Bug#320499: xdm: inform user of failure in .xsession stage
Package: xdm
Version: 4.3.0.dfsg.1-13
Severity: wishlist
I notice if the user unknowingly makes a simple
/home/bob/.xsession: line 38: syntax error: unexpected end of file
on Friday, and comes back on Monday and tries to login, he is likely
to get some weird electronic zzzz stuff on the screen and then be
given the login prompt with no indication of what happened unless he
is bright enough to login on a dumb terminal and do ls -ta and notice
that the newest file is .xsession-errors and see what was written.
The zzzz stuff sends him hunting for a XF86Config-4 problem, never
thinking that he forgot an "esac" in his shell script.
I know that the xdm login screen has the ability to say "login
incorrect". It should also be able to say "Error when executing user's
init file" or something.
He is unlikely to want to test his script on Friday because he would
have to close all his windows.
Reply to: