Unable to start X server for users other than "odroid"

[jimv1000]

On XU4 using eMMC with Ubuntu 15.04 purchased from Hardkernel. I am successfully able to boot and log in with full X-session on HDMI monitor using "odroid/odroid" username/password. I added a new user on the graphical user manager as user: "odroid". Logged out of session then attempted to log in with new username. I just get a blank screen with active mouse cursor. Also, get the same results with the standard "guest" user.

-rw------- 1 jimv jimv 51 Jul 30 23:35 .Xauthority

.xsession-errors
openConnection: connect: No such file or directory
cannot connect to brltty at :0
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (2343) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process ended, respawning
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (2354) terminated with status 1
...
upstart: upstart-event-bridge respawning too fast, stopped
upstart: Disconnected from notified D-Bus bus

Using <CNTRL> - <ALT> - <F1> able to login using the new user on the character-based screen. When attempt "startx" get the following:

Server terminated with error (1)
xinit: giving up
xinit: unable to connect to???? {unable to read as it printed off-screen}
X server: Connection refused
xinit: server error

Attached is the log file.

Thanks for any clues on where to look next to resolve this issue.

[tchernobil]

I also have this problem. I created a new admin user and when I wanted to login with it, the result was a blank screen.

The folder is created in the home folder with all the subfolder. Nothing happen on login.

Someone can explain or give me a solution to bypass this problem?

[crashoverride]

The new user must be a member of the "video" group to use /dev/fb0 (framebuffer).

The default odroid user is a member of the following groups:

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odroid@odroid:~$ groups odroid
odroid : odroid adm dialout fax cdrom floppy tape sudo audio dip video plugdev netdev fuse lpadmin scanner nopasswdlogin


[bk_XU_AZ]

The new user must be a member of the "video" group to use /dev/fb0 (framebuffer).

The default odroid user is a member of the following groups:

Code: Select all

odroid@odroid:~$ groups odroid
odroid : odroid adm dialout fax cdrom floppy tape sudo audio dip video plugdev netdev fuse lpadmin scanner nopasswdlogin


I am having the same issue, and all users are members of the "video" group, yet only "odroid" gets a desktop. Everyone else gets a black screen with a mouse cursor (which seems to imply that X is running).

I checked my log, and I get the same segmentation fault before the Xserver aborts:

[ 10900.966] (EE) Segmentation fault at address 0x0
[ 10900.966] (EE)
Fatal server error:
[ 10900.967] (EE) Caught signal 11 (Segmentation fault). Server aborting

[crashoverride]

After adding a user, the default session for that user needs to be set to "Mate". It defaults to "ubuntu" even though the greeter says "MATE (default)".

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[+26.92s] DEBUG: Session pid=2687: Greeter requests session ubuntu


To resolve it, at the greeter screen where all the users are listed, click the white circle to the right of the user name. The menu will change to "Select desktop environment". "MATE (Default)" will be selected, click on the selection below it instead called "MATE". You will be returned to the previous menu where the user can login. This only needs to be done once when a new user is added. It will be remembered unless changed after that.

[gripped]

After adding a user, the default session for that user needs to be set to "Mate". It defaults to "ubuntu" even though the greeter says "MATE (default)".

Code: Select all

[+26.92s] DEBUG: Session pid=2687: Greeter requests session ubuntu


To resolve it, at the greeter screen where all the users are listed, click the white circle to the right of the user name. The menu will change to "Select desktop environment". "MATE (Default)" will be selected, click on the selection below it instead called "MATE". You will be returned to the previous menu where the user can login. This only needs to be done once when a new user is added. It will be remembered unless changed after that.

I'm glad you've found a workaround for these members but I'd still love to know what was causing it. My guess is it will be simple but elusive

[crashoverride]

I'd still love to know what was causing it. My guess is it will be simple but elusive

Ubuntu patches are causing it. LightDM is the default greeter/window manager for Ubuntu which they set to use their default environment. The ubuntu environment no longer works on ARM devices since 12.04, so you get a black screen instead. The line I quoted is from the lightdm log where it can been seen that it defaults to "ubuntu" if nothing is specified.

[crashoverride]

You should be able to specify a new default for lightdm using the following:

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sudo vi /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-unity-greeter.conf

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[SeatDefaults]
greeter-session=unity-greeter
user-session=mate


The line that starts "user-session=" is not present in the default config and it is what sets the new default session.

[Edit]
This modification allows the "Guest Session" to work.

[bk_XU_AZ]

THANK YOU @crashoverride! You've saved the day!

Still when I login as root, it's the black screen, even after editing the config file and choosing Mate before I login.

[crashoverride]

root login works for me

Set a password for root user:

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sudo bash
passwd
exit

Modify the greeter to allow specifying the user

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sudo vi /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-unity-greeter.conf

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[SeatDefaults]
greeter-session=unity-greeter
user-session=mate
greeter-show-manual-login=true


Choose "Login" at the greeter and specify "root" for the username and the password entered above.

