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I've been using Cygwin CLI-only for years but decided I should add a GUI desktop just on general principles. The problem is, I can't get xinit to run. I've checked the XWin.0.log, researched the error messages, ripped it out and reinstalled about six times in the past ten days but it always come back to this same error. Here's where the trouble starts:

winTaskbarInit - Could not get SHGetPropertyStoreForWindow address
winSetEngine - Using Shadow DirectDraw NonLocking
winScreenInit - Using Windows display depth of 32 bits per pixel
winFinishScreenInitFB - Masks: 00ff0000 0000ff00 000000ff
Screen 0 added at virtual desktop coordinate (0,0).
MIT-SHM extension disabled due to lack of kernel support
XFree86-Bigfont extension local-client optimization disabled due to lack of 
                                        shared memory support in the kernel

I'm not sure which is the true trouble signal, whether it's the 'winTaskbarInit' or the "lack of kernel support". Regarding the latter, I'm aware of the shared memory requirement so I always run "export CYGWIN=server" and confirm "CYGWIN=server" persists in the environment. Regardless of which is the key error, I'm not finding any references to help me work through them.

The really curious thing is it works in safe mode. xinit starts AND I can get xfce4 to run. But not KDE or Gnome, which is okay, I'd sooner just use xfce anyway. But when I do a normal boot, the xinit always fails with the errors above.

So it looks like my regular configuration or the running services are to blame. I tried to use msconfig to do a "diagnostic startup" and isolate the offending service (or app) but that provoked a Windows activation panic and I had to restore my WPA files from an old backup. Three times I did that (yeah, I'm a slow learner).

The PC is WinXPSP3. The current CygWin is v.1.7.9(0.237/5/3).

When I issue the xwin command with no switches, the X-window opens just a tic, then collapses with no on-screen message whatsoever. This is the log:

xwin

(II) xorg.conf is not supported

(II) See http://x.cygwin.com/docs/faq/cygwin-x-faq.html for more information

LoadPreferences: /home/Owner/.XWinrc not found LoadPreferences: Loading /etc/X11/system.XWinrc

LoadPreferences: Done parsing the configuration file...

winDetectSupportedEngines - DirectDraw installed, allowing ShadowDD

winDetectSupportedEngines - Windows NT, allowing PrimaryDD

winDetectSupportedEngines - DirectDraw4 installed, allowing ShadowDDNL

winDetectSupportedEngines - Returning, supported engines 0000001f

winTaskbarInit - Could not get SHGetPropertyStoreForWindow address

winSetEngine - Using Shadow DirectDraw NonLocking

winScreenInit - Using Windows display depth of 32 bits per pixel

winFinishScreenInitFB - Masks: 00ff0000 0000ff00 000000ff Screen 0 added at virtual desktop coordinate (0,0).

MIT-SHM extension disabled due to lack of kernel support

XFree86-Bigfont extension local-client optimization disabled due to lack of shared memory support in the kernel

(II) AIGLX: Loaded and initialized /usr/lib/dri/swrast_dri.so

(II) GLX: Initialized DRISWRAST GL provider for screen 0

The PC is Windows XP SP3. The current CygWin is v.1.7.9(0.237/5/3).

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  • @Kelso, it appears you were may have been originator of one of the edits, if so you should be able to log in to Superuser using the same OpenID as you used on Serverfault and then associate your Serverfault account with you Superuser account, this should hopefully give you control of this question again.
    – Mokubai
    Aug 17, 2011 at 17:23
  • Those "errors" definitely shouldn't be fatal... What happens when you run XWin directly? Aug 17, 2011 at 17:26
  • I believe that CygWin's version of X hasn't been actively developed in some years. I haven't checked in a couple of years either, of course.
    – CarlF
    Aug 17, 2011 at 18:16
  • @CarlF: Don't they just package a modified X.org these days? Aug 17, 2011 at 21:34
  • I wonder if KDE for windows will fit your bill.
    – chronos
    Aug 17, 2011 at 22:38

1 Answer 1

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Gentlemen, thanks to your input, I have figured it out. I'd stopped short of this because I assumed one or more of the errors the XWin log was showing were fatal. After learning that they weren't, I systematically switched off services and found the problem.

I (used to) run ThreatFire, a heuristic anti-malware service. That appears to have been the cause. The specific processes are TFService.exe and TFTray.exe. With that disabled, XWin starts and runs, and I can run xfce.

Thank you for your help.

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