I've read 40-50 posts on gdm, X, Xorg, startx, init, inittab, .xinitrc........... and I'm still not operating in gdm mode. Gnome starts but doesn't have half the functionality it used to.

I get black screen, pointer with the gnome waiting circle....and .....nothing.

in my secure.log I get this->

pam_succeed_if(gdm:auth): error retrieving user name: Conversation error

and this is from the messages.log->

the first 5 lines in the following are the last "normal" messages in the startup sequence

Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: set config key gui/GtkRC to string /usr/share/themes/Default/gtk-2.0/gtkrc
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: set config key security/NeverPlaceCookiesOnNFS to boolean true
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: set config key greeter/UseCirclesInEntry to boolean false
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: set config key greeter/BackgroundScaleToFit to boolean true
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: set config key security/RelaxPermissions to integer 0
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: gdm_config_parse: Chooser not found or it can't be executed by the GDM user
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: gdm_main: Here we go...
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: gdm_start_first_unborn_local: Starting :0
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: gdm_display_manage: Managing :0
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: loop check: last_start 0, last_loop 0, now: 1154396197, retry_count: 0
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: Resetting counts for loop of death detection
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_start: Starting slave process for :0
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2448]: gdm_display_manage: Forked slave: 2500
Jul 31 19:36:37 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_start: Loop Thingie
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: Sending VT_NUM == -1 for slave 2500
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'VT_NUM 2500 -1'
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2448]: Got VT_NUM == -1
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_server_start: :0
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_auth_secure_display: Setting up access for :0
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_auth_secure_display: Setting up access
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_auth_secure_display: Setting up access for :0 - 1 entries
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: Sending COOKIE == <secret> for slave 2500
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'COOKIE 2500 83...'
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2448]: Got COOKIE == <secret>
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: Sending AUTHFILE == <secret> for slave 2500
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'AUTHFILE 2500 /var/gdm/:0.Xauth'
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2448]: Got AUTHFILE == /var/gdm/:0.Xauth
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_server_spawn: Forked server on pid 2503
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2503]: gdm_server_spawn: '/etc/X11/X :0 -auth /var/gdm/:0.Xauth vt7'
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: do_server_wait: Before mainloop waiting for server
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_server_start: After mainloop waiting for server
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_server_start: Completed :0!
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: Sending VT_NUM == 7 for slave 2500
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'VT_NUM 2500 7'
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2448]: Got VT_NUM == 7
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: Sending XPID == 2503 for slave 2500
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'XPID 2500 2503'
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2448]: Got XPID == 2503
Jul 31 19:36:38 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_run: Opening display :0
Jul 31 19:36:39 riced kernel: agpgart: Found an AGP 3.0 compliant device at 0000:00:00.0.
Jul 31 19:36:39 riced kernel: agpgart: Putting AGP V3 device at 0000:00:00.0 into 8x mode
Jul 31 19:36:39 riced kernel: agpgart: Putting AGP V3 device at 0000:01:00.0 into 8x mode
Jul 31 19:36:40 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'START_NEXT_LOCAL'
->
Jul 31 19:36:40 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_greeter: Running greeter on :0
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_greeter: Greeter on pid 2524
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2500]: Sending GREETPID == 2524 for slave 2500
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'GREETPID 2500 2524'
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2448]: Got GREETPID == 2524
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_wait_for_login: In loop
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'GREETPID 2500 0'
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2448]: Got GREETPID == 0
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_wait_for_login: end verify for ''
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_greeter: Running greeter on :0
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'GREETPID 2500 0'
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2448]: Got GREETPID == 0
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_greeter: Greeter on pid 2535
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2500]: Sending GREETPID == 0 for slave 2500
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'GREETPID 2500 0'
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2448]: Got GREETPID == 0
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_greeter: Running greeter on :0
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'GREETPID 2500 0'
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2448]: Got GREETPID == 0
Jul 31 19:36:41 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_greeter: Greeter on pid 2545

_> this happens until I shut the system down

Jul 31 19:38:06 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_greeter: Greeter on pid 9275
Jul 31 19:38:06 riced gdm[2500]: Sending GREETPID == 0 for slave 2500
Jul 31 19:38:06 riced gdm[2448]: Handling message: 'GREETPID 2500 0'
Jul 31 19:38:06 riced gdm[2448]: Got GREETPID == 0
Jul 31 19:38:06 riced gdm[2500]: gdm_slave_greeter: Running greeter on :0
Jul 31 19:38:06 riced gdm[2448]: mainloop_sig_callback: Got signal 15
Jul 31 19:38:06 riced gdm[2448]: mainloop_sig_callback: Got TERM/INT. Going down!

so, for a minute & 20 secs, it's doing this loop. generating new pid s along the way.

any help would be NICE!

