#7768 HIGH 8.2.0 (: Alternate linux desktop capability

[Zarro Boogs per Child]

#7768: Alternate linux desktop capability
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------
   Reporter:  kimquirk      |       Owner:                      
       Type:  enhancement   |      Status:  new                 
   Priority:  high          |   Milestone:  8.2.0 (was Update.2)
  Component:  not assigned  |     Version:  not specified       
 Resolution:                |    Keywords:                      
Next_action:  never set     |    Verified:  0                   
  Blockedby:                |    Blocking:                      
----------------------------+-----------------------------------------------

Comment(by hhardy):

 It is possible to set up X as an activity by doing:

 (From root terminal):

 # yum install xorg-x11-server-Xephyr blackbox xterm

 then using a non-privileged terminal (olpc user terminal activity)

 Make a file in the olpc home directory (/home/olpc) called xephyr.xinitrc
 with the following content:

 exec /usr/bin/blackbox

 Then create the following file in /home/olpc/startx:

 #!/bin/bash
 xinit ~/.xephyr.xinitrc -- /usr/binXephyr : 1 -dpi 200 -ac -screen
 1200x900

 Now you can start an X windows desktop as an activity from an olpc term
 session by typing "startx" <return>

 This will display inside sugar as an activity with a "grey dot" icon.

 From inside the the x session you can use the right click dropdown to
 start an xterm and start any activities using (for instance) xterm& to
 start another xterm. You would need to install firefox if you want that as
 an option under X:

 # yum install firefox

 This requires a few mb of extra memory only for both the new packages +
 the running processes, Xephyr and blackbox are very lightweight.

 This will allow any well-behaved x program to be run, inlcuding terminal,
 firefox and a file system manager such as mc. There is no need to start or
 stop sugar, and you can switch back and forth from X using the sugar
 interface.

 olpc     1581  0.0  0.3   3016   772 pts/0    S+   16:13   0:00 xinit
 /home/olpc/xephyr.xinitrc -- /usr/bin/Xephyr :1 -dpi 200 -ac -screen
 1200x900
 olpc     1582  0.5  3.3  15672  7880 pts/0    S    16:13   0:14
 /usr/bin/Xephyr :1 -dpi 200 -ac -screen 1200x900
 olpc     1585  0.0  1.6  10712  3888 ?        Ss   16:13   0:01
 /usr/bin/blackbox

 The above is based on:
 http://www.hackszine.com/blog/archive/2007/12/run_a_nested_x11_desktop_on_th.html

 Tested on 2230, works!

 --HH.

-- 
Ticket URL: <http://dev.laptop.org/ticket/7768#comment:8>
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