Arch Linux

rttommy

Member

Registered: 2007-12-27

Posts: 19

Unable to log into virtual consoles since upgrade

I don't know exactly when it happened, but I just noticed that when I switch to a virtual console, using ctrl+alt+number, I only get an empty screen. I checked and no instance of agetty is running. When I start one, using "/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty3 linux", I get the usual login message, but when I try to login as root, it says "login incorrect", even thought I enter the correct password (I checked with sulogin). I know there was a recent switch in the name of the consoles, but my inittab seems fine:

#
# /etc/inittab
#

#  Runlevels:
#    0    Halt
#    1(S)    Single-user
#    2    Not used
#    3    Multi-user
#    4    Not used
#    5    X11
#    6    Reboot

## Only one of the following two lines can be uncommented!
# Boot to console
id:3:initdefault:
# Boot to X11
#id:5:initdefault:

rc::sysinit:/etc/rc.sysinit
rs:S1:wait:/etc/rc.single
rm:2345:wait:/etc/rc.multi
rh:06:wait:/etc/rc.shutdown
su:S:wait:/sbin/sulogin -p

# -8 options fixes umlauts problem on login
c1:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty1 linux
c2:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty2 linux
c3:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty3 linux
c4:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty4 linux
c5:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty5 linux
c6:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty -8 38400 tty6 linux

ca::ctrlaltdel:/sbin/shutdown -t3 -r now

# Example lines for starting a login manager
x:5:respawn:/usr/bin/xdm -nodaemon
#x:5:respawn:/usr/sbin/gdm -nodaemon
#x:5:respawn:/usr/bin/kdm -nodaemon
#x:5:respawn:/usr/bin/slim >& /dev/null

# End of file

I use an autologin into X at the end of my rc.local, so I can still enter my system. However, if I exit X, I get a login message that also says "login incorrect" whatever I do. I search the forums and nothing helped, including pwconv, but I think the key is to understand why no console get created at boot. Any ideas?

R00KIE

Forum Fellow

From: Between a computer and a chair

Registered: 2008-09-14

Posts: 4,734

Re: Unable to log into virtual consoles since upgrade

Did you for any reason change /etc/securetty ?
http://www.archlinux.org/news/454/ if not then no other ideas, just followed what is on the news and all was well here.

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R00KIE
Tm90aGluZyB0byBzZWUgaGVyZSwgbW92ZSBhbG9uZy4K

djszapi

Member

From: Cambridge, United Kingdom

Registered: 2009-06-14

Posts: 1,439

Website

Re: Unable to log into virtual consoles since upgrade

Hello Rttommy!

"but I think the key is to understand why no console get created at boot. Any ideas?" Is there any daemon in /etc/rc.conf which hangs ? I've experienced such an 'operation' in such a cases.

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http://lpapp.blogspot.com

rttommy

Member

Registered: 2007-12-27

Posts: 19

Re: Unable to log into virtual consoles since upgrade

I didn't touch the /etc/securetty file, simply because I just learned its existence. Here it is:

#
# /etc/securetty
#

console
tty1
tty2
tty3
tty4
tty5
tty6

# End of file

As for the daemons, I don't think anyone of then hangs, and I fork them all to background, so that's probably not it.

Any other ideas?

Harey

Member

From: Bavaria, Germany

Registered: 2007-03-24

Posts: 374

Re: Unable to log into virtual consoles since upgrade

Same here. Today I killed a machine by pacman -Syu, but before I registered this problem. I could not login from the console tty to fire pacman up. Did not think enough and updated via ssh. After that the machine was completely dead because of this:
http://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=80939
After I downgraded to kernel 2.6.30 the problem was still there. No console login for root. Normal users work fine. Completely puzzled
Has anyone a clue for me?

Harvey

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Linux is like a wigwam: No Gates, no Windows and an Apache inside