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I'm trying to use Slackware 13.37 which I installed a long while ago. I haven't really used it. I tried using it for the first time in ages tonight and I can’t startx as a normal user.
Here are some of the error messages I jotted down with a pencil on a piece of paper:
Code:
daniel@gnull: ~$ startx
xauth: file /home/daniel/.serverauth.2571 does not exist
X Server 1.9.5
Release 2011-3-17
Version 11
Build Operating System: Slackware 13.37
xf86OpenConsole: Cannot open /dev/tty0
[EE] failed to load module “fbdev” (module does not exist, 0)
When I try startx as root user, it loads. I get a prompt saying,
Code:
root GUI: Failed to apply network settings org freedesktop.DBus.Error.Spawn.PermissionInvalid: the permission of the setuidhelper is not correct
When you created the user with adduser, I think you missed the part of the "Additional UNIX groups": the console gui suggests to press the up arrow for a default set
Code:
Initial group [ users ]:
Additional UNIX groups:
Users can belong to additional UNIX groups on the system.
For local users using graphical desktop login managers such
as XDM/KDM, users may need to be members of additional groups
to access the full functionality of removable media devices.
* Security implications *
Please be aware that by adding users to additional groups may
potentially give access to the removable media of other users.
If you are creating a new user for remote shell access only,
users do not need to belong to any additional groups as standard,
so you may press ENTER at the next prompt.
Press ENTER to continue without adding any additional groups
Or press the UP arrow key to add/select/edit additional groups
: audio cdrom floppy plugdev video power netdev
if you have to add your user to these groups after creation, you can use gpasswd
Code:
gpasswd -a daniel audio
so if you llok at /etc/group you should have something like
Code:
grep daniel /etc/group
floppy:x:11:daniel
audio:x:17:daniel
video:x:18:daniel
cdrom:x:19:daniel
plugdev:x:83:daniel
power:x:84:daniel
netdev:x:86:daniel
also check /home/daniel permissions: the owner must be daniel and he needs read, write and execute permissions in his home
for the 1st error "xauth: file /home/daniel/.serverauth.2571 does not exist" , you just need to create the file : touch $HOME/.serverauth.2571
I touched that file, as you suggested, Uzuki. Then when I went to startx, a similar error appeared saying, “xauth: file /home/daniel/.serverauth.10803 does not exist”. So I touch that file, like I did the last one, and upon startx, it says, .serverauth.10827 does not exist. And then again for 10849. I stopped touching files at this point.
Quote:
for the 2nd error fbdev : edit your xorg.conf go to Section "Module" and delete the Load fbdev or you can adjust the path for xorg modules
I checked my xorg.conf and it was empty. So I ran xorgsetup. I searched my new xorg.conf and there was no instance of fbdev. Here is my new xorg.conf:
The last one "Cannot open /dev/tty0", i have no clue about this one, tty0? which virtual terminal did you use to logged in?
I used the first vt. I demonstrated for myself that I was in fact using the first vt by doing Ctrl + Alt + F2, Ctrl + Alt + F3. All the commands I entered were in Ctrl + Alt + F1.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ponce
so if you look at /etc/group you should have something like
Code:
grep daniel /etc/group
floppy:x:11:daniel
audio:x:17:daniel
video:x:18:daniel
cdrom:x:19:daniel
plugdev:x:83:daniel
power:x:84:daniel
netdev:x:86:daniel
From within Lisa you can see what groups the users are associated with on my Slackware partition:
Code:
gnull@lisa:~$ cd /mnt/slack/etc/
gnull@lisa:/mnt/slack/etc$ grep daniel group
audio:x:17:daniel,dummie
video:x:18:daniel,dummie
plugdev:x:83:daniel,dummie
power:x:84:daniel,dummie
netdev:x:86:daniel,dummie
gnull@lisa:/mnt/slack/etc$
As you can see above, there is another account called, dummie. You said:
Quote:
When you created the user with adduser, I think you missed the part of the "Additional UNIX groups": the console gui suggests to press the up arrow for a default set
I created an account with adduser exactly as you suggested and yet startx in the dummie account still failed.
Quote:
also check /home/daniel permissions: the owner must be daniel and he needs read, write and execute permissions in his home
As root user I entered, chmod -R 0777 /home/*. startx still failed.
btw, how to you change the password of a normal user? I tried using "chpasswd daniel" as root, but it just hanged there. It wouldn't let me change passwords.
