If you just killed X and kept running like that, init will try and
restart (x|k|g)dm periodically. You probably need to become root, then
type "init 3" to change to a runlevel where init won't try and restart
X. Then fix X (using XFDrake, Xconfigurator, XF86Config - in this order
preferably). If you can then start X again, try changin run-levels back
to 5, "init 5" as root, and if it works, all is well.
Buchan
paddock wrote:
>
> Hi, good folks!
>
> I apologize in advance for cluttering up the "Expert" list with stuff from a Newbie,
>but this is one I haven't a clue how to trace and solve.
>
> A couple of days ago, I was faced with what appeared to be a locked-up "X" ("kdm"
>from all evidence -- it's whatever Mandrake 7.1 installed for me), so I did the "X"
>3-finger salute of <ctrl><alt><backspace> and after 15 seconds (or so), I got to log
>back in. Ever since then (through several shutdowns, also, btw!), every 5 minutes, I
>get a string of the following in the syslog (I follow the log with "tail" to watch my
>firewall in action!):
>
> Oct 23 13:37:02 localhost kdm: extra arguments on command line:
> Oct 23 13:37:02 localhost kdm: "lang.sh-end"
> Oct 23 13:37:02 localhost kdm:
> Oct 23 13:37:03 localhost kdm: Can't lock pid file /var/run/xdm.pid, another xdm is
>running (pid 735)
> Oct 23 13:37:04 localhost kdm: extra arguments on command line:
> Oct 23 13:37:04 localhost kdm: "lang.sh-end"
> Oct 23 13:37:04 localhost kdm:
> Oct 23 13:37:04 localhost kdm: Can't lock pid file /var/run/xdm.pid, another xdm is
>running (pid 735)
> Oct 23 13:37:06 localhost kdm: extra arguments on command line:
> Oct 23 13:37:06 localhost kdm: "lang.sh-end"
> Oct 23 13:37:06 localhost kdm:
> Oct 23 13:37:06 localhost kdm: Can't lock pid file /var/run/xdm.pid, another xdm is
>running (pid 735)
> Oct 23 13:37:07 localhost kdm: extra arguments on command line:
> Oct 23 13:37:07 localhost kdm: "lang.sh-end"
> Oct 23 13:37:07 localhost kdm:
> Oct 23 13:37:07 localhost kdm: Can't lock pid file /var/run/xdm.pid, another xdm is
>running (pid 735)
> Oct 23 13:37:08 localhost kdm: extra arguments on command line:
> Oct 23 13:37:08 localhost kdm: "lang.sh-end"
> Oct 23 13:37:08 localhost kdm:
> Oct 23 13:37:08 localhost kdm: Can't lock pid file /var/run/xdm.pid, another xdm is
>running (pid 735)
> Oct 23 13:37:09 localhost kdm: extra arguments on command line:
> Oct 23 13:37:09 localhost kdm: "lang.sh-end"
> Oct 23 13:37:09 localhost kdm:
> Oct 23 13:37:09 localhost kdm: Can't lock pid file /var/run/xdm.pid, another xdm is
>running (pid 735)
> Oct 23 13:37:11 localhost kdm: extra arguments on command line:
> Oct 23 13:37:11 localhost kdm: "lang.sh-end"
> Oct 23 13:37:11 localhost kdm:
> Oct 23 13:37:11 localhost kdm: Can't lock pid file /var/run/xdm.pid, another xdm is
>running (pid 735)
> Oct 23 13:37:13 localhost kdm: extra arguments on command line:
> Oct 23 13:37:13 localhost kdm: "lang.sh-end"
> Oct 23 13:37:13 localhost kdm:
> Oct 23 13:37:13 localhost kdm: Can't lock pid file /var/run/xdm.pid, another xdm is
>running (pid 735)
> Oct 23 13:37:14 localhost kdm: extra arguments on command line:
> Oct 23 13:37:14 localhost kdm: "lang.sh-end"
> Oct 23 13:37:14 localhost kdm:
> Oct 23 13:37:14 localhost kdm: Can't lock pid file /var/run/xdm.pid, another xdm is
>running (pid 735)
> Oct 23 13:37:16 localhost kdm: extra arguments on command line:
> Oct 23 13:37:16 localhost kdm: "lang.sh-end"
> Oct 23 13:37:16 localhost kdm:
> Oct 23 13:37:16 localhost kdm: Can't lock pid file /var/run/xdm.pid, another xdm is
>running (pid 735)
> Oct 23 13:37:16 localhost init: Id "x" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes
>
> At this moment, doing
>
> ps -ef | grep [k]dm
>
> returns the following (spacing may not be accurate):
>
> root 735 1 0 12:04 ? 00:00:00 kdm lang-sh-end
> root 1798 735 0 12:10 ? 00:00:00 [kdm]
>
> I've tried killing various combinations of the pids mentioned (in this example,
>"735" and "1798"); this just gives me the opportunity to log in again and restart
>all my background stuff up again.
>
> I've tried putting a "SIGSTOP" on the what I deduce is the "child" (because of the
>parent pid
> not being "1"), but it just resumes itself (or something else resumes it) and 5
>minutes later I get another rash of the "Can't lock pid file" activity.
>
> Whew. Is there someone reading this who 1) knows what's going on; and 2) can tell
>me how to make it stop happening? I know I can stop it by reinstalling the OS, but
>this isn't the Redmond OS, one isn't supposed to have to reinstall for silliness like
>this!
>
> Apologies again, and TIA!
> --
> I hope you and yours are prospering!
> --Paddock -------------------
> Registered Linux user 190974 ( 2000-Oct-05 ).
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> Keep in touch with http://mandrakeforum.com:
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--
|--------------------------------------------------------------|
Buchan Milne Mechanical Engineer, Network Manager
Cellphone +27824722231
email mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]
Centre for Automotive Engineering http://www.cae.co.za
South Africas first satellite: http://sunsat.ee.sun.ac.za
Control Models http://www.control.co.za
|----------------Registered Linux User #182071-----------------|
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