Questions and Answers
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Chapter 3. Questions and Answers

3.1. Why doesn't root receive KDE announcements?
3.2. Why don't I, as a normal user, receive KDE announcements?
3.3. How do I get debug output from KTalkd?
3.1.

Why doesn't root receive KDE announcements?

Because this would be security hole, with the current user detection. You can bypass the limitation by adding two lines in xdm config files (which are the same as TDM ones).

Note

The S.u.S.E Linux® distribution includes those lines by default.

Those config files are normally in a folder such as /etc/X11/xdm, or /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xdm on other systems. The following supposes that they are in /etc/X11/xdm, so you might have to translate them for another folder.

Here is what you have to do:

  1. Edit the file Xstartup, or create it, (in the xdm config folder) so that it reads:

    #!/bin/sh
    /etc/X11/xdm/GiveConsole
    sessreg -a -l $DISPLAY -x /etc/X11/xdm/Xservers $USER
  2. and the file Xreset so that it reads:

    #!/bin/sh
    /etc/X11/xdm/TakeConsole
    sessreg -d -l $DISPLAY $USER
  3. Make sure that xdm-config make reference to those two files:

    DisplayManager._0.startup:      /etc/X11/xdm/Xstartup
    DisplayManager._0.reset:        /etc/X11/xdm/Xreset 

This will make TDM (or xdm) log the user into utmp, which is the right thing to do. It's not up to Konsole, nor xterm, to log the user, but to xdm and TDM, in my opinion. However, this will not log the user as an X user when using startx... Any hint about that ?

3.2.

Why don't I, as a normal user, receive KDE announcements?

If you're running a Linux® system (with /proc enabled), this behavior is a bug. Please send me a description of it so that I correct it.

If you're running Linux® 2.0.35, this is a known bug in the kernel, which doesn't let root read /proc. The solution is the same as in the previous question, provided that you run TDM or xdm to log into X. Or upgrade!

Otherwise, this is normal. KTalkd can't find the user, as KDE doesn't log him into utmp and the Linux® based (/proc) detection is disabled. The solution is the same as in the previous question, provided that you run tdm or xdm to log into X. Another solution is to make sure you always have an xterm running.

3.3.

How do I get debug output from KTalkd?

As it is a daemon, there is no debug output on standard output. To get debugging output (for instance before submitting me a bug report!), update the lines in inetd.conf which launches KTalkd and KOTalkd to be:

talk   dgram   udp     wait    root    /usr/sbin/tcpd  /opt/kde/bin/ktalkd -d
ntalk  dgram   udp     wait    root    /usr/sbin/tcpd  /opt/kde/bin/ktalkd -d

Notice the -d option.

Then edit /etc/syslog.conf to add the following line:

*.*         /var/log/all_messages

To make it work, you then have to restart inetd and syslogd:

% killall -HUP inetd
% killall -HUP syslogd

Finally, run a talk session and see the result in /var/log/all_messages

When submitting a bug report, never forget to include the debugging output, but also KTalkd's version number and the ./configure output. Thanks.

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