Login-manager doesn't let me log in!

[Hallvard]

For some unknown reason a while back I was no longer presented with the Mandrake login manager, but instead a very basic login window, and then entering "Ice WM" instead of KDE as I've always used.

 

I got some help with this and have now re-installed KDM which has given me the Mandrake login window as well as KDE back, but I'm no longer able to login via the login manager (this applies to all users including "root").

 

What happens is that I select the user I want and enter the password as usual, everything seems to work -the screen goes blank, changes colours etc. and I'm awaiting the "KDE loading" window, but instead I return to the login manager.

I've tried this with all users -same result, and I'm sure I have the passwords right (if I didn't the login manager would tell me right away).

 

So someone suggested to me I open the /etc/inittab file with a text editor and change the following line:

id:5:initdefault

to....

id:3:initdefault

 

... which I've done, resulting in a command-line interface login instead.

 

So every time I boot into Linux now I enter the username and password from the command-line, which works perfectly. I then enter startx which starts KDE, gives me my usual desktop etc. :P

Everything within KDE seems to work as before. It's just the login procedure which is a mess.

 

 

So what could be wrong with the login manager? Some configuration files perhaps?

As a relatively new Linux user I'm not too much into this command line and setup stuff, so I'm stuck and need help, please.

Thanks.

[arctic]

log into your box a s root. take a look at your /home directory. e.g. open konqueror, right click on folder "/home/name of user" and select properties. i think that the properties are the problem here. did you change usersettings anyhow? move data from folder a to b?

 

in case the user-settings are not the problem, try creating a new user and try to log in with this user, using kdm or gdm. it that does not work, we need to do some tweaking. otherwise it should be a minor "properties" problem.

 

edit: i just read the other post/topic once more and in case you have copied your data from folder 1 to folder 2, as chriz suggested, it is most probably the permission problem. the user and user-ids have to be identical, otherwise such annoying problems might occur.

Edited November 23, 2004 by arctic

[Hallvard]

log into your box a s root. take a look at your /home directory. e.g. open konqueror, right click on folder "/home/name of user" and select properties. i think that the properties are the problem here. did you change usersettings anyhow? move data from folder a to b?

 

Yes, but once I have the "properties" window open for one of the users' "home" directories, what is it exactly that I'm looking for?

The ownership? Permissions?

 

In case ownership is the thing to look for.... all user's "home" directories have their own names in both "user" and "group" ownership.

[arctic]

in konqueror, go to advanced permissions (right click-menu) and click on the unmarked boxes. below, there is a checkbox saying "apply for all subfolders" or something like that. check it too.

[Hallvard]

in konqueror, go to advanced permissions (right click-menu) and click on the unmarked boxes. below, there is a checkbox saying "apply for all subfolders" or something like that. check it too.

 

Done, for all accounts.

Didn't fix my problem though.

 

I also added a new user, then selected it from the login manager. Same problem as before. After a few seconds I get returned to the login manager.

 

 

Can someone tell me (in layman's terms please -I'm no hacker) what exactly goes on "under the hood" when a user logs in via the login manager?

 

I'm not interested in the really deep stuff, but rather get an idea of which files are read/accesses, programs run etc. as I have no idea what the login manager does right now, so I don't even know where to begin to look.

[chris:b]

Are you running cooker, Hallvard?

 

Seems to me.

 

Was this your intention?

 

If you want a stable system, then backup your data, and reinstall your mdk. A 'clean' install. Takes 30 minutes. Then DO NOT add cooker urpmi sources.

 

(or keep your install, will keep you busy the following months, one bug will follow the next. You may want to start fixing your install with:

*installing the kdm-config rpm

* then run as root: genkdmconfig

* i don't know if this will work. You lost your kdm (login manager) config.)

[Hallvard]

Are you running cooker, Hallvard?

Seems to me.

 

I'm pretty sure I haven't, even though others have suggested that this might be the source of my problems as well.

 

If you want a stable system, then backup your data, and reinstall your mdk. A 'clean' install. Takes 30 minutes. Then DO NOT add cooker urpmi sources.

