Can't log in as user, only as root

trentk · 02-27-2002, 02:25 PM

I was in the process of trying to get my games to run by messing around with the /etc/security file as directed by nvidias site. Well now after I reboot it shows the gui login with my user but when I enter my password it just goes right back to the login. I can only work as root now. All I changed was a line that read something like dri/nvidia something or other. What now?

neo77777 · 02-27-2002, 02:51 PM

So basically you have experienced openGL problems with your driver, right? I am trying to get a hint of why you messed around with /etc/security/console.perms and logindevperms files. Do you remember what you changed? For future, always make a back up of system files you want to modify, it doesn't take much space, and relieves headaches afterwards.

trentk · 02-27-2002, 10:17 PM

It's pretty much a nightmare. I looked at some posts about this at quake3world and found a web site that went step by step. First it said to d/l NVIDIA_kernel-1.0-1251.tar.gz and NVIDIA_GLX-1.0-1251.tar.gz. So I did and ran them but got errors when I ran the kernel one. Then I kept getting a console error about not having permissions for my driver file. So I read the nvidia file in I think it was /usr/share/lib or something like that and I found the section with my error. So as per those instructions I edited that file. I took out one line and I'm sure I could get it back like the original file was but it doesn't make any sense. I change 1 line in the security.perms file, only having to do with a video driver, and now it won't let me back in. Whenever I get back in I'll post what opengl error I get and hopefully someone here can help me.

Ok I lied. After looking at the /etc/security/console.perms I have no idea where, or what info needs to go back in it to work. If someone was maybe kind enough to tell me where the "dri" line needs to be and what permissions are with it then I could fix it. Geez easy to break hard to fix.

Here's the error message and the steps I did to try to fix it.

Error: Could not open /dev/nvidiactl because the permissions
are too restrictive. Please see the TROUBLESHOOTING section of
/usr/share/doc/NVIDIA_GLX-1.0/README for steps to correct.

then it is likely that a security module for the PAM system may be
changing the permissions on the Nvidia device files. In most cases
this security system works, but it can get confused. To correct this
problem it is recommended that you disable this security feature.
Different Linux distributions have different files to control,
if your system has the file
/etc/security/console.perms
then you want to edit the file and remove the line that starts with
"<dri>". If instead your system has the file
/etc/logindevperms
then you want to edit the file and remove the line that lists
/dev/nvidiactl. The above steps will prevent the PAM security
system from modifying the permissions on the Nvidia device files.
Next, you will need to reset the permissions on the device files
back to their original permissions and owner. You can do that with
the following commands:
chmod 0666 /dev/nvidia* chown root /dev/nvidia*

When I tried to kedit /etc/logindevperms there was no file so I only messed with the console.perms

neo77777 · 02-28-2002, 06:46 PM

This is my /etc/security/console.perms file take a look for relevent information

Quote:

<console>=tty[0-9][0-9]* vc/[0-9][0-9]* :[0-9]\.[0-9] :[0-9]
<xconsole>=:[0-9]\.[0-9] :[0-9]

# device classes -- these are shell-style globs
<floppy>=/dev/fd[0-1]* \
/dev/floppy/* /mnt/floppy*
<sound>=/dev/dsp* /dev/audio* /dev/midi* \
/dev/mixer* /dev/sequencer \
/dev/sound/* /dev/beep
<cdrom>=/dev/cdrom* /dev/cdroms/* /dev/cdwriter* /mnt/cdrom*
<pilot>=/dev/pilot
<jaz>=/mnt/jaz*
<zip>=/mnt/pocketzip* /mnt/zip*
<ls120>=/dev/ls120 /mnt/ls120*
<scanner>=/dev/scanner /dev/usb/scanner*
<rio500>=/dev/usb/rio500
<camera>=/mnt/camera* /dev/usb/dc2xx* /dev/usb/mdc800*
<memstick>=/mnt/memstick*
<flash>=/mnt/flash*
<diskonkey>=/mnt/diskonkey*
<rem_ide>=/mnt/microdrive*
<fb>=/dev/fb /dev/fb[0-9]* \
/dev/fb/*
<kbd>=/dev/kbd
<joystick>=/dev/js[0-9]*
<v4l>=/dev/video* /dev/radio* /dev/winradio* /dev/vtx* /dev/vbi* \
/dev/video/*
<gpm>=/dev/gpmctl
<dri>=/dev/nvidia* /dev/3dfx*
<mainboard>=/dev/apm_bios

# permission definitions
<console> 0660 <floppy> 0660 root.floppy
<console> 0600 <sound> 0600 root
<console> 0600 <cdrom> 0660 root.disk
<console> 0600 <pilot> 0660 root.uucp
<console> 0600 <jaz> 0660 root.disk
<console> 0600 <zip> 0660 root.disk
<console> 0600 <ls120> 0660 root.disk
<console> 0600 <scanner> 0600 root
<console> 0600 <camera> 0600 root
<console> 0600 <memstick> 0600 root
<console> 0600 <flash> 0600 root
<console> 0600 <diskonkey> 0660 root.disk
<console> 0600 <rem_ide> 0660 root.disk
<console> 0600 <fb> 0600 root
<console> 0600 <kbd> 0600 root
<console> 0600 <joystick> 0600 root
<console> 0600 <v4l> 0600 root
<console> 0700 <gpm> 0700 root
<console> 0600 <mainboard> 0600 root
<console> 0600 <rio500> 0600 root

<xconsole> 0600 /dev/console 0600 root.root
<xconsole> 0600 <dri> 0600 root

neo77777 · 02-28-2002, 06:51 PM

And I am not sure what version of NVIDIA driver you are using( the old one or development one), according to http://www.nvidia.com
the latest stable officially release drivers for NVIDIA chipset video cards is 1.0-2313 for GLX source and 1.0-2314 for kernel source.

trentk · 02-28-2002, 08:27 PM

Thanks for helping but I got tired of it today and just wiped Linux off my hdd. I'm going to start over from scratch and this time I will remember to back up files before I change them.