Re: X and Window Mangers

[Ben Pfaff <pfaffben@pilot.msu.edu>]

   > Actually I like that a lot better myself.  Could we do it that way
   > instead, Branden?

   Uh, I've never played with alternatives before.  Would someone care to
   flesh out this proposal?

Okay, here we go:

/usr/bin/sensible-window-manager (or whatever) is a symlink to one of
the installed window managers.  The symlink is managed by calling
update-alternatives.  update-alternatives has the following interface:

    update-alternatives --install window-manager \
    /usr/X11R6/bin/sensible-window-manager /usr/X11R6/bin/twm 10 

This sort of call is made from the window manager's postinst.  It
makes a link from /usr/X11R6/bin/sensible-window-manager to
/etc/alternatives/window-manager.  In turn,
/etc/alternatives/window-manager points to the currently installed
window manager with the highest priority, where 10 is the priority for
/usr/X11R6/bin/twm.

    update-alternatives --remove window-manager /usr/X11R6/bin/twm

Called by the window manager's prerm, makes sure that the
/etc/alternative link doesn't point to that window manager, and
removes the link entirely if no window manager is installed any
longer.

Do you need more details?


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