On Fri 02 Jul 2021 at 11:14:22 (-0400), The Wanderer wrote: > What package, or packages, set(s) up the x-window-manager alternative > and define(s) symlinks for it? > > I'm building a new computer, and setting up my (Debian-based) preferred > configuration on it, and I've just discovered that there is no > x-window-manager alternative defined; as a result, running startx > results in invoking x-terminal-emulator instead, which brings up X in a > very '80s-looking display and launches a single xterm. > > I could certainly just create the appropriate alternatives group myself, > based on what's already in place on the system I'm preparing to replace > with this new one, but I'd rather do this the right way unless there's > no clear viable alternative. However, I haven't so far managed to > identify what the Debian-native "right way" to get this set up is; on > all the previous computers I remember building, once I installed the > usual collection of make-X-available packages - specifically, that I > remember, xinit (for startx) and xserver-xorg - this is one detail that > Just Worked. > > I'm guessing that installing any of the various packages which have > "Provides: x-window-manager" might do it, but the computer I'm preparing > to replace doesn't have any of those installed, and still has the > x-window-manager alternative. (I run a WM which I compile and install > locally, rather than via a Debian package.) > > If I recall correctly, one of those packages probably *was* installed at > some early point in the original installation of the being-replaced > computer (now nearly a decade ago), so it's possible that installing it > set up the alternatives group and then I just reconfigured that group to > my preferred target, so removing the package didn't result in removing > the group... in which case installing one such package temporarily > should get things working, but it might make more sense to just create > the alternatives group by hand.
Perhaps either install something simple enough to uninstall, like fvwm, or download the same and follow the postinst script. Basically, installing a window manager installs the alternatives scheme. Cheers, David.