*- Michael Stenner wrote about "Re: xdm" > New xdm question: > > My box is set up to start xdm automatically. Can I start linux without > xdm starting? I would even settle for having it run but not on the > screen. > > Reason I care: > > I had a video card go bad and I wasn't sure that my new video card could > handle what xdm was going to automatically send it when my computer came > up. I'm pretty sure that using a root disk and then mounting / to edit > stuff (that was already mentioned on this thread) would work, but it > surprises me that there isn't a more elegant solution. > > -Michael >
A few options: 1) Use your rescue disk to boot and then mount the partion that has /etc on it under /mnt and edit /mnt/etc/X11/config and change the xdm-start to no-xdm-start. Reboot. 2) Use lilo or loadlin(whatever boot method you used) to boot single user and edit /etc/X11/config as in 1 and then hit ctrl-D to exit single user and finish the startup as usual. 3) Let it go and if it starts but is totally screwed just hit ctrl-alt-f1 to get to the first virtual terminal and login as root and then issue '/etc/init.d/xdm stop'. But if the xserver fails for whatever reason you will get stuck in an infinite loop. Xdm is supposed to trap this and die after a few times but does not and has many bug reports filled against it. #5635, #15897, #15898, #22544, #23139, #22406, #27967. But if it does this you only choice is to hit the reset and pray. -- Brian --------------------------------------------------------------------- "Never criticize anybody until you have walked a mile in their shoes, because by that time you will be a mile away and have their shoes." - unknown Mechanical Engineering [EMAIL PROTECTED] Purdue University http://www.ecn.purdue.edu/~servis ---------------------------------------------------------------------