Xfce Forum

Craig C

Member

Registered: 2019-11-11

Posts: 10

How should I start xfwm?

I don't want to use xfce4-session.
Do I need ck-launch-session/ConsoleKit?
I don't use a GUI desktop manager for login.

Do I type "startxfce4", or does that go in xinitrc?

I've seen several command lines:
    eval `dbus-launch --sh-syntax --exit-with-session`
    exec dbus-launch --exit-with-session /usr/bin/startxfce4
    exec xinit ~/.xinitrc
    exec xfwm4
    xfwm4 --daemon
but I'm not sure which one is proper.
Why put "exec" before a command?

I'm using an old version of Slackware (and fvwm). I just want to test out xfwm 4.10, before I upgrade my whole system to Arch linux.
I think the Slackware packages are set up such that they expect me to install all of xfce, but I just want xfwm. I did install its dependencies (thunar works).

It would be most helpfull if someone posts the chain of
what they type at the console,
what that calls,
what calls /usr/bin/xinit,
what .xinitrc calls.

If you just want to post the whole scripts, that's fine, I'll parse the bash code.

Craig C

Member

Registered: 2019-11-11

Posts: 10

Re: How should I start xfwm?

So I did some experimenting and this is what I'm trying out (greatly simplified):

1) I type "startx" at login console.
2) startx calls "xinit ~/.xinitrc" with some other options.
3) .xinitrc calls "exec dbus-launch --exit-with-session /usr/bin/startxfwm4".
4) startxfwm4 calls "exec /usr/bin/xfwm4 --daemon".

Is this a common and acceptable manner for xfwm 4.10? It is modeled after the way my Slackware & FVWM2 do it.

Craig C

Member

Registered: 2019-11-11

Posts: 10

Re: How should I start xfwm?

I'm getting the following fatal error from xfwm4:

xfwm4-WARNING **: Failed to connect to session manager: SESSION_MANAGER environment variable not defined
xinit: connection to X server lost
xfwm4: Fatal IO error 11 (Resource temporarily unavailable) on X server :0.

I am under the impression that xfwm4 does not require xfce4-session, is that right?

ToZ

Administrator

From: Canada

Registered: 2011-06-02

Posts: 11,007

Re: How should I start xfwm?

We had another member recently ask a similar question. Perhaps one of the following posts can provide you with some additional information:

- https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=13276
- https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?id=12425

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Craig C

Member

Registered: 2019-11-11

Posts: 10

Re: How should I start xfwm?

Just in case anyone else with the same problem happens accross this thread:
(As ToZ recommended above)

1) Remove "--daemon" option after xfwm4.
https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?pid=49586#p49586

2) "--sm-client-disable" option after xfwm4 will get rid of non-fatal warning "session manager not found".
https://forum.xfce.org/viewtopic.php?pid=54249#p54249

3) In xinitrc, I think

dbus-launch --exit-with-session xfwm4

can be replaced by simply

xfwm4

only IF it is preceded by

eval $(dbus-launch --sh-syntax --exit-with-session)