[lug] Gnome hidden panel

[D. Stimits]

David Lewis wrote:
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "D. Stimits" <stimits at idcomm.com>
> To: <lug at lug.boulder.co.us>
> Sent: Saturday, December 23, 2000 10:18 AM
> Subject: Re: [lug] Gnome hidden panel
> 
> > David Lewis wrote:
> > >
> > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > From: "D. Stimits" <stimits at idcomm.com>
> > > To: <lug at lug.boulder.co.us>
> > > Sent: Thursday, December 21, 2000 7:56 PM
> > > Subject: Re: [lug] Gnome hidden panel
> > >
> > > > > David Lewis wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > I am a newbie to your user group. I had a question and got hold of
> > > > > your group through the Computer Edge. I installed rehat 7.0 and win
> > > > > me  on my 586 pc. Whole working in linux I hid the panel in Gnome
> and
> > > > > don't know how to make it visible again. Can anyone help me??
> > > > >
> > > > > Thanks
> > > > > David B Lewis
> > > > > dbl at db-enterprises.com
> > > > > http://www.db-enterprises.com
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > I think the same panel you are talking about can be reached with a
> right
> > > > click on the desktop, and choose "Configure Background Image". If this
> > > > isn't the one, post here again.
> > > >
> > > > D. Stimits, stimits at idcomm.com
> > > >
> > > I tried startx it use to bring up Gnome with no panel. this time  the
> msgs
> > > were
> > >   .Xclients: exec:
> > > no such file or directory
> > > waiting for Xserver to shutdown
> > >
> > > I am not sure why startx did not start Gnome this time. I have been
> doing
> > > redhat linux 7 getting started guide
> > > Chapters 16 and 17.
> > >
> > > David <dbl at db-enterprises.com>
> > >
> >
> > There should be a file for RH 7 "Xclients" at /etc/X11/xinit/Xclients;
> > if it finds that, it should be enough. Generally the .Xclients would be
> > a per-user file placed in the home directory, and overriding the
> > system-wide Xclients. Though I notice there are also versions roughly
> > per window manager in /usr/share/apps/switchdesk/, e.g., Xclients.gnome.
> > Do you have the Xclients.gnome (and maybe Xclients.toplevel) there?
> > Also, it would find one missing if it didn't have permission to read it.
> > If you are running startx other than root, use that non-root user and cd
> > to /etc/X11/xinit/, see if you can "cat Xclients"; same for
> > /usr/share/apps/switchdesk/Xclients.gnome and Xclients.toplevel.
> >
> > FYI, there are a lot of configuration programs that simply overwrite
> > config files. Especially upon installation of new software. The
> > /etc/X11/XF86Config file is notorious for getting its font path and some
> > other parameters replaced while changing something entirely different.
> >
> >
> 
>  I checked all the files mentioned. I found all files except
> .Xclients-default that is why startx isn't working. Can I put it back?
> 
> David

My system (RH 6.2) doesn't have the .Xclients-default. It does have
/etc/X11/xinit/Xclients, which I believe is run at startup of X11, and
is something like a system-wide default. In the case of virtually every
settings file related to X11, there is a copy that runs for startup, and
possibly a copy for default use after up, that users would refer to,
unless they have their own copy in home. "Typical" is for it to check
the most personal/local to home version first, then work its way out
towards the more general version if the personal version is not found.
Thus it seldom hurts to place copies of such an init file in various
directories that might be searched, possibly with different
modifications. A sym link is often a good way to go if you want these to
all be the same and you want to edit just one. An exception to all this
is that sometimes there are "security" related files of which the values
cannot be overridden by individual versions. In the case of X init
files, I don't know which would be exceptions or not; in any case, you
could always place a copy there and test it out without fear. Be sure
that the files have permission to be read by whatever users, and can't
be written by non-root if they are not owned by the particular user.
During testing you might want to just make all init files readable by
all (of the Xclients files), but don't forget where they were set before
you started.

You might also want to get the source to your X install, unpack it
somewhere temporary, and see what its Xclients files look like. Better
have some hard drive room though.