Couldn't get into GUI

[newbie000]

hello everyone

i am new to linux, reading some books about unix systems but i come to problem and don't know how to handle

is it possible to repair my debian/squeeze with a help of live dvd and/or setup dvd?

the only thing i can use is console, couldn't launch gui, but the problem is i can remove packages but can't apt-get
packages (getting errors)
so right now the only shot i got is live debian dvd and setup dvd debian

last thing i was doing yesterday that probably caused: removed some process

[fanderal]

Welcome!

is it possible to repair my debian/squeeze with a help of live dvd and/or setup dvd?

Yes, its possible. It may also be possible to repair it without the DVD. But without knowing the changes you made, the GUI-related pkgs you may have deleted, and unable to install pkgs with apt-get... the easiest solution might be to reinstall the system.

However, if you can get online and want to give it a try, repairing the system is an option.


To test online access, enter:

 sudo ping -c 4 www.debian.org

If you get a repeating response like this you have online access:

PING www.debian.org (128.31.0.51) 56(84) bytes of data.
64 bytes from senfl.debian.org (128.31.0.51): icmp_req=1 ttl=43 time=88.2 ms
64 bytes from senfl.debian.org (128.31.0.51): icmp_req=2 ttl=43 time=88.3 ms
64 bytes from senfl.debian.org (128.31.0.51): icmp_req=3 ttl=43 time=88.4 ms
64 bytes from senfl.debian.org (128.31.0.51): icmp_req=4 ttl=43 time=88.3 ms

[newbie000]

hi again,
now im unable to use console properly so only dvd burned before and
SystemRescueCd on usb stick i find thanks to google.

on same harddisk also there is win7 - and i see some errors in win7 too, since i was trying to fix linux

now i can't get into console ask me for root password for maintenace, and output with: Login Incorrect
i find rescue.iso for debian, wanted to burn it on dvd _ but now my burning device don't work
if i boot win7 i mostly dont have working mouse, and i need to unplug it from the usb port and after that it works

tried SystemRescueCd, put it on usb stick

here is part of output if i try to launch installed linux from SystemRescueCD
File/sbin/init found on device /dev/sda5
Checking /sbin/init can be executed by the current kernel ...
/sbin/init on the root filesystem /sbin/init is an ELF64 binary
The current running kernel architecture is x86_64
Executing /sbin/init from the root filesystem ...
modprobe: FATAL: Could not load /lib/modules/3.0.8-std240-amd64/modules.dep: No such file or directory
INIT: version 2.88 booting
INIT: cannot execute "/etc/init.d/rcS"
INIT: Entering runlevel: 2
INIT: cannot execute "/etc/init.d/rc"
(none)login:
----
i have tried with root, and userid i made during installation, no luck:
----
Unable to determine your tty name
----
ctrl-alt-del:
INIT: switching to runlevel:6
INIT: Sending processes the TERM signal
INIT: Sending the KILL signal
INIT: cannot execute "/etc/init.d/rc"
Give root password for maintenance
(or type Control-D to continue):
----
after root password i get:
Login Incorrect.

-i have tried edit in bootloader:
init=/bin/bash rw

Loading please wait ...
Target filesystem doesn't have requested /bin/bash
Usage exec run-init [-c consoledev] real-boot /sbin/init[args]
[ 1.543762 Kernel panic -not syncing: Attempted to Kill init!
(none)login:

---
INIT: Id "26" respawned too fast: disabled for 5 minutes
INIT: no more processes left in this runlevel

[fanderal]

I could give you a hand with the repair but in order to help you, please answer these questions:

1. When you boot to the console in Debian, do you have online access? (from my first post)

2. Is the DVD you burned what you used to install Debian?

[newbie000]

1. when i first posted maybe i would be able to ping but then i didn't try ping
later when i got this (none) login:
and root login
with output-incorrect login password

i can't do anything and don't know if ping is working- i'm stuck there

2. i've downloaded debian iso 64bit squeeze 6.0.3 - burned it on dvd and that was the disk used to setup
and until yesterday i had debian, but with errrors so i though i got some processes that
need to be stopped or removed
-like if i disconnect eth0 and want back to net i couldn't make connection, but only if i deleted
connections and make another fresh one- it was online.

- first setup debian was with gnome -, later added kde, and when i get into system got for few seconds
broken image (background) before kdm login starts, so i think if i remove kdm i will be back to
gnome-only environment
but since then couldn't get into any gui

and then apt-get was working - in sense i could remove packages

but i had error from before with updates (when i had gui) like synaptic giving some
errors about repositories
as it was ..trying to fetch squeeze but get squeeze,
so then i thought if i remove packages, i would be able to with apt-get install them from console
but that wasn't the case

[fanderal]

1. when i first posted maybe i would be able to ping but then i didn't try ping
later when i got this (none) login:
and root login
with output-incorrect login password

i can't do anything and don't know if ping is working- i'm stuck there

Your reply doesn't provide much info. Did you try the command to test your online access?

 sudo ping -c 4 www.debian.org

If you type it in the console and hit Enter, what happens?

[newbie000]

ping is either unrecognized or give me something as
unknown host

the only time i was able to successfully ping was from SystemRescueCd usb, but guess thats normal its live system for rescuing system

problem is i need to learn more about it to get more use, or am at wrong turn to try to fix it with this?
-or i just need to reformat everything and start all over -cause so far -my fixing things - from bad is going to worse

Cheers

[fanderal]

problem is i need to learn more about it to get more use, or am at wrong turn to try to fix it with this?

No, its not wrong to try to fix it. And yes, as you learn more about the system you'll know more about using it and how to fix problems.

At this point, it might be easiest to re-install the system.

However, if you want to give it a go, you can reset the root password. Please note: having the root password may not allow you to quickly fix everything. There may be other problems and it could take a lot longer to fix the system than to re-install a new system.

Do you want to try to fix it or re-install a new system? Either way is okay.

[newbie000]

i would love to try to fix it - because that way i would learn much more
but can I trust that my broken system isn't compromised?
this login incorrect made me think that. cause i do not forget passwords. and doubt i have
accidentelly changed it - in bash i have been denied with -root password, and trying out
new ones to ovveride the old one.

if i can do everything with dvd setup->rescue mode and completely without network
then i would go for it.

[fanderal]

can I trust that my broken system isn't compromised? this login incorrect made me think that

I do not know but my guess is that the root password, like the GUI, doesn't work because of something that was changed or deleted. Below is root password reset and a few commands... read through before starting.

Reboot the computer. When the grub page shows and the Debian system is highlighted, hit the 'e' on the keyboard. It changes to a page where you can edit how the system boots. Look for the line beginning with linux:

 linux  /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-amd64 root=UUID=45e296f6-f531-465e-8957-cd24b0a87038 ro resume=/dev/sda10

With the arrow keys, move the cursor to the end of the line and add bold text:

 linux  /boot/vmlinuz-2.6.32-5-amd64 root=UUID=45e296f6-f531-465e-8957-cd24b0a87038 ro resume=/dev/sda10 rw init=/bin/bash

When edit done, use Ctl+x to boot.
When you see

 root@(none):/#

type 'passwd' (without the quotes) and hit Enter.
Type the new root password, hit Enter. Repeat. When password is updated successfully, type 'reboot' (without the quotes), hit Enter, and allow the system to boot normally.

Login as root. If new password works, enter:

 ping -c 4 www.debian.org

If both work (password and online acces), enter:

 apt-get install -f gnome-core xorg sudo

If installation successful, reboot.

Stop and post specifically what worked and what didn't work.