On my kids computer, which is running Sid, I decided to replace xdm with kdm. Then, since I was using apt anyway, I decided to do a dist-upgrade. The last upgrade was about two weeks ago, so the system is fairly current.

Anyway, after the upgrade I am unable to login as one specific user. All the other users work fine. This currently non-functioning user was the one from whose kde desktop I ran the root console for the upgrade. I don't know if this is the cause, but it may be related to the problem.

I can login without a problem as this user from the console. I tried changing their password in kuser, to no effect. When I try to login as the user, kdm accepts the name and password, blanks the screen, shows the x "wait" clock and gray screen for a few seconds, then returns to the kde login screen. I do not get the "login failed" message that kdm usually shows if I mistype a password.

I noticed that during the upgrade kdelibs was updated, as was passwd and adduser. Hm.

I wonder if I should remove and reinstall kdm.

Any ideas?

as root:

dpkg-reconfigure kdm or xdm, whatever you want

choose the one you want

reboot

see if that helps, as for the user bit:

i can't remember if it's adduser or passwd, man them or google.

Yup, I reconfigured kdm, to no effect.

I'm going to try gdm, and see how that goes.

gdm does not allow me to login as the user either, but it does provide a nice message which shows the xsession errors:

Connect to ":0.0" refused by server.

I get one of these for each of the kde startup calls, and each provides a version of "cannot connect to x server" or "refused by server".

I tried "xhost +" from the user's console, to no effect.

So it's not the login manager, either kdm or gdm. It's something else.

The following comands (entered by root, or by any other user, or by the user in question frim the console) do *not* resolve the problem:

xhost +
xhost :local
xhost localhost
xhost +localhost
xhost +hostname (substituted my actual hostname)

Hm. Hm.

I think the problem is the user's .Xauthority file.

When I run xauth info for any other user, I get a little info listing. But when I run it for the user in question, the console hangs.

So: how do I regenerate the >Xauthority file for this user?

i think this is what Dead Parrot wrote the other day:

export XAUTHORITY=/home/your_user_name/.Xauthority

reboot, see how that works.

Nope, didn't do it.
Stubborn problem.

did you try it as root and user?

Yup, tried it as both.
Still getting the error.

Maybe what I'll do is delete and recreate the user. I really don't want to do that, but it might work. Or perhaps I'll try coping an .Xauthority file from another user (this could make things worse, probably).

Well, I copied over the .Xauthority file from another user, and it worked!
Not sure if this is a good solution, but at least the user is up and running.