Screwed up bashrc

noob2linux · 06-05-2019, 09:09 AM

Hello

I'm unfortunately having a worse problem with the login and want to fix it.

I was able to login via ctrl + alt + f2 and was able to login to the terminal.

The cause was due to messing with the bashrc as well, so I wanted to fix it. But when I type the command I get "vim command not found"

I literally cannot open the bashrc which caused it. Is there a way to revert it or would I have to go through the recovery mode to fix it?

ondoho · 06-12-2019, 03:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by noob2linux

Hello

I'm unfortunately having a worse problem with the login and want to fix it.

I was able to login via ctrl + alt + f2 and was able to login to the terminal.

The cause was due to messing with the bashrc as well, so I wanted to fix it. But when I type the command I get "vim command not found"

I literally cannot open the bashrc which caused it. Is there a way to revert it or would I have to go through the recovery mode to fix it?

Welcome to LQ.
You really should've started your own thread for this.
But be that as it may: vim is just a text editor. you can just as well use nano or vi or even a graphical editor.

wvermin · 06-12-2019, 09:29 AM

If you can login using cntrl-alt-f2, just do that and rename the .bashrc, for example:

mv .bashrc p.bashrc

Then you should be able to login normally after a restart.

scasey · 06-12-2019, 09:33 AM

You've (apparently) munged the PATH in your .bashrc, so just supply the absolute path to vim.
On my system:

Code:

/bin/vim ~/.bashrc

Fix your .bashrc and save it, then

Code:

. ~/.bashrc

Lsatenstein · 09-06-2019, 09:44 AM

unalias vim
and re-alias to vi.

Manually enter
alias vim=vi

now use vim or vi.

Firerat · 09-06-2019, 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lsatenstein

unalias vim
and re-alias to vi.

Manually enter
alias vim=vi

now use vim or vi.

we don't know what was messed up in ~/.bashrc

Probably PATH,
in which case your alias would not have worked.

However, had the full path been used

Code:

alias vim="/usr/bin/vim"
# or
alias vim="/usr/bin/vi"

obviously the correct path would need to be used.

and it would have been easier to just see if it was the path and fix that

Code:

echo $PATH
# examine 
export PATH=/usr/bin:$PATH
vim ~/.bashrc

BW-userx · 09-06-2019, 11:36 AM

mv .bashrc bashrc.bk
log in then check it in the gui env. you can get to a web browser and search out bashrc setting etc... easier.

mod:
I just found @wvermin comment after post, yesh what he said too.

Firerat · 09-06-2019, 11:44 AM

@bw-userx

yeah, mv ~/.bashrc would work

bit of a sledgehammer to crack a nut
Especially if it is just the PATH that got screwed.

OP has not been back, I assume fixed
and if any newbies stumble up this they will see why alias is not a solution unless done right

BW-userx · 09-06-2019, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firerat

@bw-userx

yeah, mv ~/.bashrc would work

bit of a sledgehammer to crack a nut
Especially if it is just the PATH that got screwed.

OP has not been back, I assume fixed
and if any newbies stumble up this they will see why alias is not a solution unless done right

yeah but it is a quick fix , then just log in open it in a gui editor fix it and be done with it, here we have ahhhh I cannot open vi vim nothing is working ahhhhhhh panic .. that'd remove the panic... bashrc it is only needed when?

one could also do a cat .bashrc .. see the error then sed it to fix it.

Firerat · 09-06-2019, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BW-userx

bashrc it is only needed when?

you login.. so
Edit: or start a bash shell

you mv ~/.bashrc ~/.bashrc-busted

logout \
---------or login on other console..
login /

meh, I'm too lazy for all that

Edit: I suppose you could just /bin/bash

or /bin/sh /bin/zsh ...

BW-userx · 09-06-2019, 01:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Firerat

you login.. so
Edit: or start a bash shell

you mv ~/.bashrc ~/.bashrc-busted

logout \
---------or login on other console..
login /

meh, I'm too lazy for all that

Edit: I suppose you could just /bin/bash

or /bin/sh /bin/zsh ...

there's

/etc/bashrc and/or /etc/bash.bashrc you can copy over into home as .bashrc for the basic setup, back up old then copy that one over, then figure it out after login gui wm/dt

noob2linux · 07-23-2023, 11:38 PM

Hey.

I just wanted to make an update on this thread. I kinda forgot about it.

How I fixed this was I logged in as root and accessed my user's .bashrc.

After I did that, I restarted my machine and that worked again.

Thanks for everyone who tried to help me out so many years ago.