RE: Launching/Switching to another colour depth from gdm screen

[db <bosto tpg com au>]

It turned out to be simple.

The user logs in once with gdm.

After they are in, when they need 8 bit they click on an icon that 
launches a script:

######################################
#!/bin/bash
#
# usage: switchx
#
# requires: switchto - with owner root and setuid root
#       otherwise cannot open the console
#
XCOMMAND="xinit ~/.xinitrc.8bit -- :1 vt8 -depth 8"
XLOCKFILE="/tmp/.X1-lock"

if [ -a $XLOCKFILE ]; then
        switchto 8
else
        $XCOMMAND
fi
#
######################################

On linux this requires the "open" package.
The permissions need to be changed for "switchto" from that package if a 
non-root user is going to be able to get to the console.  See the linux 
quake HOWTO for more details.

Regards,
	David Boston