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!