Permission problem for /dev/tty0 with X-server using xinit in 16.04

[Mikkel_Kromann]

Hi.

I have been running my favorite game through its own X-server (forgive me if I'm not using entirely correct wording, I'm by no means a X expert ...) since Ubuntu 13.04 or something.
Everything was running smoothly (and with much better game performance) until I upgraded to 16.04. Now starting my game with xinit results in a permission error:

$ xinit /home/mikr/bin/WoWrun64 -- :1 -br
X.Org X Server 1.18.3
Release Date: 2016-04-04
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 3.13.0-86-generic x86_64 Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux scrat 4.4.0-24-generic #43-Ubuntu SMP Wed Jun 8 19:27:37 UTC 2016 x86_64
Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-4.4.0-24-generic root=UUID=1346e355-5120-4563-9e27-28d965d357f4 ro quiet splash
Build Date: 18 May 2016  01:07:07AM
xorg-server 2:1.18.3-1ubuntu2.2 (For technical support please see http://www.ubuntu.com/support) 
Current version of pixman: 0.33.6
    Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
    to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
    (++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
    (WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/home/mikr/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.1.log", Time: Wed Jun 22 20:29:52 2016
(==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
(EE) 
Fatal server error: 
(EE) parse_vt_settings: Cannot open /dev/tty0 (No such file or directory)

For your information, the content of the small script I'm running (WoWrun64) is this:

#!/bin/bash
setxkbmap -layout dk
WINEDEBUG=-all WINEPREFIX="/home/mikr/.wineWoW64" nice -n 1 /usr/bin/wine64 /home/mikr/WoW/Wow-64.exe

The error message indicates that /dev/tty0 does not exist. However, when ls'ing it, it is certainly there:

$ ls -l /dev/tty0
crw--w---- 1 root tty 4, 0 Jun 22 18:56 /dev/tty0

A small curiosity - maybe related, maybe not: When I press Ctrl+Alt+1, 2, ..., 6 I don't get up the usual tty's (this worked fine in 15.10).
Instead, the screen becomes black (except for the mouse pointer, so I guess I must still be in X) and after a couple of seconds it returns to my Gnome desktop.

I've googled pretty extensively without luck, so I guess my problem is somewhat rare.
As I recall, I have software updated Ubuntu several times, so the install is not entirely fresh.

Any hints or suggestions?
Please ask for more debugging output if needed.
Thanks for your time and efforts

Mikkel

[ventrical]

If you go into grub could you try to boot from an earlier kernel?


Also .. just in case a package did not break in upgrade process try to do this first:

sudo dpkg --configure -a
then
sudo apt-get install -f

and then

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

but I still think there is a kernel bind that did not happen.

my thoughts only.

regards..

[Mikkel_Kromann]

Hmm, I should have googled for 5 seconds more ...

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...t/+bug/1562219

However, the workaround described there

http://kodi.wiki/view/HOW-TO:Autostart_Kodi_for_Linux

seem to be for some sort of service with a very elaborate startup script and stuff going into systemd configuration and such.

Can someone explain to me just the most necessary bits of this workaround to get a simple program running?


/Mikkel

[ventrical]

ahhh systemd

You could try to install upstart and boot that way. It will come up in grub.

sudo apt-get install upstart

and then reboot.
Choose upstart and see if that helps.

regards..

Ok.. looked at your links. Perhaps installing upstart will not work.

regards..

[Mikkel_Kromann]

You could try to install upstart and boot that way. It will come up in grub.

Ehrm ... Thank ... But my PC is just a normal Ubuntu desktop, which I use for other stuff than gaming as well.
As I understand upstart, this package will automatically start specified programs on boot.
That is not what I need.

But if you can point to specific features of upstart that will help with my permission problem, I'm all ears ...

[ventrical]

Specific feature is that your previous install before upgrade was booting from upstart.
Perhaps the program you are trying to run will not work with systemd , as has been often the case since it's inception into ubuntu. So the alternative is to install upstart for more legacy programs or apps that will cough and sputter on systemd.


regards..

Hi.

A small curiosity - maybe related, maybe not: When I press Ctrl+Alt+1, 2, ..., 6 I don't get up the usual tty's (this worked fine in 15.10).
Instead, the screen becomes black (except for the mouse pointer, so I guess I must still be in X) and after a couple of seconds it returns to my Gnome desktop.


Mikkel

Could you please install:

sudo apt-get inxi

and then post the results of:

inxi -Fxz

I am curious about your graphics adapter.. if it be nVidia ..etc..

Regards..

[Mikkel_Kromann]

It sure is NVidia.
The game I'm running is World of Warcraft ...
I can also say that when I run the game from inside my desktop I have no problems, besides a bit decreased performance.

$ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: scrat Kernel: 4.4.0-24-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.3.1)
           Desktop: Unity 7.4.0 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3) Distro: Ubuntu 16.04 xenial
Machine:   Mobo: MSI model: P67S-C43 (MS-7673) v: 1.0 Bios: American Megatrends v: V1.10 date: 03/31/2011
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i5-2500 (-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 26340
           clock speeds: max: 3700 MHz 1: 1601 MHz 2: 1599 MHz 3: 1894 MHz 4: 1625 MHz
Graphics:  Card: NVIDIA GF114 [GeForce GTX 560] bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.3 drivers: nvidia (unloaded: fbdev,vesa,nouveau)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: GeForce GTX 560/PCIe/SSE2 GLX Version: 4.5.0 NVIDIA 361.42 Direct Rendering: Yes
Audio:     Card-1 NVIDIA GF114 HDMI Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 01:00.1
           Card-2 Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio Controller
           driver: snd_hda_intel bus-ID: 00:1b.0
           Card-3 SteelSeries ApS driver: USB Audio usb-ID: 001-007
           Sound: Advanced Linux Sound Architecture v: k4.4.0-24-generic
Network:   Card: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet Controller
           driver: r8169 v: 2.3LK-NAPI port: d000 bus-ID: 05:00.0
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 500.1GB (43.3% used) ID-1: /dev/sda model: SAMSUNG_HD502HJ size: 500.1GB temp: 30C
Partition: ID-1: / size: 14G used: 7.1G (55%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5
           ID-2: swap-1 size: 4.00GB used: 0.04GB (1%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sda1
RAID:      No RAID devices: /proc/mdstat, md_mod kernel module present
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 39.0C mobo: N/A gpu: 0.0:37C
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: N/A
Info:      Processes: 216 Uptime: 3:03 Memory: 1397.3/3924.5MB Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Gcc sys: 5.3.1
           Client: Shell (bash 4.3.421) inxi: 2.2.35

[ventrical]

It sure is NVidia.
The game I'm running is World of Warcraft ...
I can also say that when I run the game from inside my desktop I have no problems, besides a bit decreased performance.

$ inxi -Fxz
System:    Host: scrat Kernel: 4.4.0-24-generic x86_64 (64 bit gcc: 5.3.1)
           Desktop: Unity 7.4.0 (Gtk 3.18.9-1ubuntu3) Distro: Ubuntu 16.04 xenial
Machine:   Mobo: MSI model: P67S-C43 (MS-7673) v: 1.0 Bios: American Megatrends v: V1.10 date: 03/31/2011
CPU:       Quad core Intel Core i5-2500 (-MCP-) cache: 6144 KB
           flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx) bmips: 26340
           clock speeds: max: 3700 MHz 1: 1601 MHz 2: 1599 MHz 3: 1894 MHz 4: 1625 MHz
Graphics:  Card: NVIDIA GF114 [GeForce GTX 560] bus-ID: 01:00.0
           Display Server: X.Org 1.18.3 drivers: nvidia (unloaded: fbdev,vesa,nouveau)
           Resolution: 1920x1080@60.00hz
           GLX Renderer: GeForce GTX 560/PCIe/SSE2 GLX Version: 4.5.0 NVIDIA 361.42 Direct Rendering: Yes

All I know is that I had big problems with nVidia driver while running ubuntu-gnome desktop on xenial. In fact it broke one install completely.

Perhaps I am a little out of my league here. I am more a development tester but the best work-a-round we do is remove the nVidia drivers and install nouveau... but it appears, according to your output from inxi, that everything is working so it is a permissions problem and I will set back a bit and let someone else respond. I certainly do not think that nVidia driver will produce the result you are reporting.

My apologies for being a little off track here.

Regards..

[Mikkel_Kromann]

Thanks for your efforts, Ventrical
I agree that it is probably not an nVidia issue - after all the game runs fine when not started in its own X-server.

Do you think it would be a better idea, if I also contributed to the bugtracker link I posted, and confirmed the bug with my issue?
I'd be willing to help and test out various proposals - it's just that I'm not qualified enough to dream up solutions myself.

[ventrical]

Thanks for your efforts, Ventrical
I agree that it is probably not an nVidia issue - after all the game runs fine when not started in its own X-server.

Do you think it would be a better idea, if I also contributed to the bugtracker link I posted, and confirmed the bug with my issue?
I'd be willing to help and test out various proposals - it's just that I'm not qualified enough to dream up solutions myself.

Yes .. thats a great idea. No qualifications needed here Your experience is the only prerequisite. Also .. just wait .. i am sure someone will chime in. I know the problem you are talking about and I even think I fixed it once but I am tired right now and I forget You have to edit some xinit file...ummm xinit.r or an xinit.d file ... if somebody doesn't reply or you haven't fixed it by then I'll try to dig up what I did.
Regards..