GNOME 3 manual start?

A

aet

Paragraph 7.2.2.4 of the handbook says you can manually start GNOME 3 with "startx" if configured as such.
During boot up, no bare command line ever shows up to allow anyone to log in and type "startx". How is this supposed to work?
Is there an error in the handbook?
 
aet said:
Paragraph 7.2.2.4 of the handbook says you can manually start GNOME 3 with "startx" if configured as such.
During boot up, no bare command line ever shows up to allow anyone to log in and type "startx".
Click to expand...
You mean you cant't log into a shell?
aet said:
Is there an error in the handbook?
Click to expand...
The handbook says prior to 7.2.2.4 at chapter 7.1 that you should have already gone through setting up the X Window System or Wayland; While I can't say anything about Wayland, Xorg provides "startx".
 
aet said:
During boot up, no bare command line ever shows up to allow anyone to log in and type "startx".
Click to expand...
Is maybe the GNOME display manager (gdm) running?

Handbook 7.2.2.4. Start GNOME
Rich (BB code): 
GNOME Display Manager is the preferred display manager for GNOME. GDM is installed as part of the GNOME package.

Enable GDM in /etc/rc.conf to start at system boot:

# sysrc gdm_enable="YES"

If that's the case, change into a virtual console (i.e. Alt + F5), login as a user, and try startx. Assuming
Rich (BB code): 
A second method to start GNOME is by manually invoking startx(1). For this to work, the following line is needed in ~/.xinitrc:

% echo "exec gnome-session" > ~/.xinitrc
 
For the GNOME on Xorg session, add to the
Code: 
~/.xinitrc

Code: 
export XDG_SESSION_TYPE=x11
export GDK_BACKEND=x11
exec gnome-session

After editing, GNOME can be launched with the
Code: 
startx
command.
 
The reason there are 2 threads on the same subject is that I have been working with web9452 on this. We thought one of the messages didn't post.

I cannot log into the shell after boot up because GNOME 3 starts up imediately. The goal here is to have gnome 3 act like XFCE, where one MUST issue the "startx" command, at the shell command line, to start the X server graphical desktop. Why?? Because the book says it should work. This is my entertainment.

After configuring GNOME 3 to start automatically the following edits are made. To prevent GNOME 3 from starting at boot up, gdm is commented out of /etc/rc.conf. .xinitrc is placed in the home directory(s) containing "exec gnome-session" as prescribed by the handbook. But GNOME 3 starts anyway. I even tried Ogis's "export" edits to ~/.xinitrc and GNOME 3 still starts immediately.

Per T-Daemon's suggestion I tried alt-F5 to get a virtual console but, after GNOME 3 is started the virtual consoles are not available. Thanks for all your suggestions.
 
aet said:
After configuring GNOME 3 to start automatically the following edits are made. To prevent GNOME 3 from starting at boot up, gdm is commented out of /etc/rc.conf. ... But GNOME 3 starts anyway.
Click to expand...
That sounds like there is other gdm_enable="YES" entry in /etc/rc.conf. Please check grep gdm /etc/rc.conf
 
aet said:
I cannot log into the shell after boot up because GNOME 3 starts up imediately.
Click to expand...
Boot to single user mode and remove gdm_enable="YES" and gnome_enable="YES" from rc.conf. That gnome_enable is a convenient way to enable a bunch of different services, including GDM.

aet said:
The goal here is to have gnome 3 act like XFCE, where one MUST issue the "startx" command, at the shell command line, to start the X server graphical desktop.
Click to expand...
This has nothing to do with Gnome or XFCE. You enabled a display manager, GDM in this case.

And it's not Gnome 3 by the way, x11/gnome is Gnome 4 nowadays.
 
I am not up to speed on the jargon and versions. I just mentioned gnome and XFCE to point out that the X server has not been completely forgotten.

rc.conf is a very small file and I can see that there is only one mention of gdm in it. I llike the idea of the possiblility of finding another gdm enable in some other place. I will grep on a wider scope. Cant do it now. too busy to mess with it today.
 
I finally got it to work. As SirDice said, one must remove both gdm_enable="YES" and gnome_enable="YES" from rc.conf. The command line comes up after boot. Then it is possible to log in and issue the startx command to get the GUI to appear (display manager). I had done all 3 but, one at a time. Thanks everyone.
aet
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top