Alternative to x11/gnome3 ?

[Victor Sudakov]

Carl Johnson wrote:
> Victor Sudakov <vas at mpeks.tomsk.su> writes:
> 
> > tech-lists wrote:
> >> > 
> >> > What alternative to x11/gnome3 can you advise? 
> >> > 
> >> > I would like a more lightweight desktop environment, however it MUST
> >> > support switching between GUI users without logging out (like 
> >> > Ubuntu or Windows).
> >> > 
> >> > I tried Mate but it does not seem to be able to switch between users
> >> > without logging out (at least the display manager Mate comes with
> >> > cannot do that).
> >> > 
> >> > Thanks in advance for any input.
> >> > 
> >> 
> >> I use xdm with xfce4 for this.
> >
> > Could you please tell more about it. What packages you had to install
> > besides x11/xfce, how you configured xdm and xfce4 to support user
> > switching, how you start xfce4.
> 
> I haven't used it, but XFCE does have a 'switch user' button for the
> panel.

Yes, it does, but the button is grey and cannot be used.

> It is part of the 'action buttons' panel addon, but appears to
> be part of the basic install. Those action buttons also include things
> like lock screen, suspend, hibernate, etc.  Let me know if you need more
> information.

Yes, I need more information please. In my setup, the 'switch user'
button is grey (inactive). How do I make it actually work? How is it
even *supposed* to work?

xdm per se certainly does not do "user switching" in the sense Windows
or Ubuntu allow it (with the disconnected user's X-clients still running
in the background).

-- 
Victor Sudakov,  VAS4-RIPE, VAS47-RIPN
AS43859