Newbie to Slackware. Cannot log in to KDE desktop

nando321 · 11-20-2012, 09:02 AM

Greetings folks. I have just finished installing my Slackware system but I have found this far that I cannot login into the Kde desktop it just shows the first icon on the animation of the login screen of kde and immediately takes me back to the user and password screen. Also before I can reach the login screen I must login as root and start kdm manually by typing kdm.

Please, any help will be very appreciated. Thank you.

camorri · 11-20-2012, 09:09 AM

Did you edit /etc/inittab and set the default run level to 4 ?

acid_kewpie · 11-20-2012, 09:10 AM

well if you just run the login manager and nothing else, that I'd imagine that's all it should do. If you're not booting to runlevel 4 in /etc/inittab then you'd normally run "startx" as the user you want, you wouldn't lof in graphically.

arubin · 11-20-2012, 09:35 AM

Dangerous thing IMHO to change the run level to 4 before checking that everything is working Ok with startx from run level 3.

nando321 · 11-20-2012, 09:41 AM

Hey guys! Excuse me for my ignorance I didn't figure that was really so important but how can I do it? (I am a mess I know...)
I mean I cannot use nano (it is installed tho..), it says command not found. I cannot use kate, it won't allow me to save it or open it if I login to the console. What's up next?
I hope to don't bother you asking for some further helping.

arubin · 11-20-2012, 09:56 AM

You don't have to do anything with a text editor just yet. First see if you can log into kde by running startx.

nando321 · 11-20-2012, 10:10 AM

@arubin Just as I suspected I cant do startx the same thing happens. Also I have found that in /etc/inittab I dont have any lines such as id.4............... or id.3.................

Thanks again.

markush · 11-20-2012, 10:16 AM

Hi,

does kdm give you an option for a "console" or "shell" login as root? if yes, login as root and execute

Code:

telinit 3

which brings you back to runlevel 3.

Testing the setup for kdm (before making runlevel 4 the default!) can be done from runlevel 3 as root with

Code:

telinit 4

if it doesn't work, you'll be back to runlevel 3 after rebooting.

Markus

camorri · 11-20-2012, 10:18 AM

Quote:

# These are the default runlevels in Slackware:
# 0 = halt
# 1 = single user mode
# 2 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3)
# 3 = multiuser mode (default Slackware runlevel)
# 4 = X11 with KDM/GDM/XDM (session managers)
# 5 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3)
# 6 = reboot

# Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6)
id:4:initdefault:

If you do not change anything in inittab, there will be a 3 instead of the 4 you see in mine. Does your file not look like this? Are you sure you are looking at /etc/inittab?

nando321 · 11-20-2012, 10:26 AM

@camorri Yes, now I know what I should change thanks to your explanation. In the last line I have id.3.initdefault

Now I would like to know how to edit /etc/sudoers to make my user belong to sudoers, what commands use to edit that and also /etc/inittab

ponce · 11-20-2012, 10:26 AM

nando, have a look at CHANGES_AND_HINTS.TXT

Code:

Regardless of your chipset (though it seems more common with intel), if KDE
crashes on startup, try disabling the Composite extension (which will also
disable all of the fancy desktop effects).  Place the following content in
a file at /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d/disable-composite.conf:
Section "Extensions"
  Option "Composite" "Disable"
EndSection

to edit files become root

Code:

su -

(the "-" at the end is mandatory to have a proper environment)
then use vi (or pico or what you prefeer).
It's much better for you to operate in a root shell (with the proper environment) than to use sudo (I'll avoid that).

camorri · 11-20-2012, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Now I would like to know how to edit /etc/sudoers to make my user belong to sudoers, what commands use to edit that and also /etc/inittab

I have never user sudoers, although I know it is possible. I simply use 'su' and switch to root. You do have to enter the root password. Then you can edit any file that is owned by root.

nando321 · 11-20-2012, 10:38 AM

Thank you for aiding me. This is what I have done this far, su - then type password then vi /etc/inittab but I cannot delete any digit or write anything.

ponce · 11-20-2012, 10:39 AM

http://acms.ucsd.edu/info/vi_tutorial.html

(to exit use the esc key, followed by :q!)

try pico instead of vi, you may find it easier, but in the long term you may want to use vi, it will be available pretty much on every unix machine you will use.

arubin · 11-20-2012, 11:48 AM

He really needs to get startx working before going into runlevel 4 or he will find himself stranded. If startx does not work there is something wrong - likely do be the video driver.