Re: xfce --> Choosing desktop easily on Debian system. GDM is easiest.

[Osamu Aoki <osamu@debian.org>]

Hi,  Choosing desktop elegantly on Debian was kind of hard...  I took
some time recently ...

On Mon, Oct 11, 2004 at 08:14:36PM +0200, Erik Jakobsen wrote:
> Michael Graham wrote:
> 
> >I assume you don't want the display manager (xdm,kdm,gdm) to be started
> >when you boot your machine? Well on debian the display manager is
> >started on all multiuser runlevels (2-5). I you never want to start your
> >display manager automatically you should do as root:
> >
> >update-rc.d -f <display manager> remove
> >
> >where <display manger> is either xdm, kdm, or gdm. The other option
> >would be just to uninstall it (again as root)
> >
> >apt-get remove <display manger>
> > 
> Yes that is what I thought would be a good idea. But maybe its not ?.
> 
> And ok about the update and remove commands.

All these are correct answer but may not be something normal user wish
to do. I would do following.

First install gdm while removing xdm, kdm, wdm.
Use aptitude to install most of Task desktop (No KDE related staff.)
to get most gnome apps.
Install xfce4 package.
Reboot (not needed but easy this way)

OK, you go to bottom of GDM and select XFCE and loginto it while making
it as default (Choose language if needed at the same time.)

This set up ~/.dmrc and your default X system will be XFce while still
be able to use Ordinary Gnome Desktop when you feel like :-)

Installing KDE apps seems to clutter menu and disk space for me but you
may need it.

> >To start xfce4 from the console you should do as a normal user:
> >
> >cat << EOF > .xsession
> > 
> >
> What is that ?.
> 
> >#!/bin/bash
> >
> >exec xfce4-session
> >
> >EOF
> >chmod +x .xsession
> >
> >and use the startx command to start it.
 
This works also from some ?DM choosing some menu entries  as your
(default) boot mode.  I forgot exactly what it was but it was something
like "Debian Default".

If you do this, you also has to take care all the commands run by
/etc/X11/Xsession.d/* since it will be replacing them.

GDM method still allow you to use Debian defaults (SSH supports etc.)

Good luck.

Osamu