problem regarding setting DISPLAY env variable and hostname

[Rob]

Rob wrote:
> On Wed, 22 Feb 2006 20:27:20 +0200
> Giorgos Keramidas <keramida at ceid.upatras.gr> wrote:
> 
>> On 2006-02-22 10:17, Rob <rob at roblytle.org> wrote:
>>> I have been trying to figure out how to set the display name on my
>>> computer.  I have a program used with Xorg that gives me the error
>>> message:
>>>
>>> _X11TransSocketINETConnect() can't get address for xenon:6000: hostname nor servname provided, or not known
>>> Error: Can't open display: xenon:0.0
>>>
>>> also when starting or stopping Xorg I either get:
>>>
>>> bad display name "xenon:0" in "remove" command    or
>>> bad display name "xenon:0  in "list" command
>> Your laptop can't resolve the name "xenon".
>>
>>> I have my XDISPLAY env variable set using (in Bash):
>>>
>>> DISPLAY=xenon:0.0 export DISPLAY
>>>
>>> xenon is the name of the machine
>>>
>>> I think part of the problem is the setting of the hostname.  This laptop
>>> runs off of DHCP and I am not really sure about what I should do for
>>> setting the hostname.  The manual says to set HOSTNAME="" in rc.conf if
>>> using DHCP, but then I get the amnesiac message upon boot.  Sendmail
>>> doesn't like that either and hangs during the boot process.  So I just
>>> set it arbitrarily to "xenon"
>> Note that the capitalization of rc.conf variables is *significant*.  The
>> real rc.conf variable that you have to set to avoid the "Amnesiac" name is:
>>
>>     hostname="xenon"
>>
>>> I have read manual pages, searched the archives, but I am really confused
>>> about all of this.  Thank you for any help.
>> All this can be resolved by using `/etc/hosts'.  Just add your hostname
>> there and point it to the 127.0.0.1 address.  Then all programs should be
>> able to resolve it.
>>
>>
>>
> Thanks Giorgios,
> 
> I think that I have the hostname problem resolved.  rc.conf has hostname="xenon"  and
> /etc/hosts has:  127.0.0.1 localhost  xenon
> 
> So now Xorg does not give errors on startup or shutdown like the 
>>> bad display name "xenon:0" in "remove" command    or
>>> bad display name "xenon:0  in "list" command
> 
> But when not setting the DISPLAY variable explicitely anywhere I still get the error:
> "out of display lists" upon starting the program I want from xterm
> 
> But then setting DISPLAY=xenon:0.0 export DISPLAY and then executing the program then gives the error:
> 
> "Can't open display: xenon:0.0"   so I guess I am back to square one.
> 
> Maybe I should call it a day and rest, haha.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Rob
> 
> 
> 
> 
Hi,

Sorry if you get this twice Rob as I mistakenly 
sent my reply only to you without including the list

I had the same problem.  Add this line to your 
.xinitrc file

xdpyinfo -display :0.0

The hostname is not specified.

--Duane
--------------------------------

Hi Duane,

I put the line you suggest into .xinitrc, but I still have the same problem.  I also went into /etc/hosts after 
doing this and tried two ways of setting hosts:

1.  127.0.0.1  localhost   xenon
2   127.0.0.1  localhost

But I am still seeing the "out of display lists" message.
 
It seems like the xdpyinfo command does not do anything.

The only thing that I have done which changes the error message is to set /etc/rc.conf hostname="xenon"
Then in .bash_profile put "DISPLAY=xenon:0.0 export DISPLAY"

Then I get the different error message:

"_X11TransSocketINETConnect() can't get address for xenon:6000: hostname nor servname provided, or not known
Error: Can't open display: xenon:0.0"

So I guess now I have tried every combination of the following:

setting hostname in rc.conf to either "" or "xenon"
setting "DISPLAY=xenon:0.0" or leaving that line out in .bash_profile

And finally, putting in xinitrc "xdpyinfo -display  :0.0  or just leaving that line out.



So I am still baffled. 


Sincerely,

Rob.

-- 

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