Replacing gdm with slim (Arch)

[b1o]

Follow my instructions on the .xinitrc you still need that config even though you use the runlevel method

[viking60]

okydoky Hang on...

[b1o]

After all SLiM uses the startX command which runs the .xinitrc script, and if you don't tell it to start gnome then of course nothing will happen

[viking60]

Yup short stroke there on my part Even the auto login works! That never worked in gdm! But it should be started in innitab I am going to stay stubborn on that one.
Edit but how do I switch to KDE now?

[b1o]

Slim is better then gdm, alternatives to slim is KDM and Quingy. GDM is slow and doesn't support theme changing anymore + I never found one config file for GDM, everything has to be handled graphicly

[viking60]

Yes but when loging out there is no option to pick KDE?

[b1o]

yes there is but it has to be configured.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Slim#Multiple_environments

Tell me how it goes, i don't have two environments so i never tested

[viking60]

Ok here we go:
Replace your .xinitrc with this one:

Code: Select all

DEFAULT_SESSION="ck-launch-session gnome-session"

case $1 in

gnome)
        exec ck-launch-session gnome-session
        ;;

kde)
        exec startkde
        ;;
xfce4)
        exec startxfce4
        ;;
icewm)
        icewmbg &
        icewmtray &
        exec icewm
        ;;
wmaker)
        exec wmaker
        ;;
blackbox)
        exec blackbox
        ;;
*)
        exec $DEFAULT_SESSION
        ;;
esac


The other systems that are not installed will just log you into the default environment, so they can stay.

You need to make some changes in /etc/slim.conf. Look for this section and change it so it looks like the one below:

Code: Select all

# Available sessions (first one is the default).
# The current chosen session name is replaced in the login_cmd
# above, so your login command can handle different sessions.
# see the xinitrc.sample file shipped with slim sources
sessions            gnome,kde,xfce4,icewm,wmaker,blackbox

Basicaly I have added gnome and kde to the sessions list. The first one is your default environment.

Log out and press F1 to pick your environment and log in - that's it. It works.

[dedanna1029]

How configurable is the login manager for slim?

[viking60]

If you mean "looks and feel" there are some nice templates in /usr/share/slim/themes (if you have installed them). Find the one you like and put it (the name) in current_theme in /etc/slim.conf
I Like lake. Regarding choice of environment you have to do it as I posted above. Seems like it fubars auto-login though. I am having a look at that right now...

[b1o]

The config file to Viking60 should now work with autologin with multiple desktop environments

[viking60]

Yes I got it (Edited the description above) Now everything works. And it is Highly configurable. There are a zillion possibilities in /etc/slim.conf!