Slow fluxbox - GDM Session entry

[Frank McCormick]

On Thu, 23 Jun 2005 03:15:40 +1000
Peter Garrett <peter.garrett at optusnet.com.au> wrote:

> On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 10:42:08 -0400
> Frank McCormick <fmccormick at videotron.ca> wrote:
> 
> > On Wed, 22 Jun 2005 14:28:16 +1000
> > Peter Garrett <peter.garrett at optusnet.com.au> wrote:
> > 
> > > On Tue, 21 Jun 2005 22:43:40 -0400
> > > Frank McCormick <fmccormick at videotron.ca> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > 
> > > > Hi all
> > > >  Trying out a few new window managers...and ran into a problem
> > > >  with
> > > > Fluxbox. It takes a full 30 secs to load the desktop, which is
> > > > pretty plain and simple. Reloads from the menu take the same
> > > > time and changing themes (which flux calls "styles") take almost
> > > > as long. I used Fluxbox and Blackbox on other distros a couple
> > > > of years back and they never took that long to do anything.
> > > 
> > > hi Frank: from an earlier post....
> > > 
> > > On Tue, 24 May 2005 16:33:34 +0300
> > > Amichai Teumim <amichai.teumim at gmail.com> wrote:
> > > 
> > > > -----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
> > > > Hash: SHA1
> > > > 
> > > > Hi guys
> > > > 
> > > > This is regarding fluxbox
> > > > 
> > > > "if its not too much trouble - please mail the maintainer of the
> > > > package and tell him to --disable-xmb so that this problem is
> > > > fixed once and for all. your not the first person that has this
> > > > problem"
> > > > 
> > > > "its something about the font server being flooded with
> > > > queries."
> > > 
> > > <snip>
> > > 
> > > My delighted reply was: (!)
> > > 
> > > This is the answer! Thanks for the info!
> > > 
> > > I just recompiled fluxbox thus: (including what you should need to
> > > make it work)
> > > 
> > > 1.  sudo apt-get install build-essential  checkinstall   #(I
> > > already had these, but in case you don't) 2.  sudo apt-get install
> > > xlibs-dev  
> > > #(you'll need this or it won't compile)
> > > 3.  Get the source tarball and tar xvjf
> > > <fluxbox-tarball-of-choice> [edit: if it's a tar.bz2 ;  tar xvzf
> > > for tar.gz] 4.  cd to the directory created 5.  ./configure
> > > --enable-kde --enable-gnome --disable-xmb  (note the
> > > --disable-xmb!) 6.  make 7.  sudo checkinstall 
> > > (optional, instead of "sudo make install", but makes it easier to
> > > uninstall and so on)
> > > 
> > > This should build a package for you and install the fluxbox binary
> > > in /usr/local/bin If you make a ~/.xsession file for it you should
> > > now be able to start it from the Default session in GDM. 
> > > 
> > > Flux now starts for me in seconds, and no longer eats my cpu for
> > > breakfast when I try to change themes... ;-)
> > > 
> > > Hope this helps someone...
> > > 
> > > Peter
> > > 
> > > 
> > > the answer is the --disable-xmb option in the configure step, as
> > > above. My Fluxbox now is its usual snappy self! I actually did
> > > mail the maintainer- but maybe we have to wait for Breezy for an
> > > Ubuntu fix?
> > > 
> > 
> >   Great!. Just what the doctor ordered :) Now, does anyone know how
> >   to
> > put Flux as an option in the GDM menu. Since I removed the Ubuntu
> > version it's no longer part the GDM menu.
> > 

> 
> Hi Frank!
> 
> The directory to look in is /usr/share/xsessions
> 
> In that dir you will see one or more files of the form " gnome.desktop
> ". These files are the ones that put entries in the Session list for
> GDM. 
> 
> What I did was 
> 
> 1.Use the  gnome.desktop file as a template
> 2.Change the name to fluxbox.desktop
> 3.Change the command so as to start up fluxbox
> 4.Save the file as fluxbox.desktop  
> 
> The lines I changed in the file:
> 
> Name=Fluxbox
> Comment=This session logs you into the Fluxbox window manager
> Exec=/home/peter/.xsession
> 
> As far as I can see, that's all I changed...(Obviously your "Exec"
> line will point at your startup script.) Now, I also have created
> /home/peter/.xsession as follows:
> 
> #load this to have gtk2 apps look ok
> GSDPID=`pidof gnome-settings-daemon`
> if [  "x$GSDPID" == "x" ]; then
> gnome-settings-daemon &
> fi
> 
> fluxbox
> 
> Actually I have a few other entries in the .xsession file, but the
> above will make themes etc look OK for gtk2/gnome apps, and run
> fluxbox... 


  Again, the perfect answer! One more question or maybe I can get this
info from the net somewhere....Why cannot I resize apps like I can in
Gnome? Seems Fluxbox doesn't provide for grabbing the sides/tops and
dragging the app bigger or smaller...or am I missing something?

Thanks again



-- 
Cheers

Frank