SUMMARY: xdm start-up affects cmd/shelltool

From: Peter Koblauch (koblauch@waterloo.hp.com)
Date: Mon Jul 08 1991 - 15:51:57 CDT


This is a great list.

Thanks to all who replied.
Thanks in particular to:
-Leonard E. Sitongia sitongia@ncar.ucar.edu
-Bill Hart hart@ocean.ml.csiro.au
-Gareth J. Barker gbarker@mph.sm.ucl.ac.uk
-Dave Singletary daves@den.mmc.com
-Mark Korinek mjk@bru.mayo.edu

Here's an (abbreviated) version of initial mayday:

        When started up from the olwm root menu both shelltool/cmdtool
        come up but no shell prompt appear. Kbd input is echoed but not
        acted upon. Other DeskSet tools work fine.

        I think the problem is related to xdm.
        xdm is running as session/login manager for HP 700RX terminals
        off an SLC host.

        is started up from /etc/rc.local
        /usr/bin/X11/xdm
        or - with similar result
        /usr/bin/X11/xdm -nodaemon &
        or - with similar result
        sh -c "/usr/bin/X11/xdm -nodaemon &"

        If started up from console eg sh -c "/usr/bin/X11/xdm -nodaemon&"
        instead of from within /etc/rc.local everything is fine,
        but really would like to have xdm started automatically during boot.

        When tools hang users's .xsessionlog has message
        "ttysw-TIOCSPGRP: Interrupted system call"

        Both tools may be started up from another window, say xterm,
        without any problems, regardless of whether xterm is a decendant of xdm.

        Should xdm be started up differently or from another place
        (/etc/ttytab?) in order to have a controlling terminal
        to pass on to descendants?

ANALYSIS:
Problem is related to some DeskSet clients needing a
controlling terminal passed on from parent.
When started up from (an orphaned) xdm, client doesn't have one.
The clients that I know of are: cmdtool (=shelltool), and dbxtool.

As an aside,- does anybody know of an automated way of starting up xdm
                (-nodaemon) during booting so that it still keeps its
                controlling terminal?
        

SOLUTION:
wrap offending tool in setsid. # setsid(8)
eg
1) (from line in .xsession)
   setsid -b cmdtool
2) (from line in .openwin-menu)
    "Command Tool..." DEFAULT exec setsid cmdtool
or
3) apply instructions given in man setsid(8) to offending client.
   This -3)- has has worked fine at my installation for some time.

Peter Koblauch,
HP Panacom,
Waterloo, Ontario
<koblauch@hppadx.waterloo.hp.com>



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