Pls Help with X over TCPIP

[k]

Thanks in advance for your help.

I've done a bare metal install of OpenVMS 7.3 with Hobbyist license.
Everything seemed to have gone ok during the install on my AS250 4/266;
I took all the defaults and installed TCPIP (yada yada) 5.1. Patched
TCPIP to ECO5 and 7.3 to Update 3. Problem is that after I:

mylinux% xhost+

and then

mylinux% telnet myvms

from my linux box into the OpenVMS machine and:

MYVMS$ set display/create/node="mylinux"/transport=TCPIP
MYVMS$ mcr decw$puzzle

I get:

X Toolkit Error: Can't Open display
%DWT-F-NOMSG, Message number 03AB8204

Yes, mylinux is defined in the HOSTS table, or specifically,

TCPIP>SET HOST mylinux /address=192.168.1.2

Funniest part is the following: I have a Windoze box with Exceed, have
started XDM on MYVMS, I can query for XDM login banner log in, and CDE
starts as if I was at the console.

I've configured an Xaccess.txt file and allow access from everything (or
so I think.)

(Is it the XKEYSxxx file, I do not have (or understand) one of those.)

I can NFS and FTP to and from mylinux by name, ping it, and so forth.

Also, sitting at the console, I can telnet to the mylinux, but I cannot
send a window back to the OpenVMS. In otherwords, the following fails:

% export DISPLAY=myvms:0.0
% xlogo

I've run DECW$SESSION and changed the security to * * *, * * TCPIP, etc.
No luck.

It has been 10 years since my last daily interaction with OpenVMS so I'm
hoping someone can help me think of what I am forgetting. As I recall,
it wasn't that hard to get X working.

Thanks in advance. I've RT#M but can't seem to find what I need to sort
this one out.

k.

[JF Mezei]

Post by k
MYVMS$ set display/create/node="mylinux"/transport=TCPIP
MYVMS$ mcr decw$puzzle
X Toolkit Error: Can't Open display
%DWT-F-NOMSG, Message number 03AB8204

Have you tried /node=mylinux (no quotes) ?

From your linux box, can you do a netstat to ensure that the x terminal
software is listening to port 6000 ? (remember that it is the VMS host
initiating the TCPIP connecvtion to the X terminal on the linux box and
not the other way around).

Post by k
Funniest part is the following: I have a Windoze box with Exceed, have
started XDM on MYVMS, I can query for XDM login banner log in, and CDE
starts as if I was at the console.

can you set display/create to your windows box and then run decw$clock
to the PC ?

Post by k
Also, sitting at the console, I can telnet to the mylinux, but I cannot

You need to be careful. Do you start TCPIP stack in your systartup_VMS,
or do you spawn off a subprocess or submit it to run as a batch job ? If
so, you need to ensure that the BG: device exists before you allow
systartup_VMS to end (which triggers the decw$server software to starts,
the later may be told to handle TCPIP, but if on startup, TCPIP device
doesn't exist, it will ignore the TCPIP stuff.

I have the following in my sys$startup_vms:

$define/system DECW$INSTALL_TCPIP "TRUE"
$!
$say "Waiting for TCPIP to have started before letting DECwindows start"
$LOOPCNT = 0
$!
$!*******
$WAITTCP:
$!*******
$ if f$getdvi("_bg0:","exists")
$ then
$ if f$getdvi("_bg0:","mnt")
$ then
$ say "TCPIP sufficiently started, continuing (''loopcnt')"
$ goto ENDWAIT
$ endif
$ endif
$!
$ wait 00:00:10
$ loopcnt = loopcnt + 1
$ say "Waiting..."
$ if loopcnt .lt. 18 then goto WAITTCP
$!
$ENDWAIT:
$!
$! Set accounting for SMTP spam trap messages
$SET ACCOUNTING/ENABLE=MESSAGE
etc etc.

Another way is to do a netstat on the VMS host to ensure that the X
server on VMS did get the hint and is listening to port 6000.

(note: to get the UNIX style TCPIP commands, you may need to:

@sys$manager:tcpip$define_commands

[m***@yahoo.co.uk]

Post by k
MYVMS$ set display/create/node="mylinux"/transport=TCPIP
MYVMS$ mcr decw$puzzle

Try running DECW$EXAMPLES:ICO instead of puzzle - it gives better error
messages.

Try using the IP address instead of node name in the SET DISPLAY
command.

