On Sat, Sep 24, 2016 at 11:44:25AM -0700, Josh Triplett wrote: > Package: debian-policy > Severity: normal > > Policy 11.8.4 documents how to set the priority for an x-window-manager > alternative. The algorithm for doing so increases the priority for > window managers supporting the Debian menu system, but doesn't say > anything about the freedesktop menu system. (And, for that matter, the > algorithm seems to treat a window manager as a "session"; Policy should > probably mention the x-session-manager alternative, and > /usr/share/xsessions.)
Based on some conversations on #debian-devel on the purpose of x-window-manager (as launched by /etc/X11/Xsession.d/50x11-common_determine-startup), it seems like a window manager that just manages windows, and expects a separately launched menu/taskbar program or desktop environment to provide the ability for the user to launch programs or otherwise do anything useful, shouldn't register an x-window-manager alternative at all. Otherwise, the user might end up staring at a desktop they can't interact with at all. So, in that case, the window manager shouldn't register for x-window-manager, and instead its associated environment or mechanism to launch a full session should register an x-session-manager altenrative (and install a /usr/share/xsessions/*.desktop file as well). - Josh Triplett
