How to make FVWM work with Gnome and GDM?

Configuration General Questions
1

I am back to using fvwm2 after some time of using Gnome. I like configurability of FVWM2.

However, there are a few things that I want to resolve:

  1. How can I “lock screen” such that I kind of go back to GDM and use “Switch User” functionality. (that is, I lock the screen, then can select “switch user”, and log on as another user, and then later I can do the same and switch back to my session).

  2. How to make Nautilus root window to pop up the FVWM menu when clicked?

  3. Can fvwm2 support persistent sessions (not exactly a most important requirement, but useful)

2

That’s a facet of GDM if I remember – don’t know how embedded into GNOME it is, probably quite a lot.

Look at the ‘D’ mouse/key binding.

Bit dated now, but see:

linuxgazette.net/100/adam.html

– Thomas Adam

3

I have actually learned how to do it and verified:

Beginning of session: gnome-screensaver &
When locking: gnome-screensaver-command --lock

It works great! Makes me very happy as I can share sessions with other family members.

Sorry, can you explain?

This is cool. At this point I am not sure if I really want a session support, but looks like I am all set for now with user switching.

4

Applications that draw over the root window (Nautilus, kdesktop, etc.) can have their bindings overridden by FVWM via the context of the binding. That binding is ‘D’ for desktop a la:

Mouse 1 D A Menu someMenuName

– Thomas Adam

5

Thanks! Worked great!

6

Yuo might also want to look at the gdmflexiserver command, And possible xscreensaver >=4.21, with support for gdmflexiserver compiled in (But gnome-screensaves seems to have the same interface. It’s only a suspicion (i.e. I’ve not googled it), but I believe it might be a repackaging of xscreensaver with other binary names)

7

I have recently changed from kdm to xdm. I have learned (thanks to Pixelbrei) that fvwm can be used in the xdm login screen. Wonderful!

This is the screenshot of my xdm login screen. Basically, there is a FvwmButtons that swallows xdm login and has some buttons to reboot and start/stop ethernet card.

As a [minimal] advantage, I get my screen prepared in the login. When fvwm starts I already have the background image, root-tail and conky already running. If I switch the computer on, I can follow what is going on without logging in. Not very spectacular, but I am glad fvwm has help me in producing a nice login screen.

P.S.: Should this thread be reframed? How to make Gnome and GDM work with FVWM? :wink:

8

Where can I learn that too???

Looks really good…

scientific

9

I just followed this article on the gentoo wiki. It suggests to create a /etc/X11/xdm/Xsetup_my with the applications you would like to have in your login screen. This is mine:

[code]xmodmap /home/joanet/.xmodmaprc &
fvwm &
fvwm-root -r ~/.fvwm/wallpapers/Neuron.png &
root-tail -g 1075x700-0+0 -font -monotype-arial--r-normal--17-120--100-p--*-15 /var/log/problem.log,palegreen &
conky -c /home/Common/.conkyrc &

Para tomar una captura (screenshot)

sleep 15 && import -w root /tmp/xdm.jpg &[/code]
And you have to kill fvwm (that is running as root) when you leave xdm. I have these in /etc/X11/xdm/GiveConsole_my

[code]killall xmessage
killall fvwm

killall xclock

killall xterm

chown $USER /dev/console[/code]
You have to place your fvwm configuration inside your root user (/root/.fvwm) or provide a config file.
Amazing all the things you can do on your login screen :smiley:

Cheers!