Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rpi!usc!elroy.jpl.nasa.gov!ncar!gatech!prism!scott From: scott@prism.gatech.EDU (Scott Holt) Newsgroups: comp.unix.aix Subject: Re: Unable to start X Server - unless root user Message-ID: <24957@hydra.gatech.EDU> Date: 24 Mar 91 18:19:52 GMT References: <1991Mar22.131041.10327@hollie.rdg.dec.com> Organization: Georgia Institute of Technology Lines: 24 In article <1991Mar22.131041.10327@hollie.rdg.dec.com> attwool@exocet.enet.dec.com () writes: >Machine: RS6000 > > Is it normal for ONLY the root user to be able to start up 'xinit' ?, I >hope its not, > I've added users and choosen their startup environment using SMIT, but >if i login to > the newly created account I get an error message which reads... > 'Unable to start X server' > Did you install this system from a image backup? This seems to happen to systems installed (or re-installed) from backups. The problem is that some entries in /dev get recreated in such a way to only root can access them. Its been a while since this happened to me, but I think the offending entry was the one for /dev/tty - it was writable only by root, but needs to be world writable. - Scott -- This is my signature. There are many like it, but this one is mine. Scott Holt Internet: scott@prism.gatech.edu Georgia Tech UUCP: ..!gatech!prism!scott Office of Information Technology, Technical Services