VNC works manually

[Jeffery Myers]

I have VNC installed on an AIX 5.1 box.
I have Gnome installed and configured to load by default using the .xinitrc file in roots home directory.
When you log on locally, it starts Gnome no problem.

I can launch VNC usring the vncserver script and it reports starting on display :1.  (:0 is already reserved for the local)
When I connected using vncviewer I got only the gray desktop + a cursor.  (XDM is running btw)
Ok...I used startx -d :1 to manually start the session and it worked. Vnc and GNOME were happy on the the viewer.

Here's the kicker....now when I launch vncviewer it starts the session fine, only it brings up CDE.  (without startx -d...)
If I use startx -d :1 again it starts to load GNOME but it complains that I'm not using a GNOME compliant window manager but still loads.  (Kind of merges with CDE).  Then if I change the windows manager to let's say sawfish, 
it cleans up the display and we have GNOME.
Each time now when I connect with vncviewer I get the CDE.

Why does it find the CDE (now and not before) and why doesn't it use the same as when I log on locally?  
I admit I am not an Xpert by any stretch of the imagination and would appreciate any suggestions as to what may
be the problem and/or how I might troubleshoot.  Where should I look?

Help is greatly apprectiated!
j