auto run a program from boot

[knobby]

hello, I'm hoping (with your help ) I can get a program to run from boot time in debian. Basically I want the system to boot and launch straight into the program without going into x or asking for a passwords etc. Can anyone advise how I do this? Thanks

[Zelmo]

This sounds like two distinct requests. If you don't want to start X when the system boots, go into your /etc/inittab and change the default runlevel to 3.
To start a program automatically, go into /etc/init.d and create a script that starts the program, then make a link in /etc/rc3.d that points to that script. Follow the conventions used by other contents of those folders, and check the man pages for specific guidance.

[farslayer]

In Debian everything starts at Runlevel 2. Run levels 2-5 are set the same.


If X is installed and the system currently starts it at boot you can change that behavior by not running kdm, gdm, or xdm at boot. Debian usually installs gdm by default when you select Desktop-Environment at setup. to easily disable it..
mv /etc/rc2.d/S99gdm /etc/rc2.d/K99gdm

to get a progam to start at boot time you should look into wrinting an init script and adding it to the proper location in /etc/init.d, then provinding the proper symlinks in the appropriate runlevels (rc2.d as mentioned earlier) ..
http://www.debian-administration.org/articles/28


Other More Detailed references for System Startup
http://www.debian.org/doc/debian-policy/ch-opersys.html Section 9.3 etc..