Hello all, First I should tell you that I have never worked on nor used linux before so you need to take it slow with me, though I am do know all about the other two main OS's.

Where I am at now there is a problem with the communal computer that uses Kubuntu 8.04.3. When I go to login I pick the user name and enter the password then the screen goes black for about 1 to 2 seconds and then goes right back to the login screen.

I have tried to change the season types to all the options that are there and even tried to us the console login, with out luck. I checked all the SOPs (ig. capslock, right password, ect,ect.)

I was not sure if Kubuntu was now called Ubuntu so I did not put this in that forum. If someone could point me in the right direction on this that would be great.

Welcome to LQ

Take a look at
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=695073

That think this is a different problem for I can not even login using the failsafe. The person that used this computer last is not here for me to ask if they installed any of the updates.

I tried to enter the tail -2... to look if there was any errors but I am not even sure where to enter that. I tried enter it in the "command prompt" where it said "geri@geri-ubuntu-desktop:~$" but it does nothing but take my back to the same "prompt".

Any other ideas?

Are you sure the login and pass are correct?
You can login at the command prompt with the same user?
(press CTRL_ALT_F1)

I am sure I have the right username and passwords unless someone changed the password for all three accounts...and I do not see anyone doing that, plus when I try entering a password like "jahskdf" it tells me "login failed". When I enter the right password the screen goes black then back to the login page.

when I try to login using the "command promt" I enter a login name thehit enter then it ask me for the password. I type in the password but it does not look like it is typing it in but I hit enter. Once that happens it puts up a ton of text talking about the programs in it are free software...it has no warranty....the website link...the "geri@geri-ubuntu-desktop:~$". If I try to enter a wrong password it tells me login failed then takes me back to the login promt.

What is the output from
From the commandprompt?

Right when I enter it it just takes me right back to the promt without anyother text. It does the samething with

or

Just to be totally sure , Ubuntu also have a recovery mode.
Go for the recovery mode > go to root shell
type in the root shell ls /home
It gives you the exact users name

If you are not 100% sure of the password

passwd username
passwd thomas9 is the new password

I changed the password and I am still getting the 1-2 sec black screen then it goes to the login screen.

EDIT: any ideas?

I made a few calls and found a linux guy in the area that came out and looked at the computer. It took him less then 5 minutes to figure out what was wrong and to fix it.

There was a program that indexes files, including ones that are on usb devices. This is a communal computer so when people would plugin devices it would add them all to a database. The database was over 44gb in size. So he just deleted it and uninstalled the little program.