SLiM

[Member lucbertz]

Hi!

In order to get a custom minimal single desktop, I tried to install xorg and openbox on top of antiX core, but I found problems with login.
I tried to edit /etc/slim.conf, but with no success. In the end I solved it in a fast, ignorant way, simply replacing SLiM provided by antiX repository with SLiM of Stretch.
I have some questions:
– is my solution valid or are there drawbacks?
– why don’t you provide an “agnostic” SLiM package, with a further package for its configuration, like slim-antix.deb?
– is there a way to use the newer and surely better supported SLiM of antiX, configuring it like the Stretch one?
– is there a fast and light alternative to SLiM for automatic login, already available in antiX repository?

Thank you in advance for your support.

[Forum Admin Dave]

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As far as I know there is nothing wrong with the antiX slim other than in your case, the default login_cmd uses desktop-session. So in a core build you would either keep it the same and install desktop-session-antix or comment that login_cmd and remove the comment for the xinitrc login_cmd in /etc/slim.conf

Computers are like air conditioners. They work fine until you start opening Windows. ~Author Unknown

[Member lucbertz]

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Thank you, Dave.

Be aware, I’d like to understand, not to judge or say what to do to anyone. antiX is really good: reliable, fast and solid. In order to learn and to keep all extremely simple, I would like to start from core.

I understand there is nothing wrong in antiX SLiM package; in fact it works smoothly in the base distribution.
I ask why not to change the slim package name with “antix” as prefix or suffix or why not to add the customized slim configuration file in desktop-session-antix package.

The matter in my case is only in /etc/slim.conf . In the end I will reinstall the antiX slim package, keeping the configuration coming from Stretch, which works smoothly.

Why on the ArchWiki they says:

Warning: The SliM project has been abandoned (last release was 2013, the project homepage is down), and is not fully compatible with systemd, including logind sessions. Consider using a different Display manager or Xinitrc.

Source: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SLiM

[Anonymous]

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Why on the ArchWiki they says:

Warning: The SliM project has been abandoned (last release was 2013, the project homepage is down), and is not fully compatible with systemd, including logind sessions. Consider using a different Display manager or Xinitrc.

arch-linux is not debian
https://packages.debian.org/search?keywords=slim&searchon=names&suite=all&section=all

[Member lucbertz]

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I know arch-linux is not debian, but its wiki is so detailed that it can be used as a general knowledge source of linux distros.
There are other sources stating that, and the site http://slim.berlios.de/ is no longer reachable. Last commit on GitHub is of 2013 (https://github.com/iwamatsu/slim).
In the end, the important things are that it works and it is secure.

Coming back to my situation, unfortunately the matter is not only in /etc/slim.conf . I installed again SLiM from stretch to “get the things done”.
Obviously any other idea to get a reliable solution within antiX repository is well accepted.

EDIT: could I use LightDM from MX repository or is it highly customized for MX?

• This reply was modified 4 years, 2 months ago by lucbertz.

[Anonymous]

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why don’t you provide an “agnostic” SLiM package, with a further package for its configuration, like slim-antix.deb?

Why == because striving to side-patch the code is a tail-chasing excercise toward frustration.
The disparity between forks has become too extreme.
Patches atop patches atop patches, they do not merge cleanly and require manual cherrypicking and manual merging
Here’s my personal build, tailored to antiX: https://gitlab.com/skidoo/slim-antix

is there a way to use the newer and surely better supported SLiM of antiX, configuring it like the Stretch one?

It’s linux, so the answer to nearly any question is “yes”. Unfortunately, I don’t have a clear sense of what you are asking here.
.

is there a fast and light alternative to SLiM for automatic login, already available in antiX repository?

As Dave explained in another recent topic, you can opt to forgo use of a (xdm,SLiM,lightdm) display manager altogether.
I don’t recall the exact the exact launchstring syntax, but it would be something like “startx desktop-session openbox”

In the end I solved it in a fast, ignorant way, simply replacing SLiM provided by antiX repository with SLiM of Stretch.

is my solution valid or are there drawbacks?

