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Displaymanagers, revisited.

The original topic about Displaymanagers dated 23 September 2020, 20:22:13 might be marked as solved while it was not.

If you install from a base-iso, homedir gets created by adding -m to useradd.
Everyting will be honky dory : you can login and even start anything-X from xinitrc.

If you add a DM however there will be problems.
The reason for this is the missing subdirs in the homedir.
The easiest way out is to make a directory called Desktop in the homedir and you are done.
Using mkhomedir_helper might help but not with this problem it doesn't.

The best way to solve is to install a packet called xdg-user-dirs.

Its use is documented here >https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/XDG_user_directories<.
(I don't do hyperlinks, html-mail, "I knew that", "expected behaviour" ea.

Re: Displaymanagers, revisited.

Reply #1 –
I'm not sure I understand. What do you mean by "there will be problems"? Which Display Managers should have a dependency on xdg-user-dirs?

Re: Displaymanagers, revisited.

Reply #2 –
Nowhere do I state that there is a dependency on xdg-user-dirs.

DM, at least lightdm and slim, needs a Desktop-directory in the home-dirertory.
If this is not present the DM will only present a blinking cursor.

Installing xdg-user-dirs and running it before installing xorg/DE/DM will avoid any problems.


Re: Displaymanagers, revisited.

Reply #3 –
I’ve never had issue with sddm. Just install it and init script and that was it for me

Re: Displaymanagers, revisited.

Reply #4 –
Quote from: missedrx – on
Nowhere do I state that there is a dependency on xdg-user-dirs.

DM, at least lightdm and slim, needs a Desktop-directory in the home-dirertory.
If this is not present the DM will only present a blinking cursor.

Installing xdg-user-dirs and running it before installing xorg/DE/DM will avoid any problems.


I deleted my ~/Desktop directory and launched lightdm with the init script and it worked as expected. I'm unsure why a DM would need the ~/Desktop directory or why installing xdg-user-dirs would fix your issue.