Making slackware go straight to xfce.

[j***@wexfordpress.com]

I am content to sign on in the usual way, beginning in with a text session and entering my root logon and password followed by "kdm" which takes me to XFCE.

My better half is less patient. She has asked me to replace Windoze 10 with Linux
for the usual reasons. I would like to have her machine go direct to the XFCE logon when it is turned on. That is what what she is used to. She can handle Firefox already.

My various 'nix books give me various descriptions of how to to do this by modifying some files in \etc. What is the current solution for Slackware?

I should mention that her main uses are shopping and viewing facebook. Other forces may require her to actually look at the mail address I established for her long ago.

Thanks in advance for your replies.

John Culleton

[Eef Hartman]

Post by j***@wexfordpress.com
What is the current solution for Slackware?

Change /etc/inittab so that the init default is 4:
# These are the default runlevels in Slackware:
# 0 = halt
# 1 = single user mode
# 2 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3)
# 3 = multiuser mode (default Slackware runlevel)
# 4 = X11 with KDM/GDM/XDM (session managers)
# 5 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3)
# 6 = reboot

# Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6)
id:4:initdefault:
^
Then it will startup into kdm directly and after login it will go on
into the default session for THAT user.
I take it that you've already set that to xfce.

PS: the GDM in the comment is a bit out of date as Slackware doesn't
come with gdm and/or gnome anymore. And it will only use xdm when kdm
hasn't been installed:
# Try to use GNOME's gdm session manager. This comes first because if
# gdm is on the machine then the user probably installed it by hand
# and wants to use it by default:
(skipped)
# Not there? OK, try to use KDE's kdm session manager:
(skipped)
# If all you have is XDM, I guess it will have to do:

All comments from /etc/rc.d/rc.4, which is what gets started when the
initdefault is 4

[Aragorn]

On Friday 22 September 2017 19:31, Eef Hartman conveyed the following to
alt.os.linux.slackware...

Post by Eef Hartman

Post by j***@wexfordpress.com
What is the current solution for Slackware?

# 0 = halt
# 1 = single user mode
# 2 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3)
# 3 = multiuser mode (default Slackware runlevel)
# 4 = X11 with KDM/GDM/XDM (session managers)
# 5 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3)
# 6 = reboot
# Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6)
^
Then it will startup into kdm directly and after login it will go on
into the default session for THAT user.
I take it that you've already set that to xfce.
PS: the GDM in the comment is a bit out of date as Slackware doesn't
come with gdm and/or gnome anymore.

And there's a good reason for that too: GDM requires systemd ─
concretely, it requires logind, which is part of systemd. ;)

[Rich]

Post by j***@wexfordpress.com
I am content to sign on in the usual way, beginning in with a text
session and entering my root logon and password followed by "kdm"
which takes me to XFCE.

Logging in and using one's system as "root" for everything is a
potential security issue.

Post by j***@wexfordpress.com
My various 'nix books give me various descriptions of how to to do
this by modifying some files in \etc. What is the current solution
for Slackware?

Set Slackware up so that when you type 'startx' that it goes to xfce.

Then edit /etc/inittab to change the default run level to the run level
that starts the x display manager. On at least 14.1 there are comments
inside /etc/inittab to help guide you at this.

[j***@wexfordpress.com]

Post by Rich

Post by j***@wexfordpress.com
I am content to sign on in the usual way, beginning in with a text
session and entering my root logon and password followed by "kdm"
which takes me to XFCE.

Logging in and using one's system as "root" for everything is a
potential security issue.

Post by j***@wexfordpress.com
My various 'nix books give me various descriptions of how to to do
this by modifying some files in \etc. What is the current solution
for Slackware?

Set Slackware up so that when you type 'startx' that it goes to xfce.
Then edit /etc/inittab to change the default run level to the run level
that starts the x display manager. On at least 14.1 there are comments
inside /etc/inittab to help guide you at this.

The good news is that this works fine on my standard desktop machine. the bad news is that the new laptop won't boot off of either Slackware or Knoppix dvds.

The spouse will have to suffer with win 10 for a while.

Thanks for your help.

John C.

[Rich]

Post by j***@wexfordpress.com

Post by Rich

Post by j***@wexfordpress.com
My various 'nix books give me various descriptions of how to to do
this by modifying some files in \etc. What is the current
solution for Slackware?

Set Slackware up so that when you type 'startx' that it goes to xfce.
Then edit /etc/inittab to change the default run level to the run
level that starts the x display manager. On at least 14.1 there are
comments inside /etc/inittab to help guide you at this.

The good news is that this works fine on my standard desktop machine.
the bad news is that the new laptop won't boot off of either
Slackware or Knoppix dvds.

New laptop? First make sure the bios is set to actually try booting
off the DVD before trying the built in drive.

If that is not the problem, then try disabling UEFI/secure boot.

Post by j***@wexfordpress.com
The spouse will have to suffer with win 10 for a while.

Not if the issue is boot order or UEFI/secure boot, and changing boot
order or turning UEFI/secure boot off lets the DVD's boot up.