If there happen to exist a file /xorg.conf, then that file will be used instead of /etc/X11/xorg.conf when X is loaded with gdm during init. Reproducible: Always Steps to Reproduce: 1. Make sure you use x.org and gdm 2. echo FOOBAR>/xorg.conf 3. reboot Actual Results: X won't start, complaining about error in xorg.conf Expected Results: Used /etc/X11/xorg.conf, and started properly. /var/log/Xorg.0.log will say 'Using config file: "//xorg.conf"' running '/etc/init.d/xdm start' will fail the same way. running /usr/bin/gdm does does NOT fail. I also tried creating a trivial /etc/init.d/gdm that did nothing but run /usr/bin/gdm. Then running '/etc/init.d/gdm start' worked fine, but adding gdm to init (rc-update add gdm default) would still fail just like xdm. I do not know if this problem also exists with kdm and xdm or if if applies to xfree86. To me, this seems like a bug in the init script system.
It'd be appreciated if you would attach fixes for this problem. The likelihood of it actually affecting anyone is quite low, as far as I can see, so this doesn't come in real high on my list of things to devote time to.
Go ahead and file a bug at bugs.freedesktop.org on this. Please stick the link here once you do. Thanks a lot.
Sure, Freedesktop.org upstream report is here: http://freedesktop.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=1510
It appears this is being handled at the added URL.