Problem launching XTerm on new Cygwin installation

Problem launching XTerm on new Cygwin installation

[Mark Hansen]

I just installed the 64-bit version of Cygwin on both a desktop PC and a laptop PC.
On the desktop, everything worked as expected without problems. On the laptop, I
have the following problems:

When I launch a shell window, I get the following error:

Your group is currently "mkgroup". This indicates that neither your gid nor your pgsid is in /etc/group.

Also, when I try to launch an XTerm, I get the following message in the XTerm window for
just a few seconds and then the window goes away:

/cygdrive/c/Apps/cygwin/bin/xterm: Could not exec XTERM_SHELL=XTERM_SHELL=: No such file or directory

I'm starting the XWin Server using a shortcut with the following:

C:\Apps\cygwin\bin\run.exe
         /usr/bin/bash.exe -l -c
         "/usr/bin/startxwin.exe -- -emulate3buttons -multiwindow -clipboard -swcursor"

I'm starting the XTerm using a shortcut with the following:

C:\Apps\cygwin\bin\run.exe
         -p /usr/X11R6/bin xterm +tb -sb -sl 5000 -display 127.0.0.1:0.0 -ls /bin/zsh -l

I've searched for this XTERM_SHELL error, but can't find anything. Can anybody help me?

Thanks,

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Re: Problem launching XTerm on new Cygwin installation

[Thomas Dickey]

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On Fri, Mar 07, 2014 at 11:57:20AM -0800, Mark Hansen wrote:
> I just installed the 64-bit version of Cygwin on both a desktop PC and a laptop PC.
> On the desktop, everything worked as expected without problems. On the laptop, I
> have the following problems:
> 
> When I launch a shell window, I get the following error:
> 
> Your group is currently "mkgroup". This indicates that neither your gid nor your pgsid is in /etc/group.

(I don't know about this one)
 
> Also, when I try to launch an XTerm, I get the following message in the XTerm window for
> just a few seconds and then the window goes away:
> 
> /cygdrive/c/Apps/cygwin/bin/xterm: Could not exec XTERM_SHELL=XTERM_SHELL=: No such file or directory

yes, that's a bug which surfaced in #301, thought it was gone in #302, and _should_ be gone in #303
(from yesterday)
 
> I'm starting the XWin Server using a shortcut with the following:
> 
> C:\Apps\cygwin\bin\run.exe
>         /usr/bin/bash.exe -l -c
>         "/usr/bin/startxwin.exe -- -emulate3buttons -multiwindow -clipboard -swcursor"
> 
> I'm starting the XTerm using a shortcut with the following:
> 
> C:\Apps\cygwin\bin\run.exe
>         -p /usr/X11R6/bin xterm +tb -sb -sl 5000 -display 127.0.0.1:0.0 -ls /bin/zsh -l

I'd try putting "-e" before the "/bin/zsh", which moves it away from the bug noted.
(actually, the trailing "-l" doesn't look right either)

fwiw, when I compile #301, #302 and #303 for Cygwin, I don't see the bug.
However, I was able to analyze it on Linux with valgrind...
 
-- 
Thomas E. Dickey <dickey@invisible-island.net>
http://invisible-island.net
ftp://invisible-island.net

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Re: Problem launching XTerm on new Cygwin installation

[Mark Hansen]

On 3/7/2014 11:57 AM, Mark Hansen wrote:
> I just installed the 64-bit version of Cygwin on both a desktop PC and a laptop PC.
> On the desktop, everything worked as expected without problems. On the laptop, I
> have the following problems:
>
> When I launch a shell window, I get the following error:
>
> Your group is currently "mkgroup". This indicates that neither your gid nor your pgsid is in /etc/group.
>
> Also, when I try to launch an XTerm, I get the following message in the XTerm window for
> just a few seconds and then the window goes away:
>
> /cygdrive/c/Apps/cygwin/bin/xterm: Could not exec XTERM_SHELL=XTERM_SHELL=: No such file or directory
>
> I'm starting the XWin Server using a shortcut with the following:
>
> C:\Apps\cygwin\bin\run.exe
>           /usr/bin/bash.exe -l -c
>           "/usr/bin/startxwin.exe -- -emulate3buttons -multiwindow -clipboard -swcursor"
>
> I'm starting the XTerm using a shortcut with the following:
>
> C:\Apps\cygwin\bin\run.exe
>           -p /usr/X11R6/bin xterm +tb -sb -sl 5000 -display 127.0.0.1:0.0 -ls /bin/zsh -l
>
> I've searched for this XTERM_SHELL error, but can't find anything. Can anybody help me?
>
> Thanks,

Well, I did the following two things:

1. I changed the group id for my entry in the /etc/passwd file from 10530 (or whatever
that value was) to 545 (Users) and the first error went away.

