You don't *really* explain what you are trying to accomplish.

After ssh -X, things like "xeyes" and "emacs" should display X11 windows back on your local workstation, which I *presume* is running an X11 session (but you don't specifically state that situation...).

What you are doing by typing 'startx' or 'xinit' is starting a desktop session...but you already have one locally, do you not?  If not, do that instead!  As you can see, those are commands only for a local physical console.

If you want to start another desktop session, look into using  vncserver on the remote side and use vncviewer to to connect to it locally (again, still requires X11 locally).

Hope that helps!

On 05/06/2014 04:38 PM, Yasha Karant wrote:
> 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