booting into X (was: Boot and MBR (Gnome))

[Matthew Seaman]

On Fri, Feb 27, 2004 at 11:45:18AM -0500, Robert Huff wrote:
> 
> Kevin D. Kinsey, DaleCo, S.P. writes:
> 
> >  I did this just last night; this seems to do it
> >  (and I was a bad boy, just hacked it w/o looking
> >  at the docs) ....
> >  
> >  <kadmin at archangel> [/home/kadmin][10:26]
> >  #cat /etc/ttys | grep gdm
> >  ttyv0   "/usr/X11R6/bin/gdm"            cons25  on  secure
> 
> 	It is my understanding that booting into X is not encouraged.
> However, if you (generic) must do it then the ttys method is the
> wrong way to go.  Instead, add the appropriate commands at the end
> of /etc/rc.local.

Errr... I don't know where you got that idea from.  There are
circumstances where you don't want to use an X display manager, and
there are circumstances when you do.  For a home or a desktop system,
having a graphical display manager provides a much nicer user
experience, IMHO.  It is true that gdm(1) has had a history of
security problems, but I believe the latest version has had all known
problems fixed and it is as secure as anything you might use in that
circumstance.

As for starting the display manager from the RC scripts: this is all
very well right after boot up, but it doesn't always mix too well with
people logging in and out all the time.  /etc/ttys is used to make
sure {x,g,k}dm is automatically restarted once the user has logged out
-- it's exactly analogous to the way that getty(8) is used to manage
logins to tty devices.  If you want to run a display manager in daemon
mode, that's your privilege, but running out of /etc/ttys is certainly
an option -- it's documented that way for xdm and kdm, whereas gdm
docs say neither yea nor nay on the subject.  People have reported
that the ttys method works with gdm -- so long as gdm doesn't
daemonize itself and retains control of the console then everything
should be OK.

	Cheers,

	Matthew

-- 
Dr Matthew J Seaman MA, D.Phil.                       26 The Paddocks
                                                      Savill Way
PGP: http://www.infracaninophile.co.uk/pgpkey         Marlow
Tel: +44 1628 476614                                  Bucks., SL7 1TH UK
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