5.3.4 How can I change my default desktop to KDE (or Gnome or yet another)
In my home directory, I create (or edit if it exists) the file .xsession using my favourite pico editor:
pico .xsession
[Pls note the dot at the beginning of the filename, files with names starting with dots are normally "invisible".]
On my RedHat 6.2 system, the file contains just one line:
exec startkde
KDE clearly works best for me, although it feels heavy on older hardware or under a load. Here is my list of windows managers available on the RedHat or Mandrake installation CD:
startkde (to run kde. on some systems, the command may be kde)
gnome-session (to run Gnome)
xfce (to run XFce, my favourite "lightweight" desktop)
afterstep (to run afterstep)
AnotherLevel (to run AnotherLevel)
fvwm2 (to run fvwm2)
fvwm (to run fvwm)
Of course, the alternative windows manager will run only if it is installed on your system. The above windows managers are available on RH/Mandrake CDs for you to decide if you want to install them. I use almost exclusively KDE, although the other managers may be smaller and faster. Gnome is a famous X-windows project which is said to be more advanced and is prettier than KDE, but it is still quite buggy, so perhaps not recommended unless you don't mind occasional trouble. RH6.x contains both major X-windows systems, Gnome and KDE.
5.3.5 Can I have multiple sessions of X running at the same time?
Yes, you can. When you issue the first startx command on your system, it opens the first X-session on the default display 0. The second X-session must be opened on a different display. For example, this will open a second X-session on the display 1:
startx -- :1
You can have up to 6 concurrent X sessions. Use <Ctrl><Alt><F7> to switch to display 0, <Ctrl><Alt><F8> to second screen, etc. up to <Ctrl><Alt><F12> Try man startx if you need more info.
In a similar fashion, you can open another bare X-server session without a window manager. This will open one on display 2:
xinit -- :2
On this bare-bone X-display I can run a different windows manager (so as to have two different ones running at the same time) by typing in the X-terminal window one of these (see the previous answer for more details):
startkde
gnome-session
xfce
afterstep
AnotherLevel
fvwm2
fvwm
5.3.6 Can my sister have second GUI login prompt so she does not have to kill my X-session to start hers?
To enable several concurrent GUI logins on different local consoles under RedHat (RedHat uses program gdm for graphical logins), I had to edit the file: /etc/X11/gdm/gdm.conf . I have the following entry at the end of this file to enable 4 login terminals <Ctrl><Alt><F7> to <Ctrl><Alt><F10>:
[servers]
3=/usr/bin/X11/X vt10
2=/usr/bin/X11/X vt9
1=/usr/bin/X11/X vt8
0=/usr/bin/X11/X vt7
Having four GUI lets me run KDE and GNOME at the same time on one computer with two GUI terminals spare, so my sister can login despite my having screensavers with password-protection.
To enable several concurrent GUI logins on different local consoles under Mandrake (Mandrake uses kdm for graphical logins), I had to modify two files: /etc/X11/xdm/Xservers to include something like:
:0 local /usr/X11R6/bin/X :0
:1 local /usr/X11R6/bin/X :1
:2 local /usr/X11R6/bin/X :2
and /etc/X11/xdm/xdm-config to copy all the settings for display 0 to display 1 and 2 so that it includes this:
DisplayManager._0.authorize: true
DisplayManager._1.authorize: true
DisplayManager._2.authorize: true
DisplayManager._0.setup: /etc/X11/xdm/Xsetup_0
DisplayManager._0.startup: /etc/X11/xdm/GiveConsole
DisplayManager._0.reset: /etc/X11/xdm/TakeConsole
DisplayManager._1.setup: /etc/X11/xdm/Xsetup_0
DisplayManager._1.startup: /etc/X11/xdm/GiveConsole
DisplayManager._1.reset:
