Xvfb

software development
#1

Has anybody used Xvfb?
http://www.xfree86.org/4.0.1/Xvfb.1.html

I’m on a private server. I am attempting to run it, but I get the following

When I enter …
./Xvfb :1 -screen 0 640x480x16 -nolisten tcp -audit 4 -auth X1.cfg

I get the following …
_XSERVTransmkdir: Owner of /tmp/.X11-unix should be set to root
error opening security policy file /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/xserver/SecurityPolicy
Could not init font path element /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/misc/, removing from list!
Could not init font path element /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/TTF/, removing from list!
Could not init font path element /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Speedo/, removing from list!
Could not init font path element /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/Type1/, removing from list!
Could not init font path element /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/CID/, removing from list!
Could not init font path element /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/75dpi/, removing from list!
Could not init font path element /usr/X11R6/lib/X11/fonts/100dpi/, removing from list!

Fatal server error:
could not open default font ‘fixed’

Is there anybody that is running Xvfb? If so, how did you do it? (I’m not a linux person yet, as you can see)

I’m doing this as a step in running other software. I am aware I won’t be able to see anything, but I’ll be capturing the output to a jpg eventually using other software. 1st, though, I have to get Xvfb working.

Thanks for your help.

#2

I’m not sure where I found it, but I launch Xvfb using a script called xvfb-run. And I launch it as root, which seems to help. I think it was part of some Xwindows add-on. Seems like you might also need to add some fonts to your Xwindows installation.

#3

I found the instructions on this page really helpful:

I get a few error-ish messages (I’m not a linux person yet either) when I run $ Xvfb :99 -ac -screen 0 1024x768x16, but when I carry on with the instructions, everything seems to work.

Now to see if this lets me use Selenium on my Dreamhost PS.