Re: starting different window managers

[Kent West <westk@acu.edu>]

Robert Epprecht wrote:

> I prefer the text console over X, whenever it is appropriate.
> The downside is, that my knowledge about X is very limited.
> I just installed kde which I use rarely ;-)
>
> Now I'm trying to build an box for audio work, where kde is too heavy.
> So I would like to try out some lightweight windowmanagers.  What is an
> easy way to start different window managers (so I can try them out)?
> I'm working on Debian unstable.
>
> I have seen things like xdm, but if possible I would prefer a solution
> that does *not* run on X, but starts X only when I ask it to.
>
> OK, I *could* live with a graphical login, if there's no easy text based
> solution.  Which one is best to try out a number of different window
> managers?  How do I add another one, or is it done automatically when
> installing a wm?
>
> Thanks for pointers or suggestions,
> Robert Epprecht
>
>
>  
I tend to put the name of the wm I want to use in ~/.xinitrc and then 
uncomment the one I want to use before running startx, like so:
#gnome-session
#sawfish
icewm
#twm

This has not been a foolproof method for me, but works fairly well.



--
Kent West (westk@acu.edu)