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I'm sure this is a question that has been answered before, but with a number of different searches, I can't find it!

I have a computer with Linux already installed (Lubuntu 13.10), and when it boots, it will go right into the desktop environment. I don't want to remove the desktop environment, but I also don't want it to start at boot, because I usually access the box remotely.

What config changes do I need to make so that LXDE doesn't start at boot, but I can still jump into it with startx?

asfallows
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  • Can't write anything more at the moment, but check this link out; http://askubuntu.com/questions/86483/how-can-i-see-or-change-default-run-level – canadmos Apr 27 '14 at 21:55

3 Answers3

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You want to change the default runlevel, on ubuntu the way to do that is in the grub configuration.

Plagiarizing heavily from this askubuntu answer (go on, upvote it...):

For Ubuntu 11.10 and higher

Edit /etc/default/grub with your favorite editor,

sudo nano /etc/default/grub

Find out this line:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"

Change it to:

GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="text"

Update Grub:

sudo update-grub
Community
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rolfl
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  • Thank you for this answer - I won't have free time to test this for a little while, but I promise when I do I'll come back and accept it once I confirm. – asfallows Apr 28 '14 at 18:06
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    This did not work with Ubuntu 20.04. It only changed the splash screen. – Makmeksum May 04 '20 at 20:07
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What config changes do I need to make so that LXDE doesn't start at boot

This is probably a very late answer since you first posted the question. Anyway, from what I knew working on a similar situation on Ubuntu-based Linux OS using lightdm as display manager, you can use systemctl command to set the default boot into terminal mode after booting up.

First, you may want to check what the default mode is;

systemctl get-default

To change the default mode, and if you don't want the desktop environment to start at boot, shall do this;

systemctl set-default multi-user

On the next reboot, it won't show the greeter and user login by your display manager (lightdm in this case) and won't boot into your desktop environment but instead goes into terminal mode.

If you want to set default boot up to your desktop enviroment, you shall do;

systemctl set-default graphical

If you want to set default boot up to terminal without the desktop enviroment, you shall do;

systemctl set-default multi-user

And for this;

, but I can still jump into it with starts?

From the terminal;

systemctl start lightdm

Or by using SysV init run level;

init 5

It will start the display manager and runs your desktop greeter and login session before loading into your desktop environment. This will run even if you have the configuration set as multi-user previously. But, when you reboot the next session, it will go into the default mode set previously.

Devin D
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the grub configuration did nothing for me on lubuntu. The os simply launched itself with the usual graphical login screen.

On a hunch I pulled out the keyboard,mouse and display monitor cables from my desktop backplane. And waited for a fresh boot.

I had earlier configured my laptop to connect to the box through ssh.

In a short while the machine booted up and then I was able to connect to it over ssh.

I plugged in the monitor, the keyboard and mouse to the desktop to check what would happen. apparently the mouse has power because its led is glowing red. The keyboard does nothing. The monitor remains blank.

So to make my lubuntu headless all I need to do is to just pull out the peripherals. That is all.

I had used the monitor to make some initial configurations right after installation. including the installation of an ssh server. and fixing some minor problems otherwise.

I am running lubuntu 18.04 on a cheap locally assembled desktop with an intel core 2 duo 8400 cpu. and 2 gb ram.

vidyadhara buddhiraju
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