>Number:         30605
>Category:       pkg
>Synopsis:       gdm-2.2.0nb7 using gdm.conf.default will not allow you to log in
>Confidential:   no
>Severity:       serious
>Priority:       low
>Responsible:    pkg-manager
>State:          open
>Class:          sw-bug
>Submitter-Id:   net
>Arrival-Date:   Sun Jun 26 14:20:00 +0000 2005
>Originator:     Rudi
>Release:        2.0.2.
>Organization:
-private-
>Environment:
NetBSD 2.0.2 (i386)
NetBSD steinlaus 2.99.15 NetBSD 2.99.15 (STEINLAUS) #1: Mon Mar  7 19:47:28 CET 2005  root@steinlaus:/mnt/netbsd-current/src/sys/arch/i386/compile/STEINLAUS i386

>Description:

using /usr/pkg/etc/gdm/gdm.conf.default as is, i.e. copying / renaming it
to gdm.conf will not allow to log in.

As I understood http://kerneltrap.org/node/4024 the problem is that getty and the X server compete for the keyboard and getty wins. So no key typed gets to gdm. Effectivly the only thing you can do is select Systems/Reboot with the mouse.
>How-To-Repeat:

>Fix:

Explicitly set the x server to a virtual terminal where no getty runs.

E.g. given /etc/ttys to vt5.

$ diff gdm.conf gdm.conf.default 
78c78
< 0=/usr/X11R6/bin/X vt5
---
> 0=/usr/X11R6/bin/X