X starts up automatically & other problems

kloss · 12-02-2005, 06:35 AM

Hello
I had a minimal debian (etch) install. I installed the packages x-window-system and wmii. Then when I started my computer; instead of prompting me for my password in text mode, my computer launched automatically X and I was asked to log in with a gui. To avoid this, I commented the only line of the file /etc/X11/default-display-manager :

Code:

# /usr/bin/X11/xdm

But this is not the proper way to do this : at the end of the boot process, my box still wants to launch X :

Code:

Starting up X font server socket directory /tmp/.font-unix...done
Starting X font server: xfs
Starting periodic command scheduler: cron
Not starting X display manager (xdm); it is not the default display manager

Debian GNU/Linux testing/unstable box tty1

box login :

I've read something about changing the default runlevel in /etc/inittab, but it is already set to 2 :

Code:

id:2:initdefault:

Other problem: twm is installed and is launched by X when no .xinitrc (with "exec wmii") can be found. I don't need this wm. Of course I can uninstall it, but I also would like to find the config files which define twm as the default wm, and modify them.

Summary:
1) How can I properly prevent X being launched while my computer boots?
2) Where are the config files which specify that twm is the default wm for X? (how can I properly get rid of twm)?

Thanks in advance ++
Kloss

fsateler · 12-02-2005, 09:48 AM

To prevent X from starting, remove /etc/rc2.d/S99xdm, either manually, or with update-rc.d (this is the recommended method, see the man page for details). Changing runlevels doesn't work on debian because by default all runlevels are equal (except, of course, of course, runlevels 0, 1 and 6).
I don't know how to change that, although a dpkg -L twm might give some hints (this commands lists all files installed by twm).

kloss · 12-02-2005, 10:46 AM

Thanks for your answer.
First of all I uninstalled x-window-system and installed x-window-system-core - this removed all the useless apps like twm.
At the end of the boot process, I got:

Code:

Setting X server socket directory /tmp/.X11-unix...done.
Setting up ICE socket directory /tmp/.ICE-unix...done.
INIT: Entering runlevel: 2
Starting system log daemon: syslogd.
Starting kernel log daemon: klogd.
Starting internet superserver: inetd
Starting Xprint server: Xprt.
/etc/rc2.d/S20xprint: ## ERROR: Can't find "/usr/X11R6/bin/Xprt".
Starting periodic command scheduler: cron

Debian GNU/Linux testing/unstable box tty1

box login :

Following your advice, I simply did:

Code:

cd /etc/rc2.d
mv S20xprint disabled.S20xprint
mv s99xdm disabled.s99xdm

This solved the problem. Thanks.
++

davcefai · 12-02-2005, 01:49 PM

Quote:

Changing runlevels doesn't work on debian because by default all runlevels are equal (except, of course, of course, runlevels 0, 1 and 6).
I don't know how to change that, although a dpkg -L twm might give some hints (this commands lists all files installed by twm).

The easy way I stumbled on is to use SysV Init Editor. You edit the run levels graphically.
I have set up run level 2 to start Gnome and run level to start KDE.

Not perfect because when I boot to level 2 I get a message on the lines "GDM is not your default, so I won't start it". I have to startx, at which point Gnome starts OK.

I haven't played with it any further but see no reason why one cannot play with another level until it come out right. I don't think that anything you do wrong here will affect other levels BUT I COULD BE VERY WRONG!

Dragineez · 12-02-2005, 01:51 PM

Shouldn't the runlevel in inittab be set to 3 if you don't want to start x?

acker · 12-02-2005, 03:32 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Dragineez
Shouldn't the runlevel in inittab be set to 3 if you don't want to start x?

No. And it shouldn't be 2 either. You'll have to remove the appropriate symbolic links from /etc/rcX.d/ (See man update-rc.d for a way to change that links)
In other distros changing to level 2 will stop (and not start) the gdm, xdm, kdm, whatever... But this is Debian and we love it

fsateler · 12-02-2005, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by acker
In other distros changing to level 2 will stop (and not start) the gdm, xdm, kdm, whatever... But this is Debian and we love it

As far as I know, most distros follow RedHat's lead (actually I don't even know if it is indeed RedHat's, but anyways), as follows:[list=1][*]Single User (Mainteinance)[*]Multiple users, command line, no network[*]Multiple users, command line, with network[*]Unused[*]Multiple users, with X (GUI)[/list=1]

davcefai · 12-02-2005, 11:43 PM

This is Debian! Run Level 1 is Single user - for maintainance.

2-5 are identical, out of the box. At first I scratched my head over this but then realised that that you can configure them as you wish.

You'll be relieved that 0 and 6 are conventional.

Bremsstrahlung · 12-09-2005, 12:17 AM

The best way to edit each runlevel, instead of deleting each symbolic link, is by changing them. Every symlnk that starts a program begins with an "S" (for "start" I presume). If you change just that letter to "K" (for "kill" no doubt) then it will kill that process if it is running. This preserves the differences between runlevels, so you can switch back and forth normally at your will. It's also just good practice. And I've had a lot of fun seeing what kinds of crazy runlevels I can think up