Gdm not showing window manager choice

[topher]

I recently reinstalled FreeBSD 8.0 with Gnome instead of KDE as the base desktop environment. After the installation was finished I added the XFCE4 packages. When I start Gdm the language chooser is there, but it doesn't show a session chooser. When I log in I get the XFCE desktop, which is fine. Someone answered another post with suggestion that I try XFCE instead of KDE and so far I like it a lot. Just wondering why I can't log in to Gnome.

[topher]

I was starting Gdm by editing /etc/ttys from:
ttyv8 "/usr/local/bin/xdm -nodaemon" xterm off secure
to:
ttyv8 "/usr/local/sbin/gdm -nodaemon" xterm on secure
When I changed /etc/ttys back to the way it was
and added 'gdm_enable="YES"' to /etc/rc.conf
the session chooser was there in Gdm.
I guess it really does help to RTFM.

[mare]

Ease way :
Don't add gdm_enable="YES" to /etc/rc.conf.
Add "exec /usr/local/bin/gnome-session" to ~/.xinitrc and start x.org server ( startx )
Gnome-session will be loaded from current-user.
:)

[topher]

Won't that bypass the gdm login window?

[SirDice]

I guess it really does help to RTFM.
It does ;)


root@molly:/usr/ports#cd x11/gdm/
root@molly:/usr/ports/x11/gdm#cat pkg-message
GDM is installed.

Do _NOT_ use /etc/ttys to start gdm at boot time. This will result in gdm
hanging or restarting constantly. Instead, add gdm_enable="YES" to
/etc/rc.conf. GDM will be started automatic on the next reboot.

root@molly:/usr/ports/x11/gdm#