[bk_XU_AZ]

root login works for me

Set a password for root user:

Code: Select all

sudo bash
passwd
exit

Modify the greeter to allow specifying the user

Code: Select all

sudo vi /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-unity-greeter.conf

Code: Select all

[SeatDefaults]
greeter-session=unity-greeter
user-session=mate
greeter-show-manual-login=true


Choose "Login" at the greeter and specify "root" for the username and the password entered above.

Thanks again! I had done all that, except the conf file which I edited today. I have been able to login as root, but always and still get the black screen.

[crashoverride]

Try rebooting the device and see if the problem persists. If it does, you may want to try writing a clean image to a SD Card (make sure boot switch is set to boot from SD card) and try the above procedure. I encountered the error message at login (about stdin: tty) and after that I was presented with the desktop.

[bk_XU_AZ]

Try rebooting the device and see if the problem persists. If it does, you may want to try writing a clean image to a SD Card (make sure boot switch is set to boot from SD card) and try the above procedure. I encountered the error message at login (about stdin: tty) and after that I was presented with the desktop.

I reboot EVERY time I encounter this (by logging in as root in tty1 and issuing the "shutdown -R now" command, as an alias, to restart). It's the only way I remember to get back to the desktop. I forgot how to log a user out from another terminal.

[gripped]

Ubuntu patches are causing it. LightDM is the default greeter/window manager for Ubuntu which they set to use their default environment. The ubuntu environment no longer works on ARM devices since 12.04, so you get a black screen instead. The line I quoted is from the lightdm log where it can been seen that it defaults to "ubuntu" if nothing is specified.

There are two session entries 'Mate' in the session list because there are two identical files in /usr/share/xsessions/.

One named mate.desktop and one named ubuntu.desktop. (I think that is where the log entry ubuntu is coming from)
But both should be starting mate as they are identical. If you want rid of the duplicate entry just delete ubuntu.desktop

The stdin: tty error message can be fixed by editting /root/.profile and changing

Code: Select all

mesg n

to

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tty -s && mesg n

I tried installing lightdm-gtk-greeter and that seemed to have no problems so maybe use that instead of the unity greeter. I just deleted the unity greeter file in /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/ but it may well reappear on apt-get upgrade. I think if you add

Code: Select all

[SeatDefaults]
greeter-session=lightdm-gtk-greeter

to /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf it should always use that as lightdm is loading that conf file last according to its logs.

Right I'm pulling this emmc and going back to arch where things are simple

[bk_XU_AZ]

@gripped, you and @crashovveride have been a huge help. On August 19th, I posted the solution to the stdin problem in this thread: http://forum.odroid.com/viewtopic.php?f=95&t=15647. But with help from you folks, the gtk-greeter works. I can login to the GUI as root and finish what I need to do without lots of extra work!

[bk_XU_AZ]

Well- I typed too soon. I was able to login ONCE only and get the GUI as root. Now all users get the black screen. Which file determines which greeter (and which greeter's.conf file) is used?

[andrewufrank]

after adding a new user i had to do two things (from the aboive discussion)
ini /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-unity-greeter.conf
added the user-session line

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    [SeatDefaults]
    greeter-session=unity-greeter
    user-session=mate

and i deleted in /usr/shr/xsessions the entry ubuntu.desktop (attention - this is only visible in a terminal window and is removed with sudo rm ubuntu.deskto - the file browser shows to identical MATE entries.

now it works.
(and do not upgrade the linux headers and images....breaks the system - at least my experience)

[jrrose]

I tried to follow the hionts in this diskussion. I have now:

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odroid@odroid6:~$ ll /usr/share/xsessions/
total 24
drwxr-xr-x   2 root root  4096 Dec 12 03:49 ./
drwxr-xr-x 310 root root 12288 Dec  9 12:46 ../
-rw-r--r--   1 root root  6773 Mar 13  2015 mate.desktop
odroid@odroid6:~$ cat /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/50-unity-greeter.conf
[SeatDefaults]
greeter-session=unity-greeter
user-session=mate
greeter-show-manual-login=true
odroid@odroid6:~$


But I can't login at the desktop, via ssh it works like a charm. In ~/.xsession-errors I found:

rose@odroid6:/home/rose(1)$ cat .xsession-errors
openConnection: connect: No such file or directory
cannot connect to brltty at :0
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (6080) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process ended, respawning
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (6087) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process ended, respawning
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (6093) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process ended, respawning
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (6104) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process ended, respawning
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (6110) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process ended, respawning
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (6112) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process ended, respawning
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (6117) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process ended, respawning
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (6120) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process ended, respawning
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (6125) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process ended, respawning
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (6130) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process ended, respawning
upstart: upstart-event-bridge main process (6135) terminated with status 1
upstart: upstart-event-bridge respawning too fast, stopped
upstart: upstart-dbus-session-bridge main process (6144) terminated with status 1
upstart: Disconnected from notified D-Bus bus
rose@odroid6:/home/rose(2)$