Help X won't start!
 

Today I fire up the computer and I get this message
init: /etc/inittab[1] : missing action field
it says this seven times with the numbers changing sequentially up to seven in the brackets. Then I get a (enter runlevel) prompt. All I can type there is an s and I get to sh-2.05#. No clue as to what to do next or how to get X to start I tried startx but that doesn't work.

Sickels

It sounds as though your system is set to boot directly into X, yes? I think X not loading is just a side effect of a problem happening earlier in the boot process. Although I've never seen that error, it looks like some has gotten corrupted in your /etc/inittab file and my guess is that the incrementing number are referring to runlevels (although I'd expect them to be 1-6 as opposed to 1-7).

The sh-2.05# prompt means you're in single-user mode, so your filesystems may be unmounted and the system won't be fully functional, but try typing and see if the contents of the file are displayed. Copy them down and post them here. Also:

-Was anything changed the last time you used the system?
-What exactly were you doing the last time the system was booted?

DMR,
I typed what you suggested. This is what I got:
ss 17392 1snd-pcm-plugin 14352 0[snd-pcm-oss]snd-mixer-oss 4672 0[snd-pcm-oss]snd-card-emu10k1 2320 1snd-emu10k1 19984 0[snd-synth-emu10k1 snd-card-emu10k1]snd-pcm 29440 0[snd-pcm-oss snd-pcm-plugin snd-emu1ok1]snd-sh-2.05#

This appeared to be all one line but I don't know. What I was doing was installing nvidia drivers. I had just changed my xf86config-4, but all I changed in that was telling it to load the glx module and to use the nvidia driver instead of the supplied nv driver. I thought I was successful when I rebooted a screen appeared with the nvidia logo then went right on into X. The only prob I saw after that was in the xf86....log it stated that the glx module didn't exist. It does because I verified that all files were in the correct locations. I thought it may have been something like mesa causing the prob but I don't know. I've only had this installed for 2 weeks nothing important on it so if I had to reinstall it wouldn't be a big issue. The reason I got mandrake anyway was to learn something new guess this is just part of the leaning curve. Thanks
Sickels

Sickels,

I can guarantee that the info you posted is not the contents of your /etc/inittab, but since my Linux box is in the middle of a huge download, I can't use it to find out just where the he11 the output comes from. All I can say is that its a bunch of stats regarding your sound card.

After posting my initial response, I read your previous threads concerning the nvidia drivers, X, etc., but nothing there indicates that you did anything which would cause the problems you're seeing now. Granted, in my newbieness I might be missing something obvious- perhaps other members with Guru powers greater than mine might be able to shed some light...

Any suggestions? Anyone?

Well for starters you can try checking you /etc/inittab file again. If that was in fact your inittab, than that is your problem. Maybe someone can post a generic inittab for you that you can enter in your machine.

move your current 'bogus' inittab to inittab.old (this may be an important file that was misplaced, so you don't want to get rid of it.)

I looks like you just have a case an overwritten file. If you move your old one out of the way and enter a new one in it's place, you should be fine.

Can someone post a generic inittab file? (I would but I am not at my linux box.)

If anyone could supply me with the copy of a generic inittab file I'd be willing to give it a shot.