[tutorial] installing SLiM

[tutorial] installing SLiM - GNU/Linux

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	jobss Offline \| 24-10-2013, 01:32 PM \| #1

SLiM stands for Simple Login Manager.

What a login manager does is lets you login in graphically without typing startx.

# Installing

Its very simple to install SLiM on Arch, just execute:

Code:
Sudo pacman -S slim

If you are not using Arch, it is still easy to install SLiM. If you're using Ubutu/Debian just execute:

Code:
sudo apt-get install slim

Now to enable it we are going to use system controls.

Code:
sudo systemctl enable slim

Now reboot

Upon reboot you will be automatically presented with SLiM.

# Cool Things

To reboot straight from the login screen, in the login field type "reboot" and enter your password and it will reboot the system.

You can also shutdown the computer through SLiM by typing "halt" in the user name field and enter your password.

# Auto Login

To configure SLiM to login automatically we just have to edit the slim.conf file.

Code:
/etc/slim.conf

Open up your favorite text editor, in this example I will be using vim. Make sure to edit the file under Sudo privileges.

Code:
sudo vim /etc/slim.conf

About 9 commented lines up from the bottom of the file, a line says

Code:
"default user, leave blank or remove this line for avoid preloading the username."

Uncomment the line

Code:
"#default_user  simone"

and replace simone with your username. Also down the way uncomment

Code:
auto_login

and replace the "no" with "yes" save and quit and reboot.

It will now autologin yourself to your dekstop.

# Installing themes

* Note themes will not work if you have auto login enabled

Code:
Sudo pacman -S slim-themes archlinux-themes-slim

One can also download themes off of the internet and place them in to /usr/share/slim/themes.

# Viewing Themes

ls into usr/share/slim/themes:

Code:
ls usr/share/slim/themes

And it will show all of the SLiM themes available to use. To use the theme of your preference just edit your slim.conf file, which is under /etc/slim.conf.

Down towards the bottom a line will say:

Code:
current_theme  default

change that "default" to your desired theme, I will use lake.

Code:
current_theme  lake

Save the file and reboot, the plain default theme will now be replaced with the theme you chose.

# Previewing Themes

Now say, you would rather look at the theme before editing the .conf file, to make sure you really love it. To do this execute:

Code:
slim -p /usr/share/slim/themes/lake

( replace "lake" with whatever theme you want to preview )

To stop previewing the theme type "exit" in the login field and you will be back to your desktop. To use the theme you like edit your /etc/slim.conf file.

The world is quaking from our Linux Thoughts!

	earsplit Offline \| 25-10-2013, 01:58 AM \| #2

They just changed it to read from *.desktop files in /usr/share/xsessions/. Broke my login the bastards.

	ne0phyte Offline \| 27-10-2013, 07:34 PM \| #3

(25-10-2013, 01:58 AM)earsplit Wrote: They just changed it to read from *.desktop files in /usr/share/xsessions/. Broke my login the bastards.

I still had an older version of the source and since I'm lazy I just compiled and installed that instead of switching to *.desktop files :D

	jobss Offline \| 28-10-2013, 10:55 AM \| #4

(27-10-2013, 07:34 PM)ne0phyte Wrote:
(25-10-2013, 01:58 AM)earsplit Wrote: They just changed it to read from *.desktop files in /usr/share/xsessions/. Broke my login the bastards.
I still had an older version of the source and since I'm lazy I just compiled and installed that instead of switching to *.desktop files :D

I don't prefer the new *.desktop either. It's easier in the older version.

The world is quaking from our Linux Thoughts!

	ne0phyte Offline \| 28-10-2013, 03:11 PM \| #5

Apart from being able to use another login manager there isn't really any advantage. Having everything in .xinitrc and slim.conf was much easier.

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