Subject: Answer to Weird xauth problem with firefox & thunderbird
To: None <tech-pkg@netbsd.org>
From: Art Lemasters <develunix@gmail.com>
List: tech-pkg
Date: 10/04/2005 18:58:23
   Firefox and thunderbird have been failing to start in new
accounts with an error message like the following.

   Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server
   Xlib: XDM authorization key matches an existing client!

   Concerned maintainers and helpers, take this upstream with
you. Hopefully, it will lead to a fix, if a solution hasn't already
been found. I don't know which package(s) the problem is originating
from. Users, use the solution below.

   If you see the problem and want to fix it while learning something,

* Back user data up if necessary. Delete and re-create the user
account (with useradd or whatever).

* Start X Windows for the first time. *Do not start firefox
or thunderbird yet!* Such move could make the situation more
difficult.

* Do <ls -al> (without the angle brackets) in your user home
directory (/home/user) to see the ".Xauthority-n" file. Don't start
firefox or thunderbird yet.

* Log out of X Windows now.

* Log back into X Windows. See now that the file name has changed
to ".Xauthority" (without the _n_).

* Now start firefox and thunderbird! It should work, if you haven't
already tried to start the browsers during the first X login for
the account.

   The preceding was done with xdm and enlightenment in a netbsd
workstation that offers no network services to other machines. ...other
system attributes:

* netbsd 2.0.2 Stable

* pkgsrc-2005Q3


Yours,

Art