My question was how to start xdm under Solaris 2.3 - whether to add an

entry to /etc/inittab or to put a suitable script in /etc/init.d.

I received two answers, both suggesting to start xdm from /etc/inittab,

with a line of the form

xw:3:respawn:/usr/openwin/bin/xdm -nodaemon

or

xw:3:respawn:/sbin/sh -c 'OPENWINHOME=/usr/openwin;export OPENWINHOME;exec /usr/openwin/bin/xdm -nodaemon -config /usr/openwin/lib/xdm/xdm-config'.

I am using the first, which seems to work fine. If xdm is wanted on the

console, the console line needs to be removed from /etc/inittab.

I also asked why the nodaemon option was needed. The answer, from

Casper Dik, is "the nodaemon is needed because of the respawn. If xdm

daemonises from inittab init will immediately start (respawn) a new one,

and another, ad inf."

Thanks to:

Casper Dik <casper@fwi.uva.nl>

Richard Ellingrichard.elling@eng.auburn.edu