Bug 772138

Summary:	Only root can run startx and NO users can log in if in graphical mode
Product:	[Fedora] Fedora	Reporter:	wwaustin
Component:	xorg-x11-xinit	Assignee:	X/OpenGL Maintenance List <xgl-maint>
Status:	CLOSED WONTFIX	QA Contact:	Fedora Extras Quality Assurance <extras-qa>
Severity:	urgent	Docs Contact:
Priority:	unspecified
Version:	16	CC:	xgl-maint
Target Milestone:	---
Target Release:	---
Hardware:	x86_64
OS:	Linux
Whiteboard:
Fixed In Version:		Doc Type:	Bug Fix
Doc Text:		Story Points:	---
Clone Of:		Environment:
Last Closed:	2013-02-26 15:15:33 UTC	Type:	---
Regression:	---	Mount Type:	---
Documentation:	---	CRM:
Verified Versions:		Category:	---
oVirt Team:	---	RHEL 7.3 requirements from Atomic Host:
Cloudforms Team:	---	Target Upstream Version:

Description wwaustin 2012-01-06 05:36:28 UTC

Description of problem:
In graphical mode NO user can log in. Period. Going to "multi-user target" mode, root can successfully run startx and get into x-windows. However a non-privileged user cannot. As I did a fresh install and had this problem, then repeated the install (to make sure) and then REchecked the sha256sum (it was correct), I went ahead and re-downloaded the Fedora-16-x86_64-DVD.iso, reburned a dvd, and got the same repeatable results after the fresh install.

It IS possible to cobble together a startx to get in (like so:
#!/bin/sh
export DISPLAY=:0
nohup xinit /usr/bin/startkde
===
BUT the startx in the distribution fails every time.

Version-Release number of selected component (if applicable):
xorg-x11-xinit-1.3.1-1.fc16.x86_64

How reproducible:
EVERY TIME

Steps to Reproduce:
1.startx
2.
3.

Actual results:
The X server tries to start, but a few seconds later you get returned to the tty window where you started)

Expected results:
your X window screen should come up normally

Additional info:

This happened at first with the nouveau driver, but I installed the nvidia driver to test whether the probelm would go away. It didn't.

Machine components:
CPU AMD Phenom(tm) II X6 1090T Processor
Mem 8Gb Kingston HyperX Blu DDR3 SDRAM 1333
MBd Gigabyte GA-890XA-UD3
HDs 6 sata drives totaling 3.8Tb, mix of Seagate and WD

Same system runs Fedora 15 fine without this problem, but startx from fedora fc15 has the same issue.

Clearly this is a permissions problem, but I can't find where it is.

The problem still occurs if I first take the machine off ANY network and then totally disable selinux. (did that because I was going to reinstall anyway).

If /etc/systemd/system/default.target is linked to /lib/systemd/system/graphical.target, then root cannot log in - and nobody else can. So hit CTRL-ALT-F12, adn then go to a tty window (TTY4 is what I use) and log in as root in NON graphical mode and set the target to the multi-user.target.

Then root can run startx, but nobody else can.

Comment 1 wwaustin 2012-01-06 05:38:32 UTC

Did a test re-install of fedora fc 15, and the problem went away.  Tried an upgrade install from there (I normally do a clean install just to avoid problems), and the problem came back full force.

Comment 2 wwaustin 2012-01-19 05:54:15 UTC

Have tried multiple installs 16-same probelm; 15- works fine; repeat.

Have downloaded NEW boot disk iso and burned new a fresh install disk, then sha256sum verifies the downloaded copy, and the DVD verifies successfully before the install.  The problem remains unchanged.

At this point I do not know whether the problem is my hardware or something else altogether, and I have no way to find out.  My workaround is to create my own startx (mystatx) which simply does an execve() to run /usr/bin/xinit with it calling /usr/bin/startkde.  It works, but it isn't pretty.

Root can still run startx, but a non-privileged user cannot.

Comment 3 Fedora End Of Life 2013-01-16 21:02:37 UTC

This message is a reminder that Fedora 16 is nearing its end of life.
Approximately 4 (four) weeks from now Fedora will stop maintaining
and issuing updates for Fedora 16. It is Fedora's policy to close all
bug reports from releases that are no longer maintained. At that time
this bug will be closed as WONTFIX if it remains open with a Fedora 
'version' of '16'.

Package Maintainer: If you wish for this bug to remain open because you
plan to fix it in a currently maintained version, simply change the 'version' 
to a later Fedora version prior to Fedora 16's end of life.

Bug Reporter: Thank you for reporting this issue and we are sorry that 
we may not be able to fix it before Fedora 16 is end of life. If you 
would still like to see this bug fixed and are able to reproduce it 
against a later version of Fedora, you are encouraged to click on 
"Clone This Bug" and open it against that version of Fedora.

Although we aim to fix as many bugs as possible during every release's 
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The process we are following is described here: 
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Comment 4 Fedora End Of Life 2013-02-26 15:15:36 UTC

Fedora 16 changed to end-of-life (EOL) status on 2013-02-12. Fedora 16 is 
no longer maintained, which means that it will not receive any further 
security or bug fix updates. As a result we are closing this bug.

If you can reproduce this bug against a currently maintained version of 
Fedora please feel free to reopen this bug against that version.

Thank you for reporting this bug and we are sorry it could not be fixed.