X server cannot be started

Support knowledgebase (maddin_xserverrc)
Applies to

SuSE Linux: Versions 5.2 Demo CD to 5.2, 1st Edition
This article refers to an older version of SuSE Linux. Therefore some of the informations given in this article may be outdated or the article may contain stale links.

Symptom:

After an update to S.u.S.E. Linux 5.2 (or to the 5.2 demo version) you cannot start the X server anymore. However this could be done without problems with the old /etc/XF86Config.

Cause:

Since XFree86-3.3.2 the X server cannot be started directly by a "normal" user anymore but must be started via xdm or the script Xwrapper. Possibly there is a file .xserverrc in your HOME directory that tries to start up the X server directly. However this is not possible anymore.

Solution:

Replace the invocation of the X server in the file ~/.xserverrc
exec X $dspnum $args
by the following call :
exec Xwrapper $dspnum $args
Then it should be possible to start the X server as a normal user again.
Keywords: XSERVER, STARTX, XWRAPPER, XSERVERRC, XDM, SUID, XFREE86, XF86

Categories: X Server

SDB-maddin_xserverrc, Copyright SuSE Linux AG, Nürnberg, Germany - Version: 01. Apr 1998
SuSE Linux AG - Last generated: 23. Jul 2002 13:40:52 by maddin (sdb_gen 1.40.0)