[Tfug] different window manager ubuntu

[Claude Rubinson]

(Reformatted to get the discussion in order.)

> On Tue, Dec 25, 2007 at 07:58:36PM -0700, christopher floess wrote:
> > Hey, I'm trying to figure out how to set a different window
> > manager in xubuntu 6.06. Any ideas? I come FreeBSD
> > and there I just edited .xinitrc.
> > 
> > Unfortunately, I don't have that file in my home directory.
> > I assume this has something to do with the fact that
> > the display manager starts before you log in, but I wasn't
> > able to find the file.

Debian uses xsession (although it should recognize .xinitrc too;
presumably it doesn't because you're using a display manager?).  I
presume that Ubuntu does the same.  There's a default one in
/etc/X11/Xsession and the user's goes in ~/.xsession.

On Tue, Dec 25, 2007 at 08:23:01PM -0700, Ken Steen wrote:
> The easiest way to switch window managers is to use apt-get to install
> the new window manager and then use the Sessions menu on the login
> screen to use the new window manager as the default.  If you build the
> window manager from source code you need to edit the gdm configuration.

A word of warning re Ubuntu: Earl's mentioned that when he's tried to
remove gdm, it hosed his system.  Apparently, Ubuntu is a tightly
integrated distro.  You're probably best off using Ubuntu's tools.
(Also: use aptitude rather than apt-get; it's a better tool.)  If you
run into trouble getting your WM of choice to come up, you might want
to root around /etc/alternatives.  Again, I'm presuming that Ubuntu
hasn't done anything too funky to Debian's filesystem layout.

Claude