[K12OSN] IceWM default session....figured out the easy way...here it is

David Trask dtrask at vcsvikings.org
Fri Aug 26 16:11:47 UTC 2005


Ok....a combination of incorrect case and paths led to much of my
frustration, but I now have it figured out and it's easy....here goes

If you want to isolate IceWM or set IceWM as the default session...etc. in
GDM....here's the clean and easy way to do it.

First....go to and edit your gdm.conf file

# nano /etc/X11/gdm/gdm.conf

Then find the section (near lines 111 - 115) that look like this....

#SessionDesktopDir=/etc/X11/sessions/:/etc/X11/dm/Sessions/:/usr/share/gdm/BuiltInSessions/:/usr/share/xsessions/
# This is the default .desktop session.  One of the ones in
SessionDesktopDir
DefaultSession=default.desktop

change them to look like this...(notice I simply added a new line below
SessionDesktopDir so I could use it for reference or fallback)

#SessionDesktopDir=/etc/X11/sessions/:/etc/X11/dm/Sessions/:/usr/share/gdm/BuiltInSessions/:/usr/share/xsessions/
SessionDesktopDir=/etc/X11/dm/Sessions/
# This is the default .desktop session.  One of the ones in
SessionDesktopDir
DefaultSession=IceWM.desktop

Once that's done...save it and then let's move whatever other sessions we
want into the /etc/X11/dm/Sessions directory.  For example:  I wanted
IceWM to be the default, therefore my kids (students) will use that, but I
also wanted Gnome available once in awhile for tasks in which I like to
use the GUI...such as adding printers.  It's also there in case I want to
teach the kids something about using GNOME (I could also do it with KDE. 
So I have chosen to also add GNOME to the list of Session choices...here's
how.

cd /usr/share/xsessions
cp gnome.desktop /etc/X11/dm/Sessions

That's it!  Whatever is in the /etc/X11/dm/Sessions directory is what will
show up and be available in the "Session List" on the login screen....with
IceWM as the default.  *NOTE:  Users who have already logged into Gnome
may continue to get Gnome unless they manually select IceWM and select it
as the default.  The login seems to stick on "last" as the session of
choice and if the last was Gnome...then....BUT once they choose
IceWM...the problem will not resurface.  You can also remove the
appropriate files in their home directories and that should reset them as
well.  Let me know what works in that regard.

Now simply restart GDM (either reboot or run...)

/usr/sbin/gdm-safe-restart

Now check your Session list on the login screen and also the
default.....cool huh?




David N. Trask
Technology Teacher/Coordinator
Vassalboro Community School
dtrask at vcsvikings.org
(207)923-3100




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