Silly Question - New Login

[Jim Cornette]

Lokrin wrote:

> >> Applications --> System tools -->> New Login

> >> This will let you open different users for different consoles.
> >> There are items like sound that don't work well on the new login,
> >> but it is handy for running KDE or XFCE in one console and Gnome in
> >> the other.

> > The command-line version of this (for those who are into such
> > things) might be "X :1 -query <machinename> -once". I say "might
> > be" because I just tried this on my newly-installed FC4 system, and
> > got (1) a blank screen with a little X in the middle, and (2) error
> > messages when I went back to the original screen (with
> > control-alt-F7).

That is because you are launching X without a windowmanager. (KDE, 
GNOME, XFCE). Startx is a script that sets up things and also launches 
your preferred window manager. X by itself does what you were seeing and 
is normal.

> > I also tried it from a text console, with the same
> > result. So I tried your GNOME-GUI way, described above, and that
> > didn't work either, though the symptoms were slightly different --
> > blank screen with a cursor at the top, very similar to what was
> > happening with the text consoles before I applied the "copy
> > libvgahw.a from an FC3 system" fix discussed recently in this list.

If one version of X, (either launched from the startx script or from a 
display manager (gdm, kdm, xdm) there is probably an issue not related 
to libvgahw.a

> >>>>> The properties in the command is the command

> >
> > Update / some mysteries solved:
> >
> > (*) On my system gdmflexiserver starts a second graphical session,
> > but on virtual terminal 9, not 8. (*) "X :1 -query localhost -once"
> > also does *something* with virtual terminal 9, but whatever it is
> > is not a huge success -- I get a blank screen with a little "X" in
> > the middle.

Explained above. you launched the server with no manager.

> >
> > (*) The following lines appear in /etc/X11/gdm/gdm.conf:
> >
> > [xdmcp] # Distributions: Ship with this off. It is never a safe
> > thing to leave # out on the net. Setting up /etc/hosts.allow and
> > /etc/hosts.deny to only # allow local access is another alternative
> > but not the safest. # Firewalling port 177 is the safest if you
> > wish to have xdmcp on. # Read the manual for more notes on the
> > security of XDMCP. #Enable=false
> >
> > I *think*, but I'm not sure, that all of this started working
> > better when I changed "#Enable=false" to "Enable=true". Based on
> > the comments, it does seem that "X :1 -query" won't work without
> > this change.
> >

I never adjusted anything in gdm.conf manually.

> >
> > Further questions:
> >
> > (*) Why do these second X sessions use virtual terminal 9 rather
> > than 8?

I couldn't answer the why. I noticed this behavoir on one of the many 
computers that I setup with Fedora. Most computers that I tried were F8 
for the second instance of X.

> >
> > (*) Why does "X :1 -query" still not work?

It does work. This is X w/o a window manager.

> >
> > (*) Where is the "-query" option to "X" documented, anyway? It
> > doesn't seem to be in the man page for the "X" command.

The thought never crossed my mind until your query. I'll have to 
investigate if it is even a legitimate option.

> >
> > -- blm
> >
>
>
>  I haven't been following this thread, but what I use from tty1 (vt1,
>  or whatever) is the following, which I've got aliased to "startx".
>  This is my home computer and it starts out at init level 5 with kde
>  on vt7 This command logs me in as root on vt8.

Run "switchdesk kde" from your root account. Running X as root caused me 
problems (wiped out my whole system during testing phoebe), I would 
advise not running an X server as root. I myself run kdeuser, xfceuser 
and so forth. I login to a terminal and run "switchdesk kde" and 
"switchdesk xfce" for the accounts.

My two problems
>  are that I would prefer KDE over gnome - why, since my default vt7
>  login is kde, does this send me to gnome? - and when I log out of the
>  session it stops the X session on VT8 totally and doesn't give me the
>  option of logging in as a different user..

You are not using a login display manager with the startx script, thus 
no login prompt after logout.
>
>  startx -- :1 2>devnul &
>

Jim