Give user authority to startx

[BlackWidower]

So I have a server running Ubuntu that I tried installing a GUI on. LXDE to be precise. My goal here was to use as few packages as possible to get a lightwieght OS, leaving more room for media. So I installed the minimal components, lxde-core and initx, and ran startx.

I think you know what's coming.


X: user not authorized to run the X server, aborting.

Natch. So I tried using xauth to get full authorization for the required user using the following command...


generate :0 . trusted

...and I get another error.


unable to open display ":0".

Of course I can open the display using root in another session, and it appears to work fine, as I get the following message:


authorization id is 265

...doesn't look like an error. But when I start X server using my user account, I get the same old error.


X: user not authorized to run the X server, aborting.

Now, of course I could just install lxdm and start X that way. But I don't want to do that for two reasons. One, I'll have to log in through vnc every time I reboot, which is annoying; and two, it means I'll need to run X all the time, even when I don't need it. Which is a waste in my mind.

So here's my question: How do I give a user authority to start X?

It seems like it should be a pretty simple task. But it appears not. Am I using the wrong command?

[JC Cheloven]

So I have a server running Ubuntu that I tried installing a GUI on. LXDE to be precise. My goal here was to use as few packages as possible to get a lightwieght OS, leaving more room for media. So I installed the minimal components, lxde-core and initx, and ran startx.

I assume you mean lxde-core and xinit.
I think none of them has xorg as a dependence, which would be a problem. So please, if you didin't, try
sudo apt-get install xorg
reboot and see what happens.

Also, I think you may miss some tools that aren't heavy at all. Obconf among them. I'd install it also.

Hope this helps

EDIT: are you really on 8.10 interpid ibex? I think it's unsupported, and no repos available...

[BlackWidower]

Well, that didn't work. I don't know what your underlying idea was, because I know I could startx as root. The problem is: I can't startx as user.

Of course, I did notice a new error.


No protocol specified
..
No protocol specified
..
No protocol specified
..
No protocol specified
..

It does this ad infinitum. I just noticed a similar error from authx as well. Anyway, I think it's a step in the right direction. If I know what protocol it's talking about, I might be able to send the right command to authx and get the authorization.

This shouldn't be this difficult.

Oh, and thanks for pointing out xorg to me. I was looking for a package like that.

Oh, and no, I'm not on Intrepid, I'm on Ornery. But for some reason I don't have permission to access the "Edit Your Details" page. It says I need to make 50 posts.

[JC Cheloven]

I had the hope it worked that way. I'm afraid I'm not experienced enough (or at all) in servers to help you further. Well, at least I bumped your thead LOL. Anyway, I still think your problem must be a missing package.

Only thing I can suggest at this time is to have a look on the community documentation on the subject (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ServerGUI).

EDIT: oh, this page (https://help.ubuntu.com/community/Installation/LowMemorySystems) about building from a minimal command-line install should also be useful. I know there are differences among a server install and a command-line desktop install, but the process of adding a DE should be very similar.

JC

[BlackWidower]

Found a solution, by running:
sudo dpkg-reconfigure x11-common I can give authority to all users to startx. I don't think I can give authority to individual users. But I don't mind. This works.