Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

Walter1227 · 2016-02-04 01:28:18

I just installed lightdm and lightdm-gtk-greeter. I messed with the config files as described in the wiki and set up the greeter and everything. I rebooted my computer, the DM was there, and everything worked! Awesome, right?

That is unfortunately not where the story ends... I also have been using i3 as my window manager, and when I went to destroy the config file for i3 and run i3-config-wizard to destroy the settings I had, I rebooted the computer again to test it out. Then, when I went to login, I typed in my login and password and instead of starting i3, a blank console popped up briefly and then it went away and took me back to the login screen. This happened multiple times and I am sure it was the correct password.

It wouldn't even say "incorrect password" or something similar; it would just redirect me to the login screen over and over. I am now locked out of my computer, and there doesn't seem to be a "recovery mode" option on GRUB, so I don't really know where to go from here. I'm really kind of worried I'll have to reinstall Arch all over again and lose all my data

jasonwryan · 2016-02-04 01:38:09

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Sy … _boot_into

Walter1227 · 2016-02-04 02:35:50

jasonwryan wrote:

https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Sy … _boot_into

And what am I supposed to do with this?
The kernel decides how the computer boots up, right? So you're saying I go into GRUB and edit the commands and change the target to emergency.boot, because that's the emergency shell, correct? I did that with no luck. I put systemd.unit=emergency.target at the bottom of my GRUB bootloader code, hit F10 to boot, and it just takes me back to good old LightDM. Still can't login or open a terminal. Am I supposed to hit a different key to boot? Why do you think the emergency shell isn't coming up?
I've found several possible solutions to this and I would like to try them, but unfortunately I cannot do much until I get a terminal...

Trilby · 2016-02-04 03:22:08

Walter1227 wrote:

And what am I supposed to do with this?

Click on it. Then read the page that comes up. Here's another:
https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/Ke … eters#GRUB

But you shouldn't need emergency.target, mutliuser.target would be better.

Or for a much simpler solution, just change ttys from your DM with Ctrl-Alf-F#

Walter1227 · 2016-02-04 04:03:37

Trilby wrote:

Walter1227 wrote:
And what am I supposed to do with this?
Click on it. Then read the page that comes up.

Posting self-admittedly "unclear" links from the wiki that I've already read without leaving any sort of explanation is not incredibly helpful, and I think you should consider trying to help without sarcastic quips that suggest I don't know how to use a computer. I don't really care to argue with you about this, so I'll leave it at that.

But you shouldn't need emergency.target, mutliuser.target would be better.

Like I said, that isn't working. I put a systemd-unit=multi-user.target at the bottom of the GRUB code on boot, hit F10, and I just get LightDM again. No console.

Or for a much simpler solution, just change ttys from your DM with Ctrl-Alf-F#

I don't understand. Did you mean CTRL-ALT-F? What's the #? When do I do that? What does it do? If you could at least link to another vague wiki article describing this, I would appreciate it.

jasonwryan · 2016-02-04 04:13:30

You are expected to have rudimentary experience with GNU/Linux at least. The wiki article is perfectly clear. It isn't working because you don't put it at the bottom of the "Grub code", you pass it as a kernel parameter.

And Ctrl-Alt-F# is the same as Ctrl-Alt-{2,7}: it is how you reach the console from a graphical environment: again, basic GNU/Linux knoweldge that is assumed here.

Raynman · 2016-02-04 09:57:08

You say you can't login, but based on your description of what happens when you try to log in and the fact that you just messed with your i3 config, isn't it more likely that i3 exits/crashes immediately (after a successful login) and this is what takes you back to LightDM?

Logging in from a text console by any of the methods discussed so far would allow you to check the logs or start i3 through startx, but if you have any other sessions that you can select from LightDM's menu, that would be another way to check if the problem is indeed with i3.

Walter1227 · 2016-02-04 12:19:04

Maybe that was it. Anyway, I did the kernel parameters trick to get into a console, started i3 with startx, and then I removed lightdm and lightdm-gtk-greeter. I rebooted, ran i3-config-wizard, regenerated the config file, and then when I went to log in, everything was dandy and startx ran and got me into i3. I'm not exactly what happened there with lightdm there, but if anyone else is having this problem I would suggest making sure your i3 config file is there and mess with .xinitrc for good measure. I guess I'll try a different display manager. Thank-you all.

Trilby · 2016-02-04 12:30:47

Walter1227 wrote:

I think you should consider trying to help without sarcastic quips that suggest I don't know how to use a computer ... When do I do that? What does it do? If you could at least link to another vague wiki article describing this, I would appreciate it.

Thank you for the double dose of irony for today. You posted a simple problem, you were given the link to the solution. Yet when you tried to implement it, you did it completely wrong. And instead of asking for clarification you gave a snarky response. I responded to that in kind - and I even gave you a link directly to the page (actually a section of a page) that would instruct you on how to properly add kernel parameters in grub, which is what you were doing wrong (the proper instructions, I see, led to the actual solution.) I also offered an even easier alternative.

And in reply: we're given yet more snark and your own sarcasm. Continue being an ass, and your visit to these forums will be short lived. We don't owe you anything, and from what you've shown so far, I doubt we want anything from you.

Walter1227 · 2016-02-04 13:24:57

Continue being an ass, and your visit to these forums will be short lived. We don't owe you anything, and from what you've shown so far, I doubt we want anything from you.

Now you're just not being fair. I do apologize for my rudeness, but I think overall I have tried to be polite here. I've said "thank-you" and "I appreciate it" and similar things, and you are acting like I just came on here to ridicule people and start a flame war. I don't think anything I said was too far outside the limits of what is considered acceptable. Like I said, I am guilty of some snark (as are you), and I apologize for that. I should just appreciate the help, you're right.
But why are you now calling me an "ass" and threatening to ban me? For what? Really, look back at the posts, was it really that bad? Was it half as immature as trying to intimidate someone on the Linux support forum you moderate?
You don't owe me anything, but I was assuming you were here because you wanted to help me. I see now that you are the one in this thread who is the least interested in that.
The problem was solved, I thanked everyone (you included), and you kept the thread going just to play "internet tough guy" and get back at me for a rude comment. So yeah, go ahead and ban me or whatever if it makes you feel better, I can't stop you.
I think you need to reevaluate why you come here.

Silkworm205 · 2016-02-04 14:09:02

Walter, your posts were 10 minutes away from each other. It's entirely possible, even likely that this was written before he saw your thanks.

Arch Linux

#1 2016-02-04 01:28:18

Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

#2 2016-02-04 01:38:09

Re: Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

#3 2016-02-04 02:35:50

Re: Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

#4 2016-02-04 03:22:08

Re: Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

#5 2016-02-04 04:03:37

Re: Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

#6 2016-02-04 04:13:30

Re: Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

#7 2016-02-04 09:57:08

Re: Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

#8 2016-02-04 12:19:04

Re: Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

#9 2016-02-04 12:30:47

Re: Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

#10 2016-02-04 13:24:57

Re: Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

#11 2016-02-04 14:09:02

Re: Can't login on LightDM (locked out of computer)

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