[linux-help] Re: Runlevels, and graphical logins

[Tom Hull <thull@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

We've been through this once before, but again:

On a typical system, the only difference between runlevel 3 and runlevel 5
is one line in the /etc/inittab file, which on my machine reads:

  x:5:respawn:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon

This means that when you shift into runlevel 5 the program /etc/X11/prefdm
is run as part of the init code. That's all it means, and that's all that
happens. If you have a line line this in /etc/inittab, and you are booting
at runlevel 5 (you can run /sbin/runlevel to verify that), then prefdm is
failing you. This is either because X doesn't work (hint: run startx) or
because something specific to prefdm is broken (hint: as root, run
/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon). Assuming startx works but prefdm doesn't
(which is what I gather from this thread), the possibilities are:

 1) You have autologin installed and configured, so prefdm automatically
    logs you in.

 2) You don't have a desktop preference set (see /etc/sysconfig/desktop,
    mine reads:

      DESKTOP="GNOME"

 3) You're missing some parts relating to login, or there's something
    specific broken with their configuration that doesn't show up in
    merely running startx.

In any case, the problem is not in any case under /etc/rc.d/ (unless
you've been hacking there and broke something).

BTW, running startx does not change the runlevel (hint: run /sbin/runlevel
from your initial login, run startx, open a tty, run /sbin/runlevel again;
you should get the same output).

Also, if you run /sbin/chkconfig --list, note that everything that is
set 3:on is also set 5:on and that everything 3:off is also 5:off. This
shows (quickly) that you're running the same scripts in both runlevels
(again, unless you broke something).

Ivan Trail wrote:
> 
> When the system is booting, it reports that it is entering runlevel5.
> 
> But I don't get the associated graphical login.  It boots as if it is
> actually booting to runlevel3.
> 
> Thus I am interested in changing what the runlevel actually is.  I shall
> have to check out the /etc/rc.d  and see what happens.
> 
> Thanks for the help.
> Ivan

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