KDM fails to offer login screen on boot

[kzollman]

Hello.

My apologies if this has already been dealt with, but I haven't found a similar problem. On boot sometimes, but not always, kdm starts and shows the initial splash screen with a little harddrive icon and then just sits there without presenting the login/password screen. I can switch to a text tty (is that what it's called?) and restart kdm. When I do this it immediately brings up the login screen as usual.

I'm running 64-bit kubuntu on a dell laptop. I've checked /var/log/messages, /var/log/kdm.log. and /var/log/Xorg.0.log, but nothing looks out of the ordinary there. Is there somewhere else I might check to see what's going on?

Thanks for your help!

best,
kevin

[oshunluvr]

Re: KDM fails to offer login screen on boot

Look at kdm.log.1 also. Another way to get a better look at what's going on is to boot into text mode, then launch kdm manually as root. Then return to the text console and look at the output.

[kzollman]

Re: KDM fails to offer login screen on boot

My appologies for the long delay in responding. The problem is, this error never seems to occur when I manually start kde, only on a regular boot. It had not happened for sometime, but just happened again today. I've included my kde.log file here. It looks like kdmgreet is failing. Is this the problem? Where might I go to find out why?

Here's kde.log

 
ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log

X.Org X Server 1.6.4
Release Date: 2009-9-27
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-23-server x86_64 Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux kzollman-laptop 2.6.31-20-generic #57-Ubuntu SMP Mon Feb 8 09:02:26 UTC 2010 x86_64
Kernel command line: root=UUID=f1c92435-3a80-4fab-a28f-c15fbf4c9826 ro elevator=noop quiet splash 
Build Date: 14 November 2009 05:48:57PM
xorg-server 2:1.6.4-2ubuntu4.1 (buildd@) 
	Before reporting problems, check [url]http://wiki.x.org[/url]
	to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
	(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Fri Mar 12 16:55:54 2010
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"
The XKEYBOARD keymap compiler (xkbcomp) reports:
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
Errors from xkbcomp are not fatal to the X server
The XKEYBOARD keymap compiler (xkbcomp) reports:
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Duplicate shape name ""
>          Using last definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
> Warning:     Multiple doodads named ""
>          Using first definition
Errors from xkbcomp are not fatal to the X server
kdmgreet: Fatal IO error: client killed
XIO: fatal IO error 11 (Resource temporarily unavailable) on X server ":0.0"
   after 295 requests (292 known processed) with 0 events remaining.
 ddxSigGiveUp: Closing log

X.Org X Server 1.6.4
Release Date: 2009-9-27
X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
Build Operating System: Linux 2.6.24-23-server x86_64 Ubuntu
Current Operating System: Linux kzollman-laptop 2.6.31-20-generic #57-Ubuntu SMP Mon Feb 8 09:02:26 UTC 2010 x86_64
Kernel command line: root=UUID=f1c92435-3a80-4fab-a28f-c15fbf4c9826 ro elevator=noop quiet splash 
Build Date: 14 November 2009 05:48:57PM
xorg-server 2:1.6.4-2ubuntu4.1 (buildd@) 
	Before reporting problems, check [url]http://wiki.x.org[/url]
	to make sure that you have the latest version.
Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
	(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
	(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
(==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Sat Mar 13 10:33:06 2010
(==) Using config file: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf"

[oshunluvr]

Re: KDM fails to offer login screen on boot

kdmgreet can fail if your theme is invalid. Are you using a different theme than the default?

[kzollman]

Re: KDM fails to offer login screen on boot

I don't think I'm using a non-default theme. But in any case, it only fails occasionally. One would think if the theme was invalid it would be every boot, not just sometimes.

[doctordruidphd]

Re: KDM fails to offer login screen on boot

If you can get into kde, goto SystemSettings > Advanced > LoginManager > General tab

and uncheck the "themed greeter" box.

My guess is that's not it, though. If it fails only occasionally, it might be related to X or a video driver not starting properly, and not kde itself. But it's worth a try.