I know how to set up KDM or GDM to do automatic login, but is there a way to do it without GDM or KDM or X at all so when I start the machine I am immediately taken to a waiting command prompt? Thanks

In Debian, you can disable the gdm or kdb login manager with update-rc.d. In Red Hat, I believe you can simply request a different runlevel.

I don't know too much (anything) about runlevels, except that runlevel 0 is halt and 6 is reboot... The machine will be slackware 12.1 with only the base x system installed. I assume runlevel 1 is single-user mode and that will not ask for a login?

The Slackware Linux Project: Configuration Help

Regards

Thanks, but is it possible to log in automatically? I set runlevel 1 as my default but it still wants a username/password.

I found a way around it. I set up X and in the .xinitrc file I put the command to vnc to the remote computer I will be controlling. To make it easy for my users to use it, I put the startx command in /etc/rc.d/rc.local, now it launches X and before the login prompt and starts remotely controlling another machine and the users will not have to do a thing and as far as they know they will be using windows.