It was the multinet xlldebug command that was the tip-off that the 
Xauthority on the unix side was not properly set.
xhost vms-node  was all that was needed
Thanks in particular to Dave Greenwood,Peter Prymmer and John J. Francini
 Here is the original question
> 
> 
> I am running DU4.0d CDE and
> I have a number of windows both xterm and dtterm open to VMS6.2.
> 
> my .rhost file on the unix side is correct and the multinet hosts.equiv 
> file on the vms side is correct
> 
> On the vms side I have:
> 
> NORNS>  _at_sys$update:decw$versions x
> DECwindows ident is                     DW V1.2-940307
> DECwindows server ident is              DW T6.2-950505
> DECwindows transport ident is           DW T6.2-950505
> DECwindows xlib ident is                DW V1.2-940307
> DECwindows motif toolkit ident is       DW V1.2-940307
> DECwindows apps ident is                DW V1.2-940307
> DECwindows programming ident is         DW V1.2-940307
> 
> VMS is running Multinet 3.2 , and yes I have it configure correctly, with
> rhosts etc.  I can rsh from unix to vms and vice versa, without being 
> prompted for login.  Both machines are on the same lan.
> 
> So when I am in a dtterm attached to vms via rsh from unix I wish to run 
> a program, say emacs or the vms debugger, either which pops a new window 
> for the application.
> 
>  NORNS> sho display
> 
>     Device:    WSA9:  [user]
>     Node:      216.101.147.252  (This IP for Tru64 4.0d)
>     Transport: TCPIP
>     Server:    0
>     Screen:    0
> 
> Do I need to set Server or Screen?  To what?
> 
> Doesn't the DISPLAY specification have to be in a form that unix can 
> process?
> 
> 
>                __________________________________________________
>               /_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
>              /_/                                             /_/
>             /_/     Tom Linden              PL/I Support    /_/
>            /_/    Kednos Corporation       OpenVMS and     /_/
>           /_/   tel 650 566 9484          Tru64 Unix      /_/
>          /_/_____________________________________________/_/
>         /_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
> 
> 
> 
               __________________________________________________
              /_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
             /_/                                             /_/
            /_/     Tom Linden              PL/I Support    /_/
           /_/    Kednos Corporation       OpenVMS and     /_/
          /_/   tel 650 566 9484          Tru64 Unix      /_/
         /_/_____________________________________________/_/
        /_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/_/
Received on Tue May 18 1999 - 18:42:57 NZST