install mingetty (console only getty;  getty opens a tty port, prompts for a login name and invokes the /bin/login command)

<code>
apt-get install mingetty
</code>

====== Debian ======


edit a line in /etc/inittab (good to make a backup copy before!)  for a particular tty that you want to autologin to

<code>
1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1
2:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty2
3:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty3
4:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty4
5:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty5
6:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty6
</code>

and put your user after --autologin flag. for example you log in automatically on tty1:
 
<code>
1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty --autologin [user] --noclear  tty1 
</code>



then edit the .profile file in your user's home directory, adding these lines

<code>
if [ -z "$DISPLAY" ] && [ $(tty) = /dev/tty1 ] ; then
    startx ;
fi
</code>

finally, make sure that .xinitrc contains the line which will start your window manager. for example:

<code>
awesome
</code>
more details here: http://www.shellperson.net/autostart-x-without-gdm/

====== Ubuntu ======


edit a line in /etc/init/tty1.conf to replace  

<code>
exec /sbin/getty -8 38400 tty1
</code>

with 

<code>
exec /sbin/mingetty --autologin [user] tty1
</code>

then edit your .bashrc (if the user is using bash shell) to add 

<code>
startx
</code>

as the last line.

from: http://forum.xbmc.org/showthread.php?tid=38473