Bug 2413528 - xpra doesn't start
Summary: xpra doesn't start
Keywords:
Status: CLOSED ERRATA
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: xpra
Version: 43
Hardware: x86_64
OS: Linux
unspecified
urgent
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Antonio T. sagitter
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2025-11-08 10:23 UTC by Nuno Dias
Modified: 2025-12-28 01:09 UTC (History)
4 users (show)

Fixed In Version: xpra-6.3.6-1.fc43 xpra-6.4-4.fc44 xpra-6.4-2.fc42 xpra-6.4-2.fc43
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed: 2025-12-19 21:23:31 UTC
Type: ---
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)

Description Nuno Dias 2025-11-08 10:23:20 UTC
xpra doesn't start, in the logs I have 

(++) Log file: "/run/user/1000/xpra/100/Xorg.log", Time: Sat Nov  8 09:45:00 2025
(==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
(EE) 
Fatal server error:
(EE) parse_vt_settings: Cannot open /dev/tty0 (Permission denied)
(EE) 
(EE) 
Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support 
         at http://wiki.x.org

xpra-5.1.1-5.fc43

If I install xpra from the official repo, version xpra-6.4-10.r39535.fc43 everything works as expected.

Reproducible: Always

Steps to Reproduce:
1. run xpra
2.
3.
Actual Results:
Doesn't start

Expected Results:
Start as expected.

Comment 1 srh 2025-11-08 10:57:48 UTC
If it helps others, I had the same problem. As mentioned in:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Xpra#Troubleshooting

I created an new empty file at:
/etc/X11/Xwrapper.config
and added the following in that file:
allowed_users=anybody

I also added the following to the end of my xpra command:
--xvfb=/usr/bin/Xorg

eg.
xpra start ssh://$USER@$SERVER/100 --start-child=xterm --xvfb=/usr/bin/Xorg

Xpra 6.3.4 (from fedora42 updates repo - it has only just been pushed to stable!) started working again normally for me with the above. YMMV

Comment 2 Fedora Update System 2025-11-09 16:36:41 UTC
FEDORA-2025-529dfd0426 (xpra-6.3.6-1.fc43) has been submitted as an update to Fedora 43.
https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2025-529dfd0426

Comment 3 Antonio T. sagitter 2025-11-09 16:39:06 UTC
@srh

Thank you for your feedback.
Please, try the new release in testing that automatically installs /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config and let me know if it works.

Comment 4 Fedora Update System 2025-11-10 01:23:22 UTC
FEDORA-2025-529dfd0426 has been pushed to the Fedora 43 testing repository.
Soon you'll be able to install the update with the following command:
`sudo dnf upgrade --enablerepo=updates-testing --refresh --advisory=FEDORA-2025-529dfd0426`
You can provide feedback for this update here: https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2025-529dfd0426

See also https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/QA:Updates_Testing for more information on how to test updates.

Comment 5 Fedora Update System 2025-11-10 20:53:07 UTC
FEDORA-2025-5ac5e7d7ca (xpra-6.3.6-1.fc42) has been submitted as an update to Fedora 42.
https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2025-5ac5e7d7ca

Comment 6 Fedora Update System 2025-11-11 15:18:23 UTC
FEDORA-2025-5ac5e7d7ca has been pushed to the Fedora 42 testing repository.
Soon you'll be able to install the update with the following command:
`sudo dnf upgrade --enablerepo=updates-testing --refresh --advisory=FEDORA-2025-5ac5e7d7ca`
You can provide feedback for this update here: https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2025-5ac5e7d7ca

See also https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/QA:Updates_Testing for more information on how to test updates.

Comment 7 Nuno Dias 2025-11-12 10:32:47 UTC
When I run the dnf upgrade ... I have this
No advisory found matching the requested name: "FEDORA-2025-5ac5e7d7ca"

Nevertheless I installed the update with

sudo dnf upgrade --enablerepo=updates-testing --refresh '*xpra*'

And I have the xpra-6.3.6-1.fc43 but this doesn't solve the problem, I have /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config with 
allowed_users=anybody

Works if I add --xvfb=/usr/bin/Xorg in the command line but it seems this is a workaround that no one will know that should be add

Comment 8 Fedora Update System 2025-11-20 01:59:19 UTC
FEDORA-2025-5ac5e7d7ca (xpra-6.3.6-1.fc42) has been pushed to the Fedora 42 stable repository.
If problem still persists, please make note of it in this bug report.

Comment 9 Fedora Update System 2025-11-20 02:42:04 UTC
FEDORA-2025-529dfd0426 (xpra-6.3.6-1.fc43) has been pushed to the Fedora 43 stable repository.
If problem still persists, please make note of it in this bug report.

Comment 10 Ian Collier 2025-12-18 20:49:34 UTC
Dear maintainer,

1. Please REMOVE /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config from this package, as it's irrelevant to xpra on Fedora and it could unwittingly compromise security on any system it's installed on.  (It's irrelevant because xpra 6.x comes with a script called xpra_Xdummy whose purpose is to find the non-suid Xorg binary and execute it - therefore xpra does not go via the Xorg wrapper.)

