On Sun, Jun 28, 2020 at 04:44:46PM -0400, Jude DaShiell wrote: > If I run a gui, I prefer to be logged in before that gui starts up. > Probably systemctl disable lightdm as root then editing startx such that > the last line runs mate gets something like this done.
That's rather heavy-handed. startx runs the user's ~/.xsession or, if no such file exists, the user's ~/.xinitrc or, if no such file exists, the system-wide /etc/X11/Xsession script. The Debian /etc/X11/Xsession script runs the desktop environment or window manager that was selected via the Debian "alternatives" system, by checking for /usr/bin/x-session-manager or /usr/bin/x-window-manager. Both of which are configured via update-alternatives. A typical user running "startx" will either rely on the alternatives system to decide what programs to run for the X session, or will write a ~/.xsession file to take full control. Editing startx itself is not a common choice, and I wouldn't recommend it -- if for no other reason than simply because your edits will be lost when the package is updated.
