X11vnc start at boot - please help with xauthority

Question

I followed the direction here to setup the x11vnc.service
https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=168756
but all i get is an error like below
23/02/2014 18:00:23 XOpenDisplay(":0") failed.
23/02/2014 18:00:23 Trying again with XAUTHLOCALHOSTNAME=localhost ...
23/02/2014 18:00:23 ***************************************
23/02/2014 18:00:23 *** XOpenDisplay failed (:0)
*** x11vnc was unable to open the X DISPLAY: ":0", it cannot continue.
*** There may be "Xlib:" error messages above with details about the failure.
Some tips and guidelines:
** An X server (the one you wish to view) must be running before x11vnc is
started: x11vnc does not start the X server. (however, see the -create
option if that is what you really want).
** You must use -display <disp>, -OR- set and export your $DISPLAY
environment variable to refer to the display of the desired X server.
- Usually the display is simply ":0" (in fact x11vnc uses this if you forget
to specify it), but in some multi-user situations it could be ":1", ":2",
or even ":137". Ask your administrator or a guru if you are having
difficulty determining what your X DISPLAY is.
** Next, you need to have sufficient permissions (Xauthority)
to connect to the X DISPLAY. Here are some Tips:
- Often, you just need to run x11vnc as the user logged into the X session.
So make sure to be that user when you type x11vnc.
- Being root is usually not enough because the incorrect MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE
file may be accessed. The cookie file contains the secret key that
allows x11vnc to connect to the desired X DISPLAY.
- You can explicitly indicate which MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE file should be used
by the -auth option, e.g.:
x11vnc -auth /home/someuser/.Xauthority -display :0
x11vnc -auth /tmp/.gdmzndVlR -display :0
you must have read permission for the auth file.
See also '-auth guess' and '-findauth' discussed below.
** If NO ONE is logged into an X session yet, but there is a greeter login
program like "gdm", "kdm", "xdm", or "dtlogin" running, you will need
to find and use the raw display manager MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE file.
Some examples for various display managers:
gdm: -auth /var/gdm/:0.Xauth
-auth /var/lib/gdm/:0.Xauth
kdm: -auth /var/lib/kdm/A:0-crWk72
-auth /var/run/xauth/A:0-crWk72
xdm: -auth /var/lib/xdm/authdir/authfiles/A:0-XQvaJk
dtlogin: -auth /var/dt/A:0-UgaaXa
Sometimes the command "ps wwwwaux | grep auth" can reveal the file location.
Starting with x11vnc 0.9.9 you can have it try to guess by using:
-auth guess
(see also the x11vnc -findauth option.)
Only root will have read permission for the file, and so x11vnc must be run
as root (or copy it). The random characters in the filenames will of course
change and the directory the cookie file resides in is system dependent.
but if i ssh and run the command with "- auth" x11vnc starts just fine.
Not sure what i am doing wrong.
Here is what i use at the command line to start x11vnc
Note: Always seem to need "sudo" if i have to start x11vnc when i have not logged using the display manager yet
sudo /usr/bin/x11vnc -rfbauth .x11vnc/passwd -display :0 -shared -forever -solid -bg

Answer 1

Well, I found out what was wrong. A little clod of dirt was bridging a gap between the positive and negatve terminals of two resistors on the motherboard. I cleaned it off with a little water on a paper towel, and now the computer works fine.