Re: Potato Broke My X
Quoting 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?
The simple answer to this might be "wait".
In the middle of February, I installed potato/frozen on a machine
and it still uses /etc/X11/window-managers (which is a TEXT file)
to decide which window manager to run.
Since then, all has changed and there are links in /etc/alternatives
that achieve the same ends, but in the standard way. It seems from
the traffic on this list that people are falling between two stools
as the changeover is implemented.
On my system, /etc/X11/window-managers is read, and contains
/usr/bin/X11/fvwm which then goes
lrwxrwxrwx Feb 17 16:46 /usr/bin/X11/fvwm -> /etc/alternatives/fvwm
lrwxrwxrwx Feb 17 16:46 /etc/alternatives/fvwm -> /usr/bin/X11/fvwm2
which is a real binary.
/etc/X11/window-managers takes precedence because it comes first in
/etc/X11/Xsession which contains:
(refers to ~/.xsession which I hid)
/
vvvvvvvv
if [ -e $startup ] && grep -qs ^allow-user-xsession $optionfile; then
if [ -x $startup ]; then
realstartup=$startup
else
realstartup="sh $startup"
fi
elif [ -e /etc/X11/window-managers ]; then
for i in `sed 's/#.*//' /etc/X11/window-managers`; do
if [ -x $i ]; then
realstartup=$i
break
fi
done
elif [ -x /usr/bin/x-window-manager ]; then
realstartup=x-window-manager
fi
The file is created thusly:
/var/lib/dpkg/info/xfree86-common.postinst:
# create /etc/X11/window-managers if it does not exist; ...
this is NOT a conffile
Its existence prevents the x-window-manager alternatives method
(I also have those links) from coming into action.
Alternatively to waiting, you can guess what the maintainers have
completed and/or manually piece it together again. I hope this
micro-history makes it a bit plainer.
Cheers,
--
Email: d.wright@open.ac.uk Tel: +44 1908 653 739 Fax: +44 1908 655 151
Snail: David Wright, Earth Science Dept., Milton Keynes, England, MK7 6AA
Disclaimer: These addresses are only for reaching me, and do not signify
official stationery. Views expressed here are either my own or plagiarised.
Reply to: