On 21 May, Doug Thistlethwaite wrote: > Hello & help! > > I hope someone can help me with this problem that is getting worse and > worse... > > I tired to install fvwm95 and all I got was a plain login screen that > would log into a plain window with a single xterm. I tried to remvoe > the window manager and install another using dserver... Now I CAN NOT > LOGIN to the computer at all from the console. When I log in I get a > colorful flash and another plain login screen. The only way I can > connect to the computer is via a telnet. > > How do I disable the X11 so I can get my console back? Also any tips on > getting a WM working would be greatly appriciated! I should have a > pretty much generic installation, so I'm somewhat confused to why I am > having all of this trouble.
Are you running XDM (the graphical login screen)? If so, you can press Control-R to kill it and go back to a text console login screen; alternatively, you can login and press F1 after the password instead of Enter to go into "safe mode", which doesn't start a window manager, just an xterm so you can fix things; or, you can press Ctrl-Alt-F1 to switch to a text console and login from there (this last one leaves XDM running; you can switch back to it with (usually, if you haven't modified the number of virtual consoles available) Alt-F7). I don't know how to restart XDM after the Control-R bit except (as root) to run "/etc/init.d/xdm stop" and then "/etc/init.d/xdm start" - the person I got the tip from didn't say if there was some way to get the XDM screen back or not. If you haven't changed it, the default is to start the first window manager listed in /etc/X11/window-managers. You could try to edit that file to see if it has been corrupted or if the first window manager listed actually exists. You may also want to check to see if there is a .xsession in your home directory, and if so, what is in it. The window manager should be the last line in it if it does exist. Incidentally, the "safe mode" login is a good way to test new window managers, because you can start a new window manager from the prompt and kill it if it doesn't work out. i.e. you could login in safe mode, type "fvwm95 &" to start the fvwm95 window manager, and either quit it or kill it if you start having problems. HTH, -- Stephen Ryan Debian GNU/Linux Mathematics graduate student, Dartmouth College -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]
