[AuckLUG] GDM problems ,but wait ,theres more :-)

[Ronald Johns]

> it can be annoying when this happens (even though I did something to
> screw it up) ... it happened to be once when I was doing something
> with gdm and/or x configuration files and it just wouldn't start up
> after that;
>
> also your distribution will be configured (most likely) to
> automatically respawn gdm as soon as it dies, this makes starting x or
> even doing anything in the console really difficult as it seems to
> keeps switching screens;
>
> i have found turning off gdm helpful in these situations:
> for e.g. /etc/init.d/gdm stop ( or something like that, I believe
> fedora keeps these scripts inside /etc/rc.d/init.d/ )
>
> -ravi
>
> On 9/19/07, Martin Bähr <mbaehr at email.archlab.tuwien.ac.at> wrote:
>> On Wed, Sep 19, 2007 at 11:15:51AM +1200, Ronald Johns wrote:
>> > I think I have a handle on it but before I start fiddling I would like
>> to
>> > try and save important files and so forth.
>>
>> if gdm fails to start, you should still be able to log into the console
>> (unless your linux distribution has turned those off)
>> (try alt-fkeys or ctrl-alt-fkeys to see if you get a login prompt
>> somewhere)
>>
>> in the console you should be able to run startx, which gives you
>> graphics, but bypasses gdm. you should then be able to make a backup
>> with the tools that you are used to.
>>
>> greetings, martin.
>> --
>> cooperative communication with sTeam      -     caudium, pike, roxen and
>> unix
>> offering: programming, training and administration   -  anywhere in the
>> world
>> --
>> pike programmer   working in new zealand
>> open-steam.org|webhaven.co.nz
>> unix system-      bahai.or.at
>> iaeste.(tuwien.ac|or).at
>> administrator     (caudium|gotpike).org
>> is.schon.org
>> Martin Bähr       http://www.iaeste.or.at/~mbaehr/
>>
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>
Hi Ravi & Martin,
                  Thanks for your suggestions,unfortunately
not much luck so far...

Booting from rescue ,if I try startx I get

Fatal server error:
could not open default font 'fixed'
X10: fatal IO error 104 (Connection reset by peer) on x server
":0.0" after 0 requests (0 known processed) with 0 events remaining

I find gdm in /etc ,not /etc/init.d and when I try the #gdm stop trick I
get...

id: cannot find name for user ID0
It then reverts to the GDM error screen , this time with the error "The
GDM user 'gdm' does not exist.Please correct GDM configuration and restart
GDM.

Also if I do ctrl/alt/f1 I get a shell which asks for login details but
will not accept either user or root passwords.

This is all to weird for words. Once again any help much appreciated.
Regards
Ron