The X Font Server (xfs) does not start up properly under the
SysV init scripts and must be started manually in order to
get X up and running.

Under the SysV init scripts, /etc/rc.d/init.d/xfs is used to
start `xfs'.  This script calls daemon() in
/etc/rc.d/init.d/functions to actually start the `xfs'
daemon.  This function executes the command:

    nice -n $nicelevel initlog $INITLOG_ARGS -c "su xfs -c
xfs -s /bin/sh"

to attempt a startup.  This command succeeds, unfortunately,
at the basic level.  The command

    su xfs -c xfs -s /bin/sh

will succeed without actually starting `xfs'.  I have to
manually

    su xfs
    xfs
    exit

in order to get the command to run.  Perhaps this is an
error in /etc/passwd where the default shell is /bin/false
(not likely) or that the home directory (configuration
directory) is listed as /etc/X11/xfs which does not exist on
my system (the most likely cause).

I did the "upgrade" path from 5.2 but was not previously
running `xfs' (why I need to run it now is a mystery).