From owner-freebsd-questions  Wed Dec 18 19:42:59 1996
Return-Path: <owner-questions>
Received: (from root@localhost)
          by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.4/8.8.4) id TAA27511
          for questions-outgoing; Wed, 18 Dec 1996 19:42:59 -0800 (PST)
Received: from narcissus.ml.org (brosenga.st.pitzer.edu [134.173.120.201])
          by freefall.freebsd.org (8.8.4/8.8.4) with ESMTP id TAA27506
          for <questions@freebsd.org>; Wed, 18 Dec 1996 19:42:55 -0800 (PST)
Received: (from ben@localhost) by narcissus.ml.org (8.7.5/8.7.3) id TAA01970; Wed, 18 Dec 1996 19:42:48 -0800 (PST)
Date: Wed, 18 Dec 1996 19:42:48 -0800 (PST)
From: Snob Art Genre <ben@narcissus.ml.org>
To: "Christopher J. Booth" <cbooth@onyx.interactive.net>
cc: questions@freebsd.org
Subject: Re: Stuck in xdm-Land
In-Reply-To: <aede171f000210044325@[208.192.234.127]>
Message-ID: <Pine.BSF.3.91.961218194229.1950B-100000@narcissus.ml.org>
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: TEXT/PLAIN; charset=US-ASCII
Sender: owner-questions@freebsd.org
X-Loop: FreeBSD.org
Precedence: bulk

On Wed, 18 Dec 1996, Christopher J. Booth wrote:

> Okay, this is an odd one, but, I don't know what to do.
> 
> I decided to try to get X started up, so I followed (I think I followed)
> the directions on p. 99 of _The Complete FreeBSD_ to start xdm.
> 
> I opened up /etc/ttys with vi and keyed in
> 
>    ttyv4 "/usr/X11R6/bin/xdm -nodaemon" xterm   on secure
> 
> at the end of the file.
> 
> Then I did
> 
>    kill -1 1
> 
> Yup, most gratifying, xdm started. An uninteresting-looking window manager.
> I would rather play with fvwm, I think.
> 
> But now I can't get rid of it. The xdm login comes up at boot, and it won't
> let me log in as root. I hadn't set up my alter-ego users as permitted to
> run as su. Control-alt-delete just causes xdm to restart, and I can't
> interrupt. Likewise control-c. And it is living on alt-F1 through alt-F2.
> As the man in the Fiat yelled to the man in the sports car racing down the
> highway, "How do I get this thing our of second gear?"
> 
> _____________________________________________________________________
> Christopher J. Booth   This speech of yours hath moved me,
> cbooth@mordor.com      And shall perchance do good: but speak you on;
>                        You look as you had something more to say.
>                                                 --Edmund, _King Lear_
> 
> 
> 

Have you tried booting -s (single-user mode)?


 Ben

The views expressed above are not those of the Worker's Compensation 
Board of Queensland, Australia.