Desktop default customization

**ewangr** · 10-31-2004, 05:43 PM

OK, I seem to be reading the wrong places, or just missing something obvious...

My HD Install brings up kdm as the default login manager. One of the options available is "Session Type", but I can't seem to figure out where that menu gets it's values so I can change them. I'm trying to optomize for the older machines I have at home so I'd like to make sure the kids and other family members default to XFCE (or maybe XFCE4 - any thoughts?) with IceWM as the other option. So I'd like to drop KDE and such from the menu.

I've seen the postings about /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig, but since the list there is different than the list that shows up, I'm guessing that's not the right location to change.

Thanks in advance!

**mzilikazi** · 10-31-2004, 07:39 PM

My suggestion is to get rid of KDM and use GDM instead. It's much better looking anyway.

Also XFCE4 4.2 packages are out. Sure they're beta but I use them and have no problems. Perfect on old boxes and much sexier than windows could ever hope to be.

If you already have a version of xfce installed:

Code:

$ mv ~/.xfce4 ~/dot.xfce4-4.0
# apt-get remove --purge libxfce4util-1

Get the new packages:

Code:

# echo "deb http://www.os-cillation.de/debian binary/" >> /etc/apt/sources.list
# apt-get update  && apt-get install gdm gdm-themes xfld-desktop xfce4-wavelan-plugin xfce4-taskbar-plugin xfce4-cpugraph-plugin -t binary xfce4

Then I would also download and install any of these that are useful to you although none of them are required:

Code:

wget ftp://os-cillation.com/contrib/debia...e4-goodies_lat est.tar.bz2

If you want to remove KDE in its entirety a simple apt-get remove libarts1 should do the trick. That leaves a *few* kde packages that will still need to be deleted manually.

**ewangr** · 11-02-2004, 02:30 AM

Is there a good hint or FAQ on switching to GDM? And is there some documentation on how to customize that to show only the desktop options I want to enable? Don't want to move from one problem to an equal one.

Also, is there some reason I'd want to get rid of the KDE libraries? Don't I need them for Open Office?

Thanks,
Ewan

**mzilikazi** · 11-02-2004, 12:45 PM

KDM for some reason does not show XFCE4 as an option because of a bug AFAIK. There is some way to get it to work but ????

GDM keeps all wm in /etc/gdm/Sessions so just remove anything you don't want from there. There's nothing to 'learn' about GDM really. You select a wm and it logs you in. I don't think you really need an FAQ.

You do not need anything from KDE for OO to work as they are totally unrelated not to mention that KDE is wasting alot of hdd real-estate if you don't use it.

**ewangr** · 11-07-2004, 07:21 PM

The part I'm not clear about is how to setup gdm instead of kdm to be the login manager. I assume I have to use rcconf or edit a rc.d file somewhere to get gdm to come up instead of kdm?

Thanks,
Ewan

**Markus** · 11-07-2004, 08:44 PM

su
update-rc.d -f kdm remove
update-rc.d gdm start 99 5 . stop 01 0 1 2 3 4 6 .

Could be wrong though as I use kdm.

**CrashedAgain** · 11-08-2004, 04:10 AM

Originally Posted by ewangr

OK, I seem to be reading the wrong places, or just missing something obvious...

My HD Install brings up kdm as the default login manager. One of the options available is "Session Type", but I can't seem to figure out where that menu gets it's values so I can change them. I'm trying to optomize for the older machines I have at home so I'd like to make sure the kids and other family members default to XFCE (or maybe XFCE4 - any thoughts?) with IceWM as the other option. So I'd like to drop KDE and such from the menu.

I've seen the postings about /etc/init.d/knoppix-autoconfig, but since the list there is different than the list that shows up, I'm guessing that's not the right location to change.

Thanks in advance!

KDE changed this beginning with KDE 3.2.
See this:
http://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=75882

**mzilikazi** · 11-08-2004, 05:09 AM

Originally Posted by ewangr

The part I'm not clear about is how to setup gdm instead of kdm to be the login manager. I assume I have to use rcconf or edit a rc.d file somewhere to get gdm to come up instead of kdm?

Thanks,
Ewan

When you install gdm it will ask you if you would like to use xdm, kdm or gdm. Be sure to also apt-get install gdm-themes.