[aclug-L] X startup -- The Debian Way...

[Nate Bargmann <ka0rny@xxxxxxxxxx>]

Hello All.

I have a question for the Debian gurus on the list.  After installing
2.1 I've been customizing things here and there.  However, I've been
careful so that my changes (hopefully) don't break things in a major way
from the default (in other words I'm trying to reform the "hack it until
it works wherever it lurks" mentality wrought by Slackware...)  Here is
what I wish to do.

I would like to use xv to display an image on my root window when X
starts.  I wish to do this independently of the global /etc/X11/Xsession
script or any other global script if possible.  When reading
/etc/X11/Xsession I find that it looks for ~/.xsession, however, if I
create that file then the golbal file is ignored and not executed (as
expected).  If I copy /etc/X11/Xsession to ~/.xsession my window manager
won't start and X hangs at the gray background screen.

Is there a method I'm missing to put a user's startup programs in the ~
directory without disturbing the Xsession global file or Debian's
window-manager menu system?  Or will I need to muck around in Xsession
and check for and include a file in ~ (if it exists) that executes those
commands before the window manager is started?

I really want to do a minimum amount of global customization to this
system so something doesn't break in the future by some obscure config
file I forgot to backup being replaced by a package upgrade.

Thanks,

- Nate >>

P.S. A link to the pertinent Debian document will be fine too.  I've
been reading, but haven't found much on the Debian philosophy toward X
configuration.

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