Re: Info on debian boot/xwindow process
Albert wrote:
> Could someone point me to info on the debian boot and X Window startup
> process? I hate it that I don't get to startx for X and that I cannot
> login to Gnome as root.
* The PowerOnSelfTest (POST)
* The bootloader (grub/lilo/etc)
* The kernel loads
* The kernel probes and self-configures
* The kernel's last task before sitting in the background, controlling
all, is to run "init" with "/etc/inittab" as it's config file
* "/etc/inittab" instructs init to go to the appropriate run-level (2 on
a default Debian setup), and it (normally) starts 6 gettys (terminal
sessions)
* as part of switching to the run-levels, the scripts in
/etc/rc[runlevel].d are run, first with the K scripts, then the S
scripts, in alpha-numerical order
* if one of the last S scripts in the default run-level is a display
manager (xdm, kdm, wdm, gdm), the graphical login window fires up; else
you're dropped to a text-mode login prompt
> I want to use a different window manager than the default, which I
> assume is Metacity, and I want to use the ROX-session manager. My
> head has exploded trying to figure out how this can be done without
> documentation or deb packages.
If you're using a login manager (gdm, kdm, etc), each of them has its
own configuration file, in which you can configure the default window
manager.
Or, more likely, the login manager is paying attention to the settings
in your "alternatives" system; see what "ls -l
/etc/alternatives/x-window-manager" says. To change it, run
"update-alternatives --config x-window-manager".
Or, the login manager is reading your personal "~/.xinitrc" file.
Or, the login manager is paying attention to the last wm used as chosen
by the lm's pull-down menu; for example, somewhere in the GDM screen is
a menu that allows you to choose your preferred window manager.
Concerning logging into Gnome (or any X setup) as root: that's not
recommended practice. Generally, you can override this safety setting by
tinkering in the Gnome configuration file (but I'm not sure of the
specifics, as I don't use Gnome). If you _must_ log into X as root (AND
YOU DON'T NEED TO!!), I recommend that you do it manually with "startx"
rather than allowing it from the login manager. Just start a second X
session ("startx -- :1", then Ctrl-Alt-F7 or Ctrl-Alt-F8 to toggle back
and forth between the two sessions) or kill the login manager first
("/etc/init.d/gdm stop").
Better would be to log into X as a normal user, and then use "sudo" to
do any root-like things.
--
Kent
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