Re: x-window-manager alternative missing
On Fri 02 Jul 2021 at 11:14:22 (-0400), The Wanderer wrote:
> What package, or packages, set(s) up the x-window-manager alternative
> and define(s) symlinks for it?
>
> I'm building a new computer, and setting up my (Debian-based) preferred
> configuration on it, and I've just discovered that there is no
> x-window-manager alternative defined; as a result, running startx
> results in invoking x-terminal-emulator instead, which brings up X in a
> very '80s-looking display and launches a single xterm.
>
> I could certainly just create the appropriate alternatives group myself,
> based on what's already in place on the system I'm preparing to replace
> with this new one, but I'd rather do this the right way unless there's
> no clear viable alternative. However, I haven't so far managed to
> identify what the Debian-native "right way" to get this set up is; on
> all the previous computers I remember building, once I installed the
> usual collection of make-X-available packages - specifically, that I
> remember, xinit (for startx) and xserver-xorg - this is one detail that
> Just Worked.
>
> I'm guessing that installing any of the various packages which have
> "Provides: x-window-manager" might do it, but the computer I'm preparing
> to replace doesn't have any of those installed, and still has the
> x-window-manager alternative. (I run a WM which I compile and install
> locally, rather than via a Debian package.)
>
> If I recall correctly, one of those packages probably *was* installed at
> some early point in the original installation of the being-replaced
> computer (now nearly a decade ago), so it's possible that installing it
> set up the alternatives group and then I just reconfigured that group to
> my preferred target, so removing the package didn't result in removing
> the group... in which case installing one such package temporarily
> should get things working, but it might make more sense to just create
> the alternatives group by hand.
Perhaps either install something simple enough to uninstall, like
fvwm, or download the same and follow the postinst script.
Basically, installing a window manager installs the alternatives scheme.
Cheers,
David.
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