[SOLVED] Slackware Login Not Working On 14.1

tejaswi kalawatia · 05-28-2014, 12:35 AM

I performed the following steps as a result of which Login is blocked post a reboot
- i performed an update of my Slackware 14.1 system
- and then upgraded the downloaded packages using the Upgradepkg *.txz command; which led to the successful upgrade of all the downloaded packages
- after the upgrade process was finished I rebooted my system
- following the reboot, at the login prompt I am not getting the password prompt after I give the username as "root" or "baba" [custom user name]

dijetlo · 05-28-2014, 12:51 AM

Are you logging into the tty or the graphical shiney?
Wait Slackware... never mind..

You're logging in passwordless?

tejaswi kalawatia · 05-28-2014, 01:10 AM

I am logging into the tty and I am not logging in passwordless.

dijetlo · 05-28-2014, 01:30 AM

so your entering the password and you don't see the characters?

I think that's the default behavior, isn't it?

tejaswi kalawatia · 05-28-2014, 01:55 AM

No,
I am not getting a prompt to enter the password. I give the username and that's it, there is a few seconds delay and then it prompts to enter the username again

dijetlo · 05-28-2014, 02:41 AM

Sounds like it can't access your passwd hash table. Have you tried to ssh into it?

dijetlo · 05-28-2014, 02:43 AM

How did you upgrade? CD/Slackpkg/Slackpkg+ ?

Didier Spaier · 05-28-2014, 02:44 AM

I'd use the Slackware DVD to boot the installer but do not type "setup", mount your root partition as /mnt and do this:

Code:

mount --bind /dev /mnt/dev
mount --bind /sys /mnt/sys
mount --bind /proc /mnt/proc
chroot /mnt

Then erase the root's password in /etc/shadow

*Maybe* that can help.

PS While you are at it, issue this command

Code:

ls -lt /var/log/packages|less

to list the packages that have just been upgraded and check that their arch's (i486 vs x86_64) meet that of your system, then please post the results.

tejaswi kalawatia · 05-28-2014, 03:19 AM

Thanks a lot Dijetlo and Didier for your help. I will do these steps and post the result here soon

dijetlo · 05-28-2014, 03:34 AM

No worries, Tajaswi, you run Slackware, you're practically family.
I'm about done here for now, I'll check back later but your better off listening to didier than me anyway.

Alien Bob · 05-28-2014, 04:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tejaswi kalawatia

I performed the following steps as a result of which Login is blocked post a reboot
- i performed an update of my Slackware 14.1 system
- and then upgraded the downloaded packages using the Upgradepkg *.txz command; which led to the successful upgrade of all the downloaded packages
- after the upgrade process was finished I rebooted my system
- following the reboot, at the login prompt I am not getting the password prompt after I give the username as "root" or "baba" [custom user name]

You upgraded to Slackware 14.1 from an older release?
Is this a 64-bit or a 32-bit Slackware? Did you use the packages for the correct architecture when you upgraded (i.e. use 32-bit packages if your Slackware is the 32-bit version)?
Upgrading from an older to a newer Slackware release is more than just upgrading a series of packages. Every release of Slackware introduces new packages (which you have to install using installpkg). It could make also some other packages obsolete (i.e. they will have to be removed using removepkg).

When upgrading Slackware, keep an eye on the UPGRADE.TXT file. Also good reading material: http://docs.slackware.com/howtos:sla...:systemupgrade. Every release of Slackware comes with a CHANGES and HINTS file which lists all the new/removed packages plus potential pitfalls and interesting things to know.

And you will make life easier when using slackpkg to perform the upgrade.

Eric

SW64 · 05-28-2014, 09:07 PM

Tejaswi, word for word, you have described an experience that I have had the pleasure of going through twice. It happened when I mistakenly downloaded and upgradepkg'ed the patch updates for Slackware 32bit 14.1 when I am using Slackware 64bit 14.1. It's sublimely easy for me to overlook this rather important difference when I navigates to the folder of the patch updates online (the mirror sites usually follow this naming convention: slackware vs slackware64. Slackware32 vs slackware64 would have been a little more obvious). I think it might have been the Shadow package that got borked. I am not good enough to know how to recover from this (yet!) and I ended up doing a complete reinstall of Slackware 64 to get my computer back.

I'd love to hear suggestions from other here at Linuxquestions.org on the ways to recover from this problem for future reference.

Didier Spaier · 05-29-2014, 01:27 AM

@SW64: Welcome to Linux Questions.

I'd try this:

chroot to your system, then list the packages with the the "bad" architecture (see my previous post in this thread) and reinstall the packages in concern:
upgradepkg --install-new --reinstall <good package>

Labinnah · 05-29-2014, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tejaswi kalawatia

- following the reboot, at the login prompt I am not getting the password prompt after I give the username as "root" or "baba" [custom user name]

I've encountered two similar problems in the past. Maybe one of it hits you.

- First, ensure that you have new line character at the end of /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow. Certain combination of glibc and shadow packages have problem when you haven't it.
- Second make sure you have replaced /etc/login.defs with /etc/login.defs.new or merge this files. Some missing options in that file also prevent system login.

tejaswi kalawatia · 05-29-2014, 10:26 AM

Hi Didier,
Although i was able to mount root with /mnt, Execution of the mount commands gave "does not exist" as the output for all the 3 commands.
The ls -lt /var/log/packages|less listed nothing.

I agree with SW64 here, i might have ended up inadvertently installing 32-bit packages on my 64-bit system.

Thank you bob and labinnah for your suggestions and i agree on the version mismatch that has happened here while upgrading these packages.

---------- Post added 05-29-14 at 08:56 PM ----------

I do feel that i might have to reinstall my Slackware OS again