Rudolf, Thanks for your explanation. However, I still think there is a flaw in the "design". For example, if I want to start tomcat automatically at bootup, I need JAVA_HOME and CATALINA_HOME set. Same with hsqldb - it need a HSQLDB_HOME environment variable set. Netbeans also needs JAVA_HOME and NETBEANS_HOME. So, does this mean I have to give up on gdm and type startx at a command prompt to get these environment variables set? Seems crazy to me! I guess I could put them in some global "X" file (not sure which one - any suggestions?), but then I have to maintain my environment variables in two places. This also seems crazy. Is there a global "X" file where I can place ". /etc/profile", so at least I am only maintaining my environment variables in one place? Again, I am probably missing the real picture on this topic. I feel like one of the blind men who describes the elephant as a snake whereas the Linux gurus know an elephant is really shaped like a tree! Mark Rudolfo Munguia wrote: >I don't believe that you are missing anything, it is just that certain >things haven't been explained correctly. > >When you start a Terminal or Console it needs certain values set to be >able to behave the way you require and those values are set using >{.profile, .bash_profile, .cshrc, .sh, .bashrc, /etc/profile, etc.}. > >When you start X it normally begins in it's own sh environment and is >devoid of any environment variables unless they are specified in the >global or local {.xsession, .xinitrc, .Xresources, >/etc/X11/(xdm/gdm)/.xinit, etc.} > >So in your previous statement where you see that your Window Manager >has no environment variables set, but your terminal/console windows >do, it is operating as designed. > >A word of caution, when setting environment variables globally for X, >you also allow anyone who may exploit your box access to those same >environment variables - possibly making it even easier for intruders >to abuse your computer. > >On Sun, 19 Dec 2004 08:26:04 -0700, Mark Phillips > wrote: > > >> Jeremy, >> >> Thanks again for your response. I am still missing something. >> >> My /home/mark/.xsession file (how strange that you know I use kde....) >> >> mark@latitude610:~$ cat .xsession >> . /etc/profile >> exec startkde >> mark@latitude610:~$ >> >> But when I try this, I still don't have my environment variables set: >> >> mark@latitude610:~$ echo $JAVA_HOME >> >> mark@latitude610:~$ >> >> However, this works in a terminal window: >> >> mark@latitude610:~$ . /etc/profile >> mark@latitude610:~$ echo $JAVA_HOME >> /usr/local/lib/jdk >> mark@latitude610:~$ >> >> What am I missing, so that the environment variables are loaded when I >>login? Is there a global place (like /etc/profile) where I can put my >>environment variables and have them available when I login? I tried >>rummaging around the gdm documentation and on the net, but I can't seem to >>find out how to do this. That surprises me, since I would think this would >>be a common problem and would have been solved already. >> >> I am also surprised that there isn't a way to do source /etc/profile in >>gdm.conf. I looked at the gdm manual >>(http://www.jirka.org/gdm-documentation/x241.html) and found this: >> ----snip---- >> BaseXsession >> BaseXsession=/gdm/Xsession >> >> This is the base X session file. When a user logs in, this script will be >>run with the selected session as the first argument. The selected session >>will be the Exec= from the .desktop file of the session. >> >> If you wish to use the same script for several different display managers, >>and wish to have some of the script run only for GDM, then you can check the >>presence of the GDMSESSION environmental variable. This will always be set >>to the basename of .desktop (without the extension) file that is being used >>for this session, and will only be set for GDM sessions. Previously some >>scripts were checking for GDM_LANG, but that is only set when the user picks >>a non-system default language. >> >> This script should take care of doing the "login" for the user and so it >>should source the /etc/profile and friends. The standard script shipped with >>GDM sources the files in this order: /etc/profile then ~/.profile then >>/etc/xprofile and finally ~/.xprofile. Note that different distributions may >>change this however. Sometimes users personal setup will be in >>~/.bash_profile, however broken that is. ----snip---- >> >> My gdm.conf has the entry BaseXsession= /etc/gdm/Xsession, and >>/etc/gdm/Xsession does exist. It seems that Debian (my distro) must change >>this process somehow since it does not source /etc/profile (see the last >>paragraph). >> >> Boy, am I confused! >> >> Thanks! >> >> >> Mark >> >> Jeremy C. Reed wrote: >> On Sat, 18 Dec 2004, Mark Phillips wrote: >> Thanks for your response....I tried the following and the environment >>variables I set up in /etc/profile are still not being read: 1. Created a >>file .xsession 2. Added these lines: . /etc/profile exec gdm Don't restart >>the display manager. The display manager will run ~/.xsession. exec startkde >># or exec blackbox # for example Jeremy C. Reed BSD News, BSD tutorials, BSD >>links http://www.bsdnewsletter.com/ >>--------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing >>list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or >>to change you mail settings: >>http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss >> >> >--------------------------------------------------- >PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us >To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: >http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss > > > --------------------------------------------------- PLUG-discuss mailing list - PLUG-discuss@lists.plug.phoenix.az.us To subscribe, unsubscribe, or to change you mail settings: http://lists.PLUG.phoenix.az.us/mailman/listinfo/plug-discuss