 

I'm worried about files that I may be missing out on, and programs I've installed.

Is there a "log" file of stuff like that so I can check instead of guessing and trying to remember exatcly what I've placed where?

 

I know I've added a lot of additional wallpaper files, and audio files etc.

And those aren't in the "home" directories, so would I need to backup my entire Linux hard drive somehow? A real hassle.

 

 

(or keep your install, will keep you busy the following months, one bug will follow the next. You may want to start fixing your install with:

*installing the kdm-config rpm

* then run as root: genkdmconfig

* i don't know if this will work. You lost your kdm (login manager) config.)

 

Well, if I can get it working again and it keeps working in the next month I won't have to mess around with reinstalling it all. I'll try to get this working first.

As for "kdm-config" -it's not available via the "install" menu in KDE. I've set URPMI up to read from the installation CDs. I'm worried that I might be getting into problems by downloading stuff from the urpmi mirrors on the net. With the installation CDs I know I'm fine.

 

Anyway, is the program actually called "kdm-config"? I also tried searching for "gendkconfig" without any positive results. Should it be part of the Mandrake 10.0 installation CDs?

[arctic]

just an idea: install gdm to your box. boot your box till you are at init 3. then, at the command line, log in as root and type "gdm" try starting any session with gdm. if that works, the problem is only kde-related and we might be able to solve it although it seems that your box is in serious trouble. if you are not able to log in with gdm, too, then some basic startup-scripts seem to have gone crazy. in this case i recommend a clean reinstall without(!) cooker repositories. ;)

[bvc]

hold the phone!

when you get kicked back to the login screen do;

Ctrl+Alt+F1

what does it say? errors? Get as much info as possible and if you can/have to press;

Shift+Page Up

 

I'd turn the thing off and see if you can even get into X. To turn it off, at the login screen do;

Ctrl+Alt+F2

login as root and do;

service dm stop

then login as user and do;

startx

IF IT FAILS, what are the errors?

IF it doesn't fail, go back to vt2 (Ctrl+Alt+F2) and do;

urpmi Xtart

That is case sensitive! After you have installed Xtart, go back to vt1 and as user do;

Xtart

That is case sensitive!

choose kde/gnome/whatever.....does it work? If yes, then install gdm (the best next to Xtart) or upgrade mdk-kdm or kdm, whichever you are using. If you have trouble installing Xtart for whatever reason, try gdm. If you only have kde installed and X still fails, install another de/wm, like blackbox or icewm with urpmi.

[Hallvard]

Yippeee!!! :D

I think I've solved the problem (more or less, and at least for now)...

I first logged into "root" as usual (from the command line, then entering "startx"), and removed a few file names that I've heard mentioned in these discussions. I can't remember exactly which ones off-hand (maybe I should have taken a note of it!)....

 

Anyway, I believe it was "kdm" and "kdebase" as well as other files starting with the same names. Then I reinstalled it (again, I should have taken notes as I might not have installed the same programs back), went to the Mandrake configuration panel to make sure the users were all set up etc.

 

After a reboot I was able to get in via the login manager (though a different looking one than I've used in the past).

 

 

So all's well, but being urged to reinstall Mandrake from scratch and not knowing exactly what I've done I have a feeling I'll have to do that sooner or later

 

To prepare for backing things up, now or later, I have some questions:

 

1) Apart from the obvious "home" directories for each user, which folders do I need to look through to see if I've installed some additional files that won't come with the Mandrake installation?

 

2) Will a TAR'd file (as suggested here) survive being transferred to a Windows hard drive? I suppose that keeping everything inside a compressed file as this is (why not use ZIP by the way?) will protect it, bypassing any problems such as different naming formats etc.

 

3) CDs here) and I've set up each user as before it's time to decompress the TAR files for each user and put everything back where it's supposed to be.

I suppose Mandrake creates a lot of default setup files, so what can I overwrite with my backup files, and what do I need to stay the way it is, so as not to mess up Mandrake again?

 

4) Anything else I need to keep in mind? I hope this is the last time I have to reinstall the whole operating system from scratch (I thought this kind of stuff only belonged to Windows).