x-windows fails over ssh after a certain amount of time

zugvogel · 01-08-2010, 04:07 PM

Hello,
I'm having the following problem with x-windows over ssh:

Using xclock as an example GUI program, if I do "ssh -X 123.456.789.012"
and then
"xclock"
it will bring up a clock.

If I don't run xclock immediately, but wait for 10 minutes or so, xclock fails with this error:
"Invalid MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 keyCan't open display
Failed initializing GUI, exiting"

If I log in and run xclock, then 10 minutes later start a 2nd instance of xclock, the 2nd instance loads fine too. In other words, the 1st instance of xclock seems to be keeping the GUI interface alive.

So I have two questions:
1. How can I keep the GUI interface alive, without needing to run a first instance of xclock?
2. If the GUI interace has died, how can I get it back without logging out and back in again?

I've used xclock as an example, but this applies to any x-windows interface.

Can anyone help? Thanks in advance.

estabroo · 01-09-2010, 06:25 PM

you could try running xauth -b

I'm guessing your cookie gets stale

zugvogel · 01-10-2010, 06:15 PM

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I don't quite understand your solution though. I tried as you suggested and got this result:

$ xauth -b
Attempting to break locks on authority file /home/me/.Xauthority
xauth: creating new authority file /home/me/.Xauthority
Using authority file /home/me/.Xauthority
xauth>

And I then have to control-C or type "exit" to end it, neither of which result in the GUI working again. I checked the man-file for xauth, but it doesn't seem to help.

Could you give a little more detail?
Thanks!

estabroo · 01-11-2010, 07:15 PM

I'm not sure, I would have thought that you could just

xauth -b generate $DISPLAY .

but that justs gives a can't get security info from X server.

estabroo · 01-11-2010, 08:55 PM

you could give this a try, don't know if it'll work, but might reset the timer

xauth list

then remove the entry that matches your current display offset (like 10 or 11)

xauth remove <display>

then add it back in

xauth add <display> . <hexkey>

will look something like this

xauth list
host.domain.com/unix:11 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 6f4fbb35888f86cf061174bf18a01e40
host.domain.com/unix:10 MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 32d008c133caee35eec323952b5016a8

xauth remove host.domain.com/unix:11

xauth add host.domain.com/unix:11 . 6f4fbb35888f86cf061174bf18a01e40

estabroo · 01-11-2010, 09:16 PM

You don't by any chance have something that is changing your display variable? Though you'd think that would cause a problem in either your originally stated cases.