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so... I've been wondering lately why do I need GDM. I got it disabled for experiment sake through modifying upstart file /etc/init/gdm (I run Ubuntu 10.10 desktop). So now computer boots to command prompt and I just type in startx if I need GUI.

so far everything runs just fine. But - does anyone know if there are any drawbacks to not using gdm?

Would I lose any functionality?

Thanks:)

Stann
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2 Answers2

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You don't really lose any functionality if you are just running a regular desktop machine. Display managers can be used to do things like do remote logins on X terminals. Certainly they also provide convenience functions too like giving you a list of users to select from when logging in. They also allow you to select different window managers easily.

I'm a big fan of keeping things simple and using startx. You don't lose any important functionality.

Phil Hollenback
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The server distribution does not install a display manger, although it can be added. The display manager (xdm, gdm, etc) handles logging you into the system. If you work mainly from the console the display manager is in the way.

However, firing up startx everytime you want to use firefox, thunderbird, or some other graphical tool can be a pain. Although I do most of my work from the command line, I leave gdm running. I often have two or more xterm sessions open, sometimes side by side. Scollback is superior to what is available on the console, and dynamical resizable screen size is quite useful. If I am doing modifications which may result in failures showing up in a log, I can tail the log in a full screen window behind the current windows.

BillThor
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  • Having a X11 session open all the time versus starting it occassionally is not related to using `startx` instead of GDM (which is basically just the graphical login screen). – user1686 Feb 06 '11 at 12:12