One drawback is that you’re “off the reservation”, maybe running an assemblage that few others have tested to confirm those components//versions interoperate well.

[Forum Admin BitJam]

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lucbertz wrote:

In order to get a custom minimal single desktop, I tried to install xorg and openbox on top of antiX core, […]

– is there a fast and light alternative to SLiM for automatic login, already available in antiX repository?

Here is a fast and light alternative to do what you want that requires no added packages.

1) As root, edit the file /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config and add this line at the bottom:
needs_root_rights=yes

This should let normal users use the startx command. You can test this by trying to run the following command as your user from a virtual console:
startx /usr/local/bin/desktop-session -- vt7
If this works, just log out of X to return to the console.

2) Select a vt (virtual terminal aka virtual console) and create a ~/.bash_login for your user that contains:

if [ -z "$DISPLAY" -a $(id -u) -ge 1000 ]; then
    tty=$(tty)
    case $tty in
        /dev/tty5) startx /usr/local/bin/desktop-session -- vt7 2>&1 | tee -a ~/xsession-log  ;;
    esac
fi

where I arbitrarily select vt5 as the console to log in on so I used “/dev/tty5” in the case statement. (the vt7 after — says to open up X on vt7). You can test this by switching to vt5 with ctrl-alt-F5 and logging in as your user. X Windows should start. Again logout of X to return to the console.

3) As root, edit /etc/inittab to log in as your user automatically on vt5. Let’s assume your username is “demo”. Change the line that starts with “5:2345” so it reads:
5:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --autologin demo 38400 tty5
In order to have this change take effect without rebooting run:
sudo /sbin/telinit q
You can test this by switching to vt5 (as above) and using the “exit” command. You should get automatically logged in which will automatically start X.

HTH

Context is worth 80 IQ points -- Alan Kay

[Member lucbertz]

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Thank you all. I will keep SLiM from Debian.

BitJam solutions doesn’t work in mine installation:
– “/etc/X11/Xwrapper.config” doesn’t exists;
– Startx, if not launched as root with sudo, fails with “VESA(0): Cannot read int vect”;
– getty seems to ignore “–autologin” option.

Furthermore I’m not able to get a functional snapshot with iso-snapshot; on startup of the generated ISO I get this:

Error: mount: mounting /live/aufs on /live/aufs failed: No such device

Does it really mount aufs on itself?

Probably it’s better to start from antiX base and remove packages than to start from antiX core and add packages, because I found no problems a year ago in the other way. But surely I will learn less…

[Forum Admin anticapitalista]

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You need to install xserver-xorg-legacy to get Xwrapper.config file

Philosophers have interpreted the world in many ways; the point is to change it.

antiX with runit - leaner and meaner.

[Forum Admin BitJam]

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lucbertz wrote:

Thank you all. I will keep SLiM from Debian.

BitJam solutions doesn’t work in mine installation:
– “/etc/X11/Xwrapper.config” doesn’t exists;

anti told you the package you need for this file.

– Startx, if not launched as root with sudo, fails with “VESA(0): Cannot read int vect”;

I think you need to Xwrapper.config file to get this to work. The point of that change was to allow normal users to run startx successfully.

– getty seems to ignore “–autologin” option.

It works fine here on full, base, and core. It has done so for many years. Perhaps you copied it wrong (or I copied it wrong). If you boot the live system with the “db+” option then inittab will be set up to autologin as root on tty2 — tty4.

Here is that section from a working inittab:

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --noclear 38400 tty1
2:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --autologin root 38400 tty2
3:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --autologin root 38400 tty3
4:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --autologin root 38400 tty4
5:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --autologin demo 38400 tty5
6:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty6

Probably it’s better to start from antiX base and remove packages than to start from antiX core and add packages, because I found no problems a year ago in the other way. But surely I will learn less…

Could be. OTOH, you may need to install the one package anti suggested.

Also, best not to cross the streams. If you are having problems with snapshot, that should be in a different thread.

Context is worth 80 IQ points -- Alan Kay

[Member lucbertz]

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Thank you very much, BitJam.
I will not use SLiM, running startx automatically on start-up with your solution.

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