[SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

linux_user · 2017-03-30 17:42:31

I do not know what happened, the computer was stuck while I was browsing and since it didn't respond I restarted the system pressing the reset button.

Now in the log in screen, I entered the username and password and hit enter, the screen turned blank for a second as if it's proceeding to the desktop but then it just shows the log in screen again. Multiple attempts failed.

No mention about incorrect username, passwords or any such info is displayed. Just a fresh new log in screen.

Last edited by linux_user (2017-03-31 14:50:05)

linux_user · 2017-03-30 17:58:21

I am not sure if BL uses lightdm. Do you think the first answer here will work? http://askubuntu.com/questions/223501/u … login-loop

damo · 2017-03-30 18:16:58

BL does use lightdm. Be careful about any guides you see for ubuntu - ubuntu is not Debian Stable.

Can you start a tty (C-A-F1) and log in that way? If so, try to get a desktop with

startx

If you get a complaint about the X server then do

sudo systemctl stop lightdm.service

startx

linux_user · 2017-03-30 18:38:19

damo wrote:

BL does use lightdm. Be careful about any guides you see for ubuntu - ubuntu is not Debian Stable.
Can you start a tty (C-A-F1) and log in that way? If so, try to get a desktop with
startx
If you get a complaint about the X server then do
sudo systemctl stop lightdm.service

startx

I am able to log in using tty.

startx

gives me an error about X server even after

sudo systemctl stop lightdm.service

This is the error,

xinit: giving u p
xinit: unable to connect to X server: Connection refused
xinit: server error

Please note that before anyone replied, i did try two of the commands mentioned in the askubuntu page.

chown toor:toor .Xauthority

dpkg-reconfigure lightdm

Not sure if that's done the damage.

Last edited by linux_user (2017-03-30 18:47:23)

Horizon_Brave · 2017-03-30 19:14:39

When you were intitially 'browsing' did you make any updates changes to your graphical setup? Updated drivers or something?

Damo/HoaS, would it be advisable to re-install X?

Linux_User can you provide the output of:
sudo systemctl status lightdm.service

This is my output:

sudo systemctl status lightdm.service

● lightdm.service - Light Display Manager
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/lightdm.service; enabled; vendor preset: enabled)
   Active: active (running) since Thu 2017-03-30 12:34:41 EDT; 2h 35min ago
     Docs: man:lightdm(1)
 Main PID: 517 (lightdm)
    Tasks: 5 (limit: 4915)
   CGroup: /system.slice/lightdm.service
           ├─517 /usr/sbin/lightdm
           └─533 /usr/lib/xorg/Xorg :0 -seat seat0 -auth /var/run/lightdm/root/:0 -nolisten tcp vt7 -novtswitch

Mar 30 12:34:41 kingcaesar systemd[1]: Starting Light Display Manager...
Mar 30 12:34:41 kingcaesar systemd[1]: Started Light Display Manager.
Mar 30 12:34:41 kingcaesar lightdm[517]: Error getting user list from org.freedesktop.Accounts: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DB
Mar 30 12:34:42 kingcaesar lightdm[620]: Error getting user list from org.freedesktop.Accounts: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DB
Mar 30 12:34:42 kingcaesar lightdm[620]: pam_unix(lightdm-greeter:session): session opened for user lightdm by (uid=0)
Mar 30 15:09:54 kingcaesar lightdm[1664]: Error getting user list from org.freedesktop.Accounts: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.D
Mar 30 15:09:54 kingcaesar lightdm[1664]: pam_unix(lightdm:session): session opened for user kingcaesar by (uid=0)

damo · 2017-03-30 19:16:42

Until @HoaS gets here (!) let's try booting without the display manager. In the tty do

systemctl set-default multi-user.target

Log in, then try

sudo systemctl start lightdm.service

This should start the desktop on tty7 (C-A-F7). If everything is OK, then to boot to a graphical login next time do

systemctl set-default graphical.target

linux_user · 2017-03-30 19:44:19

Horizon_Brave wrote:

When you were intitially 'browsing' did you make any updates changes to your graphical setup? Updated drivers or something?

I had done sudo apt update and sudo apt upgrade. There were some updates happening, but not sure what.

