Can't type password at login (can't login)

Just installed Gentoo on one of my computers, which more or less finished successfully (besides gnome not starting and the text appearing blurry during a part of the boot-process, but they're minor problems).
At first, I could log in without any complications, so I emerged nvidia-kernel (in a part of an attempt to fix gnome), success. Then I tried nvidia-drivers, but without success since nvidia-kernel blocked it. Emerged, unmerged a couple of times, ran depclean, trying to get both (since the info after nvidia-kernel emerge said it allowed two new ebuilds, among them nvidia-drivers).
After a while I shut down the computer since I had to go to work, came back for lunch but then I couldn't log in. I am able to type root, but after I press enter it won't accept any password. It just waits for 10 secs or so and then prompts login again, without any error messages.
I haven't tried booting from the livecd, chrooting and creating another user due to lack of time (had to make lunch too). But I did try a diffirent terminal, no luck though.
Anyone have clue what prevents me from logging in?

Edit: Using kernel 2.6.17, anything else you wish to know, just ask.

Thanks in advance.

Did you use the graphical installer for the initial install? It is causing a lot of problems from what I can tell.

If you want the nvidia-drivers package, just unmerge nvidia-kernel and nvidia-glx, because the nvidia-drivers package provides both.

You may have a problem with any updates you may have done, and probably should have run etc-update to update any config files that would have changed.

When you chroot in, remove pam-login and re-emerge shadow. That will save you a lot of trouble while trying to update your system. It may also allow you to login. Also, when in chroot, run "etc-update" and update all of your config files.

I really hope when they release 2006.1 it solves the pam-login/shadow problem, and maybe they will update the graphical installer to actually work a little better.

If you didn't use the graphical installer, then I think it is probably the pam-login/shadow problem, and not updating the config files via etc-update.

No, never used the graphical installer.

Funny, I kind of perceived the nvidia-drivers package as a replacement for nvidia-kernel since it was about 30MB bigger. Only thing which made me think diffirent was after the emerging of nvidia-kernel which said new ebuilds was available, i.e. the nvidia-drivers.

That sounds reasonable, because I didn't do etc-update. My experience doesn't reach any further than a few hours, which probably is the main reason.

Thanks for the reply. I'll try removing pam-login and re-emerge shadow tomorrow, got the day of.

Also, make sure you run etc-update and go through each one of the updates. That will make or break your system, really.