Try using telnet from the OpenVMS system to the LINUX system on port
6000, to see if it is a DECwindows or network issue.

Post by k
X Toolkit Error: Can't Open display
%DWT-F-NOMSG, Message number 03AB8204

$ set message sys$message:DECW$DWTMSG.EXE
$ exit %X3AB8204
%DWT-F-DWTABORT, xtoolkit fatal error

Which doesn't add anything. Just thought I'ld see what the error was.

Post by k
....
Also, sitting at the console, I can telnet to the mylinux, but I cannot
% export DISPLAY=myvms:0.0
% xlogo
I've run DECW$SESSION and changed the security to * * *, * * TCPIP, etc.
No luck.

You do need to tell the DECwindows server to load TCP/IP. Either by
setting up DECW$SERVER_TRANSPORTS in the
SYS$MANAGER:DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.COM file or by setting the
DECW$INSTALL_TCPIP (I think that is correct) logical.

There is a known issue with connecting from recent releases of LINUX to
the DECwindows server. I know it is an issue with the latest releases,
not sure about earlier ones. The problem is that the server provides a
response to the initial connection message that is longer than defined
in the protocol and now the LINUX client detects this.

----

The "Managing DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS" manual should be re-issued
when the OpenVMS V8.2 documentations are put on the web. It includes an
enhanced section on troubleshooting TCP/IP connection issues with
DECwindows.

Martin Kirby

[k]

Thanks for the help! I now have a partial solution to the problem.

The first half of the solution was that I needed:

$ decw$server_transports == "DECNET,LOCAL,TCPIP"

in SYS$MANAGER:DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.COM. Now that this is done, I can:

$ telnet mylinux
... log in...
% export DISPLAY=myvms:0.0
% xlogo

and get a window from mylinux onto myvms.

HOWEVER! what still does not work is the other direction. That is, from
mylinux:

% xhost +
% telnet myvms
... login ...
$ set display/create/node=mylinux/transport=tcpip
$ mcr decw$examples:ico
Cannot open display
: non-translatable vms error code: 0x3D0294
%mcr-f-reject, connect to network object rejected

Neither does:
$ set display/create/trans=tcpip/node="mylinux"
$ set display/create/trans=tcpip/node=MYLINUX
$ set display/create/trans=tcpip/node="MYLINUX"
$ set display/create/trans=tcpip/node="192.168.1.2"
$ set display/create/trans=tcpip/node=192.168.1.2

and

$ telnet /port=6000 mylinux
%TELNET-I-TRYING, Trying ... 192.168.1.2
%TELNET-E-CONNFAIL, Failed to connect to remote host

Post by m***@yahoo.co.uk
There is a known issue with connecting from recent releases of LINUX to
the DECwindows server. I know it is an issue with the latest releases,
not sure about earlier ones. The problem is that the server provides a
response to the initial connection message that is longer than defined
in the protocol and now the LINUX client detects this.

Can you elaborate or point me to more definitive information. Haven't
found a clear solution on google.

Thanks!
k

Post by m***@yahoo.co.uk

Post by k
MYVMS$ set display/create/node="mylinux"/transport=TCPIP
MYVMS$ mcr decw$puzzle

Try running DECW$EXAMPLES:ICO instead of puzzle - it gives better error
messages.
Try using the IP address instead of node name in the SET DISPLAY
command.
Try using telnet from the OpenVMS system to the LINUX system on port
6000, to see if it is a DECwindows or network issue.

Post by k
X Toolkit Error: Can't Open display
%DWT-F-NOMSG, Message number 03AB8204

$ set message sys$message:DECW$DWTMSG.EXE
$ exit %X3AB8204
%DWT-F-DWTABORT, xtoolkit fatal error
Which doesn't add anything. Just thought I'ld see what the error was.

Post by k
....
Also, sitting at the console, I can telnet to the mylinux, but I

cannot

Post by k
send a window back to the OpenVMS. In otherwords, the following
% export DISPLAY=myvms:0.0
% xlogo
I've run DECW$SESSION and changed the security to * * *, * * TCPIP,

etc.

Post by k
No luck.

