Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

iKevin · 2006-04-03 22:28:31

Hi All

I just updated to gnome 2.14. I logged out and logged back in and everything went smoothly. I logged out again to change my gdm theme using the "configure gdm" option. Once I selected the dropdown dialog box to choose "themed" greeter, is was shuttle back to the normal login screen. I then logged in as root and launched the gdm configure program from a shell. When I selected to choose a "themed" greeter, the program generated a segmentation fault.

Next, I decided to reboot. Gdm came up fine. When I try to log in it seems as though X shuts down because the screen goes black and I can see a little console cursor, ie "_". I am then shuttle back to the normal login screen.

Does anyone have any thoughts as to what I can look for?

Thanks
Kevin

iKevin · 2006-04-03 23:17:35

OK, I looked in the log and noticed this stuff:

Apr 3 17:51:11 delos gdmgreeter[28379]: Version check failed, bad version
Apr 3 17:51:11 delos gdmgreeter[28379]: Could not access configuration key <greeter/PreFetchProgram=>
Apr 3 17:51:11 delos gdmgreeter[28379]: Using compiled in value <> for <greeter/PreFetchProgram=>
Apr 3 17:51:11 delos gdmgreeter[28379]: Version check failed, bad version
Apr 3 17:51:11 delos gdmgreeter[28379]: Version check failed, bad version
Apr 3 17:51:11 delos gdmgreeter[28379]: Version check failed, bad version
Apr 3 17:51:11 delos gdmgreeter[28379]: Version check failed, bad version
Apr 3 17:51:11 delos gdmgreeter[28379]: Version check failed, bad version
Apr 3 17:51:23 delos gdm[1946]: Master rebooting...
Apr 3 17:53:57 delos gdm[1882]: gdm_auth_user_add: Could not open cookie file /home/kellwood/.Xauthority
Apr 3 17:53:57 delos gdm[1824]: gdm_cleanup_children: child 1882 crashed of signal 6
Apr 3 17:53:57 delos gdm[1824]: gdm_cleanup_children: Slave crashed, killing its children

Does this give more of a clue?

Also, I removed and reinstalled gdm from run level 3 just in case installing it while in gnome caused an issue. I still have the same issue.

Thanks
Kev

iKevin · 2006-04-03 23:30:36

Yet one more clue. I created a new user and I was able to login without any issues. I guess one option would be to totally wipe out the gnome configuration from my account. Not that big of deal for me but my wife might not be too happy.

ralvez · 2006-04-03 23:36:15

I'm not a gnome user but ... I wonder if you have a hidden config file in your home directory that is incompatible with the new gnome and that is causing the problem.

Just an idea.

iKevin · 2006-04-03 23:43:39

That could be. I did notice that mine and my wifes accounts have .Xauthory but they are empty. The new test account has .Xauthory with some "stuff" in it.

I will try to google this a bit more.

Thanks
Kev

ralvez · 2006-04-03 23:46:13

If the test account works you may want to copy the contents of the test account into your .xauthority and see if it "makes it work".
Worst case scenario ... it wont work ... so you can only win in this case.

lessthanjake · 2006-04-03 23:49:43

I have had this problem a few times, dont know what causes it, but just deleting .Xauthority seems to fix it.

iKevin · 2006-04-04 00:28:24

Ok, I tried copying .Xauthority from the working test account and that didn't work. I also deleted my .Xauthority and that didn't work.

Finally, I created yet another new account and checked that there was no .Xauthority. I logged in with gdm without issue. I don't understand why gdm needs .Xauthority in my account and it doesn't need one on the newer test account. There must be something set somewhere that tells gdm that I need Xauthority while other user don't. Hmm. More google.

ralvez · 2006-04-04 00:38:46

Well ... what if you log in as root, delete your account and then re-create it again.
When an account is created a new UID is created and perhaps your current account settings are read by gnome based in the UID therefore the problem persists.
The new accounts have no problem, so re-creating the account may solve the issue.

miguelmmg · 2006-04-04 05:42:53

GDM (gdmgreeter, gdmlogin) runs as user nobody and tries to read .Xauthority in user's home directory. If home dir has 700 permissions then error ocurres. I workaround it using chmod 755 to my wife's account and mine and now login works, but... this is bad... I don't remember if previous versions of gdm ran as nobody.

_Gandalf_ · 2006-04-04 07:23:24

This will probably not fix ur problem iKevin, but no harm in trying it

pacman -Rn gdm
pacman -S gdm

Just a little reset to ur GDM

iKevin · 2006-04-04 11:51:10

Thanks for all who replied. miguelmmg figured it out. I had similar permissions on the two accounts that didn't work. Changing them to be like the new test accounts worked fine.

Kev

schmoemi · 2006-05-08 16:30:33

miguelmmg wrote:

GDM (gdmgreeter, gdmlogin) runs as user nobody and tries to read .Xauthority in user's home directory. If home dir has 700 permissions then error ocurres. I workaround it using chmod 755 to my wife's account and mine and now login works, but... this is bad... I don't remember if previous versions of gdm ran as nobody.

I have the same problem with the new gdm 2.14.3 package. gdm tries to read ~/.Xauthority, but lacks permissions. If I chmod 644 or something like that, login is possible.
But the weird things are:
* when I'm logged in and the gnome-session is running, .Xauthority has gone.
* .Xauthority is completely empty.. nothing.. niente.. nada...
* .Xauthority is also not present before the first login
Because .Xauthority always vanishes or is not present on bootup, now I always have to chmod after the first try to login on gdm.. :shock: :? :shock:

Arch Linux

#1 2006-04-03 22:28:31

Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#2 2006-04-03 23:17:35

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#3 2006-04-03 23:30:36

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#4 2006-04-03 23:36:15

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#5 2006-04-03 23:43:39

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#6 2006-04-03 23:46:13

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#7 2006-04-03 23:49:43

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#8 2006-04-04 00:28:24

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#9 2006-04-04 00:38:46

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#10 2006-04-04 05:42:53

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#11 2006-04-04 07:23:24

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#12 2006-04-04 11:51:10

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

#13 2006-05-08 16:30:33

Re: Can't login through GDM 2.14? [Solved]

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