Login problem after latest upgrade

[PJJ]

Upgraded 'saucy' kernel to latest version - 3.9.0-6.
Now I can no longer log in.
The login screen appears, shows username and accepts the (correct) password.
'Enter' results in a black screen with a brief message just flying by. I cannot red the entire message, but it is something like
"drm-enable. . . . panel too long to power on".

Thereafter the login prompt reappears.
Login in as guest has the same result.

I have not yet tried the rescue a broken system login nor have I used an installation disk to repair the broken 'saucy' installation, because I have no idea what could cause this problem and therefore how to fix it.

Does anyone know what could cause this and how to repair it?

[oshunluvr]

Try logging in the text terminal and killing your display manager and then start X directly. If it fails, you'll be able to see the error messages. If it works, you might be looking at a problem with the display manager.

[oshunluvr]

Also, make sure your home partition isn't full.

[PJJ]

Only 43% full.
Will try your other suggestion later.

[NoWorries]

Only 435 full.
Will try your other suggestion later.

While you are in the text mode it might be worthwhile to see if anything is wrong with the packages by entering:

sudo dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get install -f

After this you could try an apt-get update followed by an apt-get dist-upgrade. Hope you get your system up and runnning without too much difficulty.

[PJJ]

Try logging in the text terminal and killing your display manager and then start X directly. If it fails, you'll be able to see the error messages. If it works, you might be looking at a problem with the display manager.

Logged in, tried to start X directly. Did not work, no error messages.
Tried dpkg-reconfigure lightdm
Did not work because 'something wicked happened'.

Tried reinstallation of lightdm - same error.
Tried installation kdm - same error.

Stuck!

Looks like it is looking and cannot find a specific entry in the sources.list in order to download/reinstall the above.

Stop lightdm results in a black screen.
Other recovery options also failed.
It appears that the Xserver is not working - at least that was one of the messages.

[Snowhog]

There is/was an issue when upgrading, where KDM was the DM, and it was being replaced with LightDM. Basically, it removed KDM, which is actually required for LightDM.

Boot to the command line prompt (no desktop). Run:

sudo apt-get install kdm

Then:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure kdm

and ensure that KDM is the desktop manager. Reboot and ensure that you can get to the Desktop normally. Once there, if you desire/want LightDM, install it normally.

[NoWorries]

Did not work because 'something wicked happened'.

Tried reinstallation of lightdm - same error.
Tried installation kdm - same error.

For what its worth, the last time I saw 'something wicked happened' I had no network connection. Are you sure that you have network connection?

[PJJ]

. . .
Boot to the command line prompt (no desktop). Run:

sudo apt-get install kdm

Then:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure kdm

and ensure that KDM is the desktop manager. Reboot and ensure that you can get to the Desktop normally. Once there, if you desire/want LightDM, install it normally.

Thank you for the assistance.

I tried that and did not get anywhere. Apparently my sources.list is now missing an essential entry for one of the 'iniverse' or multiverse' sites.

Can you please post a functioning sources.list for 13.10?
Thank you.

PS: I will try to get the one from 13.04 and modify it. But I am nbot sure whether it will work.

[PJJ]

Looks like a messed up my 13.10 installation for good.

File system is read-only.
Since I cannot log in, I cannot get a network connection to update system. Correct, that's why "something wicked happened".

dpkg --configure -a does not work. File system read-only.

Tried to change read-only status - without success because: File system read-only.

I also found this error message:
kde-workspace not installed.

Cannot install because I can not get a network connection from the command line.
How would I do that, please?

The sources.list errors are mainly due to the missing network connection.
I could restore the sources.list file, if I knew how to change the attributes from read-only to standard. Error for 'chmod': read-only file system.

Now what?

[oshunluvr]

If you boot into Recovery mode, and then select "File System Check" it will run the fsck then put you back to the Recovery menu. This time, select Root access and it will log you in as root with a r/w file system. You won't be able to get a wifi connection without a desktop. Any way you can plug in ethernet?

[NoWorries]

If you are able to restore your system with an Ethernet connection, you may find it useful to disable KDE Wallet. You can do this with System Settings > Account Details > KDE Wallet and then uncheck the box titled "Enable the KDE wallet subsystem" followed by Apply. I do this before connecting to my Wireless router.

When you connect to your wireless router, make sure that in the Network Connection you have the boxes checked for "Connect automatically" and "System Connection".

If you have to do a re-installation and you do not have an Ethernet connection but a wireless connection, make sure that you connect to the wireless router before starting the installation. I have found that after the installation, the system will connect to the wireless router.

Hope you are successful as this is a great system to use.

[PJJ]

If you are able to restore your system with an Ethernet connection, you may find it useful to disable KDE Wallet. You can do this with System Settings > Account Details > KDE Wallet and then uncheck the box titled "Enable the KDE wallet subsystem" followed by Apply. I do this before connecting to my Wireless router.

KDE wallet is disabled. I hate it!
Since I am using library wifi a connction is established automatically - but will not allow connections to outside servers until terms of service are accepted. Cannot get the required screen on the command line.
When you connect to your wireless router, make sure that in the Network Connection you have the boxes checked for "Connect automatically" and "System Connection".

If you have to do a re-installation and you do not have an Ethernet connection but a wireless connection, make sure that you connect to the wireless router before starting the installation. I have found that after the installation, the system will connect to the wireless router.

Hope you are successful as this is a great system to use.

I may have to drive all the way to the SM library to get the ethernet connection. Most likely easiest way to solve the problem.

13.10 was great and working just fine until I got myself into trouble again.

I believe I know what caused it:
Error message about duplication of certain source entries. Tried to find the duplicates. Believed I found them (2 entries), deleted them, used raring sources updated to saucy as new sources.list file.

That's when the login problem started.

I am convinced that if I could get a valid 'saucy' sources file and substitute it for the existing faulty file, the problem would solve itself. Unfortunately, since the file system is r/o I cannot delete and replace sources.list file.

As a positive effect I learned a lot about aptitude by finding qa special setup/modifications screen that would be most helpful - if my system were not r/o!
Did not know that this feature even exists.

[PJJ]

If you boot into Recovery mode, and then select "File System Check" it will run the fsck then put you back to the Recovery menu. This time, select Root access and it will log you in as root with a r/w file system. You won't be able to get a wifi connection without a desktop. Any way you can plug in ethernet?

No, no ethernet unless I drive 30 miles to the Santa MOnica library and plu in there.
Did the filecheck successfully a few days ago.
Root access gives me r/o system only. Aptitude (I believe) claims that some system updates are in progress. But I do not see any.

[oshunluvr]

You have to go through the recovery menu twice to get r/w access. If you're doing that and it's still r/o, you have larger problems.