KDE GUI Desktop
Novell Cool Solutions: Question & Answer
Q:
I am trying to get KDE GUI desktop. But I am in command prompt only. I tried using startkde but in vain. The error is can't contact kdeinit. Please, can you help me in getting a KDE GUI desktop?
A:
Did you try the procedures in the previous answer on this subject? In any case, I think the "startx" command is the robust way to go if you are using the command line run level as the default, as this script sets all the necessary paths and other required settings for the preferred window manager.
You can set your preferred window manager in the file the startx script and the system expects to find it. You can have a look at the startx script. Use "whereis startx" to find out the /PATH of where it is and "less /PATH/startx" to view it. You can then follow the trail of processing like a true hacker, to discover the file where the start processes expect to find your preferred desktop setting. There may be more than one place, so change one, do startx again, and so on until you get the KDE desktop.
The run level that starts the X login manager can have a different default window manager than startx, so the setting files will obviously be different. This is handy if you use run level 5 to login to one window manager, and start another window manager in another virtual X session using startx from a virtual terminal.
Press CTRL-ALT-F2, (or any unused F key terminal up to F6) from the running window manager. Login and use "startx -- :1" to start another X session in CTRL-ALT-F8. Press CTRL-ALT-F7 to get back to the other one.
Why would you want to do this, apart from impressing your friends? Well, I use it sometimes to get an off line root X window session, make some system wide changes, restart the normal run level 5 X session, and see the results in the normal user windows. Or, sometimes I use it to start a light window manager like "fluxbox" or "oroborus" for development purposes. Of course I have plenty of RAM.
Stomfi
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