How to manually run/init/start a Xorg server on a different VT/TTY?

6 votes
3 answers
24483 views
                          I want to start an Xorg server (which should only feature a minimal xterm terminal emulator from a newly created "pristine" tty). I have thought this to be as simple as issuing a xinit or maybe a startx however both have failed me. Therefore the question:

**How to manually run/init/start a Xorg server on a different VT/TTY?**

here the 

## Longer background story to the question at hand: ##
This is the backgroud and what I have tried already:

Looking at man openvt I was able to run a shell on a newly created tty (or vt, cannot tell precisly the different *vt**tty*) like this:

     $> sudo openvt -s /bin/bash

the -s of causes the direct switch to that new tty/vt
on that new tty I wanted to manually start a Xorg server which according to man xinit should start with a minimal xterm application. On the new shell on the switched to tty I (created via openvt) I hence issues this command:

     $> su -c 'xinit xterm -display :4 -- :4' - mahr &>/tmp/output

and I receive this output 

    $> cat /tmp/output
    X.Org X Server 1.19.6
    Release Date: 2017-12-20
    X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
    Build Operating System: Linux 4.4.0-148-generic x86_64 Ubuntu
    Current Operating System: Linux scitech 4.15.0-70-generic #79-Ubuntu SMP Tue Nov 12 10:36:11 UTC 2019 x86_64
    Kernel command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-4.15.0-70-generic root=/dev/mapper/ubuntu--vg-root ro
    Build Date: 03 June 2019  08:10:35AM
    xorg-server 2:1.19.6-1ubuntu4.3 (For technical support please see http://www.ubuntu.com/support)  
    Current version of pixman: 0.34.0
        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/mahr/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.4.log", Time: Thu Nov 28 10:57:53 2019
    (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
    (EE) 
    Fatal server error:
    (EE) parse_vt_settings: Cannot open /dev/tty0 (Permission denied)
    (EE) 
    (EE) 
    Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support 
         at http://wiki.x.org 
     for help. 
    (EE) Please also check the log file at "/home/mahr/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.4.log" for additional information.
    (EE) 
    (EE) Server terminated with error (1). Closing log file.
    
    Session terminated, terminating shell...xinit: giving up
    xinit: unable to connect to X server: Connection refused
    xinit: unexpected signal 2
     ...terminated.


                        
Asked by fraleone (897 rep)
Nov 28, 2019, 10:04 AM
Last activity: Dec 9, 2019, 03:00 PM
How to manually run/init/start a Xorg server on a different VT/TTY?

Related Questions
