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

[Dave Sisley]

On Sun, Sep 07, 2003 at 11:10:44AM -0700, augie wrote:
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> Dave Sisley wrote:
> > 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.
> 
> it gives you an error saying you are already running gdm because you
> *are* already running gdm. you just said you were two sentences above
> that line.

That makes sense;  I'm just trying to be descriptive.

> 
> if you logged in as a different user i don't think it would give you the
> same error.
> 
> just out of curiosity, do you have a line like this in /etc/inittab :
> 
> id:5:initdefault:

yes, I do.

> 
> 
> > 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).
> 
> i think the command you want here is rpm -qa | grep xdm . check out the
> man page for rpm to see what the 'q' and 'a' switches do respectively.
> 
> > 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?)
> 
> it may be difficult to diagnose your problem from here with out being
> able to poke and prod the machine. it may be time to cut your losses and
> start over. you can remove the packages with rpm -e --force <package>
> again look at the rpm man page for more info on those switches.
> 
> augie.

When you say 'packages' are you talking about more than XFree86?  And will it
remove 4.3, or the cruft left over from 4.2.1?

--dave.