mydm(1) General Commands Manual mydm(1)

mydm - display manager replacement in TTY

mydm

mydm is a simple "display manager". It isn't true DM though. It must be spawned separately when you login. Once mydm runs, users can interactively select a session script which will be directly executed.

The simplest way to automatically spawn mydm is to source mydm_start file in your login scripts. Depending on your shell this might be for example:

•.profile for sh
•.bashprofile_ for bash
•.zprofile for zsh
•config.fish for fish

..and so on. For example:

# .profile
if [ -e "$HOME/.local/share/mydm/mydm_start" ]; then


    MYDM_DEFAULT_SESSION=sway


    export MYDM_DEFAULT_SESSION


    source "$HOME/.local/share/mydm/mydm_start"
fi

Fish shell:

if test -e "$HOME/.local/share/mydm/mydm_start.fish"


    source "$HOME/.local/share/mydm/mydm_start.fish"
end
Once started, mydm tries to find executable scripts inside
_$MYDM_SESSION_DIR_, then presents them to the user. Selected script is
then executed. See *mydm*(5) for additional information regarding session
scripts and their examples.
mydm doesn't do anything else. It doesn't source any files. Doesn't start
anything besides the chosen script. It is a glorious wrapper around Bash select
loop.
# CONFIGURATION
There are few environment variables which can be used to fine-tune mydm:
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*MYDM_SESSION_DIR*
	a directory which mydm uses to discover start scripts. Default:
	_$HOME/.local/share/mydm-sessions_.
*MYDM_DEFAULT_SESSION*
	default session which will be automatically executed once mydm is started.
*MYDM_TTY*
	TTY on which mydm will be automatically started when sourcing _mydm_start_
	file. Default: _/dev/tty1_.
*MYDM_SPAWNED*
	mydm will refuse to start if this variable will be set inside its
	environment.
*MYDM_CURRENT_SESSION*
	name of the executed script, exported automatically by mydm. This allows a
	dynamic configuration with a single, central session script, which bases on
	its name.
# SEE ALSO
*mydm*(5)
# AUTHORS
Michał Góral <dev@goral.net.pl>
Source code: https://git.goral.net.pl/mydm.git
2026-01-07