(forwarding this to tech-userlevel)

On 04-Jan-99 Matthieu Herrb spoke unto us all:
#  You wrote (in your message from Sun 3)
#   > I'm using netbsd 1.3.2 with the included pcvt (3.32) console-driver.
#   > 1. Is it right that I've to start xdm in daemon-mode to get the virtual
#   > consoles? 
#  For instance if /dev/ttyC7 is marqued `off' in /etc/ttys, you should
#  use the line
#  
#       :0 local /usr/X11R6/bin/X vt08
#  
#  in /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/Xservers. (Xfree86 numbers VT starting at 1,
#  while the /dev entries start at 0).
#  

This is a *constant* problem for new users trying to use X, and we've seen it a
hundred times..  I propose the following:

We set up /etc/ttys with some number of vitrual consoles..  lets say 3 for now.
We ship an Xservers file that says:

# change this to one higher than your last vt in /etc/ttys
0: local /usr/X11R6/bin/X vt03

and then we place:
# remember to change /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm/Xservers if you are using xdm and
# change virtual terminals.
in /etc/ttys.

This will make the system actually *work* out of the box, when someone types
xdm=YES, and rightly expects it to start xdm.

Even if we ship GENERIC with pccons, which is fine.. then we should at *least*
provide the above comments, and an example in Xservers to make it as simple as
possible.

---
Tim Rightnour  -  root@garbled.net
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