Tips for installation without a login manager?

pogeymanz · 2008-04-14 22:56:25

I want to install Arch with no login manager (not auto-login, though).

As far as I know, if I don't do anything special and just follow the beginners' guide without installing gdm, I will reboot and be presented with a text login.

This is what I want, BUT...

When I break X or XFCE (which I will, I promise), I want to be able to login to an xterm session. How can I have this option without a login manager? Can I have a separate GRUB option, or preferably, is there some button combo I can use to switch to an xterm session?

ozar · 2008-04-14 23:20:55

Can't you just use the console rather than xterm if your system should break?

If so, you are all set. Just install Arch and xorg without installing gdm, create an .xinitrc file in your /home/username/ folder, and use the startx command to start your GUI.

Misfit138 · 2008-04-14 23:28:31

You can start xterm from the shell:
xinit /usr/bin/xterm
Or you can modify your ~/.xinitrc to invoke xterm.

pogeymanz · 2008-04-15 01:24:03

Well, that's not quite what I'm looking for (I think).

What I'm looking for is my XFCE DE to load up normally whenever I log in, but for those occasions where something might go wrong, I want an option to not load XFCE.

Like a "Recovery Mode" option. In gdm, you can just change the session to xterm.

P.S. xterm or console doesn't matter. I just want to make sure that if I break X or XFCE that I will still have a bootable/semi-usable system until I fix the problem.

Last edited by pogeymanz (2008-04-15 01:28:55)

ozar · 2008-04-15 01:28:41

You can add a different run level to the end of the kernel line in GRUB (on the fly) to bypass the loading of the GUI if that's what you want.

pogeymanz · 2008-04-15 01:30:33

ozar wrote:

You can add a different run level to the end of the kernel line in GRUB (on the fly) to bypass the loading of the GUI if that's what you want.

That sounds kind of like what I want. If only I knew what that meant.

How would I use a different runlevel so that I have the option of just booting into the console on those occasions that I need to?

ozar · 2008-04-15 01:34:08

When the GRUB menu first starts, it gives you an option to edit the entry that is highlighted by pressing the letter E. It also gives other options such as pressing B for boot. Next time you reboot your machine, look down below all the boot options for the edit option.

Misfit138 · 2008-04-15 02:41:49

Are you booting into runlevel 3 and then starting X from the shell with startx or xinit?
If so, and if X fails, you will be dropped back into a login shell vc1. You can easily test this by changing your Driver in your Device section of xorg.conf to something like "foo". X will crash, returning you to the shell.

bgc1954 · 2008-04-15 03:27:33

Just use slim login manager (pacman -S slim). Follow the wiki: http://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/SLIM

When you go to login and your xfce is broken just type in console in the username box and you can do what you want in a console window. It's a very minimal login manager with few, if any, dependencies.

dabski · 2008-04-15 06:00:03

This is the method that I use:
In your home directory create/edit a file called .bash_profile and put the following code in the file:

if [ -z "$DISPLAY" ] && [ $(tty) == /dev/vc/1 ]; then
    startxfce4
fi

Not 100% sure if that is correct, while have to check mine when I get home. Anyway what this dose is when you login at the console it will automatically startup xfce for you. If you do screw something up with X it will usually dump you back into the console(its happened to me a few times ). If for some reason you screw up X so bad that it freezes and their is nothing that you can do, before logging in hit alt+f2 to change to any vc other than 1 and then login and you will be at the console no problems since the script only starts xfce when you login to vc 1

EDIT: Home now, fixed the script.

Last edited by dabski (2008-04-15 08:17:35)

pogeymanz · 2008-04-15 11:41:29

Interesting. Thank you all for the helpful replies; now I've got quite a few options for setting things up my way.

I'm going to go learn about the different run levels, that seems like something important that I never bothered to learn.

Arch Linux

#1 2008-04-14 22:56:25

Tips for installation without a login manager?

#2 2008-04-14 23:20:55

Re: Tips for installation without a login manager?

#3 2008-04-14 23:28:31

Re: Tips for installation without a login manager?

#4 2008-04-15 01:24:03

Re: Tips for installation without a login manager?

#5 2008-04-15 01:28:41

Re: Tips for installation without a login manager?

#6 2008-04-15 01:30:33

Re: Tips for installation without a login manager?

#7 2008-04-15 01:34:08

Re: Tips for installation without a login manager?

#8 2008-04-15 02:41:49

Re: Tips for installation without a login manager?

#9 2008-04-15 03:27:33

Re: Tips for installation without a login manager?

#10 2008-04-15 06:00:03

Re: Tips for installation without a login manager?

#11 2008-04-15 11:41:29

Re: Tips for installation without a login manager?

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