Can't start i3 with xorg

zookeeprr · 2014-12-29 23:17:38

I have a new Arch install and am trying to use i3. When I run startx as root, I am brought to the i3 desktop no problem. When I run startx as a user, however, the X server immediately shuts down with no error.

I am able to start xterm and openbox no problem as user. i3 is the only one I am having issues with.

I noticed a .i3 directory in my root home that doesn't exist in my user's home. Could that be part of my problem?

Last edited by zookeeprr (2014-12-29 23:18:12)

jasonwryan · 2014-12-29 23:21:49

What's in your user's .xinitrc?

zookeeprr · 2014-12-29 23:25:43

The user's .xinitrc is copied from /etc/skel/.xinitrc with i3 added. It is located in the user's home directory.

#!/bin/sh
#
# ~/.xinitrc
#
# Executed by startx (run your window manager from here)

if [ -d /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d ]; then
  for f in /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc.d/*; do
    [ -x "$f" ] && . "$f"
  done
  unset f
fi

exec i3

jasonwryan · 2014-12-29 23:26:25

...and the permissions on it?

zookeeprr · 2014-12-29 23:31:23

I'm not sure to be honest. ls -l .xinitrc returns:

-rw-r--r-- 1 $USER $USER 327 $DATETIME .xinitrc

with $USER being the user and $DATETIME being the date and time.

jasonwryan · 2014-12-29 23:55:37

That looks fine. How are you attempting to start X as your user?

Have you read this? https://www.archlinux.org/news/xorg-ser … available/

zookeeprr · 2014-12-30 00:00:26

I am starting X by executing startx. It acts like it's going to start and then closes the X session. If I type sudo startx, I can enter the i3 environment without problem.

I think the issue is more with i3 than xorg, as I can start openbox if I alter my .xinitrc and type startx. It's only i3 giving me problems.

jasonwryan · 2014-12-30 00:02:44

Check the permissions on your i3 files: if you copied them to your $HOME as root, they won't be accessible...

zookeeprr · 2014-12-30 00:04:50

That may be the issue. Where would I look for the i3 files? I know I have some i3 files in /usr/bin. Are those the ones in question? I also see an .i3 directory under root's home.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-30 00:05:44

zookeeprr wrote:

I noticed a .i3 directory in my root home that doesn't exist in my user's home. Could that be part of my problem?

I think so -- the .i3 folder contains the config file for i3.

The wiki page refers to ~/.config/i3/config -- I do not have this file.

Try this command:

i3-config-wizard

This should generate a basic config file.

zookeeprr · 2014-12-30 00:10:48

All right, that must be it. I don't have a ~/.config/i3/config file either. How do I change permissions on the .i3 directory? Seems like I would need to have it in my user's home, no?

i3-config-wizard fails when run as non-root.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-30 00:13:36

zookeeprr wrote:

i3-config-wizard fails when run as non-root.

It works just fine for me -- there is something else going on here.

EDIT: What is the exact error message when you try to run the config wizard?

EDIT AGAIN: Silly question (maybe), but how did you install i3?

Last edited by Head_on_a_Stick (2014-12-30 00:16:54)

zookeeprr · 2014-12-30 00:14:34

Could it be a problem with my i3 install?

zookeeprr · 2014-12-30 00:15:41

When running i3-config-wizard, It fails with the message "Cannot open display"

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-30 00:19:46

zookeeprr wrote:

When running i3-config-wizard, It fails with the message "Cannot open display"

Yeah sorry, it does that when you run it from the console (TTY).

Try copying the .i3 folder over from root & run this:

# chown -R <user name>:<user name> .i3

zookeeprr · 2014-12-30 00:20:17

No silly questions! I installed i3 by running sudo pacman -S i3 and choosing "all" at the prompt.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-30 00:22:58

zookeeprr wrote:

I installed i3 by running sudo pacman -S i3

That's probably fine, but you should really update your system every time you install new packages (check the news page first!):

# pacman -Syu i3

zookeeprr · 2014-12-30 00:25:53

Good to know about installing new packages! I just ran an upgrade and it listed nothing to do, so we're good there.

I ran chown -R $USER:$USER .i3
It completed with no errors, but startx still fails to load.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-30 00:28:47

Start an openbox session & run the `i3-config-wizard` command from there.

I'm rapidly running out of ideas here...

Scimmia · 2014-12-30 00:29:06

Can we get your xorg log? It should be in ~/.local/share/xorg/

zookeeprr · 2014-12-30 00:38:54

Well, hmmm. The plot thickens.

Running i3-config-wizard in an openbox session won't work without root permission. When prefacing with sudo, it says the root/.i3/config already exists.

~/.local/share/xorg does not exist.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-30 00:40:44

How did you create your user account?

Scimmia · 2014-12-30 00:42:26

zookeeprr wrote:

~/.local/share/xorg does not exist.

Well that can't be good. What are the permissions on ~/.local and ~./local/share?

zookeeprr · 2014-12-30 00:45:33

I believe I used

# useradd -m -G $GROUP -s /bin/bash $USER

Head_on_a_Stick · 2014-12-30 00:46:42

Stop using variable expressions -- what exactly did you type in?

Arch Linux

#1 2014-12-29 23:17:38

Can't start i3 with xorg

#2 2014-12-29 23:21:49

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#3 2014-12-29 23:25:43

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#4 2014-12-29 23:26:25

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#5 2014-12-29 23:31:23

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#6 2014-12-29 23:55:37

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#7 2014-12-30 00:00:26

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#8 2014-12-30 00:02:44

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#9 2014-12-30 00:04:50

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#10 2014-12-30 00:05:44

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#11 2014-12-30 00:10:48

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#12 2014-12-30 00:13:36

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#13 2014-12-30 00:14:34

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#14 2014-12-30 00:15:41

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#15 2014-12-30 00:19:46

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#16 2014-12-30 00:20:17

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#17 2014-12-30 00:22:58

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#18 2014-12-30 00:25:53

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#19 2014-12-30 00:28:47

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#20 2014-12-30 00:29:06

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#21 2014-12-30 00:38:54

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#22 2014-12-30 00:40:44

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#23 2014-12-30 00:42:26

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#24 2014-12-30 00:45:33

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

#25 2014-12-30 00:46:42

Re: Can't start i3 with xorg

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