Switching between windows managers on the fly

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[Fwd: Re: [SLE] Switching between...

Jerry Feldman

6 Mar 2004 6 Mar '04

13:03

I used to be able to switch window managers on the fly without logging out. (One may certainly select Window managers from the Session manager). The reason I want to do this is that I want to show different window managers to my students. -- Jerry Feldman Boston Linux and Unix user group http://www.blu.org PGP key id:C5061EA9 PGP Key fingerprint:053C 73EC 3AC1 5C44 3E14 9245 FB00 3ED5 C506 1EA9

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S.R.Glasoe

6 Mar 6 Mar

13:25

New subject: [SLE] Switching between windows managers on the fly

On Saturday 06 March 2004 07:03 am, Jerry Feldman wrote:

...

I used to be able to switch window managers on the fly without logging out. (One may certainly select Window managers from the Session manager).

The reason I want to do this is that I want to show different window managers to my students.

If you start with KDE, then from the main menu choose "Start New Session" and they start popping up on Ctrl+Alt+F8 through Ctrl+Alt+Fx. Works great. I've had KDE, XFce4 and Gnome all up at once with little effect on performance. Each session can be logged on as a different userid also... Stan

Jerry Feldman

17:23

New subject: [SLE] Switching between windows managers on the fly

On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 07:25:38 -0600 "S.R.Glasoe" wrote:

...

On Saturday 06 March 2004 07:03 am, Jerry Feldman wrote:

...
I used to be able to switch window managers on the fly without logging out. (One may certainly select Window managers from the Session manager).

The reason I want to do this is that I want to show different window managers to my students.

If you start with KDE, then from the main menu choose "Start New Session" and they start popping up on Ctrl+Alt+F8 through Ctrl+Alt+Fx. Works great. I've had KDE, XFce4 and Gnome all up at once with little effect on performance. Each session can be logged on as a different userid also... I was able to set up different window managers like FVWM, but not Gnome.

That might be an issue because I am using KDM as my DM, and apparently GDM does not support multi-sessions. In any case, that is good enough for my purposes. -- Jerry Feldman Boston Linux and Unix user group http://www.blu.org PGP key id:C5061EA9 PGP Key fingerprint:053C 73EC 3AC1 5C44 3E14 9245 FB00 3ED5 C506 1EA9

S.R.Glasoe

20:24

New subject: [SLE] Switching between windows managers on the fly

On Saturday 06 March 2004 11:23 am, Jerry Feldman wrote:

...

On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 07:25:38 -0600

I was able to set up different window managers like FVWM, but not Gnome.

That might be an issue because I am using KDM as my DM, and apparently GDM does not support multi-sessions. In any case, that is good enough for my purposes.

I'm using KDM so I bet something else is "special" about your setup! I just created 2 new KDM sessions with Gnome running on each at Ctl+Alt+F8 and Ctl+Alt+F9. The Gnome equivalent "New Login" requires GDM. Stan

Jerry Feldman

7 Mar 7 Mar

00:55

New subject: [SLE] Switching between windows managers on the fly

On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 14:24:15 -0600 "S.R.Glasoe" wrote:

...

On Saturday 06 March 2004 11:23 am, Jerry Feldman wrote:

...
On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 07:25:38 -0600

I was able to set up different window managers like FVWM, but not Gnome.

That might be an issue because I am using KDM as my DM, and apparently GDM does not support multi-sessions. In any case, that is good enough for my purposes.

I'm using KDM so I bet something else is "special" about your setup! I just created 2 new KDM sessions with Gnome running on each at Ctl+Alt+F8 and Ctl+Alt+F9. The Gnome equivalent "New Login" requires GDM. Yes, it is very possible since I installed Ximian Desktop.

-- Jerry Feldman Boston Linux and Unix user group http://www.blu.org PGP key id:C5061EA9 PGP Key fingerprint:053C 73EC 3AC1 5C44 3E14 9245 FB00 3ED5 C506 1EA9