Horizon_Brave wrote:

Linux_User can you provide the output of:
sudo systemctl status lightdm.service

I am literally typing this output from my system. So forgive any nonfatal typos.

toor@linux:~$ sudo systemctl status lightdm.serice -l
● lightdm.service - Light Display Manager
   Loaded: loaded (/lib/systemd/system/lightdm.service; enabled
   Active: active (running) since Fri 2017-03-31 00:49:10 IST; 40s ago
     Docs: man:lightdm(1)
 Process: 580 ExecStartPre=/bin/sh -c [ "$(cat /etc/x11 default-display-manager 2>/dev/null)" = "/usr/sbin/lightdm" ] (code=excited, status=0/SUCCESS)
  Main PID: 586 (lightdm)
  CGroup: /system.slice/lighhtdm.service
               ├─586 /usr/sbin/lightdm
               └─606 /usr/bin/X :0 -seat seat0 -auth /var/run/lightdm/root/:0 -nolisten tcp vt7 -novtswitch
               └─735 lightdm --session-child 13 20

Mar 31 00:49:10 linux systemd [1]: Started Light Display Manager.
Mar 31 00:49:10 linux lightdm [586]: ** (lightdm:586): WARNING **: Error getting user list from org.freedestktop.Accounts: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.SericeUnknown: The name org.freedesktop.Accounts was not provided by as .service files
Mar 31 00:49:19 linux lightdm [586]: ** (process:681): WARNING **: Error getting user list from org.freedestktop.Accounts: GDBus.Error:org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.SericeUnknown: The name org.freedesktop.Accounts was not provided by as .service files
Mar 31 00:49:19 linux lightdm [681]: pam_unix(lightdm-greeter:session): session opened for user lightdm by (uid=0)
toor@linux:~$

Last edited by damo (2017-03-30 20:30:39)

linux_user · 2017-03-30 19:51:07

damo wrote:

Until @HoaS gets here (!) let's try booting without the display manager. In the tty do
systemctl set-default multi-user.target

By tty you mean tty1 right?

toor@linux:~$ systemctl set-default multi-user.target
Failed to set default target: Access denied

damo · 2017-03-30 20:16:35

^ Use 'sudo', sorry.

There are many tty's. TTY1 is accessed with C-A-F1, TTY2 with C-A-F2 etc. (Search for "getty unix", for example)

And again, would you please use [ code ] tags, not [ quote ]?

Have you got lightdm-gtk-greeter installed? Have you edited the lightdm configs?

Last edited by damo (2017-03-30 20:57:33)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-03-30 20:56:33

linux_user wrote:

I restarted the system pressing the reset button

Oh dear, that can cause filesystem corruption and data loss — in future try <Ctrl>+<Alt>+F2 to get to a console (TTY) screen and log in from there to effect a reboot (or analysis & remedial action) from the command line.

linux_user wrote:

the screen turned blank for a second as if it's proceeding to the desktop but then it just shows the log in screen again

Hmmm, perhaps your filesystem is corrupted or missing some data...

Have you checked /var/log/lightdm/lightdm.log?

The systemd journal is also useful for this sort of thing:

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/ … stemd-logs

BLizgreat! · 2017-03-31 01:44:53

Like Hoas is saying, from tty2 alt+control+f2. Login and try

 sudo dpkg --configure -a

You said an upgrade was ongoing, no doubt dpkg will be throwing a fit after being interrupted.

Still giving you headaches afterwards, try "sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm" again too. Btw what user is toor ? All else fails to this point, could try removing lightdm and reinstalling it.

Last edited by BLizgreat! (2017-03-31 01:47:33)

linux_user · 2017-03-31 05:37:34

BLwillbegreat! wrote:

Btw what user is toor ?

Toor is my username. It's not a root.

BLwillbegreat! wrote:

You said an upgrade was ongoing, no doubt dpkg will be throwing a fit after being interrupted.

An upgrade wasn't going on when the system frooze. An update had happened and was completely over long back before the system froze. It was in the same login session. Hence mentioned.

damo wrote:

^ Use 'sudo', sorry.

Using with sudo help me create a target, started lightdm

sudo systemctl start lightdm.service

But still I wan't able to log in from tty7. The same experience. Hence set to graphical log in back again (systemctl set-default graphical.target).

damo wrote:

Have you got lightdm-gtk-greeter installed? Have you edited the lightdm configs?

I don't remembering installing it explicitly. When I searched for anything with lightdm or greeter,

dpkg -L lightdm<tab>
dpkg -L greeter<tab>

it only gives a beep.
And I haven't edited lightdm configs.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Oh dear, that can cause filesystem corruption and data loss — in future try <Ctrl>+<Alt>+F2 to get to a console (TTY) screen and log in from there to effect a reboot (or analysis & remedial action) from the command line.

I honestly didn't know about that. Reset button worked with windows and thought it'll help with linux too. Will try tty2 in future.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Have you checked /var/log/lightdm/lightdm.log?

I did. It doesn't look like it's showing any errors. I am trying to add those lines here somehow cos I am using a different system to talk to you all. I'll try to copy the log file to a USB stick, open it in this comp and share the output. But then this is a Windows output, hence not sure if it'll open .log files. Will try in notepad.

