change desktop "on the fly"

[OsunSeyi]

I'm wondering if this is possible...

In my 'xinit' i find the following (what I don't understand complete, for excemple the function of 'ck-launch-session')

Code: Select all

# Start the window manager:
if [ -z "$DESKTOP_SESSION" -a -x /usr/bin/ck-launch-session ]; then
  exec ck-launch-session /usr/bin/startfluxbox
else
  exec /usr/bin/startfluxbox
fi

What I know is, that 'fluxbox-remote exit' will stop fluxbox and (as consequence) the X-server, so falling back to the login-manager ('fluxbox-remote' has to be enabled in the fluxbox config).

Now I think, perhaps it's possible to replace the above code by 'exec script-to-change-desktop', where 'script-to-change-desktop' offers (with something like zenity) buttons to change for exemple to Qtile or whatever. Buttons for 'logout, reboot, exit' could be includet also.

Of cause it would be nice (if possible) to switch only the deskop and leafe the browser, mailer, Gimp whatever open: I think, some window-managers offers an option '--replace'.

This all would be nice to develope btw test a new workflow embedded in the normal daily work without too much extra trouble....

[gapan]

I'm not sure what you're asking here. Yes, it is possible to replace fluxbox with almost any other window manager while keeping the applications you have running intact. In fact, the default menu that comes with fluxbox lets you do exactly that with xfce, windowmaker, twm, blackbox among others.

And yes, it would be possible to create an "application" with zenity that would present these as options along with shutdown or whatever.

(ck-launch-session is for starting a consolekit session. Needed in 14.2, but no longer in 15.0. You can read about it here for example: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/ConsoleKit)