Bug 5948 – 'XSESSION="KDE"' in rc.conf does *not* trigger KDE session script

• Status: RESOLVED FIXED
• Product: Gentoo Linux

[Description David Alan Black 2002-08-02 21:37:30 UTC]

Setting XSESSION to "KDE" in rc.conf is supposed to trigger 'startkde'. 
However, /etc/X11/chooser.sh does not handle the string "KDE" correctly, and
therefore never finds the correct script in /etc/X11/Sessions.

Workaround: in rc.conf, instead of XSESSION="KDE", do XSESSION="kde-3.0.2". 
This will result in chooser.sh finding the right startup script.

Here's a command-line test-run. (The blank line in the middle is the output of
the first run of chooser.sh.)

root@laptop:/etc/X11# export XSESSION="KDE"
root@laptop:/etc/X11# sh chooser.sh

root@laptop:/etc/X11# export XSESSION="kde-3.0.2"
root@laptop:/etc/X11# sh chooser.sh
/etc/X11/Sessions/kde-3.0.2

[Comment 1 SpanKY 2002-08-02 22:02:25 UTC]

thats weird, XSESSION=KDE in rc.conf causes /etc/init.d/xdm to launch kdm for me

if you read /etc/init.d/xdm you'll see that it finds the correct binary for kdm 
and then have init launch it

in other words, you're really not suppose to use rc.conf to setup chooser.sh ;)

rc.conf is used to setup /etc/init.d/xdm

[Comment 2 David Alan Black 2002-08-04 08:47:21 UTC]

> ------- Additional Comments From [e-mail]  2002-08-02 22:02 -------

> thats weird, XSESSION=KDE in rc.conf causes /etc/init.d/xdm to
> launch kdm for me if you read /etc/init.d/xdm you'll see that it
> finds the correct binary for kdm and then have init launch it in
> other words, you're really not suppose to use rc.conf to setup
> chooser.sh ;) rc.conf is used to setup /etc/init.d/xdm

Have another look; I don't think that's right.

chooser.sh actually sources rc.conf, looking for XSESSION.  There's
definitely a direct connection.  /etc/init.d/xdm, on the other hand,
makes no mention of XSESSION.

I believe you're thinking of DISPLAYMANAGER, a different variable
defined in rc.conf, which does pertain to xdm/kdm.  XSESSION is not
xdm/kdm specific.  Here's what rc.conf says:

# XSESSION is a new variable to control what window manager to start
# default with X if run with xdm, startx or xinit.  The default
# behavior is to look in /etc/X11/Sessions/ and run the script in
# matching the value that XSESSION is set to.

This "default behavior" is what's broken.  Specifically, this:

# KDE - will start startkde

is wrong.  It fails, and you end up with twm (the fallback scenario
from /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc).


David Black

[Comment 3 Dan Armak (RETIRED) 2002-08-06 09:10:09 UTC]

This is correct. I'll change the rc.conf comment. It should be in the next 
base-layout. 

[Comment 4 Dan Armak (RETIRED) 2002-08-31 14:18:58 UTC]

OK, this exists in the latest baselayout packages.