2. This bug is a regression from 5.0.10 (I'm using the Fedora 42 version at the moment) and the bug is still present.  The reason why it fails to start can be seen in the output of 'xpra --help', specifically this bit:

    --xvfb=CMD          How to run the headless X server. Default:
                        'xpra_Xdummy +extension GLX +extension RANDR
                        +extension RENDER -extension DOUBLE-BUFFER -nolisten
                        tcp  -noreset -novtswitch -auth $XAUTHORITY  -logfile
                        ${XPRA_SESSION_DIR}/Xorg.log  -configdir
                        ${XPRA_SESSION_DIR}/xorg.conf.d/$PID  -config  ${XORG_
                        CONFIG_PREFIX}build/bdist.linux-x86_64/wheel/xpra-
                        6.3.6.data/data/etc/xpra/xorg.conf'.

and also in 'strace' output where Xorg tries to open the config file with the invalid path that starts with 'build/bdist.linux'.  I've not debugged the build to find out where that path is being inserted, but the path should simply be '${XORG_CONFIG_PREFIX}/etc/xpra/xorg.conf'.

Comment 11 Antonio T. sagitter 2025-12-19 15:33:27 UTC
(In reply to Ian Collier from comment #10)
> Dear maintainer,
> 
> 1. Please REMOVE /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config from this package, as it's
> irrelevant to xpra on Fedora and it could unwittingly compromise security on
> any system it's installed on.  (It's irrelevant because xpra 6.x comes with
> a script called xpra_Xdummy whose purpose is to find the non-suid Xorg
> binary and execute it - therefore xpra does not go via the Xorg wrapper.)

Okay

> 
> 2. This bug is a regression from 5.0.10 (I'm using the Fedora 42 version at
> the moment) and the bug is still present.  The reason why it fails to start
> can be seen in the output of 'xpra --help', specifically this bit:
> 
>     --xvfb=CMD          How to run the headless X server. Default:
>                         'xpra_Xdummy +extension GLX +extension RANDR
>                         +extension RENDER -extension DOUBLE-BUFFER -nolisten
>                         tcp  -noreset -novtswitch -auth $XAUTHORITY  -logfile
>                         ${XPRA_SESSION_DIR}/Xorg.log  -configdir
>                         ${XPRA_SESSION_DIR}/xorg.conf.d/$PID  -config 
> ${XORG_
>                         CONFIG_PREFIX}build/bdist.linux-x86_64/wheel/xpra-
>                         6.3.6.data/data/etc/xpra/xorg.conf'.
> 
> and also in 'strace' output where Xorg tries to open the config file with
> the invalid path that starts with 'build/bdist.linux'.  I've not debugged
> the build to find out where that path is being inserted, but the path should
> simply be '${XORG_CONFIG_PREFIX}/etc/xpra/xorg.conf'.

Just '/etc/xpra/conf.d/55_server_x11.conf' file contains "build/bdist.linux*" paths, i'm removing them. Please, try next build release and let me know if xpra works fine

Comment 12 Fedora Update System 2025-12-19 20:26:17 UTC
FEDORA-2025-0c313180c6 (xpra-6.4-2.fc44) has been submitted as an update to Fedora 44.
https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2025-0c313180c6

Comment 13 Fedora Update System 2025-12-19 20:43:22 UTC
FEDORA-2025-98cabc115f (xpra-6.4-2.fc42) has been submitted as an update to Fedora 42.
https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2025-98cabc115f

Comment 14 Fedora Update System 2025-12-19 20:43:22 UTC
FEDORA-2025-443e19e4bb (xpra-6.4-2.fc43) has been submitted as an update to Fedora 43.
https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2025-443e19e4bb

Comment 15 Fedora Update System 2025-12-19 20:56:18 UTC
FEDORA-2025-d47c335be1 (xpra-6.4-3.fc44) has been submitted as an update to Fedora 44.
https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2025-d47c335be1

Comment 16 Fedora Update System 2025-12-19 21:16:35 UTC
FEDORA-2025-e5d2f2f869 (xpra-6.4-4.fc44) has been submitted as an update to Fedora 44.
https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2025-e5d2f2f869

Comment 17 Fedora Update System 2025-12-19 21:23:31 UTC
FEDORA-2025-e5d2f2f869 (xpra-6.4-4.fc44) has been pushed to the Fedora 44 stable repository.
If problem still persists, please make note of it in this bug report.

Comment 18 Fedora Update System 2025-12-20 01:34:02 UTC
FEDORA-2025-443e19e4bb has been pushed to the Fedora 43 testing repository.
Soon you'll be able to install the update with the following command:
`sudo dnf upgrade --enablerepo=updates-testing --refresh --advisory=FEDORA-2025-443e19e4bb`
You can provide feedback for this update here: https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2025-443e19e4bb

See also https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/QA:Updates_Testing for more information on how to test updates.

Comment 19 Fedora Update System 2025-12-20 01:53:12 UTC
FEDORA-2025-98cabc115f has been pushed to the Fedora 42 testing repository.
Soon you'll be able to install the update with the following command:
`sudo dnf upgrade --enablerepo=updates-testing --refresh --advisory=FEDORA-2025-98cabc115f`
You can provide feedback for this update here: https://bodhi.fedoraproject.org/updates/FEDORA-2025-98cabc115f

See also https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/QA:Updates_Testing for more information on how to test updates.

Comment 20 Fedora Update System 2025-12-28 00:53:35 UTC
FEDORA-2025-98cabc115f (xpra-6.4-2.fc42) has been pushed to the Fedora 42 stable repository.
If problem still persists, please make note of it in this bug report.

Comment 21 Ian Collier 2025-12-28 01:04:23 UTC
Many thanks for the fix.

xpra-6.4-2.fc42.x86_64 does indeed start correctly.

Comment 22 Fedora Update System 2025-12-28 01:09:13 UTC
FEDORA-2025-443e19e4bb (xpra-6.4-2.fc43) has been pushed to the Fedora 43 stable repository.
If problem still persists, please make note of it in this bug report.


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