BLwillbegreat! wrote:

Like Hoas is saying, from tty2 alt+control+f2. Login and try
sudo dpkg --configure -a

After executing that code, I get the prompt again on the very next line: no output, but cannot log in the GUI desktop in tty7 or even after rebooting.

This is the same with

sudo dpkg-reconfigure lightdm

I think removing lightdm and reinstalling is a step I'd like to explore. Can you tell me what configurations/settings will I loose when I reinstall lightdm?

Last edited by linux_user (2017-03-31 05:42:14)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-03-31 06:27:54

linux_user wrote:

not sure if it'll open .log files. Will try in notepad

Notepad should work fine, lightdm.log is just a text file

Alternatively, you could use pastebinit from your BL system (log in to TTY2):

sudo apt install pastebinit
cat /var/log/lightdm/lightdm.log | pastebinit

This should generate a URL that can be posted here.

From a TTY2 login, does this work:

sudo systemctl isolate multi-user.target
rm ~/.Xauthority
startx

linux_user · 2017-03-31 06:51:09

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Alternatively, you could use pastebinit from your BL system (log in to TTY2):
sudo apt install pastebinit
cat /var/log/lightdm/lightdm.log | pastebinit
This should generate a URL that can be posted here.

Apparently now the log files is empty. Completely empty. Too strange

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

From a TTY2 login, does this work:
sudo systemctl isolate multi-user.target
rm ~/.Xauthority
startx

It doesn't work. Shows the same server error as before. But then I noticed something else among the text that was generated before displaying the Server error. Something that said,

Can't generate (something). No sapce left?

So I went ahead and uninstalled some apps (gimp, openscad etc..) and ran

startx

And voila! I went into my usual desktop. When I logged out, I was back to tty. Rebooted from there, and I was able to log in directly to desktop after the reboot.

Thank you all. Seems so far so good. Perhaps I could have fixed it last night itself had I noticed the "No space error". It doesn't appear after the output, or on the same page when the server error is shown. It just comes in the beginning while the process is going on, and the screen scrolls down. I was very lucky to note it this time. Guess, I owe damo an apology.

After reboot, I have the GUI log in screen and can log in to the usual desktop. Do I still have to run this code?

systemctl set-default graphical.target

Last edited by linux_user (2017-03-31 07:33:38)

damo · 2017-03-31 14:19:22

linux_user wrote:

....Do I still have to run this code?
systemctl set-default graphical.target

You do if you want to boot to a graphical login (NB use sudo).

Glad you got it fixed - check the size of your package cache (in /var), it may need clearing out. Check the size of any logfiles, .Xsession-errors, downloads etc.

linux_user · 2017-03-31 14:47:26

damo wrote:

You do if you want to boot to a graphical login (NB use sudo).

I am already in a graphical log in.

damo wrote:

Glad you got it fixed - check the size of your package cache (in /var), it may need clearing out. Check the size of any logfiles, .Xsession-errors, downloads etc.

My cache folder (/var/cache/) is 1.2 GB. The apt folder alone (/var/cache/apt/) is 1 GB. I am thinking of using

root: aptitude clean

Will it a bad idea?

Last edited by linux_user (2017-03-31 14:49:12)

damo · 2017-03-31 15:31:16

Some reading for you:
https://wiki.debian.org/FreeSpace
https://wiki.debian.org/ReduceDebian

Horizon_Brave · 2017-03-31 15:52:18

Glad you figured it out linux_user! If he would have had /var mounted on a separate partition would this still have happened?

damo · 2017-03-31 16:09:16

1.2GB for /var seems doesn't seem too excessive - mine is nearly 12GB!

#1 2017-03-30 17:42:31

[SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#2 2017-03-30 17:58:21

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#3 2017-03-30 18:16:58

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#4 2017-03-30 18:38:19

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#5 2017-03-30 19:14:39

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#6 2017-03-30 19:16:42

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#7 2017-03-30 19:44:19

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#8 2017-03-30 19:51:07

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#9 2017-03-30 20:16:35

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#10 2017-03-30 20:56:33

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#11 2017-03-31 01:44:53

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#12 2017-03-31 05:37:34

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#13 2017-03-31 06:27:54

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#14 2017-03-31 06:51:09

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#15 2017-03-31 14:19:22

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#16 2017-03-31 14:47:26

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#17 2017-03-31 15:31:16

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#18 2017-03-31 15:52:18

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

#19 2017-03-31 16:09:16

Re: [SOLVED] Unable to log in. Stuck in a log in loop.

Board footer