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xfce:4.22:display_managers [2026/10/25 06:23] – created kevinbowenxfce:4.22:display_managers [2026/11/13 01:27] (current) – sync with changes from main page kevinbowen
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-===== Setup a Display Manager for Xfce =====+====== Setting up a Display Manager for Xfce ====== 
 + 
 +A [[https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Display_manager|display manager]](DM) is 
 +a software component that manages sessions and presents a login manager to a 
 +user prior to starting a, in Xfce's case, a graphical window session. 
 + 
 +There are numerous implementations of display managers. Presented here are  
 +five common DM's and some information on configuring them specifically for use with 
 +Xfce's Desktop Environment.
  
   * **[[#LightDM|LightDM]]**   * **[[#LightDM|LightDM]]**
Line 7: Line 15:
   * **[[#SLiM|SLiM]]**   * **[[#SLiM|SLiM]]**
   * **[[#GDM|GDM]]**   * **[[#GDM|GDM]]**
-  * **[[#KDM|KDM]]**+  * **[[#SDDM|SDDM]]**
  
 ---- ----
  
-=== LightDM ===+===== LightDM ===== 
 + 
 +[[https://github.com/ubuntu/lightdm|LightDM]] is a lightweight, cross-desktop display manager. 
 + 
 +> Key features of LightDM are: 
 +> 
 +>  - Cross-desktop - supports different desktop technologies (X, Wayland, Mir, etc) 
 +>  - Lightweight - low memory usage and fast performance 
 +>  - Supports remote login (incoming: XDMCP and VNC; outgoing: XDMCP and pluggable) 
 +>  - Supports guest sessions 
 +>  - Has a comprehensive test suite 
 + 
 LightDM is the default display manager for Edubuntu, Xubuntu and Mythbuntu since 11.10 release, for Lubuntu since 12.04 release, for Kubuntu beginning with 12.10 until 15.04 for Linux Mint[14] and Antergos.  LightDM is the default display manager for Edubuntu, Xubuntu and Mythbuntu since 11.10 release, for Lubuntu since 12.04 release, for Kubuntu beginning with 12.10 until 15.04 for Linux Mint[14] and Antergos. 
  
 LightDM starts the X servers, user sessions and greeter (login screen). LightDM starts the X servers, user sessions and greeter (login screen).
  
-=== LXDM === +---- 
-LXDM is the display manager of LXDE. But it is universal. Most distributions have a package to install. Regarding the configuration, check the presence of a file (or add) /usr/share/xsessions/06xfce4.desktop (the location may differ depending on the distributions), such as:+ 
 +===== LXDM ===== 
 + 
 +[[https://sourceforge.net/projects/lxdm/|LXDM]] is a lightweight X Display Manager. 
 +LXDM, originally the display manager of [[http://www.lxde.org/|LXDE]], is available in many distributions as an alternative Display Manager. Regarding the configuration, check the presence of a file (or add) ''/usr/share/xsessions/06xfce4.desktop'' (the location may differ depending on the distributions), such as:
  
   [Desktop Entry]   [Desktop Entry]
Line 28: Line 52:
   Type=Application   Type=Application
  
-Lines TryExec and Exec may also differ between distributions.+Lines ''TryExec'' and ''Exec'' may also differ between distributions.
  
 ---- ----
  
-=== SLiM ===+===== SLiM =====
  
-If you want to avoid Gnome or KDE dependencies and a more attractive interface than XDM, you can give [[http://slim.berlios.de|SLiM]] a try. Read the SLiM [[http://slim.berlios.de/manual.php|manual]] for more information.+[[https://slim-fork.sourceforge.io/|SLiM]](Simple Login Manager) is a lightweight Display manager that requires no Gnome or KDE dependencies and a more attractive interface than XDM  
 + 
 +> Features 
 +>  - PNG and XFT support for alpha transparency and anti-aliased fonts 
 +>  - Support of external themes 
 +>  - Configurable runtime options: X server, login / shutdown / reboot commands 
 +>  - Single (GDM-like) or double (XDM-like) input control 
 +>  - Can load predefined users on startup 
 +>  - Configurable welcome / shutdown messages 
 +>  - Random theme selection 
  
