LinuxQuestions.org
Help answer threads with 0 replies.
Go Back   LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Newbie
User Name
Password
Linux - Newbie This Linux forum is for members that are new to Linux.
Just starting out and have a question? If it is not in the man pages or the how-to's this is the place!

Notices


Reply
  Search this Thread
Old 09-20-2007, 08:41 PM   #1
ed163126
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Sep 2007
Posts: 2

Rep: Reputation: 0
Blank Log in Screen with working mouse pointer


I've recently installed fedora core 6. I installed synaptic and allowed it to install the software updates that I needed. When I woke up the next morning there was a blank screen with a "working in background" mouse pointer. The pointer can move around but I cannot log in to the system. Also I set the welcome screen to change every time I log in, right before I installed the update packages with the synaptic.

What do I need to do to get back into my system?
 
Old 09-20-2007, 09:08 PM   #2
Simon Bridge
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Oct 2003
Location: Waiheke NZ
Distribution: Ubuntu
Posts: 9,211

Rep: Reputation: 198Reputation: 198
Will ctrl-alt-bs take you to a text login screen?

If not: Boot from the install DVD. Enter "linux rescue" at the boot: prompt to get a root terminal.
Mount your boot partition (fedora uses LVM by default so you're probably going to have to mount the volume first). Then you can edit the /boot/grub/grub.conf so the default runlevel is 3. Reboot - remove media.

Now you should have a text login.

Log in.
Enter "startx" an the CLI prompt.

Now you can fix up your installation from the GUI.

There's also a way to set up rl3 at boot from the grub commandline but I forget.

I understand that apt for fedora is getting good ... I still advise against it. Use yum with Yum Extender (or pirut I guess) instead.

Last edited by Simon Bridge; 09-20-2007 at 09:09 PM.
 
Old 09-20-2007, 09:58 PM   #3
ed163126
LQ Newbie
 
Registered: Sep 2007
Posts: 2

Original Poster
Rep: Reputation: 0
If I press ctrl-alt-bs 3 times, it takes me to the command line for a few seconds, then it goes back to the blank screen. I tried ctrl-alt-F1 and that took me to the command line. I then entered "startx" and got this result:

Fatal server error:
Server is already active for display 0
If this server is nolonger running, remove /tmp/.XO-lock
and start again

Xlib: connection to ":0.0" refused by server

Xlib: Invalid MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 key
giving up.

xinit: unable to connect to X server

xinit: no such process (errno3): server error


I then put the dvd in and ran "Linux rescue". Before I got to the command prompt the set up told me to enter "chroot /mnt/sysimage" to get to the root environment. After that I entered "/boot/grub/grub.conf" and got "access denied".

What should I do next?

I
 
Old 09-20-2007, 11:25 PM   #4
Simon Bridge
LQ Guru
 
Registered: Oct 2003
Location: Waiheke NZ
Distribution: Ubuntu
Posts: 9,211

Rep: Reputation: 198Reputation: 198
Quote:
I tried ctrl-alt-F1 and that took me to the command line. I then entered "startx"
... you needed to login first. I take it you didn't get a login prompt?

Quote:
I entered "/boot/grub/grub.conf" and got "access denied"
That is likely because you didn't mount your installed /boot partition. Instead, you were asking to edit the rescue-mode grub.conf which is a nono.

Try fdisk -l from there and see how you've installed.

eg... if sda2 is /boot normally then you want to do:

mount -t ext3 /dev/sda2 /mnt
nano /mnt/grub/grub.conf

If fdisk shows lvm, things get more complex.
 
  


Reply


Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off



Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Blank Screen After Log-Out... Lnx805 Ubuntu 3 09-02-2007 06:24 AM
Canīt log in to ubuntu, get blank screen... ctkroeker Ubuntu 1 01-20-2007 02:28 PM
Blank screen when I log off or switch to a terminal liegerm Ubuntu 9 09-25-2006 01:00 PM
Ubuntu log out goes to blank screen?? halo14 Linux - Distributions 0 12-28-2004 09:55 AM
log off blank screen element Debian 2 09-28-2003 04:29 AM

LinuxQuestions.org > Forums > Linux Forums > Linux - Newbie

All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:35 AM.

Main Menu
Advertisement
My LQ
Write for LQ
LinuxQuestions.org is looking for people interested in writing Editorials, Articles, Reviews, and more. If you'd like to contribute content, let us know.
Main Menu
Syndicate
RSS1  Latest Threads
RSS1  LQ News
Twitter: @linuxquestions
Open Source Consulting | Domain Registration