[solved] add desktops to slim

metallextrem · posted: 2013-01-28 19:35

Hi,
I have installed LXDE but cannot see it in the login screen when I press F1. I tried to reinstall slim but now I cannot see even Xfce (also installed), so I guess it's time to ask for help. Anyone know how to add desktop enviroments to slim? By the way, antix-CC option to configure default login is not working right now (!).
Thanks!

rokytnji · posted: 2013-01-28 21:46

Look in ~/.xinitrc

Code: Select all

#----------------------------------------------------------------------
# .xinitrc file
#
# AUTO-GENERATED by change-default-desktop on Sat Oct 13 07:52:21 EEST 2012
#
# This file was auto-generated.  If you want to customize it you MUST
# DELETE the line above or your changes will be lost on the next boot.
#
# Alternatively, simply put your changes in .xinitrc-custom.
#----------------------------------------------------------------------

[ -x ~/.xinitrc-custom ] && ~/.xinitrc-custom

[ -f ~/.Xmodmap ] && xmodmap ~/.Xmodmap

DEFAULT_DESKTOP=fluxbox

case"${1:-$DEFAULT_DESKTOP}" in
    Rox-fluxbox|rox-fluxbox)
        export DESKTOP_CODE="rox-fluxbox"
        echo"rox-fluxbox" > $HOME/.wallpaper/session
        rox --pinboard=antiX-fluxbox
        exec startfluxbox
        ;;
    fluxbox)
        export DESKTOP_CODE="fluxbox"
        echo"fluxbox" > $HOME/.wallpaper/session
        sed -i -e"s/rox --pinboard=antiX-fluxbox &/#rox --pinboard=antiX-fluxbox &/" $HOME/.fluxbox/startup
        exec startfluxbox
        ;;
    dwm)
        export DESKTOP_CODE="dwm"
        exec dwm
        ;;
    Rox-jwm|rox-jwm)
        export DESKTOP_CODE="rox-jwm"
        echo"rox-jwm" > $HOME/.wallpaper/session
        rox --pinboard=antiX-jwm
        exec jwm
        ;;
    jwm)
        export DESKTOP_CODE="jwm"
        echo"jwm" > $HOME/.wallpaper/session
        sed -i -e"s/rox --pinboard=antiX-jwm &/#rox --pinboard=antiX-jwm &/" $HOME/.jwm/startup
        exec jwm
        ;;
    wmii)
        export DESKTOP_CODE="wmii"
        exec wmii
        ;;

    # Default: rox-fluxbox
    *)
        export DESKTOP_CODE="rox-fluxbox"
        echo"rox-fluxbox" > $HOME/.wallpaper/session
        rox --pinboard=antiX-fluxbox
        exec startfluxbox
        ;;
esac

I'm on my base install box instead of my LXDE box right now. I used xdm as a login manager on it instead of slim (a dist-upgrade broke slim on my 8.5 core install)

BitJam · posted: 2013-01-28 22:34

There are two ways to add desktops to SLiM. The manual way is to edit / etc/slim.conf and add desktops to the line that starts with"sessions" and then edit your ~/.xinitrc file.

There is also a program called change-default-desktop. This will automatically update slim.conf and your ~/.xinitrc file to include all (known) installed desktops. An improved and simplified version of this program renamed to update-default-desktop will be included in the next antiX release.

SLiM is slightly broken in that it doesn't not do this update automatically. We are trying to compensate for this brokenness with the change-default-desktop and update-default-desktop programs.

metallextrem · posted: 2013-01-29 16:05

Thanks rokytnji and BitJam. I understand the situation but still don't know how to solve the problem... How can I configure slim.config? Or how can I safely switch to xdm?

Eperbab · posted: 2013-01-29 17:22

Hi,

Here is my slim config attached. Works with XFCE. I'm using lightdm, but if you add it manually ( sudo apt-get install lightdm ) then it will not work out of the box. If you can't fix slim, I suggest to install kdm. It worked on my Antix without editing. (sudo apt-get install kdm)
BTW, the XFCE full metapackage installs lightdm propely, so probably you have it already. Try out 'sudo dpkg-reconfigure slim' to see it.

About my slim.conf: critical changes to default

Code: Select all

login_cmd exec ck-launch-session dbus-launch /bin/bash -login ~/.xinitrc %session >~/.xsession-errors 2>&1
..
sessions     xfce,rox-fluxbox,fluxbox,dwm,rox-jwm,jwm,wmii,openbox, mate

Add lxde to sessions, plus in .xinitrc add

Code: Select all

    lxde)
        export DESKTOP_CODE="lxde"
        exec startlxde
        ;;

See
========= SCRAPER REMOVED AN EMBEDDED LINK HERE ===========
url was:"http://forum.lxde.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=31385"
linktext was:"http://forum.lxde.org/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=31385"
====================================
for reference. The line starting with 'export' is just for reference. You can use it in Conky or in terminal to display actual session name ( try out echo $DESKTOP_CODE in terminal).

BitJam · posted: 2013-01-30 19:35

metallextrem wrote:... How can I configure slim.config? Or how can I safely switch to xdm?

Open a terminal window and run the change-default-desktop command. You may need to run it twice to get it to start working properly. After that (I think) it should work every time.

metallextrem · posted: 2013-01-31 16:29

BitJam: Thanks!"sudo change-default-desktop" start the program and automatically add lxde to the list, though I still cannot run it from antix-CC (that remains broken). This is the easy way to solve this issue, so I recommend it.

Eperbab: Thanks for your explanations, files and all. I follow it just to I learn how to configure slim for the next time. It's always a good thing to learn things, don't you think? Anyway, I prefer to keep slim by now (just because it works).

BitJam · posted: 2013-01-31 19:25

metallextrem wrote:[...], though I still cannot run it from antix-CC (that remains broken).

Yes, this is a known issue and it has been fixed in the next release.

In the next release, the program has been simplified and renamed to update-default-desktop although perhaps it should have"slim" in the name because it is only needed for SLiM.

rayburn · posted: 2013-02-02 18:54

Thanks to this thread, I have been able to change from icewm to fluxbox eventually, after wrestling with the problem for a couple of days.... I should have looked here first of course!

Jerry · posted: 2013-02-10 16:58

I just installed gdm, which asks during installation which dm should handle login, then purged slim. All done.