startx <args>Forum: DSL Ideas and Suggestions Topic: startx <args> started by: mikshaw Posted by mikshaw on Sep. 01 2005,04:35
One thing I've found somewhat frustrating is that the startx script in DSL doesn't seem to allow passing of parameters to xinit. This is a simple feature that seems to be standard in many distros (the 4 or 5 that I've used anyway). For example, a user could add something like this in .xinitrc:
Then he could "startx <something>" and <something> would be launched as the window manager. As it is, though, there seems to be no simple way of picking an arbitrary window manager without a wrapper that either calls a separate xinitrc script (and bypasses startx), or replaces/edits the current .xinitrc. The concept of changing the .xinitrc manually is a simple and standard one, but so is the concept of freedom of choice and customization. As far as I know, the only change needed would be allowing the startx script to pass params on to xinit, but I haven't fully studied the other startx scripts to compare with the one in DSL. EDIT: I'm pretty sure that the current setup can be used to grab the window manager from the boot line, but it would be extremely convenient to be able to do this from the console as well. Posted by mikshaw on Sep. 01 2005,14:09
After staring at the ceiling for a while trying to sleep, it occurred to me that it can already be accomplished easily enough, even though it's not the "typical" way to which I'm accustomed.1) In .xinitrc, replace "fluxbox" with "$WINDOWMANAGER" 2) Make a function in .bash_profile: startx() { if [ -n "$*" ]; then export WINDOWMANAGER="$*" else export WINDOWMANAGER=fluxbox fi /usr/X11R6/bin/startx } 3) Exit X and then source .bash_profile. 4) Use the startx command as usual. I'm not entirely sure the syntax is correct, but the concept should work with a minimal amount of tweaking. EDIT: Made some minor adjustments after actually testing it. |