X errors!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

InSane103 · 07-09-2003, 04:09 PM

All the errors I am recieving are:
chown: 'root:root': invaild user

and when I enter the file XF86Config-4 file, this is what I read at the top:

"Section 'Files'
# Multiple FontPath entries are allowed (they are concatenated together)
# By default, Mandrake 6.0 and later now use a font server independent of
# the X Server to render fonts.
FontPath 'unix/:-1'
EndSection"

Jose Muñiz · 07-09-2003, 04:28 PM

I think that's because you changed the root name ... change it back to root and everything might get back to normal, I think.

InSane103 · 07-09-2003, 04:33 PM

How? I get the command line when I try to login.....
I am the ultimate Linux newbie here... I got bored and literally sick with windows, so I am trying this before I try MacOS or HP-UX.

What would I do at command line level to change the username of my root account?

cropcircle · 07-09-2003, 04:45 PM

What does "cat /etc/passwd |grep root" say?

InSane103 · 07-09-2003, 04:54 PM

Okay, I get:
<rootusername>:x:0:0:/root:/bin/bash

cropcircle · 07-09-2003, 05:47 PM

That line must look like this :

root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash

The must be a user called "root" with UID 0 and GID 0, otherwise the system will experience problems.

InSane103 · 07-09-2003, 05:51 PM

Uh, it looks like this:

corie:x:0:0:/root:/bin/bash

Where "corie" is the root username.

cropcircle · 07-09-2003, 06:03 PM

That line should be changed...

Can you do :

"su -"
<root password>

And then :

"vi /etc/passwd"
(if you're not familiar with using 'vi' you can also try the 'pico' editor).

If, however, you cannot change to root anymore to do this change, you might need to try :

- Starting in runlevel 1 (from the 'bootmenu', use "linux 1") to go to runlevel 1 and try edit the file from there.

- boot from a third party tool like tomsrtbt http://www.toms.net/rb/

InSane103 · 07-09-2003, 06:12 PM

Ok, I typed "su -"
I got:
"su: user root does not exist"

Jose Muñiz · 07-09-2003, 06:19 PM

Do

su corie

Then enter the password and type

vi /etc/passwd

Then change the line that says corie:x ... to root:x ....

That should do the work.

InSane103 · 07-09-2003, 06:38 PM

Ok, I have tried that, and how do I save the changes and exit?

InSane103 · 07-09-2003, 06:39 PM

What I tried was: change corie to root, then I hit ctrl + s (hoping that would work), and the screen froze, so I had to hold ctrl + alt + F2 to get a new session.