OK, I'm a new user of the Linux format. Of what I have seen, I am highly impressed (Better than Windows), but I have rather stupidly locked myself out of my own computer! My dad first fired it up before he gave it to me, to ensure that it was in perfect working order, and he set up a new user. I logged into it and attempted to change the username and password (as the one he supplied me with is not suitable). When I try to login with my new username and password, it is correct and it tries to open KDE 3.1 but i have "No write access to $HOME directory(/)" or I need to check that the "dcopserver" is running. I've tried going in to the failsafe mode, which works perfectly, but being a new Linux user, I don't understand the way that it works. If I press Alt and any function button, it lists all the possible outcomes (1500 odd). I'm dying to use my new computer, please can someone help me ASAP!!! Any help given is greatly appreciated! Thanks.

How did you go about changing the
user name? Usually only root can
change names, not the user himself.


Cheers,
Tink

Errrm, im not exactly sure. I vaguely remember going in to the "Start" menu and going to some "User Information" stuff, I can't remember I'm afraid. I changed the username, the password and by default, i thought it made sense to change the "Home" thing or whatever. As i said, I'm a Linux virgin and I wasn't exactly sure what I was doing. Pehaps it was the wrong thing to do!? Either way, I can't get in and I can only get in to the "Failsafe" mode. I get the impression that there is just a problem finding the file to the "Desktop". Sorry about all the quotation marks, but I really haven't got a clue what I'm going on about! Do you have any idea what sort of thing I could try?! Again, many thanks. Any contributions appreciated!

well you could always wipe the hard drive and install linux again but that would probably be your last option - apart from chucking it out the window

I take it you can't get the root password, no?

I suppose your difficulties result form a disconnection: An <established user> has a home directory at /home/<established user>. Now, you changed <established user> to <suitable user> but there is no /home/<suitable user> directory, hence the error "No write access to $HOME directory(/)".

But it might also mean that you couldn't finalize the new user name since you lack permission to write to "/" and your utility started to stumble. What exactly did you use? Do you run KDE? Gnome? Or what?

KDE as far as I'm aware. JZL240I-U, I think that you are with me. I think that what you are getting at makes sense. If this is the case, are there any solutions that I could use to re-enter KDE? I'm not familiar with the "BASH" whatever, and the Failsafe mode. Even if I were to clear the hard disk, I wouldn't know where to start, or end. Errrm, GaijinPunch, what do you mean by the root password? Where would I be able to pick this up? Again, any suggestions and solutions greatly appreciated.

Okay, KDE. Now KDE usually uses kdm as login menu.

<guessing mode on>
you can probably change the icons and names which get displayed by kdm for the graphical login. That would not necessarily include changes on the system level. Just try typing in your old user name (the unsuitable one), don't click on the icon (!) and then give the new password. If that doesn't work try the old user name and the old password and see whether that gives you a live account.
<guessing mode off>

The root password is the very first password entered just after installing the basical system -- probably known to whoever installed linux in the first place. root is usually not displayed in the login panel. Can you get the root password?

P.S.: Please use the profile in the CP-Button to get your distribution / version displayed -- helps often a lot with the answers...

Try the forums at www.linuxiso.org

OK, will do. I will try it after school tomorrow (by the way, I'm only 16) and I will speak again tomorrow night (probably at about 8:30-9:00). I will be at a mates on broadband, so I will be on all night if i need to be! Thanks for the advice, I'm not quite sure what the "CP-button" is. Is it a term used in the failsafe mode? As for the root password, the computer came with the Linux software when I got it through the post on Sunday. Anyway, will try these methods tomorrow. Will get back to you tomorrow. Thanks again for your help.

Sorry, it is part of this site. When you browse a forum here, go to the very top of the page, there are two rows of buttons, the leftmost in the upper row is labeled User-CP, click on it, then click on options.

Btw. this site has a lot of "hidden" features" just click on anything you fancy, usually you will find something useful -- in particular if you want to stay with linux.

Then your retailer has it. Phone there to get it or try something simple and plausible like no password / root / your name (first or surname) / the name of your computer (as displayed at the prompt).

I will start a two weeks leave this afternoon (seven hours hence) -- so I'm not dropping out on you but I won't be able to carry on here until January 5th.

Oh, and you are welcome. .

P.S.: What is your distribution and its version?

Damn! Well, I tried that "Guessing" method, but as I had already gathered, there was no way of entering any username other than what I changed it to. I suppose it is safe to say it on here: my old username and password were "pascall" and "llacsap" just simply to start with. Although, when I first fired it up, it never required this password that he told me by mouth. I wanted to change it because I just basically wanted to! Now when I fire it up, I only get the choice of "avaris15" (as I wanted it to be). I can click on that icon/name, the option to shut it down, or restart. No box to put anything in. If i click on the avaris15 logo or name, I'm greeted by another box asking for the password. Tried entering old password, but shakes at me. The new one works and it enters, but I can't initiate KDE 3.1. I can choose in that window one of 4 options (can't remember off the top of my head): Normal/default, Something-"Ice", Failsafe or something else. The only one I can choose without an error is "Failsafe". This gives me a "DOS-code" sort of application. Is there any way that I can adjust the settings through this way to re-enter KDE?! PLEASE HELP ME!

I now have several options that I can use to get back in to KDE, but I need my root password! Everytime I try to change something, "Access Denied".

1. Is there anyway of retreiving it?

or 2. Is there anyway of bypassing it (to rename or create directory)?

All help greatly appreciated.