SOLVED: Openbox: Help! I've locked myself out of my computer!

dameunmate · 2011-06-16 20:28:25

I am such a noob! I was trying to be clever with keybindings in Openbox's rc.xml, however I created a syntax error and now nothing in rc.xml works. The big problem is, I can't open a terminal ar CLI anywhere to fix it! My system was very minimalist so there was no menu, a completely blank desktop and only keybindings to run applications like urxvt.

Worse still, I got a bit over enthusiastic with speeding up boot time and I commented out all the other terminals in bash rc config so I can't switch to any terminal to fix this, Alt-F2, Alt-F3 does nothing!

Even worse still, the machine is set up to automatically log in and start X when I switch it on! Fortunately it also automatically opens chromium browser so I can post my silly mistake here.

I would paste code if I could, but I can't open any files!

Is there any button I can press during the boot process to stop the automatic login/startx process?

If not, is there any way I can edit rc.xml? For example, by plugging the disk into another machine?

thanks

Last edited by dameunmate (2011-06-17 08:06:33)

loafer · 2011-06-16 20:30:48

Can you boot in to single user mode and fix it from there?

litemotiv · 2011-06-16 20:31:11

If you have a boot disk lying around, you can startup from there, mount your drive and edit the file.

Ashren · 2011-06-16 20:32:11

Try loafer's suggestion.

Put a "1" at the end of the kernel line in grub.

sotdan · 2011-06-16 20:45:37

Press e in Grub in order to edit the kernel line and add "ro 1" at the end of it, then press b. I think adding the word "single" at the end of the kernel line works too.

wojox · 2011-06-17 00:36:26

Chromium works as a file manager. Try:

Ctrl+O

Or in the URL bar:

file:///

dameunmate · 2011-06-17 07:59:58

wojox wrote:

Chromium works as a file manager. Try:
Ctrl+O
Or in the URL bar:
file:///

I can open the file with this but how do It edit and save it?

dameunmate · 2011-06-17 08:06:04

loafer wrote:

Can you boot in to single user mode and fix it from there?

sotdan wrote:

Press e in Grub in order to edit the kernel line and add "ro 1" at the end of it, then press b. I think adding the word "single" at the end of the kernel line works too.

This works! I wait for the GRUB menu then press e. I'm jolly well glad I had set the GRUB menu to stay on for one second, I was so keen to speed up my boot I had previously thought of setting it to 0 seconds!

After editing the kernel line I press return then b to boot into single user mode. I fixed my rc.xml, turns out I had inadvertently deleted part of a tag there, <keyboard> was eyboard> is it necessary for rc.xml to crash completely when one tag is incomplete?

Thanks to all for your help

Arch Linux

#1 2011-06-16 20:28:25

SOLVED: Openbox: Help! I've locked myself out of my computer!

#2 2011-06-16 20:30:48

Re: SOLVED: Openbox: Help! I've locked myself out of my computer!

#3 2011-06-16 20:31:11

Re: SOLVED: Openbox: Help! I've locked myself out of my computer!

#4 2011-06-16 20:32:11

Re: SOLVED: Openbox: Help! I've locked myself out of my computer!

#5 2011-06-16 20:45:37

Re: SOLVED: Openbox: Help! I've locked myself out of my computer!

#6 2011-06-17 00:36:26

Re: SOLVED: Openbox: Help! I've locked myself out of my computer!

#7 2011-06-17 07:59:58

Re: SOLVED: Openbox: Help! I've locked myself out of my computer!

#8 2011-06-17 08:06:04

Re: SOLVED: Openbox: Help! I've locked myself out of my computer!

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