[GRLUG] gui on a server

[Adam Tauno Williams]

>Debian runs multi-user at runlevel 2, regardless.  RedHat and its
>derivatives used runlevel 5 for multi-user with GUI (via a display
>manager) and runlevel 2 for multi-user console.

multi-user no display manager is normally runlevel 3 (multiuser, no GUI, with networking enabled).   

Some of the runlevels make more sense if you remember that many machines ran as time sharing hosts with only UUCP for intercommunication.

>I've never understood that distinction.  I'm no sysadmin but I'm not
>sure how distinguishing between the two (above) is practical.  Do
>businesses sometimes run multi-user console but later need to switch to
>multi-user GUI?  

Sort-of.  It was for just making generic systems that could be easily repurposed - which when machines were VERY expensive was common.   Especially if the vendor could finally talk the customer into buying some X -terminals.

Also remember that with-GUI doesn't necessarily mean *local* GUI but that XDMCP was/is available.

-- 
Adam Tauno Williams