Lost GUI login page

simbobo · 02-27-2006, 04:05 AM

I've been using Etch for a few days, and had a crash.

Errors are:

Synaptic tells me (wrongly) I have no packages installed

I can only startx as root

If I log in as an ordinary user I get the following:
bash: id: command not found
bash: [: : integer expression expected
bash: dircolors: command not found
I can't then startx

Any idea what's going on?

anti.corp · 02-27-2006, 08:26 AM

Hi and welcome to LQ

Sounds like your inittab got overwritten.

(As root) open /etc/inittab in a texteditor, and check the runlevel. Change it from '3' to '5'.

To open type (as root)

Code:

nano /etc/inittab

Hope this helps you out

dracae · 02-27-2006, 08:29 AM

Debian runlevels 2-5 are the same. You probably do not have gdm/kdm/xdm installed.

simbobo · 02-27-2006, 09:16 AM

initab runlevel was in fact 2 - I've changed it to 5 and will post what happens.

< Debian runlevels 2-5 are the same. You probably do not have gdm/kdm/xdm installed.

gdm is installed - as root I can get a normal desktop.

Thanks for your tips

simbobo · 02-27-2006, 09:24 AM

Changing runlevel makes no difference. As before x fails.

Any ideas on why synaptic is telling me I have no software installed?

anti.corp · 02-27-2006, 10:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by simbobo

Changing runlevel makes no difference. As before x fails.

Any ideas on why synaptic is telling me I have no software installed?

Did you experience these problems from the start, or did they show up after a upgrade?

Sincerely, Jørgen

dracae · 02-27-2006, 02:04 PM

It looks like a problem in your bashrc, rename ~/.bashrc to something else and startx

simbobo · 02-28-2006, 03:26 AM

Thanks for your thoughts. I've done a reinstall, and this time I'll log every bit of software I add.