[SOLVED] startx error: Failed to open authorization file

calciumcyborg · 2019-12-24 21:11:54

Hello, Arch fam.

I've had a recurring problem where, after updating Arch, startx fails to launch X11. The log (posted below) shows a single error: "Failed to open authorization file /tmp/serverauth.[randomcharacters]: No such file or directory". This error only occurs when run by user; startx runs just fine from root. I thought I could solve the problem by deleting ~.Xauthority and rerunning startx. For some reason, this causes startx to create ~.Xauthority as an empty file. Archwiki/xorg didn't have any documentation on this issue, and neither did archlinux forums or the internet at large (barring issues involving ssh or SDDM, neither of which are a factor in my case).

Below is the log created hy startx, located at ~.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log

https://gist.github.com/078eccfecefec7f … b2853283b6

*** Edited post by removing log contents and instead providing pastebin client url (see above link). Thanks for the guidance, @jasonwryan.
*** Edited again to provide links to .xinitrc and answer questions.

Here's the .xinitrc:
https://gist.github.com/a6e838cdd42d3be … 966bff2621

Here's /ect/X11/xorg.conf:
https://gist.github.com/3908718cd108e56 … 23f85f64ea

*** In response to some comments:
* Seth, you're presumption is correct, and I'll review xinit in the arch wiki and edit this post with what I find. Also, I edited /etc/X11/xorg.conf to swap ctrl/esc with caps-lock. I'll bet there's a better place to do that; looks like I have more reading to do. See above link to my .xinitrc and /etc/X11/xorg.conf.
* Zod, I'm currently using xmonad without a desktop environment.

[SOLVED]: I found no permanent solution, but I did manage to get back into X by replacing the empty ~.Xauthority with a version that I had recently backed up. Either that or ~.Xauthority somehow fixed itself on one of the reboots. I don't believe I touched xauth at any point during this endeavor, but whatever, I've got my xmonad back so I'm happy. Any way, thanks to @seth for his admonition against static xorg configs!

Last edited by calciumcyborg (2019-12-27 00:51:20)

jasonwryan · 2019-12-24 21:14:22

Edit your post and put the output in code tags: https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Co … s_and_code

seth · 2019-12-24 21:43:45

Please post your xinitrc and also: what's /etc/X11/xorg.conf? Why is it there and what are the contents?
("Thou shalt not have a static Xorg configuration")

Zod · 2019-12-24 21:45:05

[   610.835] (II) Server terminated successfully (0). Closing log file.

Seems as though X is working fine, did you install any kind of DE, WM or anything?

seth · 2019-12-24 21:51:16

The actual error message is

[   610.390] (EE) Failed to open authorization file "/tmp/serverauth.dxAEeppK7O vt2": No such file or directory

There's a 99% chance he didn't read the notes in https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinit#xinitrc …

calciumcyborg · 2019-12-25 16:56:16

seth wrote:

The actual error message is
[   610.390] (EE) Failed to open authorization file "/tmp/serverauth.dxAEeppK7O vt2": No such file or directory
There's a 99% chance he didn't read the notes in https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xinit#xinitrc …

You're correct, I did not read those notes. Did you see relevent info there? I did not, but maybe I'm missing something.

Zod · 2019-12-25 17:05:02

I couldn't help but notice that you have neglected to post your .xinitrc and xorg.conf files as requested.

If the issue has been resolved you should consider appending [solved] to the title of your OP.

calciumcyborg · 2019-12-25 17:08:41

Zod wrote:

I couldn't help but notice that you have neglected to post your .xinitrc and xorg.conf files as requested.
If the issue has been resolved you should consider appending [solved] to the title of your OP.

My apologies. Consider them posted. Please see the original post, now edited with links to the relevent files. Thanks for your patience.

Last edited by calciumcyborg (2019-12-25 17:11:32)

seth · 2019-12-25 20:16:10

The important part of those notes is to add the /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/ inclusion block which is present in at least the xinitrc you posted.
Is this the one matching the xorg log w/ the error message, resp. does the error remain?

Other than that, xcape should™ fork, ie. it's not helpful and pot. (in this context) harmful to fork it (drop the "&") - I doubt this to be related to the issue at hand, though.

As for the xorg config, please see https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xo … tion_files
Don't use a static config file (notably yours is full of cruft in the non-custom part) but drop-ins.

calciumcyborg · 2019-12-27 00:40:59

seth wrote:

The important part of those notes is to add the /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/ inclusion block which is present in at least the xinitrc you posted.
Is this the one matching the xorg log w/ the error message, resp. does the error remain?
Other than that, xcape should™ fork, ie. it's not helpful and pot. (in this context) harmful to fork it (drop the "&") - I doubt this to be related to the issue at hand, though.
As for the xorg config, please see https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Xo … tion_files
Don't use a static config file (notably yours is full of cruft in the non-custom part) but drop-ins.

Seth, thanks for the advice on xorg.conf. I'll be cleaning up my config files.

As for the original issue, I managed to (kind of) solve it by replacing the empty ~.Xauthority with a version I had recently backed up, and I'm in X once again. Although I don't consider this a permanent solution, I'm going to call it a day and update the OP as "solved." Thanks again for combing over my files and pointing out weak points, and in general giving me helpful pointers.

Last edited by calciumcyborg (2019-12-27 00:42:58)

Arch Linux

#1 2019-12-24 21:11:54

[SOLVED] startx error: Failed to open authorization file

#2 2019-12-24 21:14:22

Re: [SOLVED] startx error: Failed to open authorization file

#3 2019-12-24 21:43:45

Re: [SOLVED] startx error: Failed to open authorization file

#4 2019-12-24 21:45:05

Re: [SOLVED] startx error: Failed to open authorization file

#5 2019-12-24 21:51:16

Re: [SOLVED] startx error: Failed to open authorization file

#6 2019-12-25 16:56:16

Re: [SOLVED] startx error: Failed to open authorization file

#7 2019-12-25 17:05:02

Re: [SOLVED] startx error: Failed to open authorization file

#8 2019-12-25 17:08:41

Re: [SOLVED] startx error: Failed to open authorization file

#9 2019-12-25 20:16:10

Re: [SOLVED] startx error: Failed to open authorization file

#10 2019-12-27 00:40:59

Re: [SOLVED] startx error: Failed to open authorization file

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