 ---- ----
  
-=== GDM === +===== GDM ===== 
-If you installed Xfce system-wide and you want to use the GNOME Display Manager (gdm) to start your Xfce session, you will have to create a .desktop file to teach gdm how to start the Xfce session. This is a sample desktop file, Xfce.desktop:+ 
 +If you installed Xfce system-wide, and want to use the [[https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gdm|GNOME Display Manager]] to start your Xfce session, a ''.desktop'' file is required to configure ''gdm'' to start the Xfce session.  
 + 
 +This is a sample desktop file, ''Xfce.desktop'':
  
     [Desktop Entry]     [Desktop Entry]
     Encoding=UTF-8     Encoding=UTF-8
     Name=Xfce4     Name=Xfce4
-    Comment=Use this session to run Xfce 4.4 as your desktop environment+    Comment=Use this session to run Xfce4 as your desktop environment
     Exec=/usr/local/bin/startxfce4     Exec=/usr/local/bin/startxfce4
     Icon=/usr/local/share/pixmaps/xfce4_xicon1.png     Icon=/usr/local/share/pixmaps/xfce4_xicon1.png
     Type=Application     Type=Application
  
-It is usually enough to simply copy the example file to the Session directory used by gdm; this directory is usually located in /etc/dm/Sessions, /etc/X11/gdm/Sessions, /usr/share/xsessions, /usr/X11/share/gnome/xsessions or some other location, refer to the documentation of your system for details. You need to restart gdm after you created the file.+It is usually sufficient to copy the example file to the session directory used by gdm. This directory is usually located in ''/etc/gdm/'', ''/etc/gdm3'', ''/etc/X11/gdm/Sessions'', ''/usr/share/xsessions'', ''/usr/X11/share/gnome/xsessions''. Consult your specific distribution documentation for details. ''gdm'' will need to be restarted after the ''.desktop'' file has been created.
  
 ---- ----
  
-=== KDM  === +===== SDDM  =====
-If you installed Xfce system-wide and you want to use the KDE Display Manager (kdm) to start your Xfce session, you will have to create a .desktop file to teach kdm how to start the Xfce session.+
  
-First you need to find where kdm searches for its .desktop files: +[[https://github.com/sddm/sddm|Simple Desktop Display Manager]] (SDDM) is the successor and replacement of the KDE Display Manager(KDM). 
-    locate kde.desktop + 
-Common locations are /usr/share/apps/kdm/sessions or /usr/local/share/kdm/sessions. Once you found the kdm session directory, you need to create a new file Xfce.desktop with the following:+> Features: 
 +>  - Supports X11 and Wayland 
 +>  - Autologin 
 +>  - Modern and prettified look 
 +>  - DPI settings (HiDPI) 
 +>  - Highly customizable 
 +>  - Qt-based 
 + 
 +The default configuration file for SDDM can be found at ''/usr/lib/sddm/sddm.conf.d/default.conf'' or ''/etc/sddm.conf''. 
 + 
 +    [...] 
 +    [Autologin] 
 +    User=<USERNAME> 
 +    Session=Xfce.desktop 
 +    Relogin=false 
 + 
 +If you installed Xfce system-wide and you want to use the SDDM to start your Xfce session, you will have to create a ''.desktop'' file to configure SDDM to start the Xfce session. 
 + 
 +Common locations are ''/etc/sddm.conf''. Once you found the SDDM session directory, create a new file named ''Xfce.desktop'' with the following information:
  
     [Desktop Entry]     [Desktop Entry]
     Encoding=UTF-8     Encoding=UTF-8
-    Type=XSession 
-    Exec=/usr/local/bin/startxfce4 
-    TryExec=/usr/local/bin/startxfce4 
     Name=Xfce4     Name=Xfce4
-    Comment=The Xfce4 Desktop Environment +    Comment=Use this session to run Xfce4 as your desktop environment 
 +    TryExec=/usr/local/bin/startxfce4  
 +    Exec=/usr/local/bin/startxfce4 
 +    Icon=/usr/local/share/pixmaps/xfce4_xicon1.png 
 +    Type=XSession
  
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 ---- ----
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