[CentOS] Centos 8: change desktop at display manager

Mon Jan 20 04:04:10 UTC 2020
Orion Poplawski <orion at nwra.com>

On 1/19/20 12:21 PM, Paul Johnson wrote:
> In a new install of Centos 8, I installed the xfce4 packages from EPEL.
> Here's what dnf says I have
> 
> [pauljohn32 at localhost ~]$ dnf list *xfce4*
> Last metadata expiration check: 0:25:19 ago
> Installed Packages
> libxfce4ui.x86_64
> libxfce4ui-devel.x86_64
> libxfce4util.x86_64
> libxfce4util-devel.x86_64
> xfce4-about.x86_64
> xfce4-battery-plugin.x86_64
> xfce4-panel.x86_64
> xfce4-panel-devel.x86_64
> xfce4-places-plugin.x86_64
> xfce4-screenshooter.x86_64
> xfce4-screenshooter-plugin.x86_64
> xfce4-session.x86_64
> xfce4-settings.x86_64
> xfce4-systemload-plugin.x86_64
> xfce4-terminal.x86_64
> 
> I log out and try to use XFCE4 at log in. I cannot find a way to choose
> it.  I was guessing this would be like Centos 7.  On the display manager,
> after I put in my user name, there is the little * by the password. When I
> do that, I see choices with names like
> 
> Wayland
> Classic
> X11
> 
> but I don't see XFCE4 session or similar.
> 
> I am guessing I missed an XFCE4 package from EPEL?
> 
> pj
> 
> 

What appears in that list is controlled by .desktop files dropped into 
/usr/share/xsessions.  For XFCE this is:

/usr/share/xsessions/xfce.desktop

provided by xfce4-session - which you have.  So, I'm not sure what is 
up.  Perhaps need a reboot?  I presume this is with gdm?

-- 
Orion Poplawski
Manager of NWRA Technical Systems          720-772-5637
NWRA, Boulder/CoRA Office             FAX: 303-415-9702
3380 Mitchell Lane                       orion at nwra.com
Boulder, CO 80301                 https://www.nwra.com/