Re: [Nolug] XDM - Debian Question

On Mon, 2004-02-16 at 00:24, Kevin Kreamer wrote:
> On Feb 15, 2004, at 23:53, G. Meyers wrote:
> > I installed Debian 3.0 not too long ago. Changed source from stable
> > to testing, did an apt-get update and upgrade. Decided to get XFree86
> > so I did an "apt-get install x-window-system". This installed XDM.
> > Don't really care too much for XDM and would either like to remove it
> > or at least install either GDM or KDM in its place.

Though all of the methods here will work I think we should help the "new
with a concept or 2 here. First XDM, GDM, KDM, are GUI login managers.
The only conflict between them is you cannot use them all at once. They
can however co-exist on the system without conflict. To use one or the
other however represents a choice of windowing environments. If the
choice to boot to a GUI login is made automatic (controlled by setting
the init level to 5 in inittab) one must also make a default choice of a
login manager.
One can choose not to have the machine to boot to a GUI login manager at
all and whether you use a configuration tool or edit the inittab file
directly the net effect is set the init level to 3.
Example of inittab entry in question.

id:5:initdefault: for boot to X
id:3:initdefault: for boot to prompt no X running

Next if set to 5 inittab (in RH9) calls x:5:respawn:/etc/X11/prefdm
-nodaemon. Which in turn looks at /etc/sysconfig/desktop witch is where
the actual desktop environment is defined (In my system
DESKTOP="GNOME").
If I had installed the KDE environment or another and the files were on
the machine changing this line would start the one of choice and not
harm another.
The script startx just checks if there are any special user
configuration files and some other stuff and then runs X and clients.
because you have already logged in with your user name and password
there is no need for login screen and moving to init level 5 (an X
session).
One can enter the command "init 5" at the prompt and get the same
result.

Ok. I think I got carried away. The point is you do not have to
"un-install" one to install another.

>
> You can either do
> # apt-get remove xdm
> or
> # apt-get install kdm
> (or gdm, if that's what you want)
>
> If you go the remove route, it will say that it is removing
> x-window-system. Go ahead and let it, there's no harm in it doing it
> -- at this point that package has served its purpose (which is to say
> what packages to install to get X up and running).
>
> > How do I go about removing XDM? When I start Debian, it imediately
> > goes to the graphical log in screen. If I go to xterm and issue an
> > apt-get remove XDM, will that mess things up as I am basically runing
> > XDM when I issue that command? (Hope that makes sense.)
>
> Yes it makes sense, and no you won't mess anything up. After you log
> in and are able to get an xterm, XDM isn't really running there. You
> see, when you log in, control is handed from the XDM program to your
> window manager. The reverse happens when you log out.
>
> Another way is to hit <CTRL><ALT><F1>, which will change to the first
> virtual terminal (command prompt). You can log in and issue the
> commands there, if you want.
>
> > Or, is it easier to apt-get KDM (for example), have debconf configure
> > the system for its use then apt-get remove XDM. Either way, I think I
> > want XDM off the system.
So you see this part does not really matter except in the sense of house
cleaning.
>
> KDM, GDM, and XDM all conflict with each other. So, if you tell it to
> install one, it will automatically remove the others (if installed, of
> course).
>
> > As you can probably tell, I am somewhat new to this. Any suggestions
> > on how to go about removing XDM would be much appreciated.
> >
> > Thanks.
> >
>
> Hope this helps,
> Kevin
>
> ___________________
> Nolug mailing list
nolug@nolug.org

-- 
James Scott <jhs_technical@cox.net>
___________________
Nolug mailing list
nolug@nolug.org