2. I changed the shortcut I use to launch the XTerms and removed the shell name at
the end, so it now looks like this:

C:\Apps\cygwin\bin\run.exe
           -p /usr/X11R6/bin xterm +tb -sb -sl 5000 -display 127.0.0.1:0.0 -ls

and now the XTerm is started without any errors.

I guess it's working now, but I'm curious why these problems happened on the laptop
installation and not on the desktop installation.

Especially why the XTerm launch command had to change. The one I showed first I've
been using for years without problems. I don't remember how I came up with it now,
but I remember spending a lot of time putting that together. Also, that original
launch command is working on my other PC (the desktop) as well as my other machines
running the 32-bit version of Cygwin.

Thanks for any feedback/clarification.



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Re: Problem launching XTerm on new Cygwin installation

[Mark Hansen]

On 3/7/2014 1:49 PM, Thomas Dickey wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 07, 2014 at 11:57:20AM -0800, Mark Hansen wrote:
>> I just installed the 64-bit version of Cygwin on both a desktop PC and a laptop PC.
>> On the desktop, everything worked as expected without problems. On the laptop, I
>> have the following problems:
>>
>> When I launch a shell window, I get the following error:
>>
>> Your group is currently "mkgroup". This indicates that neither your gid nor your pgsid is in /etc/group.
>
> (I don't know about this one)
>
>> Also, when I try to launch an XTerm, I get the following message in the XTerm window for
>> just a few seconds and then the window goes away:
>>
>> /cygdrive/c/Apps/cygwin/bin/xterm: Could not exec XTERM_SHELL=XTERM_SHELL=: No such file or directory
>
> yes, that's a bug which surfaced in #301, thought it was gone in #302, and _should_ be gone in #303
> (from yesterday)
>
>> I'm starting the XWin Server using a shortcut with the following:
>>
>> C:\Apps\cygwin\bin\run.exe
>>         /usr/bin/bash.exe -l -c
>>         "/usr/bin/startxwin.exe -- -emulate3buttons -multiwindow -clipboard -swcursor"
>>
>> I'm starting the XTerm using a shortcut with the following:
>>
>> C:\Apps\cygwin\bin\run.exe
>>         -p /usr/X11R6/bin xterm +tb -sb -sl 5000 -display 127.0.0.1:0.0 -ls /bin/zsh -l
>
> I'd try putting "-e" before the "/bin/zsh", which moves it away from the bug noted.
> (actually, the trailing "-l" doesn't look right either)

Thanks. I think the -l was to cause a login shell, but I see now that is what the -ls
argument does. Since I removed the shell argument ("/bin/zsh -l") it is now working.
I'm getting the shell I want, I suspect, because that is the shell mentioned in the
/etc/passwd file for my user.

As a result, it is working so I'll leave it alone.

>
> fwiw, when I compile #301, #302 and #303 for Cygwin, I don't see the bug.
> However, I was able to analyze it on Linux with valgrind...

Well, I downloaded the Cygwin installation for my desktop last week, and downloaded
the Cygwin for my laptop yesterday. I guess the bug could have been introduced between
those times?

Thanks for your help!



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Re: Problem launching XTerm on new Cygwin installation

[Thomas Dickey]

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On Fri, Mar 07, 2014 at 02:03:57PM -0800, Mark Hansen wrote:
> As a result, it is working so I'll leave it alone.

:-)

> >fwiw, when I compile #301, #302 and #303 for Cygwin, I don't see the bug.
> >However, I was able to analyze it on Linux with valgrind...
> 
> Well, I downloaded the Cygwin installation for my desktop last week, and downloaded
> the Cygwin for my laptop yesterday. I guess the bug could have been introduced between
> those times?

yes - I finished #302 at the beginning of the week.

