Re: startx > xauth - bad display name error

[Bryan Pierce <bdpierce3%bdpierce.com@localhost>]

Steven M. Bellovin wrote:
> On Tue, 24 Jun 2008 09:35:13 -0500 (CDT)
> "Jeremy C. Reed" <reed%reedmedia.net@localhost> wrote:
>
>   
> > >        # startx
> > > I get this message...
> > >
> > >       
> > Usually that error is because the name is not in DNS. It doesn't know 
> > "myComputer.myDomain.dom". Use a real name in real working DNS, or
> > add to local /etc/hosts.
> >
> > Is that bogus name assigned by DHCP?
> >     
>
> The problem is startx, I think.  Looking at the script, it's using the
> output of 'hostname' as something to feed to xauth.  Per a previous
> post by Bryan -- and it's on my list to reply to -- he doesn't have a
> local host name.  Try setting it to 'localhost', which will at least
> keep xauth happy.
>
>   
I'm not sure what "it" or "'localhost'" is, but I tried
   hostname = ""        # in my rc.conf

I've seen this error in my searches, and there are actually a few more 
error and "it" terminates
quicker

       xauth: (argv):1: bad display name ":0" in "list" command


I noticed a log file and scanned it and found a couple warnings

       (WW) xf86EnableIO 5
       (II) xf86EnableIO: ffffffff
       (WW) Can't Map IO space

Then it goes into a PCI scan section, and before the fatal error, it 
seems like the ATI Rage settings
load OK (appears complete, but it is right before the fatal error, which 
is....

       (II) Primary Device is  PCI 00:12:0
       (--) Assigning section with no bus ID to primary device
       (EE)  No  Devices Detected.

       Fatal Server Error:
       no screens found

There are the exact same errors whether is set hostname to a bogus name 
or an empty string.

At first I thought maybe it was looking from my monitor or video card 
set-ups, stored maybe
in a file somewhere on my computer. I would be willing to try the 
"localhost" thing, but I don't
know what a "localhost" is (or at least what NetBSD thinks a "localhost" is)


> > > And the same with
> > >       stty erase '^h'
> > >       
> > > actually it seems like I have to type this everytime I su to root.
> > > Is there a way to make this more permanant... (I've seen some
> > > terminal settings in the rc.conf...but nothing that popped out at
> > > me as possibly fixing this)
> > >       
> > Put in startup dot file, like .profile and/or .login.
> >     
>
> What about xterms?  For me, when I'm in X the backspace key just works,
> but it also just works on the console, so I haven't worried about it.
> (Well, not always, but close enough.)
>
>
>                 --Steve Bellovin, http://www.cs.columbia.edu/~smb
>
>
>   
On a happier note...
   usermod -s /usr/pkg/bin/bash root
quickly fixed my backspace and uparrow problems :D

(I'm not sure why I have to type the complete pathway, since 
/usr/pkg/bin should be in my
PATH, but I'm not complaining ;-)
Also adding
   stty erase '^H'
to my /root/.login file did not work (Thomas Edison would be proud - 
there's one more thing
I know doesn't work ;-)


Cheers!

Bryan Pierce