Study Notes

In the Red Hat Linux9.0, the default X window setting is Gnome.I installed KDE desktop and then, I changed the desktop starting parameter in order to start x window with KDE. when the setting was confirmed,I rebooted the system. I usually start up my Linux9.0 in text mode,and in this way,input the username and password,issued the “startx” command.Yes,it really opened a KDE window,however,there was nothing in the screen except a living mouse.

I thought it may be caused by something wrong when system initialize.But the same thing happened after restarting the system again. When issued the “startx gnome” command,some error messages displayed and no GUI has been running up.It seemed no way to start my X window again.Some documents I found in the Internet said editing a file named “.xinitrc” could resolve this problem.It was dissapointed when I found no usrful message in both /etc/X11/xinit/.xinitrc.d and /etc/X11/xinit/.xinitrc file. I do not want to lose my operation system and re-install it,it will take me so much time.So,researching in the internet again untill I’ve found this “switchdeskop” command which is used to switch desktop windows between Gnome and KDE. And this command could only be issued before executing “startx” command. I restarted operating system again,and issues the following commands:

# switchdeskop Gnome
# startx 

Yeah!!! I was succeed!The system started up with Gnome desktop.Hmmm,I must found the reason caused this matted through system had been running up.”.Xclient-default” was included in switchdeskop’s manual(by issued: # man switchdeskop) contains messages what I want.For example,the “.Xclient-default” file’s content was listed here:

# pwd
/root
# cat .Xclient-default
*content*
---------------------------
# Created by Red Hat Deskop Switcher
exec gnome-session 

I think the switchdeskop command modified the “.Xclient-default” file so that the initial program read this message and start X window by this setting. To prove my guessing,I changed default starting desktop from Gnome to KDE,and restarted the system again.When system was restarted,the “.Xclient-default”file had really been modied,the string “gnome-session” had been insteaded by the string “startkde”.I changed the “startkde” to “gnome-session” and issued the “startx” command again,the system started up by Gnome desktop.I am right.The “.Xclient-default”file was operated by command “switchdeskop”.

Nautilus is the skin of Gnome.