From kde-core-devel  Tue Oct 11 19:06:13 2011
From: Alexander Neundorf <neundorf () kde ! org>
Date: Tue, 11 Oct 2011 19:06:13 +0000
To: kde-core-devel
Subject: Re: Security Audit Request for Screenlocker Branch
Message-Id: <201110112106.13331.neundorf () kde ! org>
X-MARC-Message: https://marc.info/?l=kde-core-devel&m=131836013617657

On Tuesday 11 October 2011, Martin Gräßlin wrote:
> On Tuesday 11 October 2011 16:06:11 Andras Mantia wrote:
> > From here:
> > "If KWin crashes without restarting privacy is leaked but the system is
> > hardly useable due to missing window manager. This situation can savely
> > be ignored as a corner case as KWin normaly restart."
> > 
> > This is not true, the system can be used without a window manager and if
> > you happen to have a running terminal or start one, it is possible to
> > start a new window manager (which might not be kwin) and access
> > everything.
> 
> yes if you have a terminal open and if it is the top most of stacking order
> it is possible to start another window manager. If that is not the case
> you are not able to start anything as KRunner or kickoff cannot be opened.

You can also switch to a text-mode console (Ctrl+F1 etc), set DISPLAY, and 
start the window manager there.

Alex