[expert] Can't login?

[Leif Madsen]

I'm having a problem with my Mandrake 8.0, running kernel 2.2.19 (mandrake).  For some reason, I can't log into the computer as any user on the console (keyboard) or remotely from SSH.  It is forwarding packets fine, running the webserver fine, but I can't login.  It just seems to time out.  I've tried logging in both as root and as a regular user, both with similar results, along with trying different virtual consoles.   I am not running Bastille firewall, so I didn't lock myself out of the computer with that.  Only thing I have implemented is IPChains on the computer, but nothing major.  Only thing I can think of is that I maybe am denying packets from 127.0.0.1, although I'm not sure if this makes any difference.   Ideas?  Thanks.   Oh yah.. if I hit alt-F12, doesn't seem to say anything either.