Making GNOME default WM (not KDE)

[Hummer]

Hey All,

I'm not sure why this is, but whenever I boot up my system (currently running Red Hat Linux 7.1) and type my user/password into the GNOME login GUI, it defaults automatically to KDE unless I chose "GNOME" from the "Session" menu up the top. Even when I open the KDE and GNOME desktop switching programs and chose GNOME, everytime I reboot, it automatially loads a KDE session unless I specify otherwise. Worse still, when I install programs, it installs the menu icons to KDE and not GNOME, meaning I have to find the executables, link to them and then try to hunt down the icons from GNOME.

Is there anyway to tell set GNOME as the default WM on bootup/login?

As I mentioned, I'm running Red Hat Linux 7.1 and I've only been a Linux user for about 3 weeks :) Any help/thoughts/ideas you can impart would be greatly appreciated!

Hummer

[slapNUT]

Look in /etc/inittab towards the end of the file. If you see this line:
x:5:respawn:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodameon
then the solution is easy. If you look in that prefdm script you'll see that the first place it looks to determine your "preferred" desktop manager is in a file /etc/sysconfig/desktop
So if you look in that file and see the letters KDE then replace them with GNOME. If you don't have that file then create it and put GNOME in it.

[ille_pugil42]

you're using gdm to login right? (the gnome login with the footprint). You should be able to set the default wm from that app there as well. Just choose gnome and then there's an option to set as default... IIRC

[Hummer]

The thing is, I checked my etc/sysconfig/desktop settings, and it reads DESKTOP="GNOME". Yet KDE still thinks it's king.

Also I've tried before setting GNOME as default in the GDN, but it still ignores it. KDE has a serious case if "wont leave me the hell alone" on my setup, and considering the fact that I don't use it for anything, it's kinda bugging me...

Thanks for the info, guys. I'll try and run with what you've suggested. If anyone else has had this issue or can add anything else, I'm still wide open :)

Hummer

[ille_pugil42]

You can always just remove KDE... :)

IIRC, there's a file called .Xdefaults in the ~/ directory. Look for it and see if it refers to kde...

[Usulsuspct]

I have seen this question a few times here on the boards. My question is similar but a little different. I have an older laptop that I installed Mandrake 8.0 on. Well right now my default WM is KDE, however I want to change it to blackbox. Seeing as blackbox runs allot smoother than KDE or GNOME...

Thanks for the elp

[shadowmanresto]

At the command line type:

switchdesk GNOME

Since you already have the /etc/sysconfig/desktop setup correctly, no need to change it. That's it! GNOME is now your default WM.