Ubuntu 9.1 login problem - error communicating with authentication system

thinh · 11-11-2009, 08:42 PM

I can no longer login into my Ubuntu system after adding a 2nd user. I had automatic login setup and I unchecked the setting to logon as the 2nd user. From there on, I always get this message at the login screen "error communicating with authentication system" no matter which user i choose.

Some thread I found suggest to undo the keypairing line in the /etc/pam.d file but I don't know how to get a terminal directly from boot. I installed Ubuntu as an application from my Vista (dual boot).

Please help.
TIA,

highfructose327 · 11-11-2009, 09:58 PM

When you get to the login screen press Ctrl+Alt+F1 That will give you a command terminal where you can try to login. Good luck

thinh · 11-11-2009, 10:00 PM

I fixed the problem, thank you!

1. Hitting <CTRL><ALT><F1> at the login screen got me out of the Xwindows to a text terminal.

2. edit the file /etc/pam.d/gdm to remove/uncomment the line
@include common-pamkeyring