[SunHELP] CDE error - dtsession: Unable to start message server - exiting.

[Abdul Qayyum]

Hi,

Any solutions/ideas/guidance will be greatly appreciated. 

Problem Description:
1- Systems boot up fine, no errors, no warnings
2- Prompts for username/password Login (Manager) display
3- Takes input username/password and starts bringing up CDE display and
session
4- After you see a CDE desktop display ( you can see the menu bar on bottom)
, following error message is displayed in a pop-up window and you are
blocked. All you can do is to press OK and it takes you back to Login
(Manager) display.

CDE Error displayed in  a pop-up window:
DT messaging system could not be started.
To correct the problem
1- chose Ok to return to the login screen
2- select failsafe session from the login screen's option menu and login.
3- Check to see that the host name is correct in these locations
/etc/src.sh
/etc/hosts
/usr/adm/inet.sec
 For additional information see the DT users guide.

Findings/Assumptions:
1- Three users on the box, error happens irrespective of what user you login
as ( tempuser, root, xxx ).  I assume it must be a global effect to CDE
environment
2- NO problem in logging to Open-windows
3- I assume it is a Session Manger error, because Login Manger lets you
login successfully. And once you are logged in it is Session Manager
handling all the environment.
4- Following files don't exist on system: (in error messages it suggests to
look for these files)
1- /etc/src.sh
2- /usr/adm/inetd.sec
5- Following files indicates some errors:

#pwd
/export/home/tempuser/.dt

# more errorlog
Fri month 13 17:46:23 year
dtsession: Unable to start message server - exiting.
Fri month 13 17:47:22 year
Workspace Manager: I/O error on display:: :0.0
#

# more startlog
--- Fri month 13 17:46:19 EDT year
--- /usr/dt/bin/Xsession starting...
--- starting /usr/openwin/bin/speckeysd
--- Xsession started by dtlogin
--- starting /usr/dt/bin/dtsession_res -load -system
--- sourcing /export/home/tempuser/.dtprofile...
--- sourcing /usr/dt/config/Xsession.d/0010.dtpaths...
--- sourcing /usr/dt/config/Xsession.d/0015.sun.env...
--- sourcing /usr/dt/config/Xsession.d/0020.dtims...
--- sourcing /usr/dt/config/Xsession.d/0030.dttmpdir...
--- sourcing /usr/dt/config/Xsession.d/0040.xmbind...
--- sourcing /usr/dt/config/Xsession.d/1000.solregis...
--- starting /usr/dt/bin/dthello &
--- starting /usr/dt/bin/dtsearchpath
--- starting /usr/dt/bin/dtappgather &
--- starting /usr/dt/bin/dsdm &
--- session log file is /dev/null
--- DTSOURCEPROFILE is 'true' (see /export/home/tempuser/.dtprofile)
--- execing /usr/dt/bin/dtsession with a /bin/sh login shell ...
--- starting desktop on /dev/pts/3
Sun Microsystems Inc.   SunOS 5.8       Generic February 2000
/usr/dt/bin/ttsession[377]: starting
/usr/dt/bin/Xsession[748]: 363 Hangup
X connection to :0.0 broken (explicit kill or server shutdown).
X connection to :0.0 broken (explicit kill or server shutdown).
#

6- Just to verify my assumption that it is nothing to do with user session
files or user startup profiles, I created a new user. Same error occurred. 

7- Yes, inetd.conf has every thing commented out (rpc services as well). But
I tried following command and it did not helped, same error occurred. Hence
I am assuming nothing to do with (rpc) services in inetd.conf.
# dtlogin -inetd (basically enables all services necessary for dtlogin in
inetd.conf)

8- rpcbind is running. 

Was I ever able to login to CDE?
Yes, I was able to login to CDE. CDE was running fine. WHAT CHANGED AFTER
THAT? Nothing I can recall that would have affected CDE or nothing was
changed in inted.conf (it remains same, all the services were already
commented out). All really was done, was a user creation, customizing that
user's (only that user) environment files and C compiler testing by
compiling a c source file. Machine was rebooted and that error came up. 
I agree, something changed, but I am sure as a side effect to some thing
done and I have no clue.


Facts:
# uname -a
SunOS xxx 5.8 Generic_108528-05 sun4u sparc SUNW,Ultra-60
#

Environment files:

# pwd
/export/home/tempuser
#

# cat .dtprofile   (Standard .dtprofile - No change)
echo "This session log file is currently disabled."    >
$dtstart_sessionlogfile
echo "To enable logging, edit $HOME/.dtprofile and" >>
$dtstart_sessionlogfile
echo "remove dtstart_sessionlogfile=/dev/null line."  >>
$dtstart_sessionlogfile
export dtstart_sessionlogfile="/dev/null"
DTSOURCEPROFILE=true
#

# more .profile      (Standard .profile - No change)
#       This is the default standard profile provided to a user.
#       They are expected to edit it to meet their own needs.
MAIL=/usr/mail/${LOGNAME:?}
#

# more /etc/passwd | grep temp
tempuser:x:1001:0::/export/home/tempuser:/bin/sh
#

Thanks.
Abdul Qayyum