David Herman

02:12

New subject: [SLE] Switching between windows managers on the fly

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 I've lost the original post in this thread but here's another option I was at the bookstore this afternoon perusing the linux mags. "Linux Journal" had an article "Cooking with Desktops" which suggests using Xnest to do what the original poster was interested in. I already have three users logged into xsessions on this machine so I adapted the information from the article and it worked for me. I opened a terminal, then Xnest :3 -ac & then in the same terminal I typed xterm -display :3 This opened a terminal in the window (x session) opened by the first command. In this new terminal I typed wmaker -display :3 This caused the windowmaker win manager to open in this x session. By changing the number following "-display : " you could open numerous window manager sessions on the same screen. I just did this for the first time so I am sure there are many more things that can be done under Xnest as well. Hope this helps - -- dh Don't shop at GoogleGear.com! -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.2 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQFASoUfBwgxlylUsJARAjDfAJ9y43LTat6Kt4s4Lw5ZWX5JCZvYNQCdEsHt l+OlPbQs4QyOHlqCcie/+os= =oAyA -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----

James Knott

12:58

New subject: [SLE] Switching between windows managers on the fly

Jerry Feldman wrote:

...

On Sat, 6 Mar 2004 07:25:38 -0600 "S.R.Glasoe" wrote:

...
On Saturday 06 March 2004 07:03 am, Jerry Feldman wrote:

...
I used to be able to switch window managers on the fly without logging out. (One may certainly select Window managers from the Session manager).

The reason I want to do this is that I want to show different window managers to my students.

If you start with KDE, then from the main menu choose "Start New Session" and they start popping up on Ctrl+Alt+F8 through Ctrl+Alt+Fx. Works great. I've had KDE, XFce4 and Gnome all up at once with little effect on performance. Each session can be logged on as a different userid also...

I was able to set up different window managers like FVWM, but not Gnome.

That might be an issue because I am using KDM as my DM, and apparently GDM does not support multi-sessions. In any case, that is good enough for my purposes.

Is there any way to kill the additional sessions, once you're done with them? The usual logout options don't seem to be appropriate, unless you want to reboot or shut down the computer.

Jerry Feldman

14:29

New subject: [SLE] Switching between windows managers on the fly

On Sun, 07 Mar 2004 07:58:20 -0500 James Knott wrote:

...

Is there any way to kill the additional sessions, once you're done with them? The usual logout options don't seem to be appropriate, unless you want to reboot or shut down the computer. cntrl-alt-backspace will kill the current session, and it will not be restarted on F8---Fn. It will only be restarted automatically on F7.

-- Jerry Feldman Boston Linux and Unix user group http://www.blu.org PGP key id:C5061EA9 PGP Key fingerprint:053C 73EC 3AC1 5C44 3E14 9245 FB00 3ED5 C506 1EA9

John Pettigrew

6 Mar 6 Mar

13:48

In a previous message, Jerry Feldman wrote:

...

I used to be able to switch window managers on the fly without logging out.

If it's just the WM you want to change, then use killall xfwm4; metacity& (for example) If it's the full desktop environment you want to change (Gnome/KDE/XFce/whatever) when AFAIK the answer's No. However, you could log into the various DEs on separate VTs and switch between them using Ctrl-Alt-F7 etc. HTH John -- John Pettigrew Headstrong Games john@headstrong-games.co.uk Fun : Strategy : Price http://www.headstrong-games.co.uk/ Board games that won't break the bank Knossos: escape the ever-changing labyrinth before the Minotaur catches you!

Carlos E. R.

20:41

New subject: [SLE] Re: Switching between windows managers on the fly

The 2004-03-06 at 13:48 -0000, John Pettigrew wrote:

...

If it's the full desktop environment you want to change (Gnome/KDE/XFce/whatever) when AFAIK the answer's No.

I remember seeing, time ago (suse 6 or 7), menu entries in fvwm to change to fvwm2, and more. Kde and gnome... no, I think not. -- Cheers, Carlos Robinson

Sjoerd Hiemstra

20:27

New subject: [SLE] Switching between windows managers on the fly

On Sat, 6 Mar 08:03 -0500 Jerry Feldman wrote:

...

I used to be able to switch window managers on the fly without logging out. (One may certainly select Window managers from the Session manager).

The reason I want to do this is that I want to show different window managers to my students.

As an example, from whatever WM you're in press Ctrl-Alt-F2, and execute: startx fvwm2 -- :2 which adds fvwm2 on Ctrl-Alt-F8.

...

From any of the two WMs, press Ctrl-Alt-F3, and execute:

startx gnome -- :3 which adds Gnome on Ctrl-Alt-F9. Etcetera. BTW, it's possible to have multiple instances of the same WM. SH

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Carlos E. R.
David Herman
James Knott
Jerry Feldman
John Pettigrew
S.R.Glasoe
Sjoerd Hiemstra