You do need to tell the DECwindows server to load TCP/IP. Either by
setting up DECW$SERVER_TRANSPORTS in the
SYS$MANAGER:DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.COM file or by setting the
DECW$INSTALL_TCPIP (I think that is correct) logical.
There is a known issue with connecting from recent releases of LINUX to
the DECwindows server. I know it is an issue with the latest releases,
not sure about earlier ones. The problem is that the server provides a
response to the initial connection message that is longer than defined
in the protocol and now the LINUX client detects this.
----
The "Managing DECwindows Motif for OpenVMS" manual should be re-issued
when the OpenVMS V8.2 documentations are put on the web. It includes an
enhanced section on troubleshooting TCP/IP connection issues with
DECwindows.
Martin Kirby

[JF Mezei]

Post by k
$ telnet /port=6000 mylinux
%TELNET-I-TRYING, Trying ... 192.168.1.2
%TELNET-E-CONNFAIL, Failed to connect to remote host

This would mean that the problem isn't at the VMS side of X. If the
VMS host can telnet to port 23 (regular port) of your linux host, it
means that there is TCPIP connectivity. Therefore, the logical
conclusion is that your linux side (the X server/X terminal software) is
blocking inbound calls.

If, from my mac, I try to connect to my VAX's port 6000, I connect and
then get an error message in ascii about not the right protocol (since
the telnet sofware isn't sending the right X protocol packets).

If my VAX connects to my MAC's port 6000, I get connected, but no
message, but the connection is maintained.

So if I had to bet some chocolate bars on this, I'd say that your linux
host is blocking inbound calls. This could be at the TCPIP level, or in
the X server software which doesn't have the right config to allow your
VMS host to connect.

[Peter 'EPLAN' LANGSTOEGER]

Post by k
$ telnet /port=6000 mylinux
%TELNET-I-TRYING, Trying ... 192.168.1.2
%TELNET-E-CONNFAIL, Failed to connect to remote host

It means, that on your Linux box the X11 server is not listening.
At least not listening on this particular TCP port (6000) for your
particular source address (the VMS box).

Check your Linux box for access restrictions (like a firewall software)
or more likely for the TCP port the Linux X11 server is listening on.
Maybe it isn't listening at all or maybe it is listening on 6001, then you
need to use /SERVER=1 with your SET DISPLAY command on OpenVMS and so on.

HIH

[m***@yahoo.co.uk]

Post by k

Post by m***@yahoo.co.uk
There is a known issue with connecting from recent releases of LINUX to
the DECwindows server. I know it is an issue with the latest releases,
not sure about earlier ones. The problem is that the server

provides a

Post by k

Post by m***@yahoo.co.uk
response to the initial connection message that is longer than defined
in the protocol and now the LINUX client detects this.

Can you elaborate or point me to more definitive information.

Haven't

Post by k
found a clear solution on google.

Sorry, I know we have a recent case raised regarding this issue but I
can't see the case to see more details. However, as you have LINUX
client to OpenVMS server working it sounds like you do not have this
problem.

As others say, it looks like a firewall or Linux server configuration
issue. Have you tried using tcpip to connect to the linux server from
the same linux machine as a client?

Martin Kirby

[m***@yahoo.co.uk]

I found more about the LINUX client to OpenVMS display server.

I think it is only an issue when the display server has multiple
screens configured using Xinerama.

[Z]

Post by k
$ telnet /port=6000 mylinux
%TELNET-I-TRYING, Trying ... 192.168.1.2
%TELNET-E-CONNFAIL, Failed to connect to remote host

There's your problem: the VMS system cannot connect to port 6000 on
mylinux. Once you resolve that you should be fine.

You have a h/w or s/w obstacle in your way.

Are you running iptables? Is there a router or other piece of h/w
between the two systems?

[Bob Koehler]

Post by k
% xhost +
% telnet myvms
... login ...

At this point try:
$show display
$show users <yourself> /full

This is to see if some software is setting up a display for you
for some reason (SSH must and will but ordinary TELNET shouldn't),
and to see what node the network thinks you're coming from from the
VMS system's point of view.

[Keith A. Lewis]

Post by k
$ telnet /port=6000 mylinux
%TELNET-I-TRYING, Trying ... 192.168.1.2
%TELNET-E-CONNFAIL, Failed to connect to remote host

At this point "our" job here on comp.os.vms is done. You can probably
reproduce the remaining problem with Linux alone now.

% export DISPLAY=mylinux:0.0
% xlogo

Assuming that fails, you can consult the Linux experts in their newsgroups
without having to mention VMS at all.

--Keith Lewis klewis {at} mitre.org
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

[k]

Thanks! I'll take it up on another news group.

