread... maybe we need a GDM 2.28 wiki page?

EDIT: I just started one here. Please add to it!

Last edited by graysky (2009-10-12 21:49:48)

b9anders · 2009-10-12 21:12:28

that command didn't work for me. Loss of theming is one thing, but not being able to choose a session is worse when you don't run gnome.

Oddly, neither slim nor lxdm would allow me to log into xfce. Good to see that nothing was broken by downgrading just gdm though.

graysky · 2009-10-12 21:23:24

@b9anders - you try it as the root user?

b9anders · 2009-10-13 07:44:48

graysky wrote:

@b9anders - you try it as the root user?

yes.

A point that might help figuring out the cause is that I don't have gnome installed. Don't know if it's the same for others it doesn't work for or whether other non-gnome users can make it work.

Last edited by b9anders (2009-10-13 07:47:42)

ArchArael · 2009-10-13 09:08:34

I personally switched to slim. Less gnome stuff around as I am using openbox.

schwa · 2009-10-13 10:17:53

uwinkelvos wrote:

as mentioned here http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=79706&p=9#213 you can change the visual apearance by doing the following:
gksudo -u gdm dbus-launch gnome-appearance-properties

For me this (also mentioned as Method 1 in the new Wiki article about GNOME 2.28 changes) only opens a window for configuring the appearance of the desktop not the login manager which I think was the original problem. For some reason it also reactivates two identical accessibility icons in the tray I manually disabled earlier.

insanemal · 2009-10-13 11:26:04

It does open that appearance menu.
That's part of how you change the appearance of the gdm now.. as its been changed to use GTK the whole way round.

And yes you end up with two accessibility icons.

A logoff fixes that..
and if you still have one.. opening your Keyboard settings and turning off the option in there fixes it.

So.. Just to clarify, GDM now uses GTK and looks like a standard Gnome App.
That command is opening the Gnome Appearance propertys menu.. As the user GDM so you can configure the Appearance of the GTK objects used on the screen.

As far as changing the Themes goes..... you can't. Yet.
And from what I can tell, poking around, you will have to install Modules or Apps that plug into GDM to change the appearance beyond the colour and style of the GTK objects.
That being said there are also several gconf keys you can play with as the GDM user that might have some impact on it. However I'm yet to actually see any real effect on GDM when changing them.

In your interested have a look in gconf-editor
/apps/gdm/simple-greeter
you will see options that claim to do things like turning on Compiz in GDM and turning off the user list.

But like I said, I can't get them to work even when setting them as GDM

EDIT: and by setting them as GDM i mean from a root shell using "sudo -u GDM gconftool-2" etc etc

Enjoy

Last edited by insanemal (2009-10-13 11:31:05)

tuxce · 2009-10-13 13:45:13

insanemal wrote:

But like I said, I can't get them to work even when setting them as GDM

Setting them as root works.

lumpy211 · 2009-10-13 15:41:31

Anybody have a working PKGBUILD for GDM 2.26? I've been waiting to update from GDM 2.20 for a while (specifically 2.24 is what I wanted beause it saves the last log-in), but now it's here it's a shame that none of the themes on gnome-look.org work anymore :-(

warriant · 2009-10-13 16:57:15

_

Last edited by warriant (2011-06-06 15:51:48)

Jamie · 2009-10-13 17:10:59

insanemal wrote:

In your interested have a look in gconf-editor
/apps/gdm/simple-greeter
you will see options that claim to do things like turning on Compiz in GDM and turning off the user list.
But like I said, I can't get them to work even when setting them as GDM

Am I understanding this right? We can't remove the user list yet?
I did the gconf-editor as root but gconf-editor is empty, nothing in it.

owain · 2009-10-13 19:22:10

Jamie wrote:

insanemal wrote:
In your interested have a look in gconf-editor
/apps/gdm/simple-greeter
you will see options that claim to do things like turning on Compiz in GDM and turning off the user list.
But like I said, I can't get them to work even when setting them as GDM
Am I understanding this right? We can't remove the user list yet?
I did the gconf-editor as root but gconf-editor is empty, nothing in it.

