X server but no wmgr

[Bosco.So at pni.com]

I've been using X-Windows with Redhat 4.2 Linux for a while.  The Redhat is
the official 4.0 version with two CheapBytes upgrade (4.1 & 4.2) over it.
The machine is a 180 MHz Pentium Pro with 96MB RAM and a Matrox Millenium
with 2MB VRAM.  The X server is the Metro-X that came with RH 4.0.  I
normally run X-Windows in 1024x768 in 16 bit mode.

All of a sudden, X-Windows began having startup problems.  In the
beginning, I'd occasionalyy get the gray X server screen with no window
manager; but if I kill it (with 'kill' command or ctrl-alt-backspace) and
'startx' again, X-Windows would start normally.  After a couple of weeks of
this, no matter what I do, I'd only get the gray X server screen with no
window manager.

At about this time, Redhat 5.0 came out, and I upgraded to the official
version.  I had a slight hope that the upgrade will cure my woes, but alas
it didn't.  For what it's worth, Metro-X's 'configX' command runs fine,
even though it's (I think) on top of a VGA X server.  I also replaced
Metro-X's server with the XFree86 SVGA version, but the result is still the
same.  And lastly, NT 4.0, Win95, and Win3.1 still runs fine.

Any pointers toward solving this problem short of a complete re-install
would be greatly appreciated.

-- Bosco So