Can anyone confirm that they are using a linux client with DecWindows
Motif 1.2-6?

As I am unable to find an equivalent to the xauth on VMS I am suspicious
that this version of Motif might be too old to communicate with recent
versions of linux. There have been suggestions to run my linux Xserver
without any security, e.g. X -ac as a workaround.

I've got Fedora Core 3 and Suse 9.2 and will try others. Please can
someone confirm their interoperatibility between DecWindows Motif and Linux.

Thanks again for all the great help.

FYI, I have no trouble with Tru64 5.1A <-> mylinux connection or any
other linux X <-> linux Y flavors. OpenVMS seems to be unique in this
department.

-Ben

Post by Keith A. Lewis

Post by k
$ telnet /port=6000 mylinux
%TELNET-I-TRYING, Trying ... 192.168.1.2
%TELNET-E-CONNFAIL, Failed to connect to remote host

At this point "our" job here on comp.os.vms is done. You can probably
reproduce the remaining problem with Linux alone now.
% export DISPLAY=mylinux:0.0
% xlogo
Assuming that fails, you can consult the Linux experts in their newsgroups
without having to mention VMS at all.
--Keith Lewis klewis {at} mitre.org
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.

[JF Mezei]

Post by k
As I am unable to find an equivalent to the xauth on VMS I am suspicious
that this version of Motif might be too old to communicate with recent
versions of linux. There have been suggestions to run my linux Xserver
without any security, e.g. X -ac as a workaround.

1. When you RUN DECW$CLOCK with the display set to your linux box, Motif
is not related since the exchange between the VMS and the linux box is
ulerly at the X protocol level. So while VMS has an antique version of
Motif, it doesn't really matter.

If you can't telnet to port 6000 betwene the vms machine and the linuix
box, the problem is most likely either at the tcpip level (blocked port,
etc), or on the X server software on the linux which doesn't answer the call.

Make sure that on your linux box, you have the x server listneting on
port 6000.

Post by k
FYI, I have no trouble with Tru64 5.1A <-> mylinux connection or any
other linux X <-> linux Y flavors. OpenVMS seems to be unique in this
department.

Can your VMS box open any xwindows on any of your linux boxes ? (i.e. is
it just one box that won't allow VMS to display on it, or do you have
problems with the VMS host opening a window on any machine ?

Is there a router between your VMS host and the linux host ? Is the
router perhaps blocking port 6000 ?

The fact that a telnet to port 6000 fails means that since it fails to
even connect, it doesn't get far enough into the process to see any
possible incompatibilities at the X level since that level doesn't even begin.

[FredK]

xauth did not appear on VMS until Motif V1.3-1 on V7.3-2 (a V1.3 kit for
V7.3-1 also).
If you click on SECURITY in the style manager, and do not see anything
except
the host list, then you are on too old of a version.

Note that V1.3 and beyond will not install on versions of VMS older than
V7.3-1.

In the case of older versions, you indeed have to run with just a host list
on the
Linux side with no xauth/magic cookies.

Post by JF Mezei

Post by k
As I am unable to find an equivalent to the xauth on VMS I am suspicious
that this version of Motif might be too old to communicate with recent
versions of linux. There have been suggestions to run my linux Xserver
without any security, e.g. X -ac as a workaround.

1. When you RUN DECW$CLOCK with the display set to your linux box, Motif
is not related since the exchange between the VMS and the linux box is
ulerly at the X protocol level. So while VMS has an antique version of
Motif, it doesn't really matter.
If you can't telnet to port 6000 betwene the vms machine and the linuix
box, the problem is most likely either at the tcpip level (blocked port,
etc), or on the X server software on the linux which doesn't answer the call.
Make sure that on your linux box, you have the x server listneting on
port 6000.

Post by k
FYI, I have no trouble with Tru64 5.1A <-> mylinux connection or any
other linux X <-> linux Y flavors. OpenVMS seems to be unique in this
department.

Can your VMS box open any xwindows on any of your linux boxes ? (i.e. is
it just one box that won't allow VMS to display on it, or do you have
problems with the VMS host opening a window on any machine ?
Is there a router between your VMS host and the linux host ? Is the
router perhaps blocking port 6000 ?
The fact that a telnet to port 6000 fails means that since it fails to
even connect, it doesn't get far enough into the process to see any
possible incompatibilities at the X level since that level doesn't even begin.