-- 
Thomas E. Dickey <dickey@invisible-island.net>
http://invisible-island.net
ftp://invisible-island.net

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Re: Problem launching XTerm on new Cygwin installation

[Mark Hansen]

On 3/7/2014 2:12 PM, Thomas Dickey wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 07, 2014 at 02:03:57PM -0800, Mark Hansen wrote:
>> As a result, it is working so I'll leave it alone.
>
> :-)
>
>> >fwiw, when I compile #301, #302 and #303 for Cygwin, I don't see the bug.
>> >However, I was able to analyze it on Linux with valgrind...
>>
>> Well, I downloaded the Cygwin installation for my desktop last week, and downloaded
>> the Cygwin for my laptop yesterday. I guess the bug could have been introduced between
>> those times?
>
> yes - I finished #302 at the beginning of the week.
>

Okay, this is very strange. As I said before, I have had no problems launching XTerms
on my desktop running 64-bit Cygwin. I've launched several XTerms today with no problems
... until a few minutes ago. I went to launch an XTerm on my desktop PC and it began
having the same problem I saw on the laptop (the error having to do with XTERM_SHELL).

I edited the launcher shortcut to remove the "/bin/zsh -l" from the end of the command
and it started working again.

I didn't do anything to update the Cygwin product on my desktop during this time.

I'm confused...

FYI.


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Re: Problem launching XTerm on new Cygwin installation

[Thomas Dickey]

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On Fri, Mar 07, 2014 at 03:37:36PM -0800, Mark Hansen wrote:
> 
> Okay, this is very strange. As I said before, I have had no problems launching XTerms
> on my desktop running 64-bit Cygwin. I've launched several XTerms today with no problems
> ... until a few minutes ago. I went to launch an XTerm on my desktop PC and it began
> having the same problem I saw on the laptop (the error having to do with XTERM_SHELL).
> 
> I edited the launcher shortcut to remove the "/bin/zsh -l" from the end of the command
> and it started working again.
> 
> I didn't do anything to update the Cygwin product on my desktop during this time.

xterm handles these three cases differently:

	xterm
	xterm /bin/zsh
	xterm -e /bin/zsh

The bug that I mentioned is in the second case - not in the other two.

-- 
Thomas E. Dickey <dickey@invisible-island.net>
http://invisible-island.net
ftp://invisible-island.net

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Re: Problem launching XTerm on new Cygwin installation

[Mark Hansen]

On 3/7/2014 4:36 PM, Thomas Dickey wrote:
> On Fri, Mar 07, 2014 at 03:37:36PM -0800, Mark Hansen wrote:
>> 
>> Okay, this is very strange. As I said before, I have had no problems launching XTerms
>> on my desktop running 64-bit Cygwin. I've launched several XTerms today with no problems
>> ... until a few minutes ago. I went to launch an XTerm on my desktop PC and it began
>> having the same problem I saw on the laptop (the error having to do with XTERM_SHELL).
>> 
>> I edited the launcher shortcut to remove the "/bin/zsh -l" from the end of the command
>> and it started working again.
>> 
>> I didn't do anything to update the Cygwin product on my desktop during this time.
> 
> xterm handles these three cases differently:
> 
> 	xterm
> 	xterm /bin/zsh
> 	xterm -e /bin/zsh
> 
> The bug that I mentioned is in the second case - not in the other two.

Thanks. That was the bug I hit on my laptop. However, my desktop PC was working
fine with "xterm ... /bin/zsh -l" and then suddenly, it started getting the same
error. I made the same change to it as I did on my laptop PC and it worked, so
I'm not stopped - I'm just wondering how my desktop PC was working then suddenly
stopped working without altering any of the Cygwin software or settings.

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Re: Problem launching XTerm on new Cygwin installation

[Mark Hansen]

On 3/7/2014 11:57 AM, Mark Hansen wrote:
> I just installed the 64-bit version of Cygwin on both a desktop PC and a laptop PC.
> On the desktop, everything worked as expected without problems. On the laptop, I
> have the following problems:
> 
> When I launch a shell window, I get the following error:
> 
> Your group is currently "mkgroup". This indicates that neither your gid nor your pgsid is in /etc/group.
> 

I just installed the 64-bit version of Cygwin to another 64-bit Windows 7 PC, and
it did not have this problem. After the installation was finished, my user was
configured in the /etc/passwd file and did not have the "mkgroup" group. Instead,
it was set to 513 (None), which I guess is okay - at least I don't get the error
when launching a shell.

I don't think I did anything different during the installation other than just
getting a later version (I downloaded the software on 3/15/2014).

FYI

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