> Have you checked the contents of /var/dt/Xerrors or equivalent?
>
> Jefferson Ogata

$ cat /var/dt/Xerrors
m64: set_video failed, error 1
m64: set_video failed, error 1
m64: set_video failed, error 1

$ dir !$
dir /var/dt/Xerrors
-rw-r--r--   1 root     root           93 May 30 14:39 /var/dt/Xerrors

> > The last thing that I was doing was to add some font

OK, I have an HP 9000/730 running HPUX 10.20 and the last time this happened to me it was a network resolution or extended hostname error. Check your resolv.conf file and your network connection. Make sure your hostname is no longer than 8 chars long. If that's not it, it's your fonts you installed - try restarting your font server.. Hope that helps.

-Linc Fessenden

> >a) Verify if your filesystem is not 100% used, like /var (CDE create
> >some files under /var/tmp), /tmp and / (root) filesystems
>
> Another possibility is that quotas are enabled on the user's home directory
> and the user's quota is used up.

Thanks, but quotas problem can only stop a user from logging in, not stopping the *entire* X-windows system from starting.

I cleaned all files under /var/tmp and /tmp, and all suspicious files under /var and /. I even remove the /.dt directory (it will get recreated).

After reboot, the CDE (the default X-windows system for Solaris) still can't started.

> Try restarting your X font server - I seem to remember a similar problem

No, I'm not using any X font servers.

> >b) Can you logon with other user ? If you can, copy you Desktop and .dt
> >directory from other user. If not, continue reading this tips
>
> >c) Do you see (when boot) you CDE Logon prompt  ? If yes, you can change
> >yor logon language -> Select other different yours. If no, i suppose
> >that could be better deinstall and install again X11 filesets.

What I got is a error message on the white-background console, saying: "The X-server can not be started on display :0…"

The only choice for me is console login. I can log in as any user though.

Now the most important question I want to ask is "How can I start CDE manually in console without rebooting". Under Linux, I know all sorts of tricks. startx, init 5, … but for Solaris, the only thing I know is to reboot. There got to be a better way to do it.

My CDE cannot start because Netscape crashed it. I think it is just some sys-tmp files that stop it from starting, this can be easily solve if I know where the script is. But I just haven't find where the system startup script is. I tried to search for the error message within the entire /etc dir tree, then the entire / dir tree but didn't find it.

Ok, try the following to narrow down the problem:

get another box and hook it up by network (so you can telnet/ssh from that one) or by serial line (so you can login through serial line)

Do either one now.

Now log in on the console (text only) and run this command:

/usr/openwin/bin/Xsun

Its the X11 server w/o any form of CDE and stuff. If it comes up then go to step 2), if not read on:

try some commandline-args to Xsun:

-fp /usr/openwin/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi

if it now works, go to 2)

you've screwed up your X11 config seriously, You might want to deinstall some X11 packets

SUNWi*rf and your chinese fonts (SUNW*xmft i think) as well as SUNWxwcft SUNWxwfa SUNWxwfnt SUNWxwplt and SUNWxwpltx

and reinstall all of them, then re-install your patches.

2) you just messed up CDE (dt stuff) (try to restore all dt config files)

juergen

Thank you all, especially Juergen, the problem is solved.

> Now log in on the console (text only) and run this command:
>
> /usr/openwin/bin/Xsun
>
> Its the X11 server [...]

Yes, yes, it helps me locate the problem right away.

> A general rule of thumb is if you modified something and things break, undo
> the last modification.  In your case, try removing the fonts that you added
> and see if things work.

FYI, the problem does in fact related to the font. Although I rest the font path to it original value, I didn't know one of the attribute of fonts.dir get changed…

Again, thank you all!