"xauth: timeout in locking authority file ~/.Xauthority"

I observed this error when trying to add xauth entries in a system. xauth was giving timeout out issue.

xauth:  timeout in locking authority file /home/ora/.Xauthority

Resolution:

First we need to check if the permission of ~/.ssh directory is correct. If not please change the permission.

[root@test]# chmod 755 /home/ora/.ssh
[root@test]# chmod 644 /home/ora/.ssh/authorized_keys2

Verify the permission of ~/.Xauthority file and also make sure appropriate selinux context is set on the file.

[root@test] # ls -lZ /home/ora/.Xauthority

If you are using selinux security contexts then restore file(s) default SELinux security contexts.

[root@test]# restorecon -R -v /home/user

Alternatively use "chcon" command to set desired selinux context on ~/.Xauthority file.

If same permission and ownership is sustained then try changing selinux status from enforcing to permissive on user using below command:

[root@test]# setenforce 0