trouble getting x11 xdm to work

[Lowell Gilbert]

Fbsd1 <fbsd1 at a1poweruser.com> writes:

> My /etc/ttys looks like this
>
>  ttyv6   "/usr/libexec/getty Pc"         cons25  on  secure
>  ttyv7   "/usr/libexec/getty Pc"         cons25  on  secure
>  #ttyv8  "/usr/local/bin/xdm -nodaemon"  xterm   off secure
>  #ttyv8   "/usr/local/bin/xdm -nodaemon"  xterm   on  secure
>
> The "init: getty repeating too quickly on port /dev/ttyv8" msg has stopped.

Right.  Because you're no longer trying to run a getty on that port.

> When I start xdm from root command line nothing happens. NO error log
> msgs, nothing. 

Does it return to the command prompt?  Respond with "xdm: not found"?
Just hang there?  What *does* it do?

>                F1 thru F12 just issue the freebsd console logon
> prompt.

Really?  The standard /etc/ttys file doesn't include  entries for
ttyv9-ttyv12.  That means F9-F12 shouldn't let you change to them.  Are
you sure that you can really change to them, or is it possible that
you're still looking at ttyv7 without knowing it?

> My understanding is when /etc/ttys contains this statement
>
> ttyv8   "/usr/local/bin/xdm -nodaemon"  xterm   on  secure
>
> followed by a kill -HUP 1 command to reread tyys file the following
> should happen.
>
> F1 thru F8 virtual consoles work as normal (ie: freebsd console logon
> prompt). F9 thru F12 virtual consoles will show the xdm logon screen.

No.  F1 through F7 virtual consoles will be regular consoles, and F8
will be the xdm login screen.

> To make xdm the system default logon method have to add
> xdm_enable="YES" to /etc/rc.conf and reboot. Then only the xdm logon
> screen will be seen on all virtual consoles F1 thru F12. A
> ctrl+alt+backspace key sequence is the only way to force a return to
> the freebsd console logon prompt for the Fx virtual console being
> used.

No.  Not unless you've written your own script to handle the xdm_enable
variable, which doesn't seem to exist anywhere else in the system.
Unless you've written the script for it as well, I wouldn't expect it to
work.