Also, it's interesting to note that I can't log in as root as a normal user by using su -. To log in as root from a normal user, I exited and then at the login prompt, typed ‘root’ and then entered my pw.
Last edited by Drone4four; 12-29-2011 at 10:23 AM.
To change passwords use the "passwd" command.
To see the tty name you're logged in you can use "w".
BTW, you said you never used this installation.
Could it be you got something wrong during the original setup? In this case maybe starting from scratch can make you waste less time.
You may have upgraded and saved your home directory, but the ownership is not consistent with the new upgraded system user information. If $ls -l /home/daniel shows numeric owner:group then your id is inconsistent.
If you get your root account straightened out, then, as root do # chown -R daniel:users /home/daniel.
Before starting x, after initial login, try a search for ~/.ICEauthority like ~$ ls .IC*
Delete that file if present. Also delete .Xauthority
Change your permissions back to normal if you can.
Use the program xwmconfig to select your preferred window manager
Then try $ startx
I believe the .Xauthority and (if present) .ICEauthority files are automatically generated each time X starts, but old ones can mess everything up. There are also KDE specific files in your .kde/ directory, like ~/.ked/socket-host ~/.kde/cache-host
BTW, you said you never used this installation.
Could it be you got something wrong during the original setup? In this case maybe starting from scratch can make you waste less time.
I did not actually say I “never used this installation”. Here is exactly what I said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drone4four
I'm trying to use Slackware 13.37 which I installed a long while ago. I haven't really used it. I tried using it for the first time in ages tonight and I can’t startx as a normal user.
I should have been more clear. After installing it earlier this year, I tinkered with it for a few days. I chased all the dependencies on SlackBuilds.org to get Chromium running. After that point I neglected Slackware as I moved on to other distros. Regardless, this proves that X was usable in Slackware at some point. I really don’t want to start from scratch b/c with Linux there should always be a way to fix things. Reformatting is something you have to do with Micro$hit Winblows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevmccor
You may have upgraded and saved your home directory, but the ownership is not consistent with the new upgraded system user information. If $ls -l /home/daniel shows numeric owner:group then your id is inconsistent.
If you get your root account straightened out, then, as root do # chown -R daniel:users /home/daniel.
Like I said in an earlier post, I used chown -R 0777 /home/*. That makes all folders read and writable by normal users. So I didn’t have to enter, # chown -R daniel:users /home/daniel. But I entered that command you suggested as root anyways. Still, x wound’t start.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevmccor
Before starting x, after initial login, try a search for ~/.ICEauthority like ~$ ls .IC*
Delete that file if present. Also delete .Xauthority
…
I believe the .Xauthority and (if present) .ICEauthority files are automatically generated each time X starts, but old ones can mess everything up.
Instead of deleting .ICEauthority, I moved it to .ICEauthority.bax. I did the same for .Xauthority. x still wouldn’t start.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kevmccor
There are also KDE specific files in your .kde/ directory, like ~/.ked/socket-host ~/.kde/cache-host
I am uninsterested in KDE so that isn’t relevant to me. Cheers all the same.
Distribution: Started with Slackware - 3.0 1995 Kernel 1.2.13 - Now Slackware Current. Also some FreeBSD.
Posts: 124
Rep:
Ignore this post if way off...
So X works as root, correct?
Have you tried adding a new non root user (besides daniel) and checking to see if X loads as that user?
This may be way off so use at your own risk... but what if you renamed your daniel home folder to daniel_old, then delete the daniel user and then re-add user daniel... maybe that will clean things up.
That's what I would try, failing that I would grab my Chromium build and anything else I wanted and reload the system clean (not the answer you want but may be the simplest way).
Last edited by Fred-1.2.13; 01-10-2012 at 02:18 PM.
Have you tried adding a new non root user (besides daniel) and checking to see if X loads as that user?
Yes, I tried this and I talked about it in a earlier post in my response to ponce's suggestion:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drone4four
From within Lisa you can see what groups the users are associated with on my Slackware partition:
Code:
gnull@lisa:~$ cd /mnt/slack/etc/
gnull@lisa:/mnt/slack/etc$ grep daniel group
audio:x:17:daniel,dummie
video:x:18:daniel,dummie
plugdev:x:83:daniel,dummie
power:x:84:daniel,dummie
netdev:x:86:daniel,dummie
gnull@lisa:/mnt/slack/etc$
As you can see above, there is another account called, dummie. You said:
Quote:
Originally Posted by ponce
When you created the user with adduser, I think you missed the part of the "Additional UNIX groups": the console gui suggests to press the up arrow for a default set
Code:
Initial group [ users ]:
Additional UNIX groups:
Users can belong to additional UNIX groups on the system.
