OpenBSD 6.4 lost X windows for user

[blackhole]

Originally Posted by jggimi

• The patch to 6.4-release corrects checks for privilege escalation activity, it does not eliminate it.
• -current eliminates setuid, and requires xenodm(1).

Thanks and yes and I remember reading that it applied to -current, apologies for adding to the confusion.

[PapaParrot]

Originally Posted by jggimi

The security improvements made to -current go beyond what may deployed as a patch to 6.4-release. However, using xenodm() is recommended, as it will separate privileges that startx() does not.

Ok, I see ( I think), any way, just out of curiosity, I rebooted just now, and instead of using 'startx', I used 'xenodm', the prompt told me I must be root to run xenodm, so I switched to root, it (xenodm) starts fine, and I got a new log in window, where I logged in as "garry", the normal user, after that everything appears the same as if and when I used startx,...
So any way, recommended , is fine as well, not the same as required,... maybe I will take a look at -current, put it on a VM later to day, it would be interesting to explore some of the improvements. Thanks

[hitest]

Originally Posted by jggimi

However, using xenodm() is recommended, as it will separate privileges that startx() does not.

I was annoyed for a few days when startx no longer functioned for me. I am now accustomed to xenodm and like the security features afforded to me.

[jggimi]

GarryR:

1. xenodm(1) is a display manager. It is designed to be started as a daemon, not executed from your shell.
2. xenodm() looks for and runs the user's .xsession script rather than the user's .xinitrc script, used by startx(1) or xinit(1).

To enable the daemon, use # rcctl enable xenodm. To start the daemon without rebooting, use # rcctl start xenodm.

[PapaParrot]

Ok, I did that and now in I boot, it goes straight to xenodem, and that is where I log in now. My "kid" is going to like this, (not really a kid any more, and definitely another topic, for off topic.
Thanks

[shep]

Mate is relatively new to OpenBSD and I was unable to find a pkg-readme (Available for KDE, Gnome and XFCE4). Still, it likely requires dbus, consolekit2 and polkit. I found that openbox-session would not start without consolekit2 and polkit. If you are movtivated, I would look the /usr/local/bin mate start command. A -session command needs to be prefaced with ck-launch-session.

http://cvsweb.openbsd.org/cgi-bin/cv...ype=text/plain

and

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/MATE#Manual_start
This Gentoo howto launches an individual dbus and should not be needed if you have a system wide dbus running.

[ibara]

Someone made a MATE meta port a few months ago but it was not committed. It might be worth trying that out and emailing the list if all still works well:
https://marc.info/?l=openbsd-ports&m...8924823521&w=2

[johnR]

After 20 years of using startx on Linux and (more recently) OpenBSD, I made the switch to xenodm when I installed 6.4 a couple of days ago. Despite my initial reservations it was painless. I copied my existing .xinitrc to .xsession and added a xenodm_flags="" line to /etc/rc.conf.local. I use cwm, which is started by a line containing cwm in .xsession (previously .xinitrc).

I was pleased to find that Ctrl-Alt-F1 to Ctrl-Alt-F4 still switch to a text console, and Ctrl-Alt-F5 switches back to X. I used to shut down by exiting cwm and X with Ctrl-Alt-Shift-Q and typing doas halt -p on the text console. Now Ctrl-Alt-Shift-Q just brings up a new xenodm login; however doas halt -p works fine in an xterm.