On Thu, Sep 13, 2007 at 06:05:00PM -0500, Gordon Pedersen wrote: > On 9/13/07, Andrew Sackville-West <andrew@farwestbilliards.com> wrote: > > On Thu, Sep 13, 2007 at 12:39:15AM -0500, Gordon Pedersen wrote: > > > > > > I reinstalled etch 4.0r1 from scratch. So all below refers to stable. > > > ... > > > Now I tried to start X 3 different ways. > > > ... > > > ----- SCENARIO 2 ----- > > > 2. Have no ~/.xinitrc nor ~/.xsession > > > (thus seemingly reliant on existing stock /etc/X11/Xsession) > > > > > > # Issue this command > > > # startx -- -logverbose > > > > > > SYMPTOMS: > > > Session starts a totally blank screen but it stays open. I have to kill > > > by the usual ctrl-alt-backspace. > > > > that means X is working. just that there is nothing running in the > > session (how that works, I don't know, because without a client X > > shoudl die, but we'll take what we get...) > > I ran ps on that X session. In a nutshell, it looks like there is a > default /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc script being invoked and it starts > xterm ultimately. > > > > > > > > > ----- SCENARIO 3 ----- > > > 3. Same setup as 2. above, but different command > > > > > > # Issue this command > > > # startx xterm -- -logverbose > > > > > > SYMPTOMS: > > > The session seems to start, then ends immediately. > > > Afterwards I see this error message on terminal: > > > xterm: bad command line option "xterm" > > > This is followed by the xterm brief help message (ie, list of options). > > > > > > > the X session is dying because it has no client. It has no client > > because xterm is bombing because it doesn't like whatever its getting > > for a command line. > > > > So go back to #1 and make your ~/.xinitrc look *just* like this: > > > > xsetroot -solid skyblue > > xterm > > > > save it and run just > > > > startx > > > > without the extra stuff. > > I did this (and in fact other permutations of .xinitrc) and I see the > same blank screen I saw for original scenario #2 above. X is > apparently running. But the screen is totally blank, and when I type, > nothing shows. I kill the session using ctrl-alt-backspace. > > I tried also using ~/.xsession with identical contents instead of > ~/.xinitrc; identical symptoms. > > (My keyboard is a trusty old IBM without a separate keypad so although > I tried, I can't test cycling through the possible active modes.) > > I looked using "ps fax" and see the following while that blank screen > is up (trimming some output): > > \_/bin/sh /usr/bin/startx > \_ xinit /root/.xinitrc -- /etc/X11/xinit/xserverrc -aut[rest cut off] ---------------^^^^ > \_ /usr/bin/X11/X -dpi 100 -nolisten tcp > \_ sh /root/.xinitrc ----------------------^^^^ > \_ xterm > \_ bash > > Looks okay to me, but I don't know what to look for in an obscure case > like this. > wow, I'm stumped. I've changed the subject line in hopes of catching some other eyes. First of all (see arrows above) you shouldn't startx as root. Its should certainly still work (unless something has changed), and Iknow its a lot easier in the midst of all this mucking around... just pointing it out is all... Ok, wow, so X is coming up (yay!!!!) and its clients are up and running (yay!!!) but you can't see them (booooo!!!!). I assume you are only seeing the usual grey screen, right? xsetroot is doing nothing as well, right? is there a mouse cursor? Totally baffled. maybe try coming up with an xterm command line that specifies the placement of the window someting like --geometry 300x400+100+100 so that you are confident that the window would be intersecting the screen and check the man page, cause I don't remember that sytnax ATM. are there any errors in ~/.xsession-errors? maybe there's a clue there. Also, is it possible somehow that you are getting more than one X display running and the xterm is connecting to the wrong one? maybe specify --display :0.0 try switching away and switching back (ctrl-alt-f1). Try alternate VT's (c-a-f8, f9 etc). try some other client program besides xterm. xcalc maybe. try going ahead and running a basic window manager instead of xterm (fluxbox, or icewm or twm or anything, just to see...). All this is shooting in the dark Gordon, I really hope someone else can jump on this cause I'm out of ideas now. good luck and keep posting up here. A
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