Beyond Linux® From Scratch - Version 2013-05-17

Chapter 30. GNOME Core Packages

gnome-session-3.6.2

Introduction to GNOME Session

The GNOME Session package contains the GNOME session manager.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS-7.2 platform.

Package Information

GNOME Session Dependencies

Required

GConf-3.2.6, GTK+-3.6.4, JSON-GLib-0.16.0 and UPower-0.9.20

Optional

xmlto-0.0.25

Runtime Dependencies

ConsoleKit-0.4.6 (if you intend to use startx to initiate your GNOME desktop)

User Notes: http://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/gnome-session

Installation of GNOME Session

Install GNOME Session by running the following commands: 

./configure --prefix=/usr --libexecdir=/usr/lib/gnome-session &&
make

This package does not come with a test suite.

Now, as the root user: 

make install

Command Explanations

--enable-docbook-docs: This switch is used to enable building of the documentation.

Configuring GNOME Session

Configuration Information

If you are not using GDM to start your GNOME desktop, you will need to invoke gnome-session instead of invoking a window-manager directly. All of the packages in the 'Desktop' section of this chapter need to be installed first, and some of the 'Applications' - particularly GNOME Terminal (xterm does not install a '.desktop' file and so not appear in the menus).

When gnome-session is run, it invokes the necessary daemons and either Metacity or gnome-shell. A desktop manager such as GDM will invoke ConsoleKit before the window manager, but if you use startx the first invocation after booting may fail because the daemon is not already running, so it is invoked first.

To automatically start the gnome-session window manager when you issue the startx command, backup your current ~/.xinitrc before proceeding. Note that you will be able to invoke GNOME Terminal from the menu, so there is no reason to invoke xterm here. Create a new .xinitrc using this command: 

cat >> ~/.xinitrc << "EOF"
exec ck-launch-session dbus-launch --exit-with-session gnome-session
EOF

Contents

Installed Programs: gnome-session, gnome-session-properties and gnome-session-quit
Installed Libraries: None
Installed Directories: /usr/lib/gnome-session, /usr/share/doc/gnome-session and /usr/share/gnome-session

Short Descriptions

gnome-session

is used to start up the GNOME Desktop environment.

gnome-session-properties

allows the users to configure which applications should be started at login.

gnome-session-quit

is used to end the GNOME Session.

Last updated on 2013-02-11 18:51:17 +0000