Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!decwrl!sgi!rpw3@rigden.wpd.sgi.com From: rpw3@rigden.wpd.sgi.com (Rob Warnock) Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi Subject: Re: Possible bug in the enabling the hosts on the personal iris Message-ID: <87774@sgi.sgi.com> Date: 27 Feb 91 06:34:03 GMT References: <1377@babcock.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu> Sender: guest@sgi.sgi.com Reply-To: rpw3@sgi.com (Rob Warnock) Organization: Silicon Graphics, Inc., Mountain View, CA Lines: 48 In article <1377@babcock.cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu> smp@cerc.wvu.wvnet.edu (Shailesh M. Potnis) writes: +--------------- | I am having problems in disabling the access control on the personal | iris machines. If I give the command xhost + prior to xterm, the system comes | back with the message that access control disabled. If one tries to check the | allowed hosts by the xhost command iris lists only the local host and the | current machine. One cannot display applications from remote servers on this | display. However if one has opened any applications like xterm prior to | disabling the access control by the command xhost + then everything goes as | per the book. | What can be the reason for this inconsistancy? and are there any | fixes for this. +--------------- The reason you see this behavior is that when the last client disconnects, the X server resets itself, preparing for another login. This is consistent with its normal use when "xdm" or some similar program is controlling top- level logins. You *want* the server to reset so the next user to login doesn't get any leftovers. But under 3.3.2, still using getty/login/NeWS/etc., the X server is fooled into thinking you've logged out each time it has no clients. What's happening is: 1. You run "xhost +foo" or "xhost +". 2. "xhost" connects to the X server, adds "foo" to the access list. 3. "xhost" exits, having done its work. 4. There are no more clients, so the X server resets the world, including the access list. 5. A subsequent "xhost" finds no foreign hosts enabled. The same thing also happens if you try to run "xrdb" by itself to load some resources, such as your ~/.Xdefaults. It works, but as soon as it exits, the X server says, "o.k., he's logged out, reset everything", and the resources disappear. Frustrating, as you've found out! (Me, too! ;-} ;-} ) This will be automatically fixed in Irix 4.0, which will use "xdm" for the X session control, but in the meantime you can "fake it" by starting up a long-lived X application (I run an "xclock") *before* running "xrdb" or xhost". -Rob ----- Rob Warnock, MS-1L/515 rpw3@sgi.com rpw3@pei.com Silicon Graphics, Inc. (415)335-1673 Protocol Engines, Inc. 2011 N. Shoreline Blvd. Mountain View, CA 94039-7311