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**dibl** · Nov 17, 2007, 08:04 AM

Re: KDE does not start - please help!

Two causes of this problem that I am aware of:

1. Full filesystem.

2. Running the xserver-xgl package.

If it's not one of those, you'll probably have to study the log file and search for a solution to the error that is recorded there.

**piete** · Nov 18, 2007, 09:05 AM

Re: KDE does not start - please help!

Unfortunately, it is neither of those (I have almost 10GB disk space and I don't have xserver-xgl).

I have here the .xsession-errors file, which leaves me with more questions than answers but may reveal the solution for an experinced user:
-------------
Xsession: X session started for pekka at Sun Nov 18 06:59:35 BRST 2007
open: Permission denied
-------------
Ok, I understand that a user does not have rights to open some file (and that is why the root can start KDE). But which file? What is the script that I should be looking for? This must be easy for somebody but it is not for me, I already spent hours trying to figure out what has "broken" my KDE. Although this has been quite a frustrating experience, in the end I'm sure my Linux experience will have increased.

**cantab** · Nov 18, 2007, 10:16 AM

Re: KDE does not start - please help!

http://www.kubuntuforums.net/forums/...?topic=3088766

Having run X as root will likely have caused your system major breakage, specifically those permissions issues.

Your original problem may have been graphics drivers. If you are using the vesa driver (on some systems at least), it does not support changing the resolution, and will restart the X-server when you try. If KDE is trying to change resolution when you log in, this will cause the described behaviour.

The solution is to find the part of your /etc/X11/xorg.conf that looks something like this

Section "Device"
Identifier "nVidia Corporation NV11DDR [GeForce2 MX200]"
Boardname "nv"
Busid "PCI:2:10:0"
Driver "vesa"
Screen 0
EndSection

and change the driver to the specific one for your machine.

But since you've run X as root, you've probably broken it further.

**Rog131** · Nov 18, 2007, 11:28 AM

Re: KDE does not start - please help!

Before conclusions

#1 check what is wrong

When: "KDE startup screen bounces me back to it after I try to log in"

Then:
Press Ctrl + Alt + F1 (or F2...6). This should start virtual console.

Log in and:
Errors

Code:

:~$ cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep "(EE)"

Warnings

Code:

:~$ cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep "(WW)"

Links:
HOWTO : Repairing xorg.conf
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3082808.0

How to get started with no GUI
http://kubuntuforums.net/forums/inde...opic=3085112.0

**piete** · Nov 21, 2007, 11:14 AM

Re: KDE does not start - please help!

OK, it seems that my problem is a bit more complicated since none of the solutions mentioned here have worked for me. I did not have an idea that using root account could be that damaging, in Windows my account has always had administrator rights and I haven't been able to break the system. Surely this shouldn't be like this in Linux, either, I mean should the administrator (root) not to be able to do anything?

Which brings me back to the subject discussed earlier: Shouldn't there be a way to preserve the installed software doing a new install? Especially if there are so many reported problems doing the update. I mean, in Windows I at least know where I downloaded my stuff so that in case of clean install I can reinstall my software from the hard drive.

After a bit of googling I found the following link:

http://aptoncd.sourceforge.net/

I guess that being able to make at least a "personal repository" makes it a bit less laborious to make a clean install and if this is the best I can get I will give it a try (maybe first in a virtual machine). An additional problem is that I have R with its all packages, but I am already working on a solution with the R community...

Still it would be nice to know what originally caused the problem, I hadn't used KDE as root before the problem.

**dibl** · Nov 21, 2007, 12:29 PM

Re: KDE does not start - please help!

Originally posted by piete

OK, it seems that my problem is a bit more complicated since none of the solutions mentioned here have worked for me.

Sorry -- remote diagnosis of technical issues is an imperfect art form, for sure. BTW, what did the output of

Code:

cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | grep "(EE)"

give you -- any clues at all?

I did not have an idea that using root account could be that damaging, in Windows my account has always had administrator rights and I haven't been able to break the system. Surely this shouldn't be like this in Linux, either, I mean should the administrator (root) not to be able to do anything?

There's not much that you "learned" with Windows that is useful for Linux. The Linux "root" or "Super" user does indeed have vital functions, but running the X server is not one of them ...

After a bit of googling I found the following link:

http://aptoncd.sourceforge.net/

AFAIK, you have found the best available means to preserve your installed software "picture" for re-use in the event of a new OS installation.

Still it would be nice to know what originally caused the problem, I hadn't used KDE as root before the problem.

Yep -- I'm back to comment #1 above -- we don't like mysteries!

**Rog131** · Nov 21, 2007, 01:23 PM

Re: KDE does not start - please help!

About root

RootSudo
https://help.ubuntu.com/community/RootSudo

In Linux (and Unix in general), there is a superuser named root. The Windows analog of root is Administrator. The superuser can do anything and everything, and thus doing daily work as the superuser can be dangerous.

=> "By default, the root account password is locked in Ubuntu."

So:
Root is confusing and too technical for many users, so moving away from that will solve a key pain point for users.

I did not have an idea that using root account could be that damaging,

Is it ? It there real knowledge of using root in the K/X/Ubuntu ? Other than: It is official policy (Thou shall not ...)

**piete** · Dec 01, 2007, 07:03 PM

Re: KDE does not start - please help!

Hi all, still here. Been busy doing my schoolwork so haven't had time to reinstall, did just an install from Gutsy DVD on a Windows VirtualBox. Meanwhile I have been using my crippled Gutsy install with the prohibited "sudo startx", which enables me to run most of my programs (like KOctave and R's graphical frontend).

Which leads me to the next problem: after having succesfully created my personal repository with AptOnCd, is there a way to automatically install the packages without having to select them one by one from Adept or to type separately on Konsole (being close to 500 it would take time even with dependencies). Although I may have spent already more time looking for the solution, I'm still positive, should I have to reinstall again in the future, I will be better prepared. So far I have found two alternatives but I would really like to have an option to do it without external information.

The first solution would be doing dpkg --get-selections on my crippled installation and save the results for the new installation and do a dpkg --set-selections. This is what I may have to do but I would really like to know if there were "apt-get install all" variation.

The other "solution" was to do "sudo dpkg -i *.deb" in my personal repository package directory, but this has been a failure.

So I'm hoping somebody tells me the right syntax for "apt-get install all" that I just overlooked

Of course I know the risks of this command but since it is possible to do "sudo startx", why not this?

**SheeEttin** · Dec 01, 2007, 09:48 PM

Re: KDE does not start - please help!

In Adept, with only the CD packages being shown: Ctrl+A > Right-click > Install packages.
You should, of course, look at what changes will be made before you actually make the changes...

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