Re: Problem starting GNOME

[Gleef <dzol virtual-yellow com>]

On Tue, 6 Apr 1999, Michael Rogers wrote:
> >Hi,
> >
> >I do have a problem to start GNOME
> >I start by typing startx
> >my .xinitrc contains only one line 
> >exec gnome-session
> 
> My .xinitrc contains only "gnome-session". I don't know if the exec 
> command makes any difference?

The "exec" command tells the shell program that is processing the .xinitrc
that after executing the "exec" line, it is safe for it to kill itself.
Leaving it out shouldn't cause problems, but you will have a small chunk
of memory tied up doing nothing.


> >when I type startx just after having boot the machine and log in it
> >starts GNOME like it is the first time it starts, I log out from the
> >panel then have to kill Xserver ( CTRL ATL DEL)
> >then I redo startx and it start smootly with all my config of the panel
> >and the apps I had in my previous session, but GMC GMC never restart in
> >a new session.
> 
> I don't have the problem of having to kill the X server. You could try 
> removing the word exec.

That shouldn't make a difference.


> If you close the GMC window it won't reappear in your next session, but 
> it will be running in the background handling icons and a rudimentary 
> root menu. Right click on the root window under E. If you get a 
> GNOME-themed menu, GMC is running. Don't know if this works under WMaker 
> (it doesn't under wm2).

It should work on GNOME compliant window managers.  Enlightenment and new
versions of WindowMaker bill themselves as such, but wm2 does not.


> >I do prefer Window Maker But I cannot use Window Maker with only the
> >exec gnome-session line.
> >
> >So if possible I would like some feedback on the startup of GNOME,
> >and the startup of Windowmaker by GNOME ( for example in my config
> >if I go to control center and choose window Maker then click the
> >try button window Maker starts then dies !!

Sounds like a bug in WindowMaker, are you using the latest version?


> I had the same problem trying to get GNOME to run wm2. 

WM2 makes no claim to support ICCCM Session Management.  Given its
deliberately feature-spartan design, this makes a certain amount of
sense.


> The solution I found was to change my .xinitrc to:
> 
> wm2 &
> gnome-session

In general, this (possibly with "exec" in front of gnome-session)
should work for any non-GNOME-compliant window manager.  Alternately,
with gnome-core 1.04 or later, you can start up your window manager of
choice by exporting the WINDOW_MANAGER environment variable to the one
you want, startx, and then set the window managers list as you
describe below.


> (or was it the other way round?)  and then startx. Tell E not to
> edit your config files. Add wm2 to the Control Center window
> managers list and select it. Hit OK. wm2 starts.  Put your .xinitrc
> back to:
> 
> gnome-session
> 
> and from now on GNOME will use wm2. Don't see why this shouldn't work 
> for WMaker as well.

Yup.

Thanks alot,
-Gleef