Bug#34074: xdm login loop failure has happend to a newbie
In article <[🔎] 199903032136.WAA08104@ludwigV.sources.org> you write:
>> Users are going to experience many many problems installing xdm on
>> their machine. It is setup to start automatically (when there's a
>> valid parsable XF86Config file, I believe).
>
>Yes, if there is no XF86config, xdm is smart enough to give in.
>
>> This can lead to the
>> notorious "infinite X11 reset loop" which is very very frustrating,
>> confusing, and infuriating for users.
>
>OK, xdm cannot run, so people cannot log in (we assume we talk about home
>machines without a network access) to fix it. They don't know CtrlAltF1
>either. Correct? May I suggest to document at least the CtrlAltF1 so they can
>go back to a text console?
Just my two cents:
If a user is upgrading from Hamm to Slink, and has a XF86Config that
*appears* to be valid be isn't (maybe xdm has been disabled because of
problems with starting X), then updating xbase (and hence xdm) will
break the system.
eg: I have disabled xdm because my Super VGA monitor died, and I have
been forced to replace it with a VGA monitor. I don't know if installing
the latest version of xdm will automatically start it straight away, but
either way, I don't want X trying to display 1024*768 on my monochrome
VGA monitor.
Before I upgrade to slink, I will move XF86Config to something like
XF86Config.bad before hand (or just reconfigure xdm not to use the local
screen), but other people may not realize that.
BTW: If you do encounter the "infinite X11 reset loop", pushing
Ctrl+Alt+F1 will not help, as X will quit and reload before you get a
chance to do anything useful, hence switching the active TTY back to
that of the X screen. Network logins will work though, if you have a
LAN... I remember that all this was discussed some time ago on
debian-devel, and I am surprised that I still hear it to be a problem.
The last I heard was the xdm has configuration resources to delay
restarting X if an error occured, but they didn't work as documented.
However, I understand that it is too late to do anything about this
for Slink now :-(
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