Bug#646987: /usr/bin/xinit: xinit fails with xkbcomp could not be invoked

[Julien Cristau <jcristau@debian.org>]

On Fri, Oct 28, 2011 at 22:35:20 -0400, Brenda J. Butler wrote:

> Package: xinit
> Version: 1.2.0-2
> Severity: important
> File: /usr/bin/xinit
> 
> 
> using 2.6.32-5-xen-amd64 I can run an X server, but using
> 2.6.32-5-xen-amd64 (the same) under the Xen 4.0 hypervisor, I cannot.
> 
> The Xorg.log file from running under hypervisor is included below,
> it has the following in it:
> 
>     (EE) XKB: Could not invoke xkbcomp
> 
> and then a couple of lines later:
> 
>     Fatal server error:
>     Failed to activate core devices.
> 
> This log file is after I switched to just VESA (not radeon)
> X driver after seeing some advice to someone to try removing
> all xserver-xorg-video-* packages except vesa and fbdev.  With
> the radeon driver, I get the same result (xorg works with
> kernel, not with hypervisor + kernel).
> 
> I do have a /usr/bin/xkbcomp file, and I can run it from the command
> line.  I cannot find where xkbcomp is invoked in the x init scripts,
> so I'm stuck trying to debug this.  I'm also unfamiliar with xkbcomp
> generally (what are the inputs and outputs, where do they exist on
> disk, etc.) so although I could invoke it at the command line, I
> didn't know what args to try to pass it.  Or how to do that step
> manually so xinit does not have to.  However, it seems xinit cannot
> even invoke it, if the log message was literal.
> 
xkbcomp is invoked by the X server directly.  It uses the files in
/usr/share/X11/xkb/ to build a keymap.

Cheers,
Julien