XDM (display manager)
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The X Display Manager (XDM) is the default display manager for the X Window System. It is a bare-bones X display manager. It was introduced with X11 Release 3 in October 1988, to support the standalone X terminals that were just coming onto the market. It was written by Keith Packard.
Functions
XDM is used to boot an X.org based desktop environment.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It can control a display directly or indirectly in order to start an X session and supports remote login.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite book</ref> XDM is initialized on system startup.<ref name=":1">Template:Cite web</ref>
It can be edited through the use of a configuration file, modules, or scripts.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref> The configuration file is usually found in /usr/lib/X11/xdm/xdm-config.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>
History
XDM is one of the earliest display managers for Linux.<ref name=":1" /> It was developed by Keith Packard after he joined the X Consortium due to his frustration using a text-based environment to try and configure X.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
XDM is available but unused on most systems because of its rudimentary nature.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Desktop environments released afterwards tended to include their own display manager, such as dtlogin on CDE.<ref name=":0" />