Re: X

[Pigeon <jah.pigeon@ukonline.co.uk>]

On Wed, Mar 26, 2003 at 02:37:29AM +0000, Colin Watson wrote:
> On Tue, Mar 25, 2003 at 07:39:44PM +0000, Pigeon wrote:
> > On Tue, Mar 25, 2003 at 03:46:54PM +1100, Cameron Hutchison wrote:
> > > A policy of "Sensible by default" (which I believe debian employs)
> > > pretty much means you've got to install xdm when you install X.
> > 
> > What's wrong with something along the lines of: (Wording could
> > probably be improved)
> > 
> >   You are installing the X Windows system.
> >   If you like, you can also install the xdm X Display Manager, which
> >   gives you a graphical login prompt on bootup instead of a text console
> >   login.
> > 
> >   Do you want a graphical login? [Y/n]
> 
> It's technically pretty hard to have a debconf question that asks
> whether you want to install another package. Maintainer scripts in
> general don't operate at that layer.

I see, right.

> Potentially you could have display managers ask whether they should be
> active, but I don't maintain any of them so I'm hesitant to say whether
> this would be a good idea.

Right. I think it would solve the problem, but it is (as other people
have implied) kind of yucky. And I don't maintain any of them
either... :-)

> > Knowing that this is not true, I unselected xdm in dselect... which of
> > course made it start moaning like mad... enough to put any new user
> > off not having xdm. Or if it doesn't you still have to figure out what
> > hoops to jump through to make it accept your choices.
> 
> I imagine this'll be easier with dselect post-stable, which doesn't moan
> so much when you deselect a package which a selected package recommends.

Phew! (wipes sweat from brow)

> > Is there some issue connected with the packaging system that makes it
> > really hard to ask if you want a graphical login? Not being into the
> > details of the packaging system, I can't rule out the possibility of
> > some weirditude making the answer "yes".
> 
> Yes, kind of. See above. :)

Thanks. That's useful to know - sheds some light on the
shall-we-ask-a-question side of this debate.

Pigeon