Re: [gentoo-dev] [RFC] Refactor display manager openrc init scripts to independent package

[Joonas Niilola]

On 10/10/20 1:57 PM, Aisha Tammy wrote:
> Hi all,
>   This change is for OpenRC init scripts only.
>   Currently the way our display managers are started, is by using the
> xdm init script present in the xorg-base/xorg-server package, with its
> script
> dependencies spread across four other packages, without any logical
> separation.
> This makes it so that every display manager needs the whole xorg-server
> package even if just for the init scripts.
> There are bugs open about this for a while to refactor the scripts out
> from
> xorg-server and into their own independent package, to make them easier
> to manage and modify
> - https://bugs.gentoo.org/730644
> - https://bugs.gentoo.org/356915
> The change is not just for the sake of closing bugs either.
> Given the recent number of huge additions in wayland, it is now possible
> to have a Xorg-free setup starting from the display manager.
> There are wayland-only display-managers available in gentoo
> - gui-apps/gtkgreet
> - gui-apps/tuigreet
>
> It should now be possible to start these display managers using openrc
> without pulling in Xorg.
>
> The changes are currently being worked on in the PR at
> https://github.com/gentoo/gentoo/pull/16554

+1 to separating xdm from xorg-server.


>
> Changes
>  - xdm init.d is replaced by display-manager init.d script

Why this rename? I can't find a reason for that.


>  - Configuration of display-manager is done similar to xdm by modifying
>     /etc/conf.d/display-manager
>  - Add display-manager to default runlevel and it should start working

My counter-proposal at this point would be to handle DMs similarily to
how it's done with systemd. In other words, every DM would provide their
own init and conf files (or, "service" files) and they'd be controlled
like that. I really see no point in renaming xdm to display-manager. xdm
to gdm, xdm to lightdm etc causes at least the same amount of confusion
and hassle, but would at least match the other init system. Then
swapping between openrc and systemd would be one step less difficult.

I have both openrc and systemd systems installed, and find the systemd
way a lot cleaner in this regard. What would other people think?

-- juippis


>
> Other changes, less relevant to everyday users
>  - boot parameter nox has been replaced by nogui
>  - usage of /etc/.nox has been removed in favor of /run/.nogui as the
> boot
>     parameter is a better controller
>
> Cheers,
> Aisha
>