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GetCool
Guru
Joined: 23 Nov 2003
Posts: 324
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
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 Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 1:19 am Post subject: Scripting WM selection |
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I need a good way to allow a user to select from a multitude of window managers after running 'startx' (or a custom script). I'd like it to be a scripted solution (i.e. no xdm/gdm/etc.), and I'd rather not mess with the actual /usr/bin/startx script itself. So I'm thinking along the lines of a custom script sitting in the user's home directory. Here's a quick hack I through together, though it's definitely not ideal and I'm a scripting ignoramus, so I'm searching for a more elegant solution:
| Code: | #!/bin/bash
loop=1
echo "Available window managers:"
echo
echo " 1 - ratpoison"
echo " 2 - icewm"
echo " 3 - evilwm"
echo
while [ $loop = 1 ]; do
echo -n "Select a window manager [enter 0 to exit]: "
read wm
if [[ $wm == 0 || $wm == exit ]]; then
loop=0
elif [[ $wm == 1 || $wm == ratpoison ]]; then
ln -sf ~/.xinitrc-ratpoison ~/.xinitrc
loop=0
startx &
elif [[ $wm == 2 || $wm == icewm ]]; then
ln -sf ~/.xinitrc-icewm ~/.xinitrc
loop=0
startx &
elif [[ $wm == 3 || $wm == evilwm ]]; then
ln -sf ~/.xinitrc-evilwm ~/.xinitrc
loop=0
startx &
fi
done |
I then have an individual .xinitrc file for each WM (.xinitrc-icewm, .xinitrc-ratpoison, etc.), and a symbolic link is created at .xinitrc that points to one of these other files. Kind of hokey, I know. Ideally it wouldn't involve calling /usr/bin/startx and just having everything in this one script, but I'm unsure of everything I need to include from /usr/bin/startx to make things run properly.
So, if anyone can offer any suggestions for improving this, I'd really appreciate it. Thanks. |
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yabbadabbadont
Advocate
Joined: 14 Mar 2003
Posts: 4791
Location: 2 exits past crazy
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| Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:11 am Post subject: |
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Just export the XSESSION environment variable with the value the user has selected. That should override what is set in /etc/rc.conf and start the correct session when the user runs startx.
e.g. export XSESSION=fluxbox |
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GetCool
Guru
Joined: 23 Nov 2003
Posts: 324
Location: Madison, Wisconsin
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| Posted: Fri Feb 17, 2006 5:49 am Post subject: |
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| yabbadabbadont wrote: | Just export the XSESSION environment variable with the value the user has selected. That should override what is set in /etc/rc.conf and start the correct session when the user runs startx.
e.g. export XSESSION=fluxbox |
Okay, that's good to know. I was wondering how to make use of the /etc/X11/Sessions without using xdm/kdm/gdm. Thanks for the tip. |
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