How to Get to the Desktop From a Linux Command Line
A Linux machine will boot to the command line for various reasons, mostly because something is wrong with the X Window Configuration or use of the Window Manager. If your Linux machine has booted to the command line on purpose, then there are some easy steps to start the X Windows System and get to the Desktop.
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Instructions
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Getting to the Desktop
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1
Type in your username and password as usual when you see the login prompt on the screen. Do not login as root unless you want to be running your Desktop under root (typically a bad idea).
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2
Type "startx" into the command line and hit enter if you know that your .xinit scripts are in order. If you want to specify a certain set of scripts, then continue to Step 3. Typically, using just the startx script will be fine unless your computer booted to the command line because of configuration errors and needs to be rigged a little to start the desktop.
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3
Type "startx -x .xinitrc" where .xinitrc is the name of the startup script you would like to use. You can also use the -m option to initiate a different window manager than mdm, the default window manager for X Windows.
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