Why am I getting dumped into an x terminal session?

I created a problem for myself with dropbear openssh server.... I am running Debian etch on an old Sony laptop. I just installed dropbear (ssh server) using Kpackage. During the install I thought I saw a message saying dropbear was started...and I then used putty to ssh into the machine. I did not do any further configuration (or reading.) I later rebooted and got X with a console window but the keyboard did not respond. I used the single user boot option to get into maintenance mode.... but don't know what I should do now.

I'd like to get my boot process back to normal - taking me into the kde desktop.

If anyone can tell me how to get out of this mess I'd apprecaiate it.
I promise to do more reading before installing another package;-/

thanks

hi jadube,

did you try removing the dropbear package? if this package is indeed causing
your problem, then if you're lucky removing it might help. so the first thing
i would try is an "apt-get remove dropbear".

the next thing i would try is to reconfigure the X server package, or maybe
the kde package using "dpkg-reconfigure".

oh, and looking at the logfile might give you a clue: /var/log/Xorg.0.log if
your using the Xorg X server (which is default in etch, afaik).

kai

I ran "apt-get remove dropbear" and it said dropbear was removed. But rebooting leaves me in the same situation (a console window in upper left corner of X + keybd not working)

I see a Xorg log file but not sure what to look for in it.
I'm also not sure how to use dpkg-remove, so I'll search for a tutorial on that and give it a try.

Thanks for the suggestion.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jadube

a console window in upper left corner of X + keybd not working

---

Sounds like you have no window manager running (this would explain the upper
left corner)
Do you get the black-and-white-checkered X background? And are there any
window decorations on the terminal window, or is it blank?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jadube

I see a Xorg log file but not sure what to look for in it.

---

Hm, I'm no expert here, either. Look for messages about starting or failing
to start KDE or another window manager.

Quote:

---

I'm also not sure how to use dpkg-remove, so I'll search for a tutorial on that and give it a try.

---

that's dpkg-reconfigure, not ...-remove.


another wild shot: maybe dropbear conflicted with kde and thus you said "yes"
to removing kde while install dropbear? you could check for kde using
"dpkg -l kde"

Booting into X gives me a black background, a large 'X' cursor that I can move with mouse, and a white/undecorated console window in the upper left corner . The console shows a prompt for the default user (which was set for autologin) "user@ksony:~$"

Logfile 'Xorg.0.log' has 3 noteworthy lines at the end:
(WW) xf86CloseConsole: KDSETMODE failed: I/O error
(WW) xf86CloseConsole: VT_GETMODE failed: I/O error
(WW) xf86CloseConsole: VT_ACTIVATE failed: I/O error

Output from dpkg -l kde: (note I am using lowercase L for '-l')
Desired=Unknown/Install/Remove/Purge/Hold
|Status-Not/Installed/Config-files.... etc
|/ Err?=(none)/Hold/Reinst-Reequired/X=both-problems (Status,Err:uppercase=bad
|| /Name Version Description
+++-=======================
pn kde <none> (no description available)

Does this mean kde is not installed? I don't recall saying Yes to remove kde but maybe that is what happened?

thanks again:)

Can't find any good information on the package state "pn", I'm guessing
it means "purged" but I don't think it matters: it's not "installed", which
is what you want.

I'd go ahead an run an apt-get install kde

kai

i installed kde but booting still takes me to the same X+console. Output from dpkg -l kde (name/version/description)...
ii kde 47 offical kde modules

I guess I'll try the dpkg reconfigure next... that may take some research first but I will followup with results.

Thanks for the help

I ran dpkg-reconfigure xserver-xorg. I also confirmed dropbear is uninstalled. I am still getting the X+console window. The Xorg.0.log file still has 3 (last) lines with errors. Any advice re other causes for not booting into KDE? Which log(s) should I be looking at for clues?

the Xorg log errors are the same as before:
Logfile 'Xorg.0.log' has 3 noteworthy lines at the end:
(WW) xf86CloseConsole: KDSETMODE failed: I/O error
(WW) xf86CloseConsole: VT_GETMODE failed: I/O error
(WW) xf86CloseConsole: VT_ACTIVATE failed: I/O error

thanks

Hm. I'm beginning to feel out of my depth here, you might have to take
this to a more expert forum than the newbie one, maybe the one
titled "Linux Desktop / X-Windows".

For what it's worth, here are my thoughts:

(WW) in the Xorg.log are just warnings, are there any errors marked (EE)?

I'm wondering why you're getting a console window. Shouldn't the login
manager (for example gdm) prompt you to log in? Maybe gdm fails to start,
hence you could check the logfiles for such messages.
I'd check /var/log/messages, but also /var/log/daemon.log as I've seen gdm
use that logfile before.

Since the kde package disappeared from your system, it may be worthwhile
to see if the gdm package is even there.

I know you said you can't type, but can you switch to a tty by pressing
CTRL + ALT + F1 ? If so, you could log in as root and killing the defunct
X server, then start gdm manually. Or start X manually ("startx kde" or
something similar).

k

I had a working Debian etch KDE 3.5 desktop. I don't know what I did to change the boot process, but I now boot into a X terminal (white terminal in upper left corner) with user prompt for the autologin account I had setup(and working) in kde. I started troubleshooting this and believed the problem was caused by my installing dropbear (ssh server). Dropbear is now removed and I am still booting into X/console... and the keyboard does not respond in this mode.) So... I have been booting into Single User>Maintenance mode to look for the cause. If anyone can advise me on what to try, or what I should look for (ie certain log entries?) that would be great.

thanks