register-window-manager(8)

NAME

register-window-manager - update available window manager information

SYNOPSIS

register-window-manager [ --ask ] action window-manager

DESCRIPTION

register-window-manager adds and deletes entries from the /etc/X11/window-managers file. Typically this command is invoked by the post-installation and post-removal scripts of a package containing an X window manager. It may also be used by the system administrator to modify the list of registered window managers (to remove from the list an undesired default window manager or to register the existence of a window manager on the system that is not handled by the Debian packaging system). Note that register-window-manager in no way affects package installation status, or itself adds or removes any files from the system. Its sole purpose is to add and remove pathnames to window managers from the file /etc/X11/window-managers.

action is one of --add, --remove, or --default.

--add adds the specified window manager to the bottom of the /etc/X11/window-managers file.

--remove removes the specified window manager from the /etc/X11/window-managers file.

--default adds the specified window manager as the first entry in the /etc/X11/window-managers file, thus making it the system's default window manager.

window-manager is the name of a window manager, either a simple filename or an absolute path. A path to the window manager should not be given if the window manager is found under /usr/bin/X11. The explicit path /usr/X11R6/bin should not be given, as this makes the system needlessly dependent upon a particular release of the X Window System. register-window-manager will delete any occurences of paths it finds in /etc/X11/window-managers that begin with /usr/X11R6/bin, and will refuse to add a window manager using that path.

Note that if the file $HOME/.xsession is present and executable (and if the system is configured to use them) when the X session begins, the /etc/X11/window-managers file is never used to determine which window manager to execute.

OPTIONS

--ask makes the action interactive and is useful if register-window-manager is being run from the shell prompt. Package maintainer scripts should never invoke register-window-manager with the --ask option.

EXAMPLES

A Debian window manager package should have something very similar to the following in its post-installation script.

Likewise for the post-removal script, if the package is being purged.

It is a good idea for the maintainer script to test for the existence of the register-window-manager executable before attempting to run it, in the event that the system is in an unusual state. It is not the end of the world if the /etc/X11/window-managers cannot be modified. Finally, until and unless Debian selects an official default window manager, window managers to be distributed with Debian GNU/Linux proper should not use the --default action (in many cases the first window manager a system administrator installs is a reasonable default).

FILES

/etc/X11/window-managers

SEE ALSO

Xsession(5), Xsession.options(5), window-managers(5)

DIAGNOSTICS

register-window-manager returns zero on normal operation, and a nonzero value corresponding to the perl operation that failed on error.

BUGS

See <http://bugs.debian.org/xfree86-common>. If you wish to report a bug in register-window-manager, please see /usr/doc/debian/bug-reporting.txt or the bug(1) command.

AUTHOR

register-window-manager was written by Sean Perry, Marcelo Magallon, Branden Robinson, and Marcus Brinkmann. It is maintained by Branden Robinson, who also wrote this man page.