Can't Login

**terox13** · 01-01-2008

The weirdest thing just happened to me. I was browsing with Iceweasel and I clicked on a site about changing your screen resolution. Right when I clicked on the link it existed out of the browser and all my desktop icons and menu icons turned weird and discolored. I couldn't do anything so I logged out. Now when I try and log back in it accepts my username and password and acts like it's logging in but it just goes back to the login screen. I also noticed this error now when I boot up Debian: ALERT exim paniclog /var/log/exim4/paniclog has non-zero size, mail system possible broken. I don't know if this has anything to do with it. I think the problem might be related to the fact I just installed a bunch of KDE updates. I also changed my default login from Gnome to KDE. Is there any way to change the default back in the console?

**devils casper** · 01-01-2008

Highlight Debian title in GRUB Menu and press 'e'. Select kernel line and press 'e' again. Type single and hit Enter key. Press 'b'. Debian will boot up in Single User Mode.

e -- select kernel line -- e -- type single -- hit Enter key -- b

Execute this

Code:

dpkg-reconfigure gdm

Select gdm and execute this

Code:

shutdown -r now

Machine will reboot.

In case it doesn't work, boot up in Single User Mode again and execute this

Code:

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Configure display settings and execute shutdown command to reboot machine.

**terox13** · 01-01-2008

I executed both of those commands, but now when I boot up it says it cannot start the xserver. I look at the details and it says that it can't detect a screen. I'm using a laptop so I don't know if that has anything to do with it. It auto-detected my screen in the xserver configuration.

**terox13** · 01-02-2008

A little more information: I'm dual booting windows xp and debian on a Dell Inspiron E1705. My graphics card is ATI Mobility Radeon X1400. When I configure the xserver, it says it can't detect a video card and I have to select one manually. If I select ati and reboot then it says failed to start the x server. However if I select vesa and reboot the login screen comes up, but everything is in weird characters and is definitely messed up. I've been reading the other posts about this error but they don't seem to help me. I would post my /var/log/Xorg.0.log but it is really really really long.

**devils casper** · 01-02-2008

I think you have upgraded Kernel and new kernel is not supporting your existing ATI driver. You have to install ATI driver again.
Boot up in single user mode and check the contents of /boot/grub/menu.lst file.
Does it have multiple kernel entries?

**terox13** · 01-02-2008

Yes it does:
title: Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-5-686

and then another entry for the single-user mode, and then

title: Debian GNU/Linux, kernel 2.6.18-4-686

and then another entry for the single-user mode.
How would I reinstall my ATI driver?

**devils casper** · 01-03-2008

Boot up in Single User Mode and execute this

Code:

dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg

Select vesa driver in Drivers list and reboot machine. It will set minimal GUI. Download and install ATI driver again.

**terox13** · 01-03-2008

How would I do this if I can't use my browser or anything. Could I get it off windows and then use a memory key to put it on Linux, and then install it from there? If so how would I do that.

**devils casper** · 01-03-2008

Just boot up in Single User Mode as suggested in post #2 and execute dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg command. Select 'vesa' driver in Drivers list. GUI will work on reboot but it will not as good as ATI. Install ATI driver again.

**terox13** · 01-03-2008

Yes, I understand that but the GUI doesn't work with vesa. The login screen is all weird characters and I can't type or do anything. Is there a way I could install the driver from the console?

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