Beyond Linux® From Scratch - Version 2012-05-20

Chapter 30. GNOME Core Packages

GDM-3.4.1

Introduction to GDM

GDM is a system service that is responsible for providing graphical logins and managing local and remote displays.

This package is known to build and work properly using an LFS-7.0 platform.

Package Information

Additional Downloads

GDM Dependencies

Required

AccountsService-0.6.20, dconf-0.12.1, gnome-doc-utils-0.20.10, Gtk+-3.4.3, libcanberra-0.28, Linux-PAM-1.1.5 and NSS-3.13.4

Required (runtime)

gnome-session-3.4.2 and either gnome-shell-3.4.1 or gnome-panel-3.4.2 and Metacity-2.34.3 (for the Greeter Window Manager).

Recommended

ConsoleKit-0.4.5 (Required for Shutdown/Restart functionality), gobject-introspection-1.32.1, libxklavier-5.2.1, Rarian-0.8.1 and UPower-0.9.16

Optional

check-0.9.8 (required to run the testsuite) and TCP Wrappers-7.6

User Notes: http://wiki.linuxfromscratch.org/blfs/wiki/gdm

Installation of GDM

It is recommended to have a dedicated user and group to take control of the gdm daemon after it is started. Issue the following commands as the root user: 

groupadd -fg 21 gdm &&
useradd -c "GDM Daemon Owner" -d /var/lib/gdm -u 21 \
        -g gdm -s /bin/false gdm

Install GDM by running the following commands: 

patch -Np1 -i ../gdm-3.4.1-vt-allocation-hack-1.patch &&
patch -Np1 -i ../gdm-3.4.1-blfs-patch-1.patch &&
./configure --prefix=/usr \
            --sysconfdir=/etc \
            --localstatedir=/var \
            --libexecdir=/usr/lib/gdm \
            --with-at-spi-registryd-directory=/usr/lib/at-spi2-core \
            --disable-static &&
make

If you have installed check-0.9.8 and you wish to run the testsuite, issue: make check.

Now, as the root user: 

make install &&
chown -R -v gdm:gdm /var/lib/gdm /var/cache/gdm /var/log/gdm

Command Explanations

--libexecdir=/usr/lib/gdm: This parameter is used so that the GDM internal support programs are installed in the preferred location of /usr/lib/gdm instead of /usr/libexec.

--disable-static: This switch prevents installation of static versions of the libraries.

--disable-scrollkeeper: Use this parameter if you have installed Rarian but wish to disable the updates to the Scrollkeeper database.

Configuring GDM

Config Files

/etc/gdm/custom.conf

Configuration Information

The GDM daemon is configured using the /etc/gdm/custom.conf file. Default values are stored in GConf in the gdm.schemas file. It is recommended that end-users modify the /etc/gdm/custom.conf file because the schemas file may be overwritten when the user updates their system to have a newer version of GDM.

[Important]

Important

If the system-wide D-BUS daemon was running during the installation of gdm, ensure you stop and restart the D-BUS daemon before attempting to start gdm.

gdm can be tested by executing it as the root user. If you wish to stop it you will need to go to a different tty and then kill it.

Boot Script

To start a graphical login when the system is booted, install the /etc/rc.d/init.d/gdm init script included in the blfs-bootscripts-201205011 package. 

make install-gdm

Now edit /etc/inittab with the following commands. 

sed -i 's/id:3:initdefault:/id:5:initdefault:/' \
    /etc/inittab

Contents

Installed Programs: gdm, gdmflexiserver and gdm-screenshot
Installed Libraries: libgdmgreeter.so and libgdmsimplegreeter.so
Installed Directories: /etc/dconf/db/gdm.d, /etc/gdm, /usr/include/gdm, /usr/lib/gdm, /usr/share/gdm, /usr/share/gnome/help/gdm, /usr/share/omf/gdm and /var/{cache,lib,log,run}/gdm

Short Descriptions

gdm

is the GNOME based login prompt.

gdmflexiserver

is the flexi server mechanism which allows to run GDM sessions on demand in a new virtual console.

gdm-screenshot

is a screenshot tool.

Last updated on 2012-05-16 16:39:28 +0000