Bug#34074: xdm login loop failure has happend to a newbie

[sharkey@superk.physics.sunysb.edu]

> That's a valid POV.  I am happy to close the bug.  But I'd like to hear from 
> <debian-testing> folks.  Because if the consensus is that xdm should not be
> installed for the standard profiles, I don't think it's too late to fix this.

Since you asked....

I don't think xdm belongs installed unless the user specifically requests it.

xdm serves two purposes.  One is the ability to manage displays on network
terminals.  Any user attempting to set this up should already be familiar
with Linux.  It's not the type of thing most new users want to do.

The other is the graphical login which automatically starts X for all users.
This provides zero functionality, it's just eye candy.

Personally, I find xdm to be a great pain when a system isn't broken in yet.
I can handle it, though, but from the point of view of a newbie, we need
to weigh "Linux didn't have a graphical login." against "I couldn't get linux
to run on my system at all!".  I think having 50 of the former makes up
for avoiding 1 of the latter.

I vote for taking xdm out of the default profiles, and no, I don't think it's
too late, either.

Eric