From owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG  Fri Mar 21 13:40:33 2014
Return-Path: <owner-freebsd-questions@FreeBSD.ORG>
Delivered-To: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [8.8.178.115])
 (using TLSv1 with cipher ADH-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits))
 (No client certificate requested)
 by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 177BFBBB
 for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>; Fri, 21 Mar 2014 13:40:33 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from mx01.qsc.de (mx01.qsc.de [213.148.129.14])
 (using TLSv1 with cipher ADH-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits))
 (No client certificate requested)
 by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTPS id CE742AEC
 for <freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>; Fri, 21 Mar 2014 13:40:32 +0000 (UTC)
Received: from r56.edvax.de (port-92-195-67-138.dynamic.qsc.de [92.195.67.138])
 (using TLSv1 with cipher DHE-RSA-AES256-SHA (256/256 bits))
 (No client certificate requested)
 by mx01.qsc.de (Postfix) with ESMTPS id 133C13D040;
 Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:40:24 +0100 (CET)
Received: from r56.edvax.de (localhost [127.0.0.1])
 by r56.edvax.de (8.14.5/8.14.5) with SMTP id s2LDe0bv002806;
 Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:40:00 +0100 (CET)
 (envelope-from freebsd@edvax.de)
Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 14:40:00 +0100
From: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
To: mexas@bris.ac.uk
Subject: Re: starting xdm at boot on headless box via rc.d script?
Message-Id: <20140321144000.f7c08d2a.freebsd@edvax.de>
In-Reply-To: <201403210944.s2L9i06K001182@mech-cluster241.men.bris.ac.uk>
References: <201403210944.s2L9i06K001182@mech-cluster241.men.bris.ac.uk>
Organization: EDVAX
X-Mailer: Sylpheed 3.1.1 (GTK+ 2.24.5; i386-portbld-freebsd8.2)
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
Cc: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-BeenThere: freebsd-questions@freebsd.org
X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.17
Precedence: list
Reply-To: Polytropon <freebsd@edvax.de>
List-Id: User questions <freebsd-questions.freebsd.org>
List-Unsubscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/options/freebsd-questions>, 
 <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=unsubscribe>
List-Archive: <http://lists.freebsd.org/pipermail/freebsd-questions/>
List-Post: <mailto:freebsd-questions@freebsd.org>
List-Help: <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=help>
List-Subscribe: <http://lists.freebsd.org/mailman/listinfo/freebsd-questions>, 
 <mailto:freebsd-questions-request@freebsd.org?subject=subscribe>
X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 21 Mar 2014 13:40:33 -0000

On Fri, 21 Mar 2014 02:44:02 -0700 (PDT), Anton Shterenlikht wrote:
> I've a headless server that accepts
> connections via XDMCP. I'd like to
> start xdm in daemon mode without
> attaching it to any virt. terminal.
> From the command like I can simply
> type xdm, but can I do this via
> /etc/rc.conf, something like xdm_enable=YES?

Currently, there is no rc.d mechanism for starting xdm.
You could write your own, but you can also use the
method by which xdm has been started for decades:

Edit /etc/ttys as follows:

	ttyv8  "/usr/local/bin/xdm -nodaemon"  xterm  on  secure

This line will make xdm start from ttyv8, where
Alt+PF9 will be the VT your X session is running
(in case you're switching virtual terminals).
After the system has finished booting, xdm will
be started and the switching to the correct virtual
console, now displaying the X login, will automatically
happen.




> I see some examples of using custom
> scripts in /usr/X11R6/etc/rc.d, e.g.:
> http://terrencemiao.com/Webmail/msg00720.html
> 
> Is this a good idea?

It's not a _bad_ idea if it works for you. :-)




-- 
Polytropon
Magdeburg, Germany
Happy FreeBSD user since 4.0
Andra moi ennepe, Mousa, ...