y fails to start but gives no useful error message

I'm still using the old 0.2.1 release, and I've gotten it to work on
other boxes using X11 before, but on my latest try I get only:

Y: server exited before starting up

The same thing happens whether I use the startY script or directly run
the Y binary. The box in question doesn't have X on it, but I've tried
both the fbcon and SDL drivers and messed with the config files some
with no results. I ran strace Y, but nothing appears wrong in the
output until the very end:

fork()                                  =3D 15760
close(5)                                =3D 0
read(4, "", 8)                          =3D 0
--- SIGCHLD (Child exited) @ 0 (0) ---
write(2, "Y: server exited before starting"..., 36Y: server exited
before starting up
) =3D 36
exit_group(1)                           =3D?


I'd like to solve this myself if I can, but what's the best way to
debug Y? I don't know enough about threaded apps to go any further.
Thanks!