Re: multiple x sessions?

[Kent West <westk@acu.edu>]

Matt Price wrote:

> > > Is it really straightforward to configure my woody system to allow
> > > multiple X sessions on the same monitor?
> >
> > To start another X session:
> > startx -- :1
> >
> > It will end up running on the next available virtual console, and you
> > can switch between them by using Linux's virtual console switchingness.
> >
> > That what you wanted?
>
> Well, almost.  Thanks -- now I remember having read this before!  but
> for some reason, the simple startx command puts me right into kde,
> without the usual dialog box asking how I want to log in.  This
> happens regardless of what user I log in as.
>
> I should say that I have one x session up aklready, running kde.
>
> is there a way around that, do you think?
>
> matt

If you want a login screen on the second X terminal, you'll have to configure
your session manager to do that. I've done it once, but don't remember the
details and don't have a Debian machine in front of me to figure it out.
However, ssh'ing to a Deb box and looking around, here's a couple of ideas:

If you're running KDM, look in /etc/kde2/kdm/kdmrc; I vaguely remember some
comments in there about starting KDM on more than one window.

There's a configuration tool for GDM in Gnome, I believe, which might allow you
to set this option.

If you're running WDM, the file /etc//X11/wdm/Xservers looks like what you want.

Of course, I find it easier in my case just to start the first session of X
however I normallly do, and then to Ctrl-Alt-F1, login, and run "startx --
:[num]", where [num] is the number of the display on which I want to start X. If
I want to have a different wm for that session, I'll first edit .xinitrc and
.xsession (because I never remember which file takes affect when) to have my wm
of choice as the only uncommented line in it.

Kent