using alternate desktop manager in CentOS 6

jkhord · Post by **jkhord** » 2011/07/12 19:59:20

In the past, I have created an executable ~/.xsession file to permit me to run silly things like FVWM. This is worked on RHEL/CentOS 3-4-5.

It appears that in RHEL/CentOS 6, gdm no longer pays any attention to my ~/.xsession file when logging in.

Is there now a new method for doing this? Or do I need to manually edit something under /etc/X11 ???

thanks!

Post by **scottro** » 2011/07/13 12:12:26

I installed openbox from their site, boot into runlevel 3, and use ~/.xinitrc. This worked for me. I don't know if it would have showed up had I used a graphic boot and gdm.

jkhord · Post by **jkhord** » 2011/07/13 15:38:54

that almost works for me

if I symlink ~/.xinitrc to ~/.xsession and boot in runlevel 3 and execute 'startx' as a non-root user, I have to hit Ctrl-C about 8 times to get it to stop hanging on some authority file and then it will start FVWM

not sure I like that approach -- doesn't strike me as "Enterprise OS"

I did install the xorg-x11-xinit-session package (discussed here: https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=447910) which is supposed to magically tell GDM to pay attention to my .xsession/.xinitrc file, but no dice

EDIT: just for clarification, the contents of my .xsession/.xinitrc file are below:

/usr/local/bin/ssh-agent /usr/local/bin/fvwm2

(nothing too crazy)

Post by **scottro** » 2011/07/13 15:52:05

What if you comment out the ssh-agent and try--if the errors are about authentication, that's probably what it is from.

jkhord · Post by **jkhord** » 2011/07/13 16:28:59

if I remove "/usr/local/bin/ssh-agent" and just execute "/usr/local/bin/fvwm2" it still hangs for a long time

"timeout in locking authority file .Xauthority"

very odd, this

still, I have "always" been able to just get [whatever]dm to recognize a .xinitrc or .xsession file and I guess there is just some mojo pocus I need to figure out to get this version to do so

jkhord · Post by **jkhord** » 2011/07/14 18:34:19

Actually, installing the xorg-x11-xinit-session package does the trick.

I just didn't notice that after typing a username, a session selection window appears at the bottom of the screen, permitting me to select "Gnome" or "User Script"

Now ... if I can just figure out how to disable Xinerama now that /etc/X11/xorg.conf no longer exists, I will be (mostly) all set

CentOS