KDE is unable to start

[Sandman1983]

When i try to log into Kubuntu it shows a message saying "No write access to home/user/.ICEauthority
KDE is unable to start" and then another one saying "Could not start ksmserver. Check your instalation" Any suggestions how to solve this problem? By the way which one is better Ubuntu or Kubuntu?

[dibl]

Re: KDE is unable to start

You have made the mistake of performing some root operation, or running the X server as root, from your user's home folder, resulting in the permissions on that file being changed to root. To restore them, at the command line you need to stop the X server:

sudo service kdm stop

then delete the two files that are likely "contaminated":

sudo rm /home/Sandman1983/.ICEauthority

sudo rm /home/Sandman1983/.Xauthority

then restart the X server:

sudo service kdm start

log in, and you should be OK. But don't run the X server with "sudo", and don't save files in your user's folder when running as root.


Ubuntu or Kubuntu? Hmmm, what's the name of this forum again?

[askrieger]

Re: KDE is unable to start

dibl has answered your first question, so I'll address the second.

Which one is better? That depends on you. The diference between Kubuntu and Ubuntu is in the "desktop environment" (a suite of programs designed to use a particular set of graphics libraries for their graphical user interface). KDE and Gnome differ in "look and feel". Some people like one and some, the other. Try them both (if you have room on your machine). Use your favorite package manager (mine is synaptic, which is a Gnome app) to install "ubuntu-desktop" and give it a try.

Another point is that if (in the course of trying them out) you find that there's a Gnome app that you really must have even if you like KDE better, just install it. It will work under KDE. Of course, the same is true if there are some KDE apps that you can't live without even though you like Gnome better in general.

[Sandman1983]

Re: KDE is unable to start

Thanks guys for your answers