Multiple X Servers?!?!?!?

[Robert Brockway]

On Sat, 8 Jan 2005, Paul King wrote:

> 1. How do you start multiple X servers (in case I want to try it out in 
> a more controlled way later on)?

It can be done manually with something like X :0 , X :1 , etc.  It is 
recommended to specify the virtual terminal to avoid race conditions. 
Starting multiple X servers as part of the bootup process is display 
manager dependent.  For kdm or xdm look for a file called Xservers which 
specifies how many X server to start and on what virtual consoles.  Here 
is the interesting part of mine:

:0 local at tty1 /usr/X11R6/bin/X :0  -dpi 100 vt2
:1 local at tty1 /usr/X11R6/bin/X :1  -dpi 100 vt3
# :2 local at tty1 /usr/X11R6/bin/X :2  -dpi 100 vt4

As you can see I have 2 running, and a 3rd commented out.  Running 
multiple X servers, while much better than it used to be, still reduces 
the stability of a box.  I hardlocked a box about a month ago while 
playing with X configuration while swapping between :0 and :1.

One interesting consequence is that you can use the displays to provide 
remote access to other boxes.  I regularly do this with my company laptop. 
:0 allows access to the local box, while :1 is a display allowing access 
to a company thin client server.

> 2. Any idea as to what scripts to check out to fix this?

I've never heard of a distro starting multiple X servers by default.  It 
really sounds like a loop gone wild somewhere.  More info would be needed 
to track it.

Rob

-- 
Robert Brockway B.Sc.
Senior Technical Consultant, OpenTrend Solutions Ltd.
Phone: 416-669-3073 Email: rbrockway-wgAaPJgzrDxH4x6Dk/4f9A at public.gmane.org http://www.opentrend.net
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