Bug#241361: Te problem is in gnome-session with gnome-wm

[Amit Aronovitch]

Josselin Mouette wrote:

>Le ven 02/04/2004 =E0 17:35, Ernesto Jim=E9nez Caballero a =E9crit :
> =20
>
>>>>It doesn't let us to configure the selection with gconf-editor (w=
hen you
>>>>restart gnome metacity is running).
>>>>       =20
>>>>
>>>This wasn't possible before either.
>>>     =20
>>>
>>Yeah, it was, you can run gconf-editor and change it in desktop -> =
gnome
>>-> applications -> window_manager
>>I did it in order to have sawfish running.
>>   =20
>>
>
>Upstreams just confirmed me that this gconf key isn't read at all in
>GNOME 2.4.
>
> =20
>
In that case, you have a docbug:

 <-- quote from man gnome-wm -->
PERSISTENT SETTINGS
       The program stores the current selection of a window manager i=
n=20
the gconf  key /desktop/gnome/applications/window_manager/default
<-- end quote -->

>>>Configuring the GNOME window manager with update-alternatives is e=
vil,
>>>that's why this is no more the case. If you want to use sawfish, j=
ust
>>>run it instead of metacity (killall metacity; sawfish&) and save y=
our
>>>session.
>>>     =20
>>>
>>It worked before upgrading gnome-session, now it doesn't
>>I do killall metacity; sawfish&
>>and change the configuration with gconf, but it still runs metacity=
.
>>   =20
>>
>
>The point is not changing the gconf key, which isn't used. You have =
to
>save your session when it is running sawfish. It will be restored wi=
th
>sawfish when you log in. My guess is that you were still running the
>default session, having it configured through update-alternatives.
>
> =20
>
Look, the point is - choosing a window manager has become frustrating=
=20
and unintuitive - you setup update-alternatives, use gconftool (as th=
e=20
manpage says), and still you get metacity when logging in.

 The way you suggest is too hackish for an environment that tries to =
be=20
user friendly and simple like Gnome.
Also it's not that simple - first you need to open the current sessio=
n=20
in the "sessions" capplet (which is hidden under the "Advanced" menu)=
,=20
and change the Style of metacity to something other than "restart" -=
=20
otherwise gnome-session will try to resart it (and probably fail beca=
use=20
sawfish had already started - but who knows...).

 It seems to me that there SHOULD be a gconf key for choosing a wm (a=
nd=20
we should ask upstream for that), but if x-window-manager points to a=
=20
"gnome-compliant wm", it should definitely take precedence over the=
=20
hard-coded priority list (which in current gnome-wm seems to be=20
metacity, sawfish, x-window-manager).
=20
   Regards