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I've tried to write my own (simple, but with few important features) window manager for X Window System. But after writing base (very minimal) I've got problem with testing. I have tried to test on virtual machine, but this way is uncomfortable. So, how to test window manager without login-out from current session?

drmgc
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  • (VT is virtual termianl?) I cannot to run two X-servers on my machine (Is it posible?) – drmgc Dec 30 '13 at 07:58
  • Pass `vt08` to the X server, and you can use alt-ctrl-F8 to switch to it. – Guntram Blohm Dec 30 '13 at 08:10
  • @DrMGC it's quite possible to have multiple Xserver, can't say how because I didn't mess with that for a long time but they should be available using alt+ctrl+F8-9-10-11-12 and they will get their own specific DISPLAY. – Loïc Faure-Lacroix Dec 30 '13 at 11:08
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    I don't get why that question has been close for being to broad. The requirement is clearly stated (how to test a window manager without login out/in from the current session), the issue is obvious, there are not that much possible answers, and they don't need to be that long. – jlliagre Oct 10 '15 at 18:52

3 Answers3

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You can test your window manager in a nested X server. Xnest has been obsoleted by Xephyr so I would suggest the latter for your experiments.

jlliagre
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  • @IgnacioVazquez-Abrams I didn't because he doesn't want to. Xephyr is already an X server. The OP wants to test an X Window manager. A window manager is an X client requiring an exclusive usage of an X server but is not an X server by itself. – jlliagre Dec 31 '13 at 18:12
  • That'll teach me to not read. *punches out and goes home* – Ignacio Vazquez-Abrams Dec 31 '13 at 21:35
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Another option is to start up a vnc server on your machine and set your DISPLAY variable to point to that to run your experimental WM.

Noufal Ibrahim
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You can use Xnest (doesn't seem to be default-installed ,but it does at least have a Debian package). That allows you to run an independent X server in a window on your current display.

I have, in the past, used this to experiment with or troubleshoot window manager configurations (simply start Xnest, start your window manager pointing to the new X display and you can troubleshoot or experiment there, without risking your current session).

Vatine
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  • @IgnacioVazquez-Abrams Yes, I know it is an X server. What it "allows" (as in "makes possible") is to run one in an X windows rather than on a frame buffer. – Vatine Dec 30 '13 at 10:15