hi, i installed X on ubuntu server but can only get a root shell with :

sudo startx if i try to startx as user i get errors:

(gksudo:4609) GTK-WARNING ** cannot open display

X: unable to open wrapper config file /etc/X11/Xwrapper.config

X: user not authorised to run the xserver,aborting

other times it has mentioned something about .Xauthority /home/john/

it implies that it cant write to .Xauthority

yet all the directories and files in my home folder are owned by me.

i once did: sudo export Xauthority=/home/john.Xauthority

thinking this would solve the problem but it didnt,

also if i get this working or not i would still like to know how to enable/start and disable/stop the xserver as i still want to be able to control the security of my server and have the option to run a few programs that rely on Xserver.

thx,

If you want to use a graphical UI on your server, which I don't recommend, you must properly configure and install an X server such as Xorg. If just you want to run graphical tools off your server, you may need SSH X11 forwarding.

Sounds like you've already installed the xorg xserver and are looking for a display manager. I think gdm is the "standard" display manager for Ubuntu. You may also want a desktop environment etc. For example you could try installing the packages gdm and gnome-desktop-environment.

Evo2.

yeah, i do already have xorg, and the only programs i want to run are enemy-territory and firefox and i definitely dont want anything more than xorg.

these programs already work but i have to run X as root and i dont want to play or surf online logged in as root.

i think ubuntu servers kernel might be compiled without single-user, but im not sure,but it would be ideal if i can find a way to startx as user.

also be able to enable and disable X like you do with some other apps with /etc/init.d/appname start - stop for example,

thx,

i solved this after googling around and around

i removed xorg and reinstalled it and now i can log in as a user..as usual, i have no idea why this worked but im not complaining

thx for all input,