Udev breaks virtual terminal emulators

MS3FGX · 01-24-2006, 02:56 AM

I am running a Slackware -current machine (as Slackware 10.1 when first installed) and trying to get udev to work properly. My kernel is 2.6.12, custom compile.

When I install udev and set the startup script to executable, it seems to work well enough (my headset works with it, at least), but at the same time, it breaks all of my X VTs.

Both xterm and mrxvt fail with their own variation on the same error "cannot open terminal".

So the problem (I assume) is that udev is not making the proper symlinks for my terminals, but I don't know what mrxvt/xterm is looking for in terms of the actual /dev file to make my own.

Anyone know what I would need to do to get my X terminals back? It is killing me without them.

piete · 01-24-2006, 04:55 AM

I thought this was fixed in newer versions of Slack (> 10.0), but, if it's the same problem we used to have the fix is simple.

(as stolen from here: http://arjuna.mania.or.id/blog/index...e-kernel-2610/)

Code:

Open the file: /etc/udev/rules.d/udev.rules and change the line
KERNEL="tty[p-za-e][0-9a-f]*", NAME="tty/s%n", SYMLINK="%k"
to:
KERNEL="tty[p-za-e][0-9a-f]*", NAME="pty/s%n", SYMLINK="%k"
now run /etc/rc.d/rc.udev it should give output like:
Initializing udev dynamic device directory.

You probably want to reboot once you've finished.

Good luck!
- Piete.

oneandoneis2 · 01-24-2006, 05:20 AM

And if that doesn't work, check the permissions - I had this issue a while ago because only root could access the virtual terminals.

You shouldn't need to reboot, btw - just restart udev & all should be well. That's the whole point of it being dynamic, after all

piete · 01-24-2006, 05:33 AM

I agree, rebooting *shouldn't* be necessary, but I couldn't get the sequence of commands right to make udev work properly after the change! Clearly I missed something somewhere along the line =D

Good thinking on the permissions, too.

MS3FGX · 01-24-2006, 01:05 PM

piete, I should have mentioned it in the original post, but I have checked that already, and my rules are as they should be.

Running X as root does get me the VTs now that I am back on this machine, but I still don't know which /dev/ device the VT programs are actually accessing for me to set the permissions on it.

And since I now have udev running, would I not have to modify the permissions for the VT devices on the udev side, or else permissions would be reset every time I reboot?

MS3FGX · 01-24-2006, 01:10 PM

Ah, scratch that, I have it now.

I read through the udev.rules file, found the section for terminal devices, took a wild guess as to which one I needed, and changed the group from "tty" to "users".

Restarting udev then gave me access to my VTs again, and I assume this solution will work permanently.

Unless there is something wrong with changing the group on those files, this is my first attempt with udev, so I am open to suggestions.

chess · 01-26-2006, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MS3FGX

Ah, scratch that, I have it now.

I read through the udev.rules file, found the section for terminal devices, took a wild guess as to which one I needed, and changed the group from "tty" to "users".

Restarting udev then gave me access to my VTs again, and I assume this solution will work permanently.

Unless there is something wrong with changing the group on those files, this is my first attempt with udev, so I am open to suggestions.

Thanks for this. Might another solution be to add your users to the tty group? Any issues with doing that?

dunric · 01-26-2006, 09:22 AM

I don't find changing ownership/permission of /dev/pty* devices to other then root:tty/660 as happy solution. It's rather risky. Pseudoterminal devices are created for user in /dev/pts subdirectory. Just make sure it's proper mounted by similar record in /etc/fstab:

Code:

devpts           /dev/pts         devpts      gid=5,mode=620   0   0