Can't login after updating

[spearx]

I recently did a clean install on an Asus F3 laptop. All was fine until I updated packages through Adept. There were two broken files, one was for kernel headers...can't remember the other. Could this have lead to my inability to login? It would verify my password and then cycle back to the login screen.

[dibl]

Re: Can't login after updating

I think it's a broken x server -- I've had that before.

Do Ctrl-Alt-F1, and login to the (dreaded) command-line interface, aka console.

Set up a basic VESA GUI as follows:

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

this starts a configuration script. If your original installation successfully detected and configured your graphics chip, then on the first screen you can choose "yes" to auto-detect, and then the second screen should come up with the correct driver highlighted, and you can just accept that. Proceed through the script accepting defaults, unless you have a specialized keyboard or mouse, and then when you get to the monitor section, choose the resolutions and refresh rate that was working before.

When the script completes, it will dump you back to the command line. Type

startx

and it should present you with a GUI login that actually works.

Good luck!