Problem with bash login.

[Steven W. Orr]

On Friday, Jul 14th 2006 at 16:34 -0400, quoth Ben Scott:

=>On 7/14/06, Steven W. Orr <steveo at syslang.net> wrote:
=>> This is really frustrating. I want to log into a linux box which is
=>> running gdm such that after I have logged in, any app that I start will be
=>> running in the environment that is normally established in my
=>> .bash_profile.
=>
=> So source your .bash_profile file from your .xwhatever file, like I said.
=>
=>> If I was to go and set a symlink from .bash_profile to .xsession it would be
=>> the same
=>> thing as creating a shell script that did a cd followed by an exit.
=>
=> Er, no.  It would be the same thing as running .bash_profile as the
=>script to set up your X session.  Since I assume your .bash_profile
=>does not, in fact, set up an X session, I expect what would end up
=>happening is your regular bash environment would be configured, but
=>then immediately exit, since no window manager (or variation thereof)
=>was started.
=>
=> If, on the other hand, you *source* your .bash_profile at the top of
=>your .xwhatever file, your bash environment will be included, and then
=>your regular window manager will start.
=>
=>
=>> The description below explains why linking .xsession to .bash_profile is a
=>> waste of time.
=>
=> Er, yes, it would be a waste of time, but not for the reasons you think.
=>
=> Let's say you're running fvwm.
=>
=> init runs an initscript, which runs gdm.  You log in via gdm.  gdm
=>runs the .xwhatever file to start your X session.  Your .xwhatever
=>file source's your .bash_profile file, thus getting your regular
=>environment.  Your .xwhatever file then starts fvwm.  It does not
=>background fvwm.  fvwm inheirts its environment from the .xwhatever
=>file, just like all Unix processes inherit their parent's environment.
=>fvwm runs and lets you do things like start an xterm.  Those xterm's
=>will inherit fvwm's environment, in turn.  When done, you quit fvwm,
=>which allows the .xwhatever file to continue.  It hits the end, so the
=>interpreter exits.  That signals the end of your X session, and gdm
=>cleans things up.
=>
=> (It is common to use "exec fvwm" to replace the .xwhatever
=>interpreter with the window manager, rather then having a useless
=>interpreter sitting around all the time.  But the end result is the
=>same.)
=>
=> Replace "fvwm" with "gnome-session", "startkde", "twm", or whatever
=>you prefer.  :-)
=>
=> I keep calling it .xwhatever because I can never keep all the
=>various X startup files straight.  There's .xsession, .Xclients,
=>.xinitrc, and some others, depending on platform.  I usually just end
=>up symlinking all the .xwhatever files together.  :-)
=>
=> Does that help?
=>
=>-- Ben

I'll try it next chance i get. the secire lab where the problem is is hard 
to get to. Next shot will probably be around Tuesday.