lightXDM

A lightweight, display-manager-free desktop environment for minimalists, Arch Linux users, and those who prefer startx over SDDM/LightDM.

Purpose & Target Users

• Minimal RAM/boot time: No display manager, no bloat, just your DE.
• Auto-login & Keyring auto-unlock: Seamless session start and secrets management for KDE Plasma, GNOME, and XFCE, LXQt, LXDE, MATE, Cinnamon, Budgie, and i3.
• Full Polkit & PAM integration: USB automount, power actions, and secure authentication.
• Systemd compatible: Works on Arch Linux and derivatives.

Target users:

• Minimalists
• Arch Linux users
• Display manager haters
• Tinkerers who want full control

Why not SDDM/LightDM?

• No extra daemons or RAM usage
• Faster boot (no DM startup delay)
• Simpler troubleshooting (all config in dotfiles)
• No graphical login: boots to TTY1, and your DE auto-starts after login—no need to run startx manually

Quick Install (Arch Linux)

# Clone and run the installer
cd ~
git clone https://github.com/eserlxl/lightXDM.git
cd lightXDM
bash install.sh

Important:

• Do NOT run install.sh as root or with sudo. Run it as your regular user. The script will use sudo internally when needed.
• Your user must be in the wheel group and have working sudo privileges. If not, see the error messages for instructions on how to add your user to the wheel group and configure sudo.
• If you run sudo bash install.sh or run as root, the script will exit with an error.

• Detects your installed DE (Plasma, GNOME, XFCE, LXQt, LXDE, MATE, Cinnamon, Budgie, or i3).
• If no DE is found, it prompts you to choose one to install.
• Installs the minimal required packages for your chosen DE, including the correct polkit agent:
  • polkit-kde-agent for KDE Plasma
  • lxqt-policykit for LXQt
  • polkit-gnome for all other supported DEs.
• Copies dotfiles to your home, including the correct .xinitrc-<de> for your DE.
• Configures PAM for KWallet (Plasma) or GNOME Keyring (GNOME) auto-unlock.
• Configures Polkit for passwordless USB/power actions.
• Your DE will start automatically on TTY1 after login—no need to run 'startx'.

Features

lightXDM has recently expanded to support many desktop environments and improved its installation workflow:

Multi-Desktop Environment Support

• Automatic Detection: The installer detects if KDE Plasma, GNOME, XFCE, LXQt, LXDE, MATE, Cinnamon, Budgie, or i3 is already installed.
• User Choice: If no supported DE is found, the installer prompts you to select and install one (KDE Plasma, GNOME, XFCE, LXQt, LXDE, MATE, Cinnamon, Budgie, or i3).
• Minimal Install: Only the essential packages for your chosen DE are installed, including the correct polkit agent (polkit-kde-agent for Plasma, lxqt-policykit for LXQt, polkit-gnome for all others), keeping the system lightweight.
• Dotfiles: The correct .xinitrc-<de> and .bash_profile are copied for your DE, ensuring seamless auto-login and session start.

Display Manager Independence

• No Display Manager Needed: The script disables any installed display managers (SDDM, LightDM, GDM, LXDM) to ensure a pure TTY+startx workflow.
• Auto-Start on TTY1: After login on TTY1, your desktop environment starts automatically—no need to run startx manually.

System Integration

• Polkit & PAM: The installer configures Polkit rules for passwordless actions (for wheel group) and patches PAM for KWallet (Plasma) or GNOME Keyring (GNOME) auto-unlock.
• GPG Agent Integration: Seamlessly integrates gpg-agent with KWallet (for Plasma) or GNOME Keyring (for other DEs) for secure, passwordless GPG and SSH operations.
• Documentation: See the docs/ directory for technical details on KWallet auto-unlock, Polkit integration, and autologin setup.

Feature Overview

Feature	Status
KDE Plasma support	auto-detect/install, KWallet, polkit-kde-agent, dotfiles
GNOME support	auto-detect/install, GNOME Keyring, polkit-gnome, dotfiles
XFCE support	auto-detect/install, polkit-gnome, dotfiles
LXQt support	auto-detect/install, lxqt-policykit, dotfiles
LXDE support	auto-detect/install, polkit-gnome, dotfiles
MATE support	auto-detect/install, polkit-gnome, dotfiles
Cinnamon support	auto-detect/install, polkit-gnome, dotfiles
Budgie support	auto-detect/install, polkit-gnome, dotfiles
i3 support	auto-detect/install, polkit-gnome, dotfiles
No DE installed	Prompts user, installs selected DE
Display manager free	disables SDDM, LightDM, GDM, LXDM
Auto-login/startx on TTY1	via .bash_profile and .xinitrc-*
Polkit integration	secure rules for wheel group, correct agent for each DE
PAM integration	patches for KWallet/GNOME Keyring
GPG Agent Integration	via ~/.gpg-agent-kwallet for Plasma or ~/.gpg-agent-gnome for other DEs
Documentation	README.md, docs/

---

See docs/ for technical details and customization tips.

Project Structure

lightXDM/
├── README.md
├── install.sh
├── dotfiles/
│   ├── .gpg-agent-gnome
│   ├── .gpg-agent-kwallet
│   ├── .xinitrc-plasma
│   ├── .xinitrc-gnome
│   ├── .xinitrc-xfce
│   ├── .xinitrc-lxqt
│   ├── .xinitrc-lxde
│   ├── .xinitrc-mate
│   ├── .xinitrc-cinnamon
│   ├── .xinitrc-budgie
│   ├── .xinitrc-i3
│   └── .bash_profile
├── pam/
│   ├── login-pam-kwallet.patch
│   └── login-pam-gnome-keyring.patch
├── polkit/
│   └── 49-nopasswd.rules
├── docs/
│   ├── gpg-agent.md
│   ├── kwallet-autounlock.md
│   ├── polkit-support.md
│   └── startx-autologin.md
└── LICENSE