On Tue, Sep 27, 2016 at 03:15:54PM +0100, Brian wrote: > Ok, let's go along with ~/.xsessionrc being the simplest way for a user > to configure his X session. I'll follow the advice on the wiki and have > > PATH=~/bin:$PATH > xterm & > iceweasel & > exec fvwm
No, this is not what I advised. You don't start a window manager from this file. > Putting 'exec fvwm' in ~/.xsession is the solution, of course; it's your > best friend, so may as well put everything else there. What price this > upstart ~/.xsessionrc? Does it ever get anything right? The only thing > it is good for is getting round restrictions set by the administrator. You are not a beginner. You're advanced. A beginner would just install *one* window manager, and this would be executed automatically by the Debian X session (via the /usr/bin/x-window-manager symlink ultimately). (S)he would use a ~/.xsessionrc file only to set the PATH variable, or JAVA_HOME, or whatever the original question is. You don't need a ~/.xsession file until you get to the point where you want to install multiple WMs at the same time and choose among them. And even then, at that point, many beginners will still prefer update-alternatives (as root) over editing a ~/.xsession file in their own home directory. This may shock you, since you have a strong Linux or Unix background, but I see it all the time. These are the same people who think putting a colored PS1 prompt in /etc/bash.bashrc is a Really Awesome Idea.
