LITTLEBLACKDOG.COM

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 11:52 am Post subject:

Well, I think I was able to fix the /etc/fstab file - now when I open a terminal to it, all of my /shares/ folders are mapped as expected, and samba is sharing them to the network.

The thing is, logging in locally (or attempting to VNC to the box from my windows machine), it still isn't working. Locally it's just sitting on the blank screen (with movable pointer), and if I try VNC it just says "Failed to connect to server !".

Ideas?

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 12:03 pm Post subject:

Sounds like X is misconfigured. When you say local login isn't working, is the blank screen after you have logged in or before?

What happens if you kill the X session with control-alt-backspace?

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 12:14 pm Post subject:

CMTG wrote:
Sounds like X is misconfigured. When you say local login isn't working, is the blank screen after you have logged in or before?

What happens if you kill the X session with control-alt-backspace?

What might be part of the problem, because I didn't know how to configure PyTivo (or was it Galleon?) to run without being logged in, I have it set to automatically log me in, so I don't know if it's failing before login or afterwards.

I'll try ctrl-alt-backspace, and let you know.

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 1:00 pm Post subject:

Maybe you have a graphics nightmare - try editing /etc/X11/xorg.conf and settings the graphics driver to vesa...

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 4:41 pm Post subject:

Jaymac wrote:
Maybe you have a graphics nightmare - try editing /etc/X11/xorg.conf and settings the graphics driver to vesa...

Yeah, this is probably it. If you have are using fglrx or nvidia drivers, the kernel module has to be built against the right kernel source version. Odds are really good that your upgrade included a new kernel version, so the proper driver is no longer being loaded. Changing the driver to vesa should allow X to start.

Posted: Sun Apr 27, 2008 6:01 pm Post subject:

Jaymac wrote:
Maybe you have a graphics nightmare - try editing /etc/X11/xorg.conf and settings the graphics driver to vesa...

No such luck - xorg.conf is already pointing to vesa as the driver.

FWIW, I realized tonight that not only can I see my shares (samba is working), but I can even see what Galleon is sharing to my Tivo, so that's obviously running as well.

The only thing I can't see is the PyTivo stuff that I hadn't figured out how to run other than while logged in.

Sad

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:09 am Post subject:

Alphi wrote:
Jaymac wrote:
Maybe you have a graphics nightmare - try editing /etc/X11/xorg.conf and settings the graphics driver to vesa...

No such luck - xorg.conf is already pointing to vesa as the driver.

FWIW, I realized tonight that not only can I see my shares (samba is working), but I can even see what Galleon is sharing to my Tivo, so that's obviously running as well.

The only thing I can't see is the PyTivo stuff that I hadn't figured out how to run other than while logged in.

Maybe try as a last ditch attempt to reconfigure xorg..

Code: Select all

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

This probably won't work too well as xorg.conf has been stripped down to the barebones.

If you can boot into recovery mode try:

Code: Select all

sudo xfix


startx

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 5:55 pm Post subject:

CMTG wrote:
Sounds like X is misconfigured. When you say local login isn't working, is the blank screen after you have logged in or before?

What happens if you kill the X session with control-alt-backspace?

BTW, I finally got a chance to try ctrl-alt-backspace, and it got me back to a login prompt. If I use my primary login (lyonsm) and password, it goes right back to the blank (brown) screen with movable pointer and nothing else.

So just for fun I tried logging onto my other account on there. Now when I did, I get the message:

Quote:

User's $HOME/.dmrc file is being ignored. This prevents the default session and language from being saved. File should be owned by user and have 644 permissions. User's $HOME directory must be owned by user and not writable by other users

But when I click OK on that, it goes to the blank (brown) screen with the mouse pointer, and nothing else that I can seem to do.

Any ideas what to try next?

Posted: Mon Apr 28, 2008 10:45 pm Post subject:

Code: Select all

sudo chown -R lyonsm /home/lyonsm

Be careful with that command Smile

Code: Select all

sudo chmod 644 /home/lyonsm/.dmrc

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:41 am Post subject:

Alphi wrote:
CMTG wrote:
Sounds like X is misconfigured. When you say local login isn't working, is the blank screen after you have logged in or before?

What happens if you kill the X session with control-alt-backspace?

BTW, I finally got a chance to try ctrl-alt-backspace, and it got me back to a login prompt. If I use my primary login (lyonsm) and password, it goes right back to the blank (brown) screen with movable pointer and nothing else.

