x is respawning too fast!

[anacron]

After many days of happy use, and no config changes, x wouldn't start during my Mandrake 8.2 boot.

Here's the error:
INIT: Id "x" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes.
(5 minutes goes by)

/etc/X11/prefdm: /etc/profile.d/lang.sh: Not a directory
/etc/X11/prefdm: /etc/profile.d/lang.sh: Not a directory
/etc/X11/prefdm: /etc/profile.d/lang.sh: Not a directory

INIT: Id "x" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes.

I found a FAQ on Google that seemed helpful, but it said: "Commenting the offending line out and then fixing the errant program and testing on the command line will allow you to see any error messages that go to standard error output (console) if the errors are not going to the system log file."

The "fixing the errant program" part worries me. I'd like to learn how to program Linux. Is this going to be the error that forces it upon me? Or is it easier than that?

Anyone want to hazard a guess?

[DMR]

Regardless of the fact that there have been "no config changes", something has changed somewhere, as /etc/profile.d/lang.sh is, the error message says, not a directory; it's a file.

What had you done with/to the system just prior to getting the error?

The "respawning" error is due to the fact that you normally boot into runlevel 5 (the GUI runlevel for Mandrake and Redhat), but having fscked something up, the GUI tries to fire up, doesn't succeed, tries again, ad infinitum/endless loop.

Is this going to be the incident that forces you to learn programming under Linux? No, that's for a later time.
;)

Think about what (specifically) you were doing with the system immediately before the problem happened, let us know the details, and I'm pretty sure we can get you back up and running (without having to totally re-install).

[ 13 May 2002: Message edited by: DMR ]

[anacron]

Well, let's see. While I can't recall doing anything RIGHT before this happened, in recent days I have: added a printer (and removed the old one), set up XChat & Licq.

You know, come to think of it, the last time I shut down before I lost x, I did see something to the effect of : "CUPS port shutdown.............FAILED". Of course, I'm not sure how CUPS & x are related...

[DMR]

Oh well, nothing to directly point a finger at there.
See if you can get out of GUI mode and fix things from the the command line. First, try hitting Ctrl+Alt+Backspace to kill the GUI. This might work, leaving you at a command prompt. If not, the GUI will probably just try to keep respawning, so you'll have to reboot into runlevel 3 (non-GUI). If you use lilo as your bootloader, at the initial boot prompt type whatever label lilo uses for Linux, followed by a "3". For instance, if lilo calls the label for your kernel "Linux", then at the prompt you type "Linux 3". Log in as root when prompted.

Once at the command line, try issuing "startx" or "startkde" and see if you can get the GUI to start normally that way. If not, run Xconfigurator to see if you can reset your video configuration.

[slapNUT]

If you look in /etc/X11/prefdm you'll see that it tries to source /etc/profile.d/lang.sh
# We need to source this so that the login screens get translated
. /etc/profile.d/lang.sh

rpm -q --whatprovides /etc/profile.d/lang.sh
initscripts-6.40.2-41mdk
rpm -q --whatprovides /etc/X11/prefdm
initscripts-6.40.2-41mdk

Also if you query the rpm database you find that both files are provided by the same rpm. The easy fix would be to reinstall that initscripts rpm which is located on CD#1

[anacron]

That did it! Thanks for the help. :)