Re: xconsole

[john gennard <joney@clara.co.uk>]

On Thu, 24 Aug 2000, Ian Zimmerman wrote:

> Xconsole is supposed to show messages coming from syslogd(8).  For it
> to work under linux, an entry has to be made in /etc/syslog.conf
> looking like this:
> 
> # The named pipe /dev/xconsole is for the `xconsole' utility.  To use it,
> # you must invoke `xconsole' with the `-file' option:
> # 
> #    $ xconsole -file /dev/xconsole [...]
> #
> # NOTE: adjust the list below, or you'll go crazy if you have a reasonably
> #      busy site..
> #
> daemon.info;mail.info;\
> 	auth.info;*.notice;cron.*	|/dev/xconsole
> 
> and of course /dev/xconsole must be an existing named pipe.
> 
> What is a bit unusual about xconsole is that it is the only X program
> that runs while xdm (or its replacements kdm or gdm) waits for user
> login (though this can be disabled in /etc/X11/xdm/xdm-options).  I've
> observed that attempts to start an additional copy of xconsole after
> logging in, either from a script like ~/.xsession or from an xterm,
> don't result in the creation of a new window: instead, the command
> line parameters (window geometry, font etc.) seem to be applied to the
> existing window.  I don't know myself how this works, and I'd be
> grateful if someone can explain; but my point is that it seems there
> is a problem with this mechanism on your system.  KDE probably runs
> xconsole after you log in just because it remembers it had one when
> you logged out, and instead of reconnecting to the running copy
> (passed in from kdm) it somehow ends up creating a new window.

Ian,
Thank you for your response which I am studying - it takes me some
time to take new information onboard!!

Unfortunately, I decided to reinstall Slink on the second box and so
am now unable to experiment  with the syslog.conf file. (Since I
moved over to Debian it has not been necessary to reinstall - I've
had no crashes. From time to time, however, I choose to reinstall
on the second box just for practise and experience, so this was no
problem).  As I keep detailed notes of what I do, it may be possible
to recreate the position - I shall attempt to do so in due course.

I am grateful, regards, John.