So just for fun I tried logging onto my other account on there. Now when I did, I get the message:

Quote:

User's $HOME/.dmrc file is being ignored. This prevents the default session and language from being saved. File should be owned by user and have 644 permissions. User's $HOME directory must be owned by user and not writable by other users

But when I click OK on that, it goes to the blank (brown) screen with the mouse pointer, and nothing else that I can seem to do.

Any ideas what to try next?

Aha, if the logon screen works, it looks like X is working correctly and it's just your Gnome session that's screwed up. Do what Jaymac suggests. Smile

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:48 am Post subject:

Jaymac wrote:
Code: Select all
sudo chown -R lyonsm /home/lyonsm

Be careful with that command

Code: Select all
sudo chmod 644 /home/lyonsm/.dmrc

I'll give it a try. The strange thing, though, is that error I got (that mentioned needing 644 permissions) was when I logged into my other account on the machine (with account id "scott").

When I log in as lyonsm, I get no such error, just a blank screen.

Either way, I'll try that tonight.

Thanks for all the help, guys!

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 3:49 am Post subject:

Hey, I just had a crazy thought - I know through the process of many upgrades, I can, upon bootup, select different kernels, and it defaults to the latest.

Would I, say, be able to select the previous kernel (7.10) from that boot menu, and boot that successfully, and then try the upgrade process again from the start?

Or is it even worth trying?

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 4:43 am Post subject:

Alphi wrote:
Hey, I just had a crazy thought - I know through the process of many upgrades, I can, upon bootup, select different kernels, and it defaults to the latest.

Would I, say, be able to select the previous kernel (7.10) from that boot menu, and boot that successfully, and then try the upgrade process again from the start?

Or is it even worth trying?

If you boot an old kernel it won't change anything - you still have all of the updates packages on your machine. I doubt an old kernel will work for you as it sounds like you have a permissions problem with your /home directory.

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 5:34 pm Post subject:

Alphi wrote:
Jaymac wrote:
Code: Select all
sudo chown -R lyonsm /home/lyonsm

Be careful with that command

Code: Select all
sudo chmod 644 /home/lyonsm/.dmrc

I'll give it a try. The strange thing, though, is that error I got (that mentioned needing 644 permissions) was when I logged into my other account on the machine (with account id "scott").

When I log in as lyonsm, I get no such error, just a blank screen.

Either way, I'll try that tonight.

Thanks for all the help, guys!

Well, I tried those two commands on my lyonsm user, and no change - still logs me into a blank screen and nothing else.

So I tried it on my scott user (my "other" account on the machine), and there was no .dmrc file, so that part didn't work. But when I logged onto that account, now it does exactly the same as the other - blank screen with a mouse pointer I can move but nothing to click on. I just don't get that 644 error any more.

Any other ideas?

Is it possible that maybe I could force the 8.04 upgrade again from my SSH terminal (from a command line rather than the GUI, obviously)?

Posted: Tue Apr 29, 2008 10:40 pm Post subject:

Alphi wrote:
Alphi wrote:
Jaymac wrote:
Code: Select all
sudo chown -R lyonsm /home/lyonsm

Be careful with that command

Code: Select all
sudo chmod 644 /home/lyonsm/.dmrc

I'll give it a try. The strange thing, though, is that error I got (that mentioned needing 644 permissions) was when I logged into my other account on the machine (with account id "scott").

When I log in as lyonsm, I get no such error, just a blank screen.

Either way, I'll try that tonight.

Thanks for all the help, guys!

Well, I tried those two commands on my lyonsm user, and no change - still logs me into a blank screen and nothing else.

So I tried it on my scott user (my "other" account on the machine), and there was no .dmrc file, so that part didn't work. But when I logged onto that account, now it does exactly the same as the other - blank screen with a mouse pointer I can move but nothing to click on. I just don't get that 644 error any more.

Any other ideas?

Is it possible that maybe I could force the 8.04 upgrade again from my SSH terminal (from a command line rather than the GUI, obviously)?

No, you can't re-upgrade. You already have all of the updated packages.

Try a slight variation of the last commands perhaps:

Code: Select all

sudo usermod -d /home/lyonsm lyonsm





sudo chown -R lyonsm /home/lyonsm


sudo chmod 755 /home/lyonsm


sudo rm -rf /home/lyonsm/.dmrc