I'm trying to set up a multi-user / multi-seat configuration on my box (openSuSE 11.3_64 / KDE 4.4.4). It crashes ignominiously with an error of "Fatal server error: xf86OpenConsole: VT_WAITACTIVE failed: Interrupted system call".

As far as I found out, it needs to be slowed down (using "sleep 1" just prior to the second X-call, see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...er/+bug/441653). But I don't know where SuSE calls X, just that it has some connection to kdm...

startx is called by /etc/bash.bashrc (or any other configuration file for the shell in use). In turn it calls /etc/X11/xinit/xinitrc which starts the proper desktop manager.

I followed the trail of calls you outlined -- X is called nowhere. In /usr/share/kde4/config/kdm/kdmrc is a line like "ServerCmd=/usr/bin/X" and "ServerArgsLocal=-nolisten tcp". I'd reason from here, that some piece of software issues these values as a command and its arguments ... but where does it happen? kdm is an executable, so does it take both as arguments?

<edit> I also remember, that if you call "startx" from the command line you have to parameterize it heavily like "startx -- :2"; beware of the right number of dashes and blanks . How is that done from the bash.bashrc? </edit>

I found out that /etc/bash.bashrc calls startx. startx calls X. Which colucix wrote long ago (Thanks). Argh. Solved. Dunno why I missed that.

And I inserted a "sleep 1" in a likely script -- which I can't find anymore. Chaos rules, but that original fatal server error is gone .