Arch Linux Installer Update Allows More Control Over Parallel Downloads, Ly

[phoronix]

Phoronix: Arch Linux Installer Update Allows More Control Over Parallel Downloads, Ly

Archinstall 2.6.1 was released today as the newest version of this Arch Linux text-based OS installer, ahead of next month's October Arch Linux ISO refresh...

https://www.phoronix.com/news/Archinstall-2.6.1-Released

[Eirikr1848]

Haven’t heard of Ly until now… it’s so beautiful!!! I’m more excited about trying that than Archinstall even though Archinstall was the point of the article! 😂

[reba]

Okay, could somebody please ELI5 what a display manager is necessary for? Why does it exist? Is this some kind of relict from the X times, where the display manager starts the X server, then logs the user in to the window manager like Plasma, etc., so upon logout the same X server could keep on running until the display manager closes and the machine turns off?

[archkde]

Okay, could somebody please ELI5 what a display manager is necessary for? Why does it exist? Is this some kind of relict from the X times, where the display manager starts the X server, then logs the user in to the window manager like Plasma, etc., so upon logout the same X server could keep on running until the display manager closes and the machine turns off?

A display manager exists so that you can just enter your password and start a graphical session directly, without having to type in some arcane command first.

[kpedersen]

Okay, could somebody please ELI5 what a display manager is necessary for? Why does it exist? Is this some kind of relict from the X times, where the display manager starts the X server, then logs the user in to the window manager like Plasma, etc., so upon logout the same X server could keep on running until the display manager closes and the machine turns off?

For security, you don't want the users to be able to access the raw devices (/dev/video0, /dev/drm0, /dev/input etc) necessary for starting i.e Xorg, Weston. They could intercept the raw keyboard (keylogger) or the raw framebuffer (screen spying). So the display manager user with the necessary permissions has these tasks delegated to it instead.

These days I believe systemd/logind/seatd or something now sets the raw device permission only to the user at the physical machine. This is an OK compromise; if a little messy. OpenBSD does similar. This means only the physical user sat at the machine has the permissions.

[Joe2021]

A display manager exists so that you can just enter your password and start a graphical session directly, without having to type in some arcane command first.

Having an "exec sway" statement in your .profile doesn't sound to arcane to me. In fact, going this way keeps my system even slimer and leaner. To me, a display manager makes only sense when you actually have use for it's functionality, but not just for firing up e.g. sway.

It is well documented here:

[cmsigler]

Having an "exec sway" statement in your .profile doesn't sound to arcane to me.

Some oldsters like me who cut their teeth on UNIX (or VAX) workstations like to pretend we still work on such a workstation. Is that so wrong? /s

[archkde]

Having an "exec sway" statement in your .profile doesn't sound to arcane to me. In fact, going this way keeps my system even slimer and leaner. To me, a display manager makes only sense when you actually have use for it's functionality, but not just for firing up e.g. sway.

It is well documented here:

Great idea. You just broke any kind of remote login completely. And when sway breaks or is uninstalled, local login is now broken as well.

[reba]

Great idea. You just broke any kind of remote login completely. And when sway breaks or is uninstalled, local login is now broken as well.

Sooo... just log in to TTY and enter "sway" on the console?

Because that's what I do but with Plasma / labwc and that's why I am still wondering for what a display manager is for it it's just a graphical launcher with extra dependencies

[Sonadow]

Okay, could somebody please ELI5 what a display manager is necessary for? Why does it exist? Is this some kind of relict from the X times, where the display manager starts the X server, then logs the user in to the window manager like Plasma, etc., so upon logout the same X server could keep on running until the display manager closes and the machine turns off?

Gnome needs to be started from GDM in order for the lock screen / lock session function to be usable. Without it, Gnome cannot be locked.