X session problems

[Chartier Jerome]

Hi all,

I've got a problem when I try to launch an X-session from a Win32 station using Exceed.

For monthes I used the XDMCP-Broadcast client, which recognize the servers, then launch the connection, and I had the CDE desktop and windows appearing..... but today it doesn't work.

What could be the possible issues for this (server is an HP9000 using 11i) ?

Thanks in advance for your help

Kind Regards

J??r??me

[John Dvorchak]

Are you sure dtlogin is still running?

ps -ef|grep dtlogin

[Kevin O'Donovan]

Hi Jerome,

what exactly happens, what error messages do you get?

The main thing I've found that can cause problems here is the DISPLAY variable being set in your .profile/.cshrc (depending on your shell), and the IP address/hostname not being the same as the ip address/hostname of the Windows machine you're using.

If your company uses DHCP for your desktop machines this can sometimes change (has expiry of address lease built in) leaving you with the problem you're having. Or maybe you're just using a different machine?

You could also check that the dtlogin process is running on the HP box, thats the process that handles the GUI logins (CDE desktop, etc.).

hope that helps,
Kevin.

[John Dvorchak]

Sorry I should not assume that you know how to restart it on the HPUX box:

/sbin/init.d/dtlogin.rc stop
/sbin/init.d/dtlogin.rc start

Look for errors or just the presence of dtlogin daemon:

ps -ef | grep dtlogin

If it fails to start look at the file:
/etc/rc.config.d/desktop
and see if it is enabled like this:

#cat desktop
# CDE Desktop enabled Sat Sep 30 22:30:30 EDT 2000
DESKTOP=CDE

[Kevin O'Donovan]

Whoops, wasn't very clear with some of my reply:

with the DHCP your Windows machine IP address can change. Check that against the DISPLAY variable if its set.

[Steven E. Protter]

Have you recently made changes to /etc/inetd.conf

That could effect your login.

Have you recently run the Bastille Security hardening tool on your system. Answering the wrong question yes, can suddenly disable X access.

inetd -l

in telnet or ssh
tail -f /var/adm/syslog/syslog.log

Then connect via X and see what you get. You should get a very useful error message.

SEP

[RolandH]

Ask your network team if they have replaced the switches or reconfigured the switches that they not forward broadcast messages.

Roland

[Chartier Jerome]

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies.
I've checked each of the point you gave me; but everything is alright ... when I try to launch an Xsession from my win station; there is nothing written in the syslog file...

The interface is freezing on the Window side either (not shoking ;o) and I have to stop it with the TM.

The servers + wks are on the same subnetwork ... strange ...


Thanks for your help

J??r??me

[Kevin O'Donovan]

Just to check, when you say it freezes does it just come up with a blue screen? (not the windows blue screen of death but the blue screen that appears while its logging in)

If so I'd check the display, if not its your machine. Have you tried doing this on a different Windows machine? or even using a different HPUX machine?

Kevin.

[Umapathy S]

Jerome,
Just for a try.
Try with XDCMP query mode and connect to a particular machine. Do you get the login screen?

HTH,
Umapathy

[Chartier Jerome]

Yes, I've tried on several stations, with the same result ...
Should it come from a network congestion ...?

Thanks in advance

Regards

J??r??me

[Chartier Jerome]

Hi all,

from the xdmcp session, I can't get the login script ...

Thanks for your help

Regards

J??r??me

[Mark Grant · Accepted solution]

This sometimes happens when name resolution goes a bit funny.

Try putting your PC's hostname and IP address in /etc/hosts (assuming nsswitch.conf is set up to use /etc/hosts) just to make sure that it isn't the case this time.

[Chartier Jerome]

Hi Mark,

This solution works, so thanks for your help...

Do I need to restart the client or the DHCP server to resolve this problem (just imagine; I can't write 200 entries in the /etc/hosts file ... ;o)

Thanks to all

Cheers

J??r??me

[Mark Grant]

Hi,

I can understand you don't want to put 200 entries in the hosts file :)

However, this shows that there is a problem with name resolution and you have just proved it!

I don't think restarting either the client or the DHCP server will help but it looks like some setting has been changed in DNS and you need to find out what your DNS servers are doing!

Regards