[NBLUG/talk] XFree86 4.3 -- I'm trapped in an upgrade vortex!

[Dave Sisley]

On Sat, Sep 06, 2003 at 10:01:59PM -0700, Mark Street wrote:
> In run level 3 try to run gdm from the command line and see what happens.  You 
> should be dumped to a graphical login if it runs.

When booting, the process stalls at the BSOW.  I then press ctl-alt-f1 and get
a text login.  I log in (as root), then enter 'init 3'.  If I then run 'gdm', I 
am returned to the BSOW.  If I ctl-alt-f1 back to a command line and then try 
'startx', I get an error message.  Running 'gdm' again gives me a message that it
is already running.  I then need to reboot if I want to reach a desktop.

FWIW, I see that both xdm and gdm are present on the machine.  rpm -qa xdm returns 
nothing, but 'locate xdm' lists a number of files and directories, including what 
I assume is an executable (/usr/X11R6/bin/xdm).

If it helps, I see that if I run startx (and it works) I am dropped onto the 
appropriate desktop.  That is, since I've logged in at the console, the system
knows where to plunk me.  The step in this process that is missing is the jump
to the graphical login screen.  Have I perhaps lost some system-wide config file?
(as opposed to a user's .whatever file?)

> 
> .... told you 
> 

I'm sorry, but what do you mean?  You told me a couple of things at once.  If you 
mean that I have to "back out and clean up", how do I do that?  I wrote that the
earlier XFree upgrade was an RPM (to 4.2.1) but rpm -e XFree86 aborts since there 
are other packages/programs that depend on it.

Thanks again for your help.

-dave.