X window managers

You can configure Apple's X11 to use an alternative window manager or desktop environment. (This page assumes you already understand and have Fink installed, configured, and running happily!)

GNOME or KDE

• View the convenience package descriptions by typing this in bash:

 fink describe bundle-gnome
 fink describe bundle-kde

• Create a ~/.xinitrc file to instruct X to launch either, as in:

http://fink.sourceforge.net/doc/x11/run-xfree86.php?phpLang=en#xinitrc

macmath 12-13-2004

If you're interested in switching back and forth: I wrote the following AppleScript to help me make the choice on the fly. Instead of clicking on X11 in the dock, I click on this AppleScript; it asks which I want to use and then opens X11 with the appropriate .xinitrc file.

I have three files in my home directory: .xinitrc.aqua, .xinitrc.gnome, and .xinitrc Each is writable (so that the cp command can proceed without a password) and the following AppleScript copies the correct .xintrc file (.xinitrc.aqua or .xinitrc.gnome, depending on which you chose) over .xinitrc and then opens X11.

 tell application "Finder"
 set tempVar to ""
 set tempVar to display dialog "Enter whether to use Aqua or Gnome:" buttons {"Aqua", "Gnome", "Cancel"} default button "Gnome"
 set WMchoice to the button returned of tempVar
 if WMchoice is "Gnome" then
 do shell script "cp ~/.xinitrc.gnome ~/.xinitrc"
 else
 do shell script "cp ~/.xinitrc.aqua ~/.xinitrc"
 end if
 end tell
 do shell script "open -a /Applications/Utilities/X11.app" 

chris_on_hints 12-13-2004

Ive done something similar, but have set up different applescripts, one for each X11 window manager I use. I have seperate .xinitrc files just as macmath has, but seperate applescripts, rather than one which asks...

there is also a nifty trick to use with applescript if you want X11aqua to run rootless and gnome to run full screen. add ONE of the following lines to your applescript:

 do shell script "defaults write com.apple.x11 rootless true"

OR

 do shell script "defaults write com.apple.x11 rootless false"

this works really nicely, so you can select between a window manager to run alongside aqua in rootless mode (ie quartzwm) and one which is best to run in full screen (eg KDE, gnome, etc).