[k]

Thanks for the help. Its fixed! Let me tell you what I found:

1. telnet mylinux 6000 did not work from any host.

2. mylinux <-> mytru64 <-> myotherlinux X traffic worked just fine
when using the following commands:

% xhost +
% telnet mytru64
% export DISPLAY=mylinux:0.0
% xlogo

So I wasn't completely crazy because X did work from some hosts, but it
did not work from myvms and no telnet mylinux 6000 either.

So the fix was that I found that on recent versions of linux, (Fedora
Core 3 & Suse 9.2), X starts with the following parameter:

-nolisten tcp

which tells the server 'not to listen' on port 6000! Which explains why
telnet mylinux 6000 did not work.

To fix on Fedora Core 3, edit /etc/X11/gdm/gdm.conf and enable:

DisallowTCP=false

For Suse 9.2 (kde), edit /etc/X11/xdm/Xservers and change the line:

:0 local /usr/X11R6/bin/X -nolisten tcp -br vt7

to

:0 local /usr/X11R6/bin/X -br vt7

Then,

$ set display/create/transport=tcpip/node=mylinux
$ mcr decw$clock
XIO: unable to open connection _WSA23:
after 0 requests (0 known processed) with 0 events remaining.
X Toolkit Error: Can't Open display
%DWT-F-NOMSG, Message number 03AB8204

so you need:

xhost +myvms

on the remote linux box.

Thanks for the help.

k

Post by JF Mezei

Post by k
As I am unable to find an equivalent to the xauth on VMS I am suspicious
that this version of Motif might be too old to communicate with recent
versions of linux. There have been suggestions to run my linux Xserver
without any security, e.g. X -ac as a workaround.

1. When you RUN DECW$CLOCK with the display set to your linux box, Motif
is not related since the exchange between the VMS and the linux box is
ulerly at the X protocol level. So while VMS has an antique version of
Motif, it doesn't really matter.
If you can't telnet to port 6000 betwene the vms machine and the linuix
box, the problem is most likely either at the tcpip level (blocked port,
etc), or on the X server software on the linux which doesn't answer the call.
Make sure that on your linux box, you have the x server listneting on
port 6000.

Post by k
FYI, I have no trouble with Tru64 5.1A <-> mylinux connection or any
other linux X <-> linux Y flavors. OpenVMS seems to be unique in this
department.

Can your VMS box open any xwindows on any of your linux boxes ? (i.e. is
it just one box that won't allow VMS to display on it, or do you have
problems with the VMS host opening a window on any machine ?
Is there a router between your VMS host and the linux host ? Is the
router perhaps blocking port 6000 ?
The fact that a telnet to port 6000 fails means that since it fails to
even connect, it doesn't get far enough into the process to see any
possible incompatibilities at the X level since that level doesn't even begin.

[p***@prep.synonet.com]

Post by k
Thanks! I'll take it up on another news group.
Can anyone confirm that they are using a linux client with DecWindows
Motif 1.2-6?

Linux on x86 with X on Alpha VMS to post this.

Post by k
As I am unable to find an equivalent to the xauth on VMS I am

It is in the session manager, under security.

Post by k
suspicious that this version of Motif might be too old to
communicate with recent versions of linux. There have been
suggestions to run my linux Xserver without any security, e.g. X -ac
as a workaround.

[Keith A. Lewis]

Post by k
mylinux% xhost+
MYVMS$ set display/create/node="mylinux"/transport=TCPIP
MYVMS$ mcr decw$puzzle
X Toolkit Error: Can't Open display
%DWT-F-NOMSG, Message number 03AB8204

That's the same error code I get when I forget to do "xhost +", or send a
display to a non-logged-in console.

Can you "telnet mylinux 6000" and get a connection? If not, the problem is
definitely on the Linux end.

Post by k
Also, sitting at the console, I can telnet to the mylinux, but I cannot
% export DISPLAY=myvms:0.0
% xlogo
I've run DECW$SESSION and changed the security to * * *, * * TCPIP, etc.
No luck.

You also need to edit SYS$STARTUP:DECW$PRIVATE_SERVER_SETUP.COM (copy from
TEMPLATE if it isn't there) to include TCPIP as a transport. Then restart
decwindows or reboot. Again, "telnet myvms 6000" can help you diagnose
this.

--Keith Lewis klewis {at} mitre.org
The above may not (yet) represent the opinions of my employer.