On Tue, Oct 28, 2003 at 05:31:02PM -0600, MLH wrote:
> -----------------------
> $ cat /var/log/xdm.log 
> 
> Fatal server error:
> Cannot open log file "/var/log/XFree86.0.log"
> 
> 
> When reporting a problem related to a server crash, please send
> the full server output, not just the last messages.
> Please report problems to xfree86@xfree86.org.
> 
> xdm error (pid 503): server unexpectedly died
> xdm error (pid 503): Server for display :0 can't be started, session disabled
> 
> -----------------------
> If one touches /var/log/XFree86.0.log and tries to restart xdm:
> 
> $  cat /var/log/xdm.log
> 
> Fatal server error:
> Cannot move old logfile "/var/log/XFree86.0.log.old"

  These sound like perhaps your server is not suid root.  Normally /var/log
and XFree86.0.log file are root owned, so if you start the server as a
nonroot user (or maybe if you run xdm as a nonroot user), and the server is
not suid root, it won't be able to do these operations on the log file.  What
does

  ls -l /usr/X11/bin/XFree86

show for the permissions on an installation that fails?