Re: Potato Broke My X

[Mike Werner <reznaeous@earthlink.net>]

On Wed, Mar 08, 2000 at 01:20:37AM -0600, Brad wrote:
<snipped>
> Another important change in the xfree86-common package is that all
> support for the /etc/X11/window-managers file has been removed. Window
> managers should now use the alternatives system. You may want to check
> that the /usr/bin/x-window-manager symlink is valid. The command

It was a valid link.  Well, technically it was.  Turns out that
/usr/bin/x-window-manager was pointing to /etc/alternatives/x-window-manager
which in turn was pointing to /etc/X11/window-managers  Once I realized
that and changed the link in the alternatives directory to point at
the window manager I wanted to use, things started working again.
Thank you for getting me pointed in the right direction - without
your pointer it's doubtful I would have figured that one out.

> "update-alternatives --auto x-window-manager" will reset that symlink to
> auto mode if for some reason it is manual (on my system it for some
> reason was stuck in manual mode pointing to twm, which had been
> uninstalled).

I checked and it is in auto.  However, something puzzles me:
HAL9000:~# update-alternatives --display x-window-manager
x-window-manager - status is auto.
 link currently points to /usr/bin/blackbox
/etc/X11/window-managers - priority 50    <===== this line and ...
 slave x-window-manager.1.gz: /usr/share/man/man1/blackbox.1.gz
Current `best' version is /etc/X11/window-managers.   <===== this line

Could the two lines I marked above have something to do with what
happened?  I tried:
HAL9000:~# update-alternatives --config x-window-manager

There is only 1 program which provides x-window-manager
(/etc/X11/window-managers). Nothing to configure.

But checking the description for blackbox it says:
HAL9000:~# grep-available -P -s Package,Provides blackbox
Package: blackbox
Provides: x-window-manager

I'm getting more confused the more I dig into this.  I can't
even figure out what package it was that put the /etc/X11/window-managers
file there to begin with.
HAL9000:~# dpkg -S /etc/X11/window-managers
dpkg: /etc/X11/window-managers not found.

What do I need to do now to get my system straightened out as to
who is providing x-window-manager?
-- 
Mike Werner  KA8YSD           |  "Where do you want to go today?"
ICQ# 12934898                 |  "As far from Redmond as possible!"
'91 GS500E                    |
Morgantown WV                 |  Only dead fish go with the flow.