Arch Linux

thewebdoctor

Member

From: North Georgia, North America

Registered: 2011-03-08

Posts: 30

Website

SOLVED: Openbox Problem: Messed Up Video

In my new Arch install, I'm using OpenBox for the WM/DE. It looked fine before, but today when I booted and right-clicked for the menu, it was a mess. You can view the mess by clicking on this link: http://www.drlanelester.com/menuprob.jpg

After I log on to the terminal, I'm starting X with this command: xinit /usr/bin/openbox-session

As I understand it, if I use startx to start X, it will read the commands in .xinitrc. I would like that in order to start some other things. This is the .xinitrc I have:

#!/bin/sh
exec openbox-session &
exec tint2 &
exec /opt/StartStopConky.sh

But X does not start with startx. Here you can see the output: http://www.drlanelester.com/startxprob.jpg

Lane

Last edited by thewebdoctor (2011-03-10 21:18:58)

Inxsible

Forum Fellow

From: Chicago

Registered: 2008-06-09

Posts: 9,183

Re: SOLVED: Openbox Problem: Messed Up Video

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinitrc

your call to your WM should be the last call in .xinitrc. Start all the apps you want first and then at the end call your WM.

Also from the image, it looks like you are logging in as root --- which will not read ~/.xinitrc. Try to login as your user and try to start X

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There's no such thing as a stupid question, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots !

thewebdoctor

Member

From: North Georgia, North America

Registered: 2011-03-08

Posts: 30

Website

Re: SOLVED: Openbox Problem: Messed Up Video

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinitrc

your call to your WM should be the last call in .xinitrc. Start all the apps you want first and then at the end call your WM.

Thanks, that got X started, but messed up video similar to that shown in the top link in this thread.

I am now going to start a new thread in the Installation forum. I just made a fresh install in a separate partition and cannot get X to start.

Lane

Inxsible

Forum Fellow

From: Chicago

Registered: 2008-06-09

Posts: 9,183

Re: SOLVED: Openbox Problem: Messed Up Video

Do not end with a & on your exec openbox-session line in your .xinitrc

---

Forum Rules

There's no such thing as a stupid question, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots !

thewebdoctor

Member

From: North Georgia, North America

Registered: 2011-03-08

Posts: 30

Website

Re: SOLVED: Openbox Problem: Messed Up Video

Do not end with a & on your exec openbox-session line in your .xinitrc

I should have showed you a copy of the new .xinitrc. I did remember the above.

#!/bin/sh
exec tint2 &
exec /opt/StartStopConky.sh &
exec /usr/bin/openbox-session

Lane

thewebdoctor

Member

From: North Georgia, North America

Registered: 2011-03-08

Posts: 30

Website

Re: SOLVED: Openbox Problem: Messed Up Video

Do not end with a & on your exec openbox-session line in your .xinitrc

Thanks. I did remember to make that change in the new .xinitrc:

#!/bin/sh
exec tint2 &
exec /opt/StartStopConky.sh &
exec /usr/bin/openbox-session

Lane

Inxsible

Forum Fellow

From: Chicago

Registered: 2008-06-09

Posts: 9,183

Re: SOLVED: Openbox Problem: Messed Up Video

As a side note : /usr/bin is always in your PATH. so you do not need to explicitly list it, although it doesn't hurt even if you do.

exec openbox-session

works exactly the same way as you have it -- just a bit more concise

---

Forum Rules

There's no such thing as a stupid question, but there sure are a lot of inquisitive idiots !

thewebdoctor

Member

From: North Georgia, North America

Registered: 2011-03-08

Posts: 30

Website

Re: SOLVED: Openbox Problem: Messed Up Video

This is solved: installing the nonfree nVidia driver took care of the problem.

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys!

Lane