Is possible?? console 0 = KDE, console 1 = Gnome

[Phaete]

Is it possible to login to the first (default) GUI terminal session running KDE, then log in to another terminal session (i.e. <Alt><Ctrl><F1>) and start a GUI session running Gnome?

Is there a variation of

startx -- :1 -xserver=gnome

or something??

[brast]

No, the Xserver only supports one GUI per computer. I've tried and just gotten some error that says the Xserver is already running. If i'm wrong, someone let me know.

[kam]

You can run more than one X server at a time. From my experience, it doesn't work with 'startx' though. Just run 'X :1'. Of course, if you want to run a WM, you'll to do something like this: 'X :1 & startkde'

[brast]

No go. I get a -bash: X:1 command doesn't exist type message.

[tommyj27]

start your first session from the graphical login, then flip over to vt6 (alt+ctrl+f6), login, then
> startx -- :1 vt6
you'll need to change /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc to start what you want for a second WM

cheers

[Phaete]

Maybe I'm not being clear enough in my description, so I'll try and do better:

I am able to login to multiple terminals just fine on one Linux PC. For example, entering <Alt><Ctrl><F2> takes me to a command line, terminal console number 2. I then login, text only, then enter:

startx -- :1

to start an X session in this second terminal. By default, the KDE desktop is loaded, just like the default desktop (which I could have selected on the first GUI login screen) which loaded when I logged in to the very first session.

I'm wondering if I can go ahead and boot and login to the first terminal and let KDE load, then login to a second terminal and start X, but this time have Gnome load (not KDE).

What think ye??

[tommyj27]

Originally posted by tommyj27
you'll need to change /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc to start what you want for a second WM
cheers [/B]

either this, or modify <home>/.xinitrc

startx looks at these two files to figure out what to load when it starts. xdm/gdm/kdm on the other hand, use their own set of configuration files to start, my gdm files are located in /etc/gdm/
you should be able to change one of the xinitrc files to run gnome instead of kde using 'exec gnome-session'

[brast]

ahhh, the fortress of knowledge that is the JustLinux user.

[tommyj27]

my fortress was overrun long ago, now it's full of holes :)

[Phaete]

OK fellas (or other?) ... have you got an idea about how to start KDE and Gnome at the same time on the same PC in seperate terminal sessions?

[brast]

I just got my first chance to try this out (It's hours after I put my posts up). Jesus, it worked. the startx -- :1 vt6 thing did. Try it out....

[Phaete]

here's a real thrill ~ you have up to 6 virtual terminals:

<Ctrl><Alt><F1> is the text-mode vt1, whereas <Ctrl><Alt><F7> can be the 'X' mate of vt1.

Similarly, vt2 uses <Ctrl><Alt><F2> and <Ctrl><Alt><F8>, vt3 is <Ctrl><Alt><F3> and <Ctrl><Alt><F9> ... etc ...

Did you notice, however, that the desktop that loaded for you was the same as the desktop that loads in your first terminal session (ie. if your standard desktop is KDE, then starting X in vt6 ALSO loaded KDE)??

Herein lies the heart of my question. Anyone know if it's possible to have one desktop proggie (i.e. KDE) loaded in one virtual terminal session and another in a second session (i.e. Gnome)?

[sharth]

startx -e ~/.kde-xsession -- :1
startx -e ~/.gnome-xsession -- :1

That kinda worked. anything before the -- it passed to xterm.

:edit: you could add an -iconic to start them minimized as well.

[brast]

I'd try that out if I didn't go and break my Xserver...Ok ok...not break, but i changed a mouse setting and now it (my pointer) won't move from the top right of the screen. I tried to restore the XF86Config and XF86Config-4 from the XF86Config.old and XF86Config-4.old files, but it didn't take. Anyone know the default mouse setting for either of those??

[Phaete]

I found it!

Was very simple, too! On SuSE 8.0, turns out the command is:

startx gnome -- :1

this starts Gnome when X starts in the second terminal sesion.

I tried your solution, sharth, but to no avail. Then read the man page again (still no help). Finally found a Google hit tha offered some help, tried it and now have a mixture of KDE and Gnome running in terminal sessions on the same PC.

Finally! :-)

[tommyj27]

i think the setup of X varies by distro. IMHO, the configuration for my systems (all slackware) are the most straightforward. I've only got 1 XF86Config file to monkey with, whereas I think RH users have some extra file like XF86Config-4? When I'm in runlevel 3 and I startx, the global xinitrc file is read unless I have a user-specific ~/.xinitrc. Runlevel 4 (graphical logon) has its own set of files to set up x sessions too.

[sharth]

theres an order that X looks for the file. XF86Config-4 overrides XF86Config.

But yeah, each distro does its X startup scripts differently.

[Alex Cavnar, aka alc6379]

similar to what sharth said, leave out the ~/. :

startx -e startkde -- :1
startx -e gnome-session -- :1

That worked like a charm. Now I have Gnome on vty9 and KDE on vty10!