Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

hauzer · 2011-08-06 01:53:27

Well, I've ditched slim, I simply don't need it.

anonymous_user · 2011-08-06 02:57:23

What about a situation where you use multiple WMs/DE? Repeatedly editing ~/.xinitrc gets tiresome.

karol · 2011-08-06 02:58:53

anonymous_user wrote:

What about a situation where you use multiple WMs/DE? Repeatedly editing ~/.xinitrc gets tiresome.

You can have multiple .xinitrc files e.g. .xinitrc1, .xinitrc2 and use e.g. init levels to boot the one you want.

Last edited by karol (2011-08-06 02:59:44)

ewaller · 2011-08-06 03:03:18

Here is what I do:

ewaller@odin:~ 1006 %cat ~/.xinitrc

DEFAULT_SESSION=openbox
xset b off
setxkbmap -option ctrl:nocaps

case $WM in
gnome)
    ck-launch-session dbus-launch gnome-session
    ;;
xfce4)
    ~/bin/xfce4&
    ck-launch-session dbus-launch startxfce4
    ;;
lxde)
    ~/bin/lxde&
    ck-launch-session dbus-launch startlxde
    ;;
*)
    ~/bin/openbox&
    ck-launch-session dbus-launch $DEFAULT_SESSION
    ;;
esac
ewaller@odin:~ 1007 %

Then, for OB, I just use startx
If, on the other hand, I want lxde, I would use WM=lxde startx

drcouzelis · 2011-08-06 03:25:00

I use mingetty to automatically log in.

I used to use SLiM, but then I realized I always did the same thing every boot: enter username, enter password, start email, chat, and feed reader, then leave my computer on for the day. Doing all that is a big hassle while holding a new baby, so I setup my computer to do it all automatically. I have a desktop, so I'm not really worried about random people jumping on and accessing my data.

nicoooo · 2011-08-08 03:09:36

I just started using slim because zsh's history file kept getting corrupted after shutting down from the console.

karol · 2011-08-08 03:19:04

nicoooo wrote:

I just started using slim because zsh's history file kept getting corrupted after shutting down from the console.

Shutting down what? What WM are you using? Does it have a way to cleanly quit?

nicoooo · 2011-08-08 18:15:59

karol wrote:

Shutting down what? What WM are you using? Does it have a way to cleanly quit?

The WM works fine. It's when I close X11 and issue "shutdown -h now" from the console that the history get corrupted. This happens with both mingetty and agetty.

BlackMagic1337 · 2011-08-11 15:28:26

Awebb wrote:

lolilolicon wrote:
startx &
logout
I was just hit by the obvious train, I guess ~.~
Thanks :-D
@Inxsible: :-)

Doesn't work for me. :-( I am using zshell and my .zprofile looks like:
#
# ~/.zprofile
#
startx &
logout

Help would be appreciated. ;-)

Army · 2011-08-11 15:50:37

I also use startx. Everything's fine with that method, except of one thing: When I started using startx instead of a display manager, Jack didn't work anymore, so I couldn't record anything in Ardour. That's a no-go for me. But I have the solution:
Add

session        required  pam_limits.so

to /etc/pam.d/su, that's all you need.

BlackMagic1337 · 2011-08-11 16:02:42

Army wrote:

I also use startx. Everything's fine with that method, except of one thing: When I started using startx instead of a display manager, Jack didn't work anymore, so I couldn't record anything in Ardour. That's a no-go for me. But I have the solution:
Add
session        required  pam_limits.so
to /etc/pam.d/su, that's all you need.

Hey amy,

Thanks for your quick response but X will be started but it won't automatically logout from tty. I don't know why - I just migrated today from /bin/bash to /bin/zsh...

Maybe it's a bug (or a "new" feature? )

jlacroix · 2011-08-11 17:50:48

I've been enjoying this discussion. I set up an Arch Linux install with XFCE and no login manager, and it was mostly successful. I didn't feel compelled to install a display manager at all, but the thing that killed it is that apparently Thunar doesn't support Samba shares like it claims it does, so I am back to KDE now. Anyone run KDE without KDM? Part of me thinks that KDE kind of demands to have KDM or GDM.

throdon · 2011-08-11 18:08:41

if you have the shell sign in , then sign in as root when you have a root console type 'kdm' that should bring up the kde sign in.

hauzer · 2011-08-11 18:10:59

I think Gnome/KDE demand their own DM because it initializes some of the daemons they need.

ewaller · 2011-08-11 19:06:01

Have you tried
exec ck-launch-session dbus-launch startkde

jgreen1tc · 2011-08-11 19:51:18

I use KDE and no display manager. I just put the startx script into my ~/.bash_profile like the wiki said. I haven't noticed anything wrong.

ozar · 2011-08-11 20:00:21

Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

I think it might depend on the user. Some find them necessary while others don't.

I've not used a display manager in about 7 years now and haven't missed them a bit.

BasT · 2011-08-12 11:53:33

I'm interested in getting rid of kdm but I'm not quite sure I understand what the alternatives look like in practice. Would it be possible to automatically log into kde as a certain user, but with the screen locked?

MrCode · 2011-08-12 12:40:10

I use SLiM on my lappy because I'm in X 99% of the time anyway. The GPU is an NVIDIA GeForce 310M, using the binary-blob driver; framebuffer console support sucks (slow as molasses when scrolling), and IMO 80x24(5?) is ugly on a laptop. It's also so that I won't look like a total geek/nerd when/if I'm using my lappy in public, LOL. (…but I don't use splashy or anything for the boot sequence…so I'm insecure/paranoid/self-contradictory… )

My main desktop machine, however, boots to runlevel 3; no DM. It's also got an NVIDIA GPU card (with the binary-blob driver), but 80x24/5 is more acceptable on it for some reason IMO.

Last edited by MrCode (2011-08-12 12:43:07)

bernarcher · 2011-08-12 12:51:24

I double most functionality of display managers simply by some useful /etc/issue text, a few shortcuts mostly bash-defined, and several start scripts reacheable with a few keystrokes according to the number of WMs/DEs currently available on my system:

=================================================================

This is bpmachine, the universal computing tool for everything.
Log in and then start a display environment with:
    _X    to start Openbox (standard)
    _G    to start Gnome
    _K    to start KDE

Internet connection can be controlled by:
    ION  connects to the net
    IOFF closes the connection

To turn off the system use:
    _YY   restart
    _ZZ  halt the machine

To log in as guest use:
    account name: guest
    passwort:     guest

=================================================================

The default "_X" just calls startx, for the others (not always there) there is some start script defined.
And the "_" prefixes proved necessary as an additional measure against inadvertent calls.

This proved to suffice in any practical case for years now.

hauzer · 2011-08-12 16:06:23

I just want to link this thread here. The guy got a black screen without using GDM to log in into Gnome3, although it could be a mere coincidence or a misconfiguration.

Last edited by hauzer (2011-08-12 16:07:04)

ANOKNUSA · 2011-08-12 16:52:23

hauzer wrote:

I just want to link this thread here. The guy got a black screen without using GDM to log in into Gnome3, although it could be a mere coincidence or a misconfiguration.

That thread merely says that one person with one specific setup had one particular problem that was alleviated by the use of one particular piece of software; there's no "how" or "why" explanation, nor does it prove DMs to be either necessary nor unnecessary. I don't think it's pertinent to this thread. Some people for example have trouble without DMs because they're unaware that the DM enables dbus and console-kit interactions for them, which can easily be enabled in .xinitrc.

Viper_Scull · 2011-08-15 22:01:17

Interesting thread.

since i use systemd, and /etc/inittab is ignored and

x:5:respawn:/bin/su - -- karol -l -c '/usr/bin/xinit -- /usr/bin/X -nolisten tcp :0 </dev/null >/dev/null 2>&1'

is not read, how can i auto login without a display manager?

I use .xinitrc to start wmfs, etc.

Last edited by Viper_Scull (2011-08-15 22:01:40)

falconindy · 2011-08-15 22:59:55

Viper_Scull wrote:

Interesting thread.
since i use systemd, and /etc/inittab is ignored and
x:5:respawn:/bin/su - -- karol -l -c '/usr/bin/xinit -- /usr/bin/X -nolisten tcp :0 </dev/null >/dev/null 2>&1'
is not read, how can i auto login without a display manager?

You can write a getty unit that logs in automatically. agetty has this feature in util-linux 2.20

Last edited by falconindy (2011-08-15 23:00:10)

Viper_Scull · 2011-08-16 10:05:59

falconindy wrote:

Viper_Scull wrote:
Interesting thread.
since i use systemd, and /etc/inittab is ignored and
x:5:respawn:/bin/su - -- karol -l -c '/usr/bin/xinit -- /usr/bin/X -nolisten tcp :0 </dev/null >/dev/null 2>&1'
is not read, how can i auto login without a display manager?
You can write a getty unit that logs in automatically. agetty has this feature in util-linux 2.20

Thanks. I'll wait til util-linux 2.20 hits core. I hope it wont take long.

Last edited by Viper_Scull (2011-08-16 10:07:31)

Arch Linux

#26 2011-08-06 01:53:27

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#27 2011-08-06 02:57:23

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#28 2011-08-06 02:58:53

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#29 2011-08-06 03:03:18

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#30 2011-08-06 03:25:00

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#31 2011-08-08 03:09:36

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#32 2011-08-08 03:19:04

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#33 2011-08-08 18:15:59

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#34 2011-08-11 15:28:26

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#35 2011-08-11 15:50:37

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#36 2011-08-11 16:02:42

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#37 2011-08-11 17:50:48

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#38 2011-08-11 18:08:41

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#39 2011-08-11 18:10:59

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#40 2011-08-11 19:06:01

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#41 2011-08-11 19:51:18

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#42 2011-08-11 20:00:21

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#43 2011-08-12 11:53:33

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#44 2011-08-12 12:40:10

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#45 2011-08-12 12:51:24

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#46 2011-08-12 16:06:23

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#47 2011-08-12 16:52:23

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#48 2011-08-15 22:01:17

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#49 2011-08-15 22:59:55

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

#50 2011-08-16 10:05:59

Re: Display Managers, How Necessary Are They?

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