Second X

[John Chambers]

Drew Taylor asks:
| I have a RH 7.1 box that I did not install X on due to memory limitations
| at the time. Since I now have more memory, I'd like to run X. So I
| installed the binary distribution of XFree86 4.2.0. But it won't startup w/
| the usual startx. I can briefly see something on the screen, but after a
| couple of seconds the monitor goes into standby mode. I haven't had a
| chance to try older versions yet.

And for the next step, I have a RH 7.1 box that  has  X  running,  as
usual on the CTL-ALT-F7 screen. What I'd like to do is get it running
also on another screen, such as CTL-ALT-F6. This is so two people can
be  logged  in at the same time, without the need to log out and shut
all your stuff down every time  you  want  to  switch  who's  in  the
driver's  seat.   It'd also be handy when I want to run more than one
thing as root.

I've dug around in TFM, and seen a number of claims that all  I  need
to  do is log in and run "startx -- :1" or some variant thereof.  But
what it does is complains that there's already an X server running on
the display. Of course there is; I knew that. But it's running on :0,
not on :1.  I haven't found any clues so far about  how  to  make  it
work.  I have gotten a few replies that "It should work", which isn't
much consolation when it doesn't.

Funny thing; I have a slightly older RH version on another  box,  and
the  above  command  works there.  I have no idea what the difference
might be.

Any suggestions on how to Do It Right?  Even better,  is  this  topic
actually documented anywhere?

(I wouldn't be surprised if it's covered in some HOWTO, but  to  find
it, you have to guess the right keywords, and I don't seem to be able
to stumble onto them.)