[CentOS] Running another gnome or kde on virtual console

[Mark Belanger]

ijez wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> I'm still new in linux world and CentOS is my 2nd linux desktop I ever used ( have used it for month now, before using Ubuntu for 2 days ), so please gave me a little favor on it :)
> 
> What I need to do is to have my virtual console that can also run gnome or kde, so I can have different windows on different virtual console. After googling, I found the qingy that just fit for my need.
> 
> I try to install qingy ( http://qingy.sourceforge.net ) on my desktop by following the manual at qingy site with no luck :( after googling for the more installations howto, I found that most of it is for gentoo linux.. does anybody here with success story of it want to share info on installing it?
> 
> I have install directfb as required by qingy but when I run fbset, I got error about /dev/fb0 can't opening.. if I follow the manual on qingy site, it's should list the display mode.. anybody can brief me what the error is all about and how I could create the /dev/fb0 file?
> 


This can be done without any additional software.  The Xnest solution
already posted will work as advertised.

Xnest is attached to the X server running on :0.  An alternative is
to run another X server on :1 (or :2, :3, etc)

To start gnome on :1 -
   1. Hit ctrl-alt-F2 to get to virtual console 2
   2. Run xinit /usr/bin/gnome-session -- :1
   3. Use ctrl-alt-F7 to get to :0 and ctrl-alt-F8 to get to :1 , etc

To start kde on :1 :  1
. Hit ctrl-alt-F2 to get to virtual console 2
   2. Run xinit /usr/bin/startkde -- :1
   3. Use ctrl-alt-F7 to get to :0 and ctrl-alt-F8 to get to :1 , etc

I can't say whether this solution is preferable to the Xnest
solution or not.  I guess one advantage would be that each
desktop is more isolated since they are not ultimately sharing
the same X server.  I'd be interested if anyone has thoughts
about why one is better than the other.

-Mark