Hey Ben!   
      
    BR> Nope, nada. I can execute .bash_profile after I login, but no   
    BR> auto-start   
      
   AH!  I think I get it now.  Try giving it a tty in /etc/inittab.  Not sure   
   what Debian's looks like but on my system I could give it it's own by editing   
   a tty6 like this;   
      
   6:2345:respawn:/usr/bin/mc tty6 9600   
      
   or even add a tty7 or editting the tty1 entry so you'd see it straight off   
   boot up.  If tty6, or tty whatever other than 1, then you'll have to Alt+F6 to   
   switch to it once you either reboot or run 'init 3' from a prompt from the   
   root account after editting /etc/inittab to suit.  Once this happens then that   
   tty will persistently be mc.   
      
   This has nothing to do with bash btw.  For the record it is a sysvinit thingy.   
      
   Life is good,   
   Maurice   
      
   ... that path is sharp as a razor's edge - Katha Upanishad   
   --- GNU bash, version 4.2.42(2)-release (x86_64-unknown-linux-gnu)   
    * Origin: Pointy Stick Society (1:261/38.9)