This seems like a common setup, but I can't find any documentation about what config file I need to change.

I'm setting up an old PIII as a file server, sitting in a closet with only the power cord and an ethernet cable attached. I'd like to connect via xdmcp.

With it's current setup, since there is no monitor, keyboard, or mouse attahed, X keeps crashing because it can't find any of these.

If I stop gdm, and restart it with --no-console, everything works great because it doesn't try to start X. So, how do I add that command line option to what config file or init script so that it starts up with no-console everytime?

I'm running Debian unstable, and couldn't find anything that looked relevant in gdm.conf.

Thanks up front.

You just have to change your runlevel. Edit your /etc/inittab file. There is a line defining your runlevel. Edit that line and make it to 1. This will start up the computer but later on you will have to manually start all the services. The other way is to change the gdm file that exists in your default runlevel.
Suppose your default runlevel is 2. Then modify the file in /etc/rc2.d which starts up gdm. If the name of the file is suppose S13gdm rename the file to say S13gdm_. As the machine starts up it will look for the file S13gdm which it will not be able to locate n hence our X doesnot start. All other services will start off.

-Prasanta

Um, no. I just want to start gdm with a command line argument from init.

I figured out how to do this for anyone who needs to add command line arguments to a daemon that is started from init. With Debian, at least.

I added a variable in /etc/init.d/gdm called PROGARGS with "--no-console". Then when it calls start-stop-daemon, I add the variable at the end of the command. Be sure to put the "-- " (with space) before the argument. And always back up your files before making any changes.