ok, right now getting X to freeze/lock up instead of exit when starting xterm. tested in gnome-panel, gnome-shell, and unity sessions also seeing this in /var/log/Xorg.0.log and /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old (should correspond to gnome-panel and unity attempts, respectively): /var/log/Xorg.0.log: [ 253.514] Backtrace: [ 253.533] 0: /usr/bin/Xorg (xorg_backtrace+0x26) [0x460436] [ 253.533] 1: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x64a4a) [0x464a4a] [ 253.533] 2: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0 (0x7fda9cff3000+0x10040) [0x7fda9d003040] [ 253.533] 3: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x7fda9bf0e000+0x7a29b) [0x7fda9bf8829b] [ 253.533] 4: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (__libc_malloc+0x6d) [0x7fda9bf8a77d] [ 253.533] 5: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libexa.so (0x7fda9943e000+0x8e54) [0x7fda99446e54] [ 253.533] 6: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libexa.so (0x7fda9943e000+0x13337) [0x7fda99451337] [ 253.533] 7: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0xdd33a) [0x4dd33a] [ 253.533] 8: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0xe109d) [0x4e109d] [ 253.534] 9: /usr/bin/Xorg (doImageText+0x23f) [0x4316cf] [ 253.534] 10: /usr/bin/Xorg (ImageText+0x40) [0x432b40] [ 253.534] 11: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x2d222) [0x42d222] [ 253.534] 12: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x2fb39) [0x42fb39] [ 253.534] 13: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x232ae) [0x4232ae] [ 253.534] 14: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (__libc_start_main+0xed) [0x7fda9bf2f30d] [ 253.534] 15: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x2359d) [0x42359d] [ 253.534] Segmentation fault at address (nil) [ 253.534] Caught signal 11 (Segmentation fault). Server aborting [ 253.534] Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support at http://wiki.x.org for help. [ 253.534] Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information. [ 253.534] [ 257.818] [mi] EQ overflowing. The server is probably stuck in an infinite loop. [ 257.818] Backtrace: [ 257.836] 0: /usr/bin/Xorg (xorg_backtrace+0x26) [0x460436] [ 257.836] 1: /usr/bin/Xorg (mieqEnqueue+0x201) [0x45a891] [ 257.836] 2: /usr/bin/Xorg (xf86PostMotionEventM+0xa3) [0x480463] [ 257.836] 3: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/evdev_drv.so (0x7fda9644f000+0x5f23) [0x7fda96454f23] [ 257.836] 4: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/evdev_drv.so (0x7fda9644f000+0x65fb) [0x7fda964555fb] [ 257.836] 5: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x6d947) [0x46d947] [ 257.836] 6: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x121b9e) [0x521b9e] [ 257.836] 7: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0 (0x7fda9cff3000+0x10040) [0x7fda9d003040] [ 257.836] 8: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x7fda9bf0e000+0xefb8e) [0x7fda9bffdb8e] [ 257.836] 9: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x7fda9bf0e000+0x7e9df) [0x7fda9bf8c9df] [ 257.836] 10: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (cfree+0x61) [0x7fda9bf8ad71] [ 257.836] 11: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x6bc62) [0x46bc62] [ 257.837] 12: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x6c0e4) [0x46c0e4] [ 257.837] 13: /usr/bin/Xorg (CloseWellKnownConnections+0x2f) [0x460f1f] [ 257.837] 14: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x639a8) [0x4639a8] [ 257.837] 15: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x645b3) [0x4645b3] [ 257.837] 16: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0 (0x7fda9cff3000+0x10040) [0x7fda9d003040] [ 257.837] 17: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x7fda9bf0e000+0x7a29b) [0x7fda9bf8829b] [ 257.837] 18: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (__libc_malloc+0x6d) [0x7fda9bf8a77d] [ 257.837] 19: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libexa.so (0x7fda9943e000+0x8e54) [0x7fda99446e54] [ 257.837] 20: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/libexa.so (0x7fda9943e000+0x13337) [0x7fda99451337] [ 257.837] 21: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0xdd33a) [0x4dd33a] [ 257.837] 22: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0xe109d) [0x4e109d] [ 