I have a different approach to yours. If I cannot fix the desktop without spending all day and all night on it, I login to another desktop and reinstall the one that's not working.

I discovered recently that sometimes it's necessary to delete your user folders for the desktop. I use KDE and I recently fixed a strange problem by removing the .kde and .qt folders.

It's painful to have to reconfigure all the settings but takes nowhere near the time that it can to find a needle in the haystack.

One other thing I've found with the desktop. It seems to be a bad idea to update/upgrade. It seems to result in all sorts of problems.

Thanks for the reply. I'm currently up and running fine with KDE, which was no small feat to fix, as well. I tried un-installing and re-installing the GNOME desktop, while burning all of the user features to disk and starting with a fresh slate, which didn't help, then re-installing the user features, which didn't help either. I'm past the "try the easy way" solutions i.e. load debian, load slack, load ubuntu. This is Linux, we have access to all of the source and config files, I "should" be able to get GDM running again with patience and effort.

When Anaconda starts the install process there are obviously steps that it takes that I'm unaware of. as Gnome ran fine when I first installed it. During the reinstallation using YUM is where there is a disconnect. An X config that I've missed, a GDM switch somewhere, Pam authorization......I'm left

I've read a bunch of startup sequence articles and used their advice, there obviously is something I'm missing. With KDE running I've got plenty of time to mess around, and now I WANT to fix GDM.

That's all for my rant now.
Thanks again for the advice.
D

I suppose I should have guessed that you had already tried the usual methods. I've never been in that position but I have found that if you upgrade/update a desktop, you have to replace your user folders.

You probably have enough reading material but, FWIW, I found a Gnome Display Manager Reference Manual.

Good luck.

Noranthon, thanks for the help.

Once again it came down to RTFM I'd read about 3/4 of the gdm manual previously, but not the TROUBLESHOOTING section, that I overlooked. DUH! After doing the 2, yes 2 steps, that the manual suggested, lo and behold there it is. "Can't find librsvg-2.so.2" hmm... that seems straight forward enough. Create a symbolic link from librsvg-2.so -> librsvg-2.so.2 and, as we say here in the states, veye ola. (viola for you francophones)

It was a good exercise, but the 100+ man-hours may not have been worth it. So bottom line, if you remove GDM/Gnome Desktop Suite for whatever reason, which I don't recommend , make sure that the sym link for the rsvg libraries are re-created.

I now feel like a Woo Hoo!
D

Good. I hope you don't think I meant RTFM. In Linux "the fine manual" means the internet.

It seems to me that you have an issue. A decent installer would create the necessary links.

I never install the Gnome desktop. Another member of our users' group keeps trying to convert me but I don't see the attraction.

I've got all I need with KDE. I've decided to forgive Konqueror since I discovered its access to the man pages - type man:/ in the location bar and ENTER. For an alphabetical list man:/a

As to your comment " It seems to me that you have an issue. A decent installer would create the necessary links." That is correct I have an issue, and that is, that I'm a dunce. My system worked fine from day 1 that I installed it from scratch.

The whole story was that I didn't recognize Avahi, couldn't find any acceptable info on the net, and yanked it out. While I was working on my system I had various phone calls, a couple of friends drop by and was slightly distracted. So I said yum remove avahi, left the room came back, didn't look closely at the dependencies associated with yum removal and.... there went 3/4 of my desktop management system, X server and various and assorted sundries.

YES...my F....ing fault. The upside to all of this is I know a lot more about X, Pam, Gnome, GDM, KDM, avahi and other systems.

I didn't think you were being snide, just helpful. I only bash myself on these sites. I was speaking to myself in regard to RTFM and DUH!.

As to KDE, it does everything I ask it to, runs fine on my system and saved my ass in this particular instance, I just prefer Gnome. Can't verbalize why, just do.