Try using xdm - see the man page for details (and yes, there are _lots_ 
of details!)

On Sun, 8 Dec 1996, Pete Nush wrote:

> Warning, this is a long message!
> 
> I'm having a slight problem trying to boot directly into X.  When I boot to
> a console, login, and run "startx" everything seems fine.  However, when I
> modify my rc.local file to startup X directly, it seems to start, displays
> the default background and the "X" cursor, and then justs sits there.  No
> menus, no login window, nothing.
> 
> After about 60 seconds (rought estimate) it returns to a blank console
> screen for about 10-15 seconds, then returns to the blank X display.
> 
> While in the console display, either CTRL-Z, CTRL-X, or CTRL-D breaks the
> cycle and brings up a login: prompt.
> 
> Any ideas?
> 
> Here are some relevant snippets of various files (though my determination
> of relevant may be entirely off-base):
> 
> /etc/rc.local:
> --------------
> if [ -d /usr/X11R6/lib ]; then
> echo 'adding X11R6 sharable libraries to cache'
> ldconfig /usr/X11R6/lib
> #
> # Start up the X login if xdm has been configured
> # NOTE: we only do this if we loaded the X sharable libraries
> #
> #if [ -f /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/xdm-config ]; then
> #	/usr/X11R6/bin/xdm -server ":O Mac-terminal local /usr/X11R6/bin/X
> :O" &
> #fi
> fi
> 
> /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/Xstartup:
> --------------------------------
> #!/bin/sh
> #
> # Update the utmp file so we know who is currently running on the display.
> #
> sessreg -a -I $DISPLAY -x /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/Xservers $USER
> exit 0
> 
> /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/xdm-config:
> ----------------------------------
> 
> ! $XConsortium: xdm-conf.cpp /main/3 1996/01/15 15:17:26 gildea $
> DisplayManager.errorLogFile:	/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/xdm-errors
> DisplayManager.pidFile:		/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/xdm-pid
> DisplayManager.keyFile:		/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/xdm-keys
> DisplayManager.servers:		/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/Xservers
> DisplayManager.accessFile:	/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/Xaccess
> ! All displays should use authorization, but we cannot be sure
> ! X terminals will be configured that way, so by default
> ! use authorization only for local displays :0, :1, etc.
> DisplayManager._0.authorize:	true
> DisplayManager._1.authorize:	true
> ! The following three resources set up display :0 as the console.
> DisplayManager._0.setup:	/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/Xsetup_0
> DisplayManager._0.startup:	/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/GiveConsole
> DisplayManager._0.reset:	/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/TakeConsole
> !
> DisplayManager*resources:	/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/Xresources
> DisplayManager*session:		/usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/Xsession
> DisplayManager*authComplain:	false
> 
> Are there any other files you need to see, or anything obvious that I am
> missing in the setup here?
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Pete Nush                                     E-mail: pnush@voicenet.com
> Norristown, PA  USA
> 
> Rule #1: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
> Rule #2: Rule #1 doesn't apply to engineers.
> 
> 
>