I am attempting to get ssh -X working to a remote machine for which I am 
root.

using:

ssh -X  (followed by the usual username@DNS-node-name), I get a login:

[ykarant@akek ~]$ uname -a
Linux akek.ias.csusb.edu 2.6.32-131.6.1.el6.x86_64 #1 SMP Tue Jul 12 
17:14:50 CDT 2011 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
[root@akek ssh]# lsb_release -a
LSB Version: 
:core-4.0-amd64:core-4.0-noarch:graphics-4.0-amd64:graphics-4.0-noarch:printing-4.0-amd64:printing-4.0-noarch
Distributor ID:    Scientific
Description:    Scientific Linux release 6.2 (Carbon)
Release:    6.2
Codename:    Carbon

Note:  updating to SL6x is complicated on this cluster compute engine 
server, as it has a number of additions from the integrating vendor for 
additional functionality beyond standard SL 6 and Nvidia CUDA, including 
specific InfiniBand drivers.

[ykarant@akek ~]$ startx
xauth:  creating new authority file /home/ykarant/.serverauth.15331


Fatal server error:
PAM authentication failed, cannot start X server.
     Perhaps you do not have console ownership?


Please consult the Scientific Linux support
      at https://www.scientificlinux.org/maillists
  for help.

giving up.
xinit:  No such file or directory (errno 2):  unable to connect to X server
xinit:  No such process (errno 3):  Server error.

[ykarant@akek ~]$ xinit

Fatal server error:
PAM authentication failed, cannot start X server.
     Perhaps you do not have console ownership?

Please consult the Scientific Linux support
      at https://www.scientificlinux.org/maillists
  for help.

^Cgiving up.
xinit:  No such file or directory (errno 2):  unable to connect to X server
xinit:  No such process (errno 3):  unexpected signal 2.

I can supply /etc/ssh/ssh_config and /etc/ssh/sshd_config

[root@akek ssh]# ps axw| grep ssh
  2784 ?        Ss     0:02 /usr/sbin/sshd
15229 ?        Ss     0:00 sshd: ykarant [priv]
15232 ?        S      0:00 sshd: ykarant@pts/0
15687 pts/0    S+     0:00 grep ssh

Suggestions on what to change/fix would be appreciated.

Yasha Karant