No Console Login Prompt..

[aephoenix]

I was trying to get my ATI drivers working (I believe there were problems, glxgears was only 100fps and this is a brand new laptop, but that isn't the problem) and so after changing around my xorg.conf I restarted my computer.. after booting linux, it went through the usual routine of loading the kernel.. and it checked my hd (34th mount or whatever) and then, after an unusually slow starting of processes, it ended with "service xdm started" or whatever and stayed there, blinking cursor, no login prompt, no kdm login screen.
So I booted up the livecd and restored my old xorg.conf and booted again into my real gentoo.. It gave me a kdm login screen but I was unable to stop xdm from within my x and was unable to choose the option "Console Login".. Thinking this was some problem with xdm I got to an aterm and "rc-update del xdm default" and rebooted my computer again.. now it just gets to the last service (service hald started) and stays there with a blinking cursor.. both Ctrl+F2 and Ctrl+Alt+F2 do nothing but give me a blank screen with a flashy cursor.. and I am lost.

I have the livecd so i can get configuration files and stuff if its of any help..

[a16b03]

check your /etc/inittab

Code: Select all

#
# /etc/inittab:  This file describes how the INIT process should set up
#                the system in a certain run-level.
#
# Author:  Miquel van Smoorenburg, <miquels@cistron.nl>
# Modified by:  Patrick J. Volkerding, <volkerdi@ftp.cdrom.com>
# Modified by:  Daniel Robbins, <drobbins@gentoo.org>
# Modified by:  Martin Schlemmer, <azarah@gentoo.org>
#
# $Header: /var/cvsroot/gentoo-x86/sys-apps/sysvinit/files/inittab,v 1.5 2005/12/22 02:03:23 vapier Exp $

# Default runlevel.
id:3:initdefault:

# System initialization, mount local filesystems, etc.
si::sysinit:/sbin/rc sysinit

# Further system initialization, brings up the boot runlevel.
rc::bootwait:/sbin/rc boot

l0:0:wait:/sbin/rc shutdown 
l1:S1:wait:/sbin/rc single
l2:2:wait:/sbin/rc nonetwork
l3:3:wait:/sbin/rc default
l4:4:wait:/sbin/rc default
l5:5:wait:/sbin/rc default
l6:6:wait:/sbin/rc reboot
#z6:6:respawn:/sbin/sulogin

# TERMINALS
c1:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty1 linux
c2:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty2 linux
c3:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty3 linux
c4:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty4 linux
c5:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty5 linux
c6:2345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 38400 tty6 linux

# SERIAL CONSOLES
#s0:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 9600 ttyS0 vt100
#s1:12345:respawn:/sbin/agetty 9600 ttyS1 vt100

# What to do at the "Three Finger Salute".
ca:12345:ctrlaltdel:/sbin/shutdown -r now

# Used by /etc/init.d/xdm to control DM startup.
# Read the comments in /etc/init.d/xdm for more
# info. Do NOT remove, as this will start nothing
# extra at boot if /etc/init.d/xdm is not added
# to the "default" runlevel.
x:a:once:/etc/X11/startDM.sh

it sould be something like this.

[aephoenix]

That wasn't it. I tried the inittab from the livecd as well and that didn't work either. there was no obvious corruption either, and none of the respawn.. tty lines are commented out or anything. XDM loads on reboot again, but ctrl alt f2,, etc, gives nothing but a blank screen and flashing cursor

[a16b03]

check if you have agetty.

[richfish]

Sounds like maybe a init script dependancy loop. If you can login via xdm, try running "ps auwx | grep runscript" to see what init scripts, if any, are still running.

[SirYes]

Just a rough idea: check the /var/log/messages - maybe there are some clues (esp. at the end of this file).

And another one: maybe your system loads the ATI driver (built as a module I suppose) and that's the reason of this strange hangup? Maybe try unmerging this driver?