Hi, I have a server running RH9 (2.4.20-8smp). When I logout from console, I dont get the login prompt back.. I have used up all the alt login consoles

I can ssh to the machine, but I need to work from the console often. ps doesnt show any extra shell processes running, so its not the shell thats hanging.. Is there a way to get the login prompts back without rebooting?

Thanks in advance,
slice

Hi,

Do you have a .bash_logout in your homedir(s) which contains 'strange' things that could hang the logout process?

Nope, all pretty standard stuff.. sourcing any of the *shrc files doesnt hang.. Plus I think if .bashrc was incorrect, exiting from ssh would have hung too, no? but ssh works fine.

slice

Hi again,

What do the inittab entries (the Xgetty lines) look like. Depending on which getty you use they should look something like this (using agetty):

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty tty1 9600
.
.
6:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty tty6 9600

Hi druuna,

They look like

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty1
...
6:2345:respawn:/sbin/mingetty tty6

but there are no mingetty processes running.. Is it ok to manually respawn them??

slice

Hi,

You only see these settings if nobody is logged in on the console (remote connections do not influence this). Here's an example with nobody on the console:

$ ps -ef | grep getty
root 217 1 0 11:53 tty1 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty1 9600
root 218 1 0 11:53 tty2 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty2 9600
root 219 1 0 11:53 tty3 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty3 9600
root 220 1 0 11:53 tty4 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty4 9600
root 221 1 0 11:53 tty5 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty5 9600
root 222 1 0 11:53 tty6 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty6 9600

Here's the same query with somebody at the console:

$ ps -ef | grep getty
root 218 1 0 11:53 tty2 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty2 9600
root 219 1 0 11:53 tty3 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty3 9600
root 220 1 0 11:53 tty4 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty4 9600
root 221 1 0 11:53 tty5 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty5 9600
root 222 1 0 11:53 tty6 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty6 9600

As you probably noticed, tty1 is 'missing'.

$ ps -ef | grep tty1
root 217 1 0 11:53 tty1 00:00:00 -bash

This is that entry, a bash shell is running on that tty.

If all of your tty's are active (although you tried to log off) you will not see any of the above mentioned 00:00:00 /sbin/agetty tty entries.

Maybe the following will give a clue about what is happening on your box:

$ ps -ef | grep tty[1-6]

You could end up with a (very) long list depending on what was started and how much was 'killed' during the log-off process. It should show you the proces(ses) that are hanging the respawn.

Also, try a init q, this will 'restart' init after it reads its 'config' (/etc/inittab).

Hope this gets you closer to a solution.

Hi, Thanks for the explanation.. That clarifies things a lot.. But heres the deal.. I dont see any mingetty OR bash/tcsh processes running.. It probably means bash didnt exit correctly.. I tried "init q" too, doesnt seem to work..

[root@neumann ~]# ps -ef|grep tty
root 30865 30692 0 10:36 pts/4 00:00:00 grep tty

[root@neumann ~]# ps -ef | grep bash
root 32485 1 0 2004 ? 00:00:00 /bin/bash /etc/rc.d/rc 3


Any other ideas what I could try??

slice

Hi,

Still thinking about this one...... Interresting problem, although I wouldn't be surprised if the sollution will be found in some small thing.

Ok, I've got a few questions:

1) Do the logfiles show any related messages (mingetty and/or tty related and/or respawning to fast).

2) Can you start a tty by hand ($ /sbin/mingetty tty8) and log on to that tty? You should be able to log on once on that tty and get no prompt after logging out.

Hi, theres nothing strange in the logfiles either.. Cant start /sbin/mingetty tty8.. says operation not permitted in /var/log/messages.. I am at my wits end.. mebbe I shud just wait till the next scheduled reboot next month.. but its damn annoying not to have a shell on the console..

slice