inittab

Forum: Other Help Topics
Topic: inittab
started by: ssaguiar

Posted by ssaguiar on Nov. 15 2004,12:21

Hi to all.
This is my first post and I apologise for any error I can make.

I just downloaded an installed my copy of DSL. I installed one copy on my notebook and another copy on my desktop. It worked wonderfully on both.

I just didn't discovered how to make it boot in text mode only and, if I want the graphical interface, just call startx.

I modified the /etc/inittab file (run level from 5 to 3), but it didn't work.
I suppose there are some script file to edit, but I don't know what one.

Can you help me to make this work?
After this is done, I will add some programs and remasterize the DSL cd.

Thanks.

Sergio

Posted by mikshaw on Nov. 15 2004,18:09

DSL actually does boot into text mode. The thing that is confusing is that it automatically loads X when you login. This happens because the line "startx" has been added to ~/.bash_profile (or maybe it was ~/.profile?). Remove that line, and you won't start X automatically.

Posted by ssaguiar on Nov. 16 2004,13:17

Thank you, my friend.
It worked fine.
Now, I will make it login automatically into a user account (root). This is because I need it to run an application that uses the paralel port an serial ports (2) to send/receive data, and only root can access the paralel port directly. If I am not wrong, this is done in inittab.
Anyway, thank you again.

Posted by mikshaw on Nov. 17 2004,17:26

There really isn't any need to automatically login as root, and this is generally not advised.
If you need to run an application with root permission, you can use "sudo application". If you need to run the application as root (with root's environment), you can use "sudo su - -c application".
If it's an application which will be run automatically, you can add it to /opt/bootlocal

Posted by ssaguiar on Nov. 17 2004,21:39

Thank you mikshaw. I really apreciate your help. I´ll make this way, because it´s safer.