[Linux-disciples] Why is gdm a daemon?

[Adam Rosi-Kessel]

On Thu, Dec 09, 2004 at 11:05:41PM -0500, Stephen R Laniel wrote:
> Why does GNOME run as a daemon? Why isn't it a program that
> individual users can start and stop at will?
> ...Or have I been missing something all these years? It
> suddenly occurs to me that maybe the reason it runs as a
> daemon is *because* multiple users might need it. Instead of
> running multiple copies of GNOME, run a daemon and then have
> every user run a lighter-weight client version of it (a la
> spamd/spamc). Is this how GNOME actually works? I've always
> just run 'sudo /etc/init.d/gdm start'. Should I just always
> leave that running and run some smaller 'client' instead?

gnome is not gdm.  gdm is the gnome display manager.  gdm launches X.  X
is a server.  (Not sure if there is overlapping terminology between
daemon and server--I've never heard anyone call the X server a "daemon").

You can use gdm and not use GNOME at all. That is, in fact, what I do.

Your alternative would be to log into the console as yourself and the run
'startx', which would start up an X session as your user.  gdm gives a
graphical login.  Since the X server is a child of gdm, gdm must be
resident.
-- 
Adam Rosi-Kessel
http://adam.rosi-kessel.org
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: not available
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 189 bytes
Desc: Digital signature
Url : http://lists.bostoncoop.net/pipermail/linux-disciples/attachments/20041210/55ebb028/attachment.pgp