startx vs xdm start?

English Install/Boot/Login
1

You can start Xserver with both of these commands:

sudo /usr/bin/startx
sudo /etc/init.d/xdm start

But they do not boot into the same session/desktop/configuration.

I had been using the latter, and got my desktop configured a particular way, then rebooted and used the former, was logged into the SUSE default desktop with all my customizations reset. Then I rebooted and logged back into xdm start, and my customizations were back.

What’s the difference, and which one should I be using? (I have run level set to 3 while I get this installation set up).

Thanks!

2

The command

sudo /usr/bin/startx

starts an X session as root. That’s why your desktop configuration is different. The xdm command logs you in as a normal user.

The new way to do it is with the command

rcxdm start

This command is executed as root (or with sudo) and will start an X session as a normal user. If you want to use the startx command, use it as a normal user.

3

It’s not a different way, it’s just a SUSE shortcut. It’s identical to /etc/init.d/xdm start. If you look you will find that /usr/sbin/rcxdm is just a symlink to /etc/init.d/xdm. It’s nicer than service xdm start (which is also the same thing) because you can use tab completion.

4

Thanks for the clarification guys, much appreciated.

5

I may have missed the point here,but if you use “xdm start” you start the basic desktop manager that comes with the xserver,If you use “startx” you start the default desktop manager (xdm,kdm or gdm),perhaps the differences you are talking about are here.
Depending on what the default is.

6

Well,that has been my understanding anyway,Please let me know if i am wrong!

7

Sorry! on further checking, I did miss the point!