For local users using graphical desktop login managers such
as XDM/KDM, users may need to be members of additional groups
to access the full functionality of removable media devices.
...
Press ENTER to continue without adding any additional groups
Or press the UP arrow key to add/select/edit additional groups
: audio cdrom floppy plugdev video power netdev
I created an account with adduser exactly as you suggested and yet startx in the dummie account still failed.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred-1.2.13
This may be way off so use at your own risk... but what if you renamed your daniel home folder to daniel_old, then delete the daniel user and then re-add user daniel... maybe that will clean things up.
Since creating a new user wouldn’t startx, I anticipate that renaming daniel to daniel_old would not fix things.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Fred-1.2.13
That's what I would try, failing that I would grab my Chromium build and anything else I wanted and reload the system clean (not the answer you want but may be the simplest way).
Like I said,
Quote:
Originally Posted by Drone4four
I really don’t want to start from scratch b/c with Linux there should always be a way to fix things. Reformatting is something you have to do with Micro$hit Winblows.
maybe this is not the case, but I assure you that there isn't always a way to fix things cleanly, it depends on what you do as root.
as a quick example (don't try it at home!)
Code:
rm -fR /usr /var /etc
obviously, under normal conditions, this is not fixable.
I see in the grep above on /etc/group that it seems to miss floppy and cdrom groups, it's a voluntary omission or that's maybe a customized slackware (not a full install)?
are you sure you run adduser to create the daniel/dummie account?
Quote:
Also, it's interesting to note that I can't log in as root as a normal user by using su -. To log in as root from a normal user, I exited and then at the login prompt, typed ‘root’ and then entered my pw.
that's no good.
does "su -" spits any errors?
can you check /dev/tty0 when you're logged in as daniel (in console)?
Code:
ls -la /dev/tty0
what does the command "w" tells you about who's logged in?
EDIT: just came to mind: if your /home is on a separate partition, which kind of filesystem are you using?
Last edited by ponce; 01-11-2012 at 04:07 AM.
Reason: more guesses
Distribution: Started with Slackware - 3.0 1995 Kernel 1.2.13 - Now Slackware Current. Also some FreeBSD.
Posts: 124
Rep:
Quote:
maybe this is not the case, but I assure you that there isn't always a way to fix things cleanly, it depends on what you do as root.
Not what you want to hear Drone, but in my 16 years Linux experience sometimes what ponce said above is in fact the case. I admire your persistence in figuring this out. Good luck to you! Please post the solution if you do get it worked out!
maybe this is not the case, but I assure you that there isn't always a way to fix things cleanly, it depends on what you do as root.
as a quick example (don't try it at home!)
Code:
rm -fR /usr /var /etc
obviously, under normal conditions, this is not fixable.
Yes that is true.
Quote:
I see in the grep above on /etc/group that it seems to miss floppy and cdrom groups, it's a voluntary omission or that's maybe a customized slackware (not a full install)?
are you sure you run adduser to create the daniel/dummie account?
Yes I am sure I used adduser to create both those accounts. I deliberately did not add the users to floppy and cdrom groups b/c they are obsolete.
Quote:
that's no good.
does "su -" spits any errors?
Here is the su - output after entering my pw:
Code:
setgid: Operation not permitted
Ponce recommends:
Quote:
can you check /dev/tty0 when you're logged in as daniel (in console)?
Code:
ls -la /dev/tty0
Oddly, it says:
Code:
crw-rw-rw- 1 root tty5 Jan 15 13:58
Looking at that I thought it was saying that the 5 virtual terminal was in use. So I navigated to it using Ctrl + Alt + F5, but to my surprise it was asking me to log in just as all the other available virtual terminals.
Then ponce says:
Quote:
what does the command "w" tells you about who's logged in?
w's output is the following:
Code:
daniel tty1 - 13:58
Finally, ponce comments:
Quote:
EDIT: just came to mind: if your /home is on a separate partition, which kind of filesystem are you using?
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