Cannot log in or get to kde/gentoo

Lilalfyalien · 11-30-2004, 02:51 PM

Hi,

I have a problem with my computer, I've installed mandrake 10.1 on it and I must have changed a setting because now when I reboot it all I get is the standard blue screen with no log-in box. Can someone tell me how to get back into kde or gentoo i.e. get the log-in box back?

Thanks.

PS I didn't mean gentoo I meant gnome- I was thinking of something else when I typed the thread title!!!

mjrich · 11-30-2004, 02:57 PM

Do you mean that you're logged into your system automatically (with the KDE panel and all of that hoohah and whatnot) or that the system hangs before loading the login prompt ?

If it's the first option, then open up the kde control center -> System Administration -> Login Manager -> Conveniance tab, and un-click the Automatic Login checkbox. If it's the second option, then it'll be a whole new ball game

Cheers,

mj

Lilalfyalien · 11-30-2004, 03:30 PM

It's the second I'm afraid. I installed mandrake once but when I restarted it I got a black screen? So I reinstalled it this time setting the system to automatically log me into gnome, however I changed my mind so I went into the mandrake control center and changed it so I could choose which session i.e. gnome or kde but now it just hangs.... with the blue screen and an hourglass then a normal cursor? Can I not open up gnome from the CLI somehow? then go back into the control center?

mjrich · 11-30-2004, 04:07 PM

Well, you could go to a different terminal (CTRL-ALT-F1) and then (as root)

Code:

killall X
startx     (or kdm or gdm or whatever)

You could also have a look at the messages in /var/log to see what it's last cries were before it died.

Cheers,

mj

Lilalfyalien · 12-01-2004, 04:42 AM

I tried killall but that just took me back to the blue screen?! Then I tried start (both options) and I got a bash error because it couldn't find kdm or gdm. Also, how do you look at log files in the CLI- the only editor I know the name of is kate but that needs a GUI... Shall I just re-install mandrake?

Lilalfyalien · 12-01-2004, 06:21 AM

it still comes up with a blue screen?! Please help me!!!

mjrich · 12-01-2004, 02:44 PM

Hmmm... what do you mean by a blue screen ? Does it have a text (console) login prompt flashing at the top left ?

Lilalfyalien · 12-01-2004, 05:37 PM

No, it's the blue standard image that's mandrake's background. I can get into the CLI though...

mjrich · 12-01-2004, 09:12 PM

I suspect that it's just a faulty X config file. You could try re-running XFDrake from the command line (methinks you can do this, but it's been a while), after logging in, as root, to another terminal.