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

[Nevyn]

On 9/22/07, Ronald Johns <ronaldj at orcon.net.nz> wrote:
> > Hi Ronald,
> >
> > Rescue-boots are usually rather primitive environments with the
> > necessary tools for correcting various things to get systems started.
> > That does not include X11!!
> >
> > So the claim is correct as the /etc/passwd file in a rescue boot usually
> > only has root and a few other users - and f.ex not gdm.
> >
> > If you want to start X after rescue-boot, you have to chroot to your
> > real root and try it out - or if you want to boot normaly but without X,
> > the set the initdefault in /etc/inittab to 3 (5=gdm/xdm login).
> >
> > /etc/gdm is normally a directory for systemwide settings for gdm.
> > Linux gives you a bunch of different options when it comes to X managers
> > (gdm,xdm,xfce4.....) and /etc/X11/prefdm is often used as wrapper for
> > that pupose - and that is controlled through /etc/inittab with the line:
> >
> > x:5:respawn:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon
> >
> > If your problem is to get X started, you might have a Xorg configuration
> > problem.
> > In /etc/X11 you'll find xorg.conf. And before doing ANYthing with it,
> > take a copy!!
> >
> > You can have Xorg create a default configuration for you:
> >
> > $ Xorg -configure
> >
> > This creates the file xorg.conf.new, which you can test using:
> > X -config ./xorg.conf.new
> > (provided you're in standard textmode - ie. runlevel 3).
> >
> > If your problem is that you've lost your password to you box, then
> > that's another issue - and far more simple to solve than X11
> > configuration. ;-)
> >
> > Cheers
> > /Stig
> >
> >
>
> >
> >
> Thanks for help thus far.
> After several stabs at it finally got a xwindow up but terminal cannot
> launch child processes.(Hence no command line)
> Desk top lists ramfs (with dinky sim card icon)m & 'sombody's home' icon.
> (Thats what it says ??.)
> Then brings up an error message thus...
>
> Power Manager
> This program cannot start until you start the dbus system service.(Cannot
> start even if I knew how , no command line.
>
> Cannot find DVD Writer (even though I got to here by booting with rescue
> disk) and therefore cannot save any files to disk.
>
> All System>Administration apps from Authentication to Users and Groups
> come up with an 'Unknown error'
>
> My head hurts.
> Please ,any more suggestions ?
> Thanks
> Ron

Hi Ron,

Can you tell us exactly what you're doing to get X up and going?

Firstly, are you still using the boot disk? As said before, it's a
primitive environment for getting your system up and running again and
shouldn't really be relied on. Chroot could be used but chances are
some system environment variables probably aren't going to exist so
all sorts of strange things will happen.

So take out the boot disk, and boot into Fedora. However, chances are
the screen is going to go through some really annoying screen
flickering. On other distributions it normally says something about a
problem with gdm or your x configuration and would you like to shut
down x windows for the time being. I'm not sure if this is the case
with Fedora.

Next, hit Alt-Ctrl-F1 and you should see a log on prompt - if you
don't then you'd probably have to start up in single user mode. Ask
around for this as I'm not sure if Fedora uses grub or lilo (most
likely grub) and given that I normally don't have to boot any of my
machines as they stay on for the most part, I can't remember what the
keys are... I think it's (at boot up just after the computer beeps)
esc to get to the boot menu and e to edit an option and then select
the line you want to edit (probably the one that starts with the word
boot) and hit e again - then add something along the lines of
runlevel=1 (? someone - I can't remember) to the end.

If you do see the log on prompt, log on, and type in less dmesg. This
will give you all the system messages to have a look at - I think
Fedora uses a boot screen so you won't see this when booting up (There
are ways of disabling the boot screen but I'm not sure what it is in
Fedora - probably something along the lines of taking out the word
quiet from the boot line - line that starts with boot from above). The
errors should hopefully be obvious.

If you're running in runlevel 1, then switch to runlevel 5 by typing
in "init 5". Type in startx. If xwindows starts without flickering,
then your x configuration is not the problem. If this is the case then
look for known problems with gdm.

Otherwise, you'll need to play with your x settings. That I'm afraid
is going to have to wait for some other night.