On Mon 26 Sep 2016 at 17:44:17 -0400, Greg Wooledge wrote: > On Mon, Sep 26, 2016 at 10:19:27PM +0100, Brian wrote: > > But now we have > > > > > User configuration may be done in a few different ways. The simplest > > > way is to create a ~/.xsessionrc file,..... > > > > The pedantic side of me asks - why is it the simplest way? And in what > > cirumstances? > > Because it's *additive*. It's just some stuff that happens in addition > to the system launching your default WM/DE, and whatever else the > system does by default (setting up an ssh-agent? I don't even know). > You don't have to do all of those things yourself. > > Just counting lines of code in the most ridiculously oversimplified > cse, it should be obvious that > > PATH=~/bin:$PATH > > is simpler than > > PATH=~/bin:$PATH > exec x-session-manager > > Two is more than one.
We learn something new every day. :) Ok, let's go along with ~/.xsessionrc being the simplest way for a user to configure his X session. I'll follow the advice on the wiki and have PATH=~/bin:$PATH xterm & iceweasel & exec fvwm That will work. The programs and WM will start and the variable will be set. As a new user I should be a happy bunny. Except..... what I do not really appreciate is that the fvwm process does not exit; none of the scripts after 40x11-common_xsessionrc will be used. Putting 'exec fvwm' in ~/.xsession is the solution, of course; it's your best friend, so may as well put everything else there. What price this upstart ~/.xsessionrc? Does it ever get anything right? The only thing it is good for is getting round restrictions set by the administrator. > > > Finally, note that the ~/.xsession file is only read if you > > > are using a Debian X session. If you login with gdm3 and > > > choose a GNOME session, the ~/.xsession file will be ignored > > > completely. (But you may still use ~/.xsessionrc.) > > > > Not observed in testing. /etc/gdm3/Xsession also has a stanza beginning > > "SESSIONFILES=$(run_parts $(SYSSESSIONDIR)" which also appears to > > contradict this statement. SYSSESSIONDIR is /etc/X11/Xsession.d. > > If I've made factual errors, please correct them. I'm trying my best to > piece together how gdm3 works based on the existing documentation (written > by Overfiend over a decade ago), and other, older wiki pages which may > themselves be incorrect, and my extremely limited past knowledge of gdm. > Note that I do not *use* gdm3 myself, nor lightdm, nor xdm, or any other > display manager, but I did briefly experiment with gdm many years back. There is a need for the sort of wiki page you have created but at its present stage of development I would see it as ill-mannered and presumptious to leap in and alter it. It might have been discerned that my focus would be on ~/.xsession. Something on ~/.xsessionrc would be there. I might not be the best person to write it as my view of the file is inclining to advocating eliminating it from Debian. There should be entry on how the DMs interoperate with X. I wouldn't like to guess how involved the research would be. -- Brian.
