SuSE Support Database

Title: XDM doesn't start ...

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XDM doesn't start ...

Symptom:

Often the system can still be shut down the usual way with STRG+ALT+DEL. However when the runlevel is set to 3 in /etc/inittab ("Graphical login" was chosen in YaST), the same phenomenon appears after the reboot.

Cause:

Most likely this happens due to timing problems during the start-up of the X server. As a consequence xdm tries to restart the X server and thus enters an endless loop.

Solution:

If you've chosen the graphical login in YaST, then specify the kernel parameter "2" at the LILO bootprompt (e.g. with linux 2).

The system will now boot as usual but won't start the graphical login. You can now login as root at the login prompt.

If you don't use LILO, an alternative is to boot the rescue system and to mount the root partition. With an editor (e.g. 'vi'), search for

# default runlevel
id:3:initdefault:
in <mountpoint>/etc/inittab.

Change "3" to "2" and store the file. The system won't change to runlevel 3 anymore so neither xdm nor kdm will be started.

You can now be reboot.

With an editor, remove the option -quiet from the line, that starts the X server in the file /usr/X11/lib/X11/xdm/Xservers.

This way the X server gets more time to identify the hardware when being started by xdm.

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Keywords: X, XSERVER, XDM, BLINK, XLOGIN

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Categories: XFree86 , X Server , X Window System

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SDB-ray_xdm, Copyright SuSE GmbH, Nuremberg, Germany - Version: 05. Feb 1998
Impressum - Last generated: 24. Feb 1999 15:20:15 by maddin with sdb_gen 1.00.0