Michael Milliman: > On 02/23/2017 10:47 AM, Dan Norton wrote: >> While playing around with Xfce, startx, and fvwm I've managed to >> clobber something such that the user can't log in. All attempts result >> in a fresh login box with my inputs removed. However, it is still >> possible to log in as root. >> fvwm was installed using Synaptic and run from an Xfce terminal >> session. When it did not produce the expected result, I shut down and >> rebooted. At this point it was no longer possible to log in as user - >> only as root. >> >> Do I have to rename /home/<user>, delete <user>, then re-define it as >> a new user and restore its home directory? >> Or is there a better way? > It should be possible to do some serious research and figure out exactly > which package is croaking, and why, and then edit the configuration file > for that package in /home/<user>. But in my experience with similar > situations, this takes much more time than it is worth. I have found > that usually just deleting the configuration files in /home/<user> will > work. This is probably easier than the solution that you propose, but > your solution should work as well, as long as you don't copy back the > configuration files when you do the restore.
Encouraged by the previous brave response, I have done similar hacks in the past. 1 One thing I look at is date ordered of @home/ directory. See what was last edited and reconfigured, most probably is the culprit. With some packages renaming that directory in the home folder as something else temporary (ie home/gnubg --> home/gnubg.tmp may result into a login and when you run gnubg it will act as started for first time -- not a good example I am afraid). 1.1 It may be more than one thing gone bad. 2 Create a new user, copy config files that you don't suspect are related to the problem and then go one at a time with the rest. 3 See if the file and directory rights are still in tact in your #home, maybe you locked yourself out. Root should always have the right to set a new password for a user. 4 Are you switching between desktops, do you have an alternative (openbox .. gnome .. mate ..etc). Did you try a different desktop? It may relate to desktop settings or if you removed one you may have affected an other in case you were crossing desktop specific packages. 5 Check your autostart folders for crap you can remove. >> Thanks, >> - Dan > -- "The most violent element in society is ignorance" rEG
