Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!mailrus!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpfcso!hpfcda!sprague
From: sprague@hpfcda.HP.COM (Fred Sprague)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.hp
Subject: Re: Instant Ignition for series 300
Message-ID: <970003@hpfcda.HP.COM>
Date: 9 Feb 90 00:03:48 GMT
References: <379@limbo.Intuitive.Com>
Organization: Hewlett-Packard, Fort Collins, CO
Lines: 44


 > What if...  you need to get access to a different Xndisplay file? 

 > To get to this different screen setup, I fire up X with x11start -- :1
 > to get this second screen discription stored in X1display.

 > How can I perform this kind of gymnastics with the new HP login control?

**** Undocumented features, OR how to read between the lines. *****

There IS an easy way (albeit GROSS) to bring up the xlogin program on a
different display.

Use the feature that:  if the login being used has something that is not
recognizable by xlogin as a normal shell (ie sh/ksh/csh...)  it will
drop the Xwindowing system and generate a normal login executing
whatever is specified in the /etc/passwd file.  (Try it with the "date"
login)

If the /etc/passwd entry is a shell script (don't forget the "#!/bin/sh"
at the begining) it will be executed.  It can in turn do the necessary
.profile type stuff and then execute (or exec) x11start for the
appropriate display.  Logout will bring back up the normal login display.
WARNING: don't use this special login from a normal terminal, or from a
network connection, you'll get massive confusion. :-)

This would mean that you need a different login for different displays,
but allows using the xlogin program to be used to start something
completely different such as a pure Starbase or Windex programs, or even
the normal "$ on a blank screen" login.

HOWEVER:  you will not be running the fancy "XENVIRONMENT" suff on the
display but instead a normal x11start windowing session.  UGG!  :-) 
But then this feature was intended for running non-Xwindows sessions.  :-)

DISCLAIMER: This feature is not guaranteed to still work in future releases.
(But it does in at least the HP-UX 7.0 version)

Fred Sprague
Hewlett-Packard
3404 E. Harmony Rd.
Fort Collins, Co 80525
(303) 229-3940
sprague@hpfcda.HP.COM