257.837] 23: /usr/bin/Xorg (doImageText+0x23f) [0x4316cf] [ 257.837] 24: /usr/bin/Xorg (ImageText+0x40) [0x432b40] [ 257.837] 25: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x2d222) [0x42d222] [ 257.838] 26: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x2fb39) [0x42fb39] [ 257.838] 27: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x232ae) [0x4232ae] [ 257.838] 28: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (__libc_start_main+0xed) [0x7fda9bf2f30d] [ 257.838] 29: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x2359d) [0x42359d] /var/log/Xorg.0.log.old: [ 67192.496] Backtrace: [ 67192.496] 0: /usr/bin/Xorg (xorg_backtrace+0x26) [0x460436] [ 67192.496] 1: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x64a4a) [0x464a4a] [ 67192.496] 2: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0 (0x7f02a1401000+0x10040) [0x7f02a1411040] [ 67192.497] 3: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x7f02a031c000+0x7a3e9) [0x7f02a03963e9] [ 67192.497] 4: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x7f02a031c000+0x7b539) [0x7f02a0397539] [ 67192.497] 5: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (realloc+0xf9) [0x7f02a0398ee9] [ 67192.497] 6: /usr/bin/Xorg (ReadRequestFromClient+0x621) [0x4627d1] [ 67192.497] 7: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x2f99d) [0x42f99d] [ 67192.497] 8: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x232ae) [0x4232ae] [ 67192.497] 9: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (__libc_start_main+0xed) [0x7f02a033d30d] [ 67192.497] 10: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x2359d) [0x42359d] [ 67192.497] Segmentation fault at address (nil) [ 67192.497] Caught signal 11 (Segmentation fault). Server aborting [ 67192.497] Please consult the The X.Org Foundation support at http://wiki.x.org for help. [ 67192.497] Please also check the log file at "/var/log/Xorg.0.log" for additional information. [ 67192.497] [ 67199.600] [mi] EQ overflowing. The server is probably stuck in an infinite loop. [ 67199.600] Backtrace: [ 67199.621] 0: /usr/bin/Xorg (xorg_backtrace+0x26) [0x460436] [ 67199.621] 1: /usr/bin/Xorg (mieqEnqueue+0x201) [0x45a891] [ 67199.621] 2: /usr/bin/Xorg (xf86PostMotionEventM+0xa3) [0x480463] [ 67199.621] 3: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/evdev_drv.so (0x7f029a85d000+0x5f23) [0x7f029a862f23] [ 67199.621] 4: /usr/lib/xorg/modules/input/evdev_drv.so (0x7f029a85d000+0x65fb) [0x7f029a8635fb] [ 67199.621] 5: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x6d947) [0x46d947] [ 67199.621] 6: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x121b9e) [0x521b9e] [ 67199.621] 7: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0 (0x7f02a1401000+0x10040) [0x7f02a1411040] [ 67199.621] 8: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x7f02a031c000+0xefb8e) [0x7f02a040bb8e] [ 67199.622] 9: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x7f02a031c000+0x7e9df) [0x7f02a039a9df] [ 67199.622] 10: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (cfree+0x61) [0x7f02a0398d71] [ 67199.622] 11: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x6bc62) [0x46bc62] [ 67199.622] 12: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x6c0e4) [0x46c0e4] [ 67199.622] 13: /usr/bin/Xorg (CloseWellKnownConnections+0x2f) [0x460f1f] [ 67199.622] 14: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x639a8) [0x4639a8] [ 67199.622] 15: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x645b3) [0x4645b3] [ 67199.622] 16: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libpthread.so.0 (0x7f02a1401000+0x10040) [0x7f02a1411040] [ 67199.622] 17: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x7f02a031c000+0x7a3e9) [0x7f02a03963e9] [ 67199.622] 18: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (0x7f02a031c000+0x7b539) [0x7f02a0397539] [ 67199.622] 19: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (realloc+0xf9) [0x7f02a0398ee9] [ 67199.622] 20: /usr/bin/Xorg (ReadRequestFromClient+0x621) [0x4627d1] [ 67199.623] 21: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x2f99d) [0x42f99d] [ 67199.623] 22: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x232ae) [0x4232ae] [ 67199.623] 23: /lib/x86_64-linux-gnu/libc.so.6 (__libc_start_main+0xed) [0x7f02a033d30d] [ 67199.623] 24: /usr/bin/Xorg (0x400000+0x2359d) [0x42359d]