MATE desktop

[Fred Smith]

On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 06:20:39PM +0200, Suvayu Ali wrote:
> Hi Mihai,
> 
> I do not think you are following what I mean.  I'll try to illustrate.
> 
> First some comments on your tests:
> 
> > Tests:
> > 
> > 1. reboot normally.
> > 
> >    Result: gnome-shell is started at the login screen:
> > 
> >     ps axuww | grep -w gdm
> 
> Did you login to Gnome?  If so, of course gnome-shell will be started.
> I tested on my F19 server with WindowMaker, there was no gnome-shell
> process after login.
> 
> > 2. reboot without gdm-shell.session:
> > 
> >     mv /usr/share/gnome-session/sessions/gdm-shell.session /tmp
> >     reboot
> > 
> >    Result: graphical screen informing that something went
> >    wrong, try again.
> > 
> > 3. restore gdm-shell.session and reboot without gnome-shell:
> > 
> >     rpm -e --nodeps gnome-shell
> >     reboot
> > 
> >    Result: no login screen.
> > 
> 
> Here I have to admit my fault.  My comment about removing the session
> files was not correct.  I had similar results on my system too.  I dug a
> bit deeper, and now the comment in the spec file makes more sense.  My
> comments and what I found are below.
> 
> > On Wed, Aug 28, 2013 at 02:29:52PM +0200, Suvayu Ali wrote:
> > 
> > > <http://pkgs.fedoraproject.org/cgit/gdm.git/tree/gdm.spec#n348>
> > > 
> > > This is what it says there:
> > > 
> > > - Require gnome-shell. We no longer use the fallback greeter.
> > >   (Since gdm 3.7.92).
> > > If you look at the spec file, it includes a session file
> > > 
> > > (line 283):
> > >
> > > %{_datadir}/gnome-session/sessions/gdm-shell.session
> 
> The above file looks like this in F18:
> 
> [GNOME Session]
> Name=Display Manager
> RequiredComponents=gnome-shell;gnome-settings-daemon;
> IsRunnableHelper=bash -c 'type -p gnome-shell >& /dev/null && /usr/libexec/gnome-session-check-accelerated'
> FallbackSession=gdm-fallback
> 
> There is another session file called gdm-fallback.session (as mentioned
> in FallbackSession above), shown below:
> 
> [GNOME Session]
> Name=Display Manager
> RequiredComponents=gdm-simple-greeter;gnome-settings-daemon;polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1
> RequiredProviders=windowmanager;
> DefaultProvider-windowmanager=metacity
> 
> In F19, the gdm-fallback.session file, and the IsRunnableHelper and
> FallbackSession lines from the gdm-shell.session file are absent.
> 
> This is how I understand the situation: the fallback session was
> removed, that is why the dependency on gnome-shell was introduced so
> that gdm can work.  So my assertion that it is a packaging bug was
> wrong.  It is more of a packaging choice that was made.  It is still not
> a compiled in dependency.  This is confirmed by the commit message:
> 
>   commit 23b99629db196fe80b0ae83b1c005f862b484f8a
>   Author: Ray Strode <rstrode at redhat.com>
>   Date:   Mon May 20 08:04:16 2013 -0400
>   
>       Require gnome-shell
>       
>       We stopped shipping the fallback greeter session file
>       a while ago, so we really should have the Requires: right.
>       
>       Eventually the fallback stuff is going to move to its own module.
> 
> I guess then the solution for Ben Greear is easy (since he is using
> MATE): install a gdm-fallback.session file, add the two lines I mention
> above at the end of gdm-shell.session and everything should be good.
> 
> I do not use any parts of Gnome/MATE, so I do not know if MATE uses
> gnome-shell somehow.  If it does, then sadly I cannot help anymore.
> Hope the above helps someone.
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> -- 
> Suvayu

FYI, in case it has any bearing: I've got F19 installed with MATE ONLY.
I installed from DVD (not live) and carefully made sure to install no other
desktop environment.

I find I have GDM installed, as well as a number of gnome packages, BUT
NOT gnome-shell. (or, at least there are no executables starting with
"gnome-sh", as one can tell by typing "gnome-sh" at the command prompt,
hit tab twice, and note the empty list that results.

Also, if you're using MATE and don't want or need the Gnome desktop,
you can use lightdm instead of gdm, and (at least) the particular problem
you're working on will go away.

Of course, on F18 YMMV>
Fred

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