Re: Xdm

[Alexander Kushnirenko <kushnir@pccmu1.fnal.gov>]

Hi, Andrew!

> I'm wondering if a wrong configuration on video card and/or monitor, when
> used with xdm (not startx), could lock up the machine.
> Here is what happened: couple of month ago when I installed X for the
> first time, I configured xdm to start at the boot.
> My machine worked fine with startx before. However, as soon as I rebooted,
> and I got prompted for boot...not even with xdm...my screen started to
> blink from blank to non-blank, and keyboard was locked up during blank
> screen. Non-blank meaning it showed me boot-up messages.
> 

I suspect that your X is configured not quite right.  Blinking screen is 
likely to be misconfiguration of VIDEO CARD.  Make sure you are using right 
xserver for your card.  It's not a good idea to start xdm at boot, till you 
made sure that everything is working in X.  BTW you can start xdm from console 
just typing "xdm" as root.

> Nothing I wasnt able to fix with cfdisk and reformatting of primary
> partition...was my 3rd day of using Deb. so..

Well, that perhaps was unnecessary.  Just take out set no-start-xdm in 
/etc/X11/config (in hamm).  If you system is still blinking you need rescue 
diskette to boot it and modify that file.

> But I want to give xdm another chance, and was wondering if something like
> that could have happened because of wrong configuration of X?
> 
Yes, wrong configuration of X is very likely.  Check you /etc/X11/XServer file.
What video card are you using?  Someone can just send you his XF86Config and 
you can extract relevant part.

Good luck,
Sasha.