How to start X server automatically?

sureshot324 · 08-19-2007, 09:24 PM

I have done a Debian minimum install, and installed xorg, gdm, and xfce. When I boot up my machine, I get a command prompt login. After I login, I type startx, and it successfully loads xserver and I get to the desktop.

How do I make it automatically start xserver and use a graphical login (GDM which I've already installed)?

ncsuapex · 08-19-2007, 10:22 PM

go to the file /etc/inittab and change id:2:initdefault to id:5:initdefault

reddazz · 08-20-2007, 01:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncsuapex

go to the file /etc/inittab and change id:2:initdefault to id:5:initdefault

That won't work on Debian and most Debian based distros because the way they configure runlevels is different to most distros.

Code:

#update-rc.d gdm defaults

That should start a GUI at boot up.

ncsuapex · 08-20-2007, 02:50 PM

^

hmm not trying to stir anything up but it's been a while since I used debian so I googled "debian and runlevel" just to be sure and found this page.

http://www.debianadmin.com/debian-an...un-levels.html

Quote:

If you wanted runlevel 3 to be the default, then you need to edit /etc/inittab.

# The default runlevel.

id:2:initdefault:

You’d change the ‘2′ to a ‘3′. Next time you reboot, your system will start in runlevel 3. There will be no display manager running in runlevel 3, because you turned it off. Therefore, runlevel 3 will become text only, and it will be the default. If that’s what you want to do.

jay73 · 08-20-2007, 03:30 PM

/etc/init.d/gdm start

That is assuming that gdm isn't running yet (check ps -ax to make sure).

reddazz · 08-20-2007, 03:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ncsuapex

^

hmm not trying to stir anything up but it's been a while since I used debian so I googled "debian and runlevel" just to be sure and found this page.

http://www.debianadmin.com/debian-an...un-levels.html

On Debian, runlevels 3 to 5 are configured the same as runlevel 2 unlike in Red Hat and some other distros where runlevel 5 (or 4 in the case of Slack) is configured to start a login manager. You can change the runlevel on Debian to runlevel 5, but thats not going to automatically start a login manager at boot up.

The link you provided has the similar info that I just posted.