window manager/desktop won't start

[Gary Turner <kk5st@sbcglobal.net>]

Sometime in the last few weeks I, or an upgrade, borked my X.  I was
using xdm & kde.  (Unable to pinpoint the time frame, as I didn't use X
in that period.)

The problem cropped up after a soft reboot.  The login screen came up ok
and login seemed ok except that no panel/desktop came up.  Mouse seemed
ok, but clicking on screen had no effect.  After about 2 minutes, X
exits and a new login screen appears.

Being too ignorant to understand the error msgs, I made a fresh default
install of wdm, and the example ~/.xsession using twm.  No joy.

Trying startx &> file (wdm by-passed) gave me the same thing, without a
login screen. (exit via ctl-alt-bkspc)  The output was:

  hostname 2.08
  
  X: warning; process set to priority 0 instead of requested priority
-10
  
  XFree86 Version 4.2.1 (Debian 4.2.1-3 20021016191246
branden@deadbeast.net) / X Window System
  (protocol Version 11, revision 0, vendor release 6600)
  Release Date: 3 September 2002
  	If the server is older than 6-12 months, or if your card is
  	newer than the above date, look for a newer version before
  	reporting problems.  (See http://www.XFree86.Org/)
  Build Operating System: Linux 2.4.18 i686 [ELF] 
  Module Loader present
  Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
           (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
           (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
  (==) Log file: "/var/log/XFree86.0.log", Time: Thu Nov 21 21:53:29
2002
  (==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/XF86Config-4"
  Faild to read: session.tabs
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.iconbar
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.colorsPerChannel
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.styleFile
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.menuFile
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.keyFile
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.slitlistFile
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.titlebar.left
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.titlebar.right
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.cacheLife
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.cacheMax
  Setting default value
  BScreen::BScreen: managing screen 0 using visual 0x23, depth 24
  Faild to read: session.screen0.toolbar.onTop
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.toolbar.autoHide
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.imageDither
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.opaqueMove
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.fullMaximization
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.maxOverSlit
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.tab.rotatevertical
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.sloppywindowgrouping
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.workspacewarping
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.desktopwheeling
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.showwindowposition
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.focusLastWindow
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.focusNewWindows
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.rootCommand
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.workspaces
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.toolbar.widthPercent
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.edgeSnapThreshold
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.tab.width
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.tab.height
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.tab.placement
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.tab.alignment
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.toolbar.onhead
  Setting default value
  Faild to read: session.screen0.toolbar.placement
  Setting default value
  XIO:  fatal IO error 104 (Connection reset by peer) on X server ":0.0"
        after 34 requests (21 known processed) with 0 events remaining.
  X connection to :0.0 broken (explicit kill or server shutdown).
  xinit:  connection to X server lost.
  
  waiting for X server to shut down 
  
I can supply wdm.log and XFree86.0.log or any others that could help.  I
just don't have a clue as to where to begin.  If someone can point me in
the right direction, I will greatly appreciate it.
--
gt       kk5st@sbcglobal.net
It ain't so much what you don't know that gets you in trouble---
it's what you do know that ain't so.--unk