boot problems - help!

[ajpc888]

Hello!

New to the forums, and desperate for help!

Been running kubuntu (fiesty?) for a few months no problems. Got the new update a wk ago with no problems.

Today the only thing I did different (I have dual boot with xp) was try to plug it in to my tv and dual screen it with no luck with my shortcut keys. So i booted it up in xp and it dual screened fine.

went to load it back up in kubuntu and it hangs at the
'starting k display manager: kdm.' and 'running local boot sripts etc/rc.local' as ok
then it hangs as a dotted underscore. it's not frozen it just won't progress.

The whole screen sort of flashes and some other stuff happens i can't explain with the monitor displaying things,this happens twice. but goes back to that screen.

I've tried rebooting and nothing different. rebooted in XP and it came up just fine.

Tried recovery mode - it asked for gallifrey login and password and i dont know what to type there i tried admin and root and my normal login name with the admin passwords and nothing.

bearing in mind that i got someone else to install kubuntu for me, and that i have very little knowledge of the terminal etc, could someone please help me fix my computer! I need it for school and am worrying a lot.

Thankyou so much for taking the time to read!

[jankushka]

Re: boot problems - help!

it seems that the configuration of your graphics server got screwed.

booting in recovery mode should get you straight in as system administrator.
if the boot process stops to ask you a password, it can only be the root password.
and it means that the person that installed the system for you enabled the root user account, which is disabled by default on ubuntu systems.
it will say something like: "Enter root password or ctrl-d to continue"...
this is a very wise thing to do, btw.
provided, however, that you know the password that was set.
otherwise "recovery mode" is unusable.
you should please confirm that this is what's happening...

not everything's lost, though.
try the following, please:
- boot in "regular" mode
- when you get to the kdm (even if it doesn't start properly) try hitting ctrl-alt-f1
- see if you get to a black and white terminal login screen
- if you do, then log in with your regular username and password
- then enter the following command

sudo dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

- answer the questions and pick the right driver for your graphics card
- restart your system

if you're unsure as to what's the right driver for you, the "vesa" driver is a generic driver that works for almost anything.
it should at least allow to get you going...

hth

[ajpc888]

Re: boot problems - help!

hey,

i booted up and got to kdm

did the same screen flashing etc during this process

hit ctrl alt f1 and it came up asking for gallifrey login again (loginn and then password)

i tried default, root, admin, my name, administrator.

nothing

it says 'ubuntu 8.04 gallifrey tty1' if that means anything to anyone...

[ajpc888]

Re: boot problems - help!

ALRIGHT!

*pulls up sleeves*

after hours of research on the net i got to this page here:
http://ubuntuforums.org/showthread.php?t=7967

booted up and hung at the place i told you

typed in 'sudo passwd root' and set a new root password

then i rebooted and it LOADED MAGICALLY!?!


Now can someone PLZ tell me how exactly i solved my own problem by pwd resetting @_@

[jankushka]

Re: boot problems - help!

well, you told me you were unable to log in.
so i was trying to get you to log in.
instead, it looks as if you were able to log in, after all.
in fact, it looks as if you already were logged in.
you can't enter any commands if you aren't.

anybody here could have instructed you to reset the root password
with the "sudo passwd root" command.

anyway...

all well what ends well.

so, is your system up and running with all its graphics alright, then?

[ajpc888]

Re: boot problems - help!

yes it seems so for the moment, but will know when i reboot later today


thankyou so much for your help and being so prompt!!!