Think I've REALLY done it this time

[lonescout]

Well, I was really starting to enjoy a somewhat functioning linux install
:D until I decided to get industrious, and completely hose myself again. I finally got KDE up and running and even laid out just the way I liked it. I'm running an old jalopy of a system though and it runs REALLY slow, so I figured I'd give blackbox a shot.

I'm really new, so still using GUI for everthing I can (getting a little more comfortable with some of the simpler CLI stuff) anyway, used Synaptic to install blackbox, went to the "start" button, selected extras, system settings, and selected "Desktop Switching Tool". Things seemed to be going well...selected either TWM or Windowmaker (don't really remember at this point).. and logged out... now the fun begins

When I logged back in as my user I get the new looking desktop (rather quickly, I might add) Life was looking pretty good, until I actually tried to do something with it...nothing specific....just ANYTHING. Only browser it showed available was Netscape (NOT EVEN INSTALLED ANTWHERE on my box???) None of the preset applications (like for KDE) went anywhere, just get 'filename' is not available. OK, I figured lets try to get SOMETHING working here...

Went to terminal, type xmms (just got that working for MP3s, with the help of apt). Stuck in my favorite disk, NOTHING...won't even show me filenames.

I'm assuming I'm doing something really stupid here, but can't imagine what I did wrong.

At this point, I can't even get KDE back as the Manager (can't find an option anywhere, and due to what I'm seeing with all the other menus, prolly won't work anyway) Now i'm stuck logging in as root just to use a browser (it still comes up as KDE), because THAT won't even work under blackbox (only wants to let me use Netscape, which I don't even wanna put on my puter)...

Looking back, I think I may have screwed up by doing the installs w/ Synaptic as my user...right now, I just wanna be able to go back and function logged in as myself, so I don't do any serious damage as root.

Any one else ever do something this stupid and figure out how to fix it???

Would really appreciate any help.:confused:

[Raoul_Duke]

what distro you running?

[lonescout]

I'm running RH 8...

___________________
Acer Aspire 6120
16 MB Ram
7 GB HD
399 MHZ CPU

[bs_texas]

You can't just go change something in Linux.

You need to first read 12 manuals (rtfm), then modify the 37 afftected files, and then peruse the internet for 2 days, then download 7 dependencies and compile and make and install them, then chant for 2 hours, then make your change, then debug for 3 days, then search the internet, then eat, you oughta eat, then pray.... then.... ...b b tbsr/b tstsrrtt sr**(- -_98 mfgb
-zzzzzzzz
sorry

[Raoul_Duke]

Originally posted by lonescout
I'm running RH 8...

___________________
Acer Aspire 6120
16 MB Ram
7 GB HD
399 MHZ CPU

So you can still get into KDE through a root login?

[yolkmeister]

In RH, the choice of window manager lives in the ~/.xsession file. Edit this file, and comment out any lines but the one that you want to use. The entry for KDE should be "startkde" (no quotes). Then shut down the X server (Ctrl-Alt-Backspace), login again and you should be back to KDE.
<Edit> Also check the permissions on the file in the ~ directory if it doesn't work. I honestly don't know what they should be - haven't figured that out yet - but *temporarily* change them to 777 and see if it gets you anywhere.
Greg

[lonescout]

I have my initial login set to "text"login... not to lazy to just type "startx" when I decide how I want to login. I've also been doing some other research on how to fix this through CLI and I'm even more confused. The user I'm having problems with is "Spooky"....seems the two files that tell xwindows what to do are .Xclients and .Xclients-defaults . Xclients-default says the following:
#!/bin/bash #
(c) 2000 Red Hat, Inc.
exec /usr/bin/wmaker

can I just change wmaker to something else to make it start back to kde...if so what would it be?

I read the NHF for X-Windows, and none of the stuff mentioned exists except the file for root...

also notice a bunch of files when I do a ls -a in the home/spooky directory
.blackbox, .kde and .first_start_kde are among them, but dont see anything in the .Xclients default referring to that either? I'm probably way off base, but just trying to figure out what makes windowmaker boot rather than KDE from the documentation here.

[lonescout]

Thanx Greg,

For some reason, I don't have an .xsessions file (don't know why my stuff is so weird), but everything you mentioned fit the bill so I changed exec winmaker to 'startkde' and it booted up like a charm.

Guess my next project will be creating a "test dummy" user to play with so I don't screw up the one that is working godd for me. Really appreciate everyone's help.

Is there something special you have to do when "switching desktops" to actually make all your programs accessible to that "desktop manager".

thanks again for the patience and guidence :)

[yolkmeister]

I have another system that is my test dummy system, as well as my main one. Been able to recover from everything I've done to it so far....let's hope it keeps up. :) As I understand, all the managers have their own ways of being customized (and don't read one another's settings), so the Blackbox web site would probably be the place to start. You can always open a terminal window and run your apps from there until you get things set up the way that you want. Messy, but functional. :)
<Edit> BTW, I had to manually create the .xsession files on both my systems. I guess there's a default set somewhere that the .xsession file overrides if it exists.
Greg

[Legithrandil]

On a related note...

I just installed FluxBox. How do I add it to my login manager? I'm munning MDK 9.0 and I'm not sure what file to edit. I do not have a ~/.xsessions file

[lonescout]

According to the NHF on "Blackbox"...there file in root is always the default, if there's not a separte setup in the /home/usr (that seems to be the premise of the article). In this case, I just want to use a "lightweight" manager, under my login, when I actually wanna get something done, rather than sit around waiting for KDE to look pretty :)

Read somewhere you could "draw" another managers preferences into one you are installing at the time of installation (not sure about after the fact). Since i'm cheating and using on of them 'package handler's', guess that kinda limits me...just get frustrated screwing up in command line with all the different options and variables.

Also seems I could use some brushing up on Desktop Environments and Windows managers, as seems GNOME, KDE, Windowmaker, and TMK<sp> have several catagories underneath them each cuase when I started windowmaker, I got the option to change to Blackbox, Enlightenment and several others....not that any of them worked, but it gave me options on which nonfunctional environment I wanted :).... I'm gonna keep reading and trying....