Aha....run, as root:

# sudo -u gdm gconftool-2 --set --type boolean /apps/gdm/simple-greeter/disable_user_list true

This sets the gconf setting for the user gdm, rather than root's. With the current simple greeter, you need to then click 'log in' before you can type the username, although that might also be alterable. Other keys which can be set can be found here.

Jamie · 2009-10-13 19:47:23

owain wrote:

Aha....run, as root:
# sudo -u gdm gconftool-2 --set --type boolean /apps/gdm/simple-greeter/disable_user_list true
This sets the gconf setting for the user gdm, rather than root's. With the current simple greeter, you need to then click 'log in' before you can type the username, although that might also be alterable. Other keys which can be set can be found here.

Thanks a bunch! Worked like a charm .

johnpatcher · 2009-10-13 22:11:08

combuster wrote:

Could you explain how?

Ok, actually I was a little bit too fast . I have recreated my custom.conf, haven#t mentioned that it doesn't work at all .

For now Gnome 2.28 is a really big step backwards, I'm still about "repairing" my system, as a whole lot of stuff doesn't work as it did before .

Regarding this problem I think that the problem is related to [url=http://bugs.archlinux.org/task/16601?opened=5798&type[0]=&sev[0]=&due[0]=&cat[0]=&status[0]=open&percent[0]=&reported[0]=]this[/url], as gksu seems to be buggy with the new kernel 2.6.31 .

Whenever I try to run the command mentioned above I encounter the following error:

[root@vostro ~]# gksudo -u gdm dbus-launch gnome-appereance-properties
Error copying '/tmp/libgksu-9BwaVU/.Xauthority' to '/tmp/libgksu-GJyAFt': No such file or directory

Whats the cause of it? Has anyone else experienced this? What can I do in order to solve the issue?

Last edited by johnpatcher (2009-10-13 22:11:22)

insanemal · 2009-10-13 22:35:59

Jamie wrote:

owain wrote:
Aha....run, as root:
# sudo -u gdm gconftool-2 --set --type boolean /apps/gdm/simple-greeter/disable_user_list true
This sets the gconf setting for the user gdm, rather than root's. With the current simple greeter, you need to then click 'log in' before you can type the username, although that might also be alterable. Other keys which can be set can be found here.
Thanks a bunch! Worked like a charm .

Awwww.. man, I'm glad it worked for you! But yeah I tried that after finding it.. and it didnt work :S

zenlord · 2009-10-14 07:26:58

johnpatcher wrote:

For now Gnome 2.28 is a really big step backwards, I'm still about "repairing" my system, as a whole lot of stuff doesn't work as it did before .

Keeping my eyes on the (hopefully near) future, these changes are mostly caused by leaving libbonobo and libglade in favour of an all-gtk-desktop. Once the switch is done, I'll be glad to be rid of all things *bonobo...

I do admit that it is frustrating to have to 'repair' a system after every upgrade - let's hope the gnome devs change this attitude with v3.0...

Barghest · 2009-10-14 07:35:20

Is there a way to get the auto login back in the new gdm?

Arch Linux

#1 2009-10-12 16:44:48

Where is the GDM setup gone?

#2 2009-10-12 16:50:46

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#3 2009-10-12 17:32:33

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#4 2009-10-12 17:54:30

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#5 2009-10-12 18:25:53

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#6 2009-10-12 18:35:13

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#7 2009-10-12 18:37:39

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#8 2009-10-12 19:26:47

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#9 2009-10-12 20:10:40

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#10 2009-10-12 21:12:28

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#11 2009-10-12 21:23:24

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#12 2009-10-13 07:44:48

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#13 2009-10-13 09:08:34

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#14 2009-10-13 10:17:53

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#15 2009-10-13 11:26:04

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#16 2009-10-13 13:45:13

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#17 2009-10-13 15:41:31

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#18 2009-10-13 16:57:15

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#19 2009-10-13 17:10:59

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#20 2009-10-13 19:22:10

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#21 2009-10-13 19:47:23

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#22 2009-10-13 22:11:08

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#23 2009-10-13 22:35:59

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#24 2009-10-14 07:26:58

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

#25 2009-10-14 07:35:20

Re: Where is the GDM setup gone?

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