Subject: Re: FVWM: Cannot open display

From: Paulo Góes <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 10:55:29 -0700 (PDT)

Hi Thomas. Thanks for your attention. Your tip was very usefull too. Sorry for not supplying enough informations about my problem. In order to correct my mistake, I'd say X11 wasn't running when I was invoking fvwm (as a regular user). After read your last message, I've proceeded as the following command at the Linux prompt:

[user@my_machine_name] xinit

At the prompt issued by X11 is typed:

[user@my_machine_name] fvwm2

Fvwm is launched differently than expected. No icons, no taskbar, you know, no elements usually presented in other window managers. Only an analogic clock at the rigth-bottom corner of the screen, some additional areas surrounding it and nothing else. Is it normal or should I do something else in system.fvwm2rc.

Thanks in advance
Paulo

--- Thomas Adam <[email-masked]> wrote:
 --- Paulo GÃ³es <[email-masked]> wrote: 

> Hi Scott. Thanks for your help but the situation seems to be the  same.
> Bellow is the fvwm command's output after applying your suggestion
> 
> [FVWM][main]: can't open display :0

Scott's instructions were accurate only in part. But then, you're not
exactly giving us enough information to work with either. The error
message that I have quoted above means that either you have X already
running (and you're trying to run fvwm *NOT* as the user that invoked X11)
or you have some other issue (such as incorrect settings on /tmp).

So, let's assume the former case. If you *do* have X11 running, and you
are trying to launch X11 applications from another user, then do:

export DISPLAY=:0 
xauth merge ~user/.Xauthority

whereby "~user" is the name of the user that already has X11 running. Of
course, that user won't be root because you wouldn't be a foolish as that;
I hope. :)

As for the /tmp settings, ensure they are:

chmod 777 /tmp

-- Thomas Adam

=====
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experience will probably kill you. :)"

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From: Thomas Adam <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 10 May 2004 21:31:19 +0100 (BST)

> [user@my_machine_name] fvwm2

You must be using a version prior to 2.4.25. Subsequent releases renamed
the binary back to 'fvwm'.

Do you have a ~/.xsession file? Look here:

http://www.hantslug.org.uk/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?LinuxHints/StartX

for details.
 
> Fvwm is launched differently than expected. No icons, no taskbar, you
> know, no elements usually presented in other window managers. Only an
> analogic clock at the rigth-bottom corner of the screen, some additional
> areas surrounding it and nothing else. Is it normal or should I do
> something else in system.fvwm2rc.

You should ensure that your:

~/.fvwm2rc

file exists.

-- Thomas Adam

=====

---

From: Mikhael Goikhman <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 11 May 2004 01:49:51 +0000

On 10 May 2004 21:31:19 +0100, Thomas Adam wrote:
> 
>  --- Paulo Góes <[email-masked]> wrote: 
> 

Tomas, it would be nice if only exact verified information is provided.

There is _no_ such version 2.4.25 or anything similar to this number.

It is factually _not_ true that the executable was renamed in 2.4.x.
The fact is, starting from 2.4.8 the symbolic link "fvwm" is installed.
(Still "fvwm" is a preferable executable name in both 2.4.x and 2.5.x.)

> http://www.hantslug.org.uk/cgi-bin/wiki.pl?LinuxHints/StartX

Having ~/.xsession file is in no way a requirement for running fvwm.
It may be started from ~/.xinitrc for example.

> > something else in system.fvwm2rc.

This is normal supposing you have some old system.fvwm2rc on your system.
I guess, it is safe to remove this system.fvwm2rc file completely.

If your goal is still to have a Kiosk-like mode, then please go to
http://fvwm.org/contact/ and type "kiosk" or other keywords to try to
find useful suggestions.

If you need a fully functional desktop instead, you probably want to
start with fvwm-themes.

> You should ensure that your:

Having ~/.fvwm2rc file is in no way a requirement for running fvwm.
In fact, this file is highly discouraged in favour of ~/.fvwm/.fvwm2rc
(or even ~/.fvwm/config in the latest cvs version).

Regards,
Mikhael.

---

From: Thomas Adam <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 11 May 2004 03:21:02 +0100 (BST)

> It may be started from ~/.xinitrc for example.

You miss my point, and I appreciate that one can start it from ~/.xinitrc
(sometimes, ~/.xinitrc is symlinked to ~/.xsession). The fact that the OP
said that he now had *something* running via X, was enough for me to
suggest that he can use that file as a means of launching a desired window
manager.

> (or even ~/.fvwm/config in the latest cvs version).

Be that as it may, I came to an old conclusion based on erroneous facts.
But I am not quibbling this one in the slightest....

Thanks,

-- Thomas Adam

=====