RE: Boot/login problems after installation

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To: "'For users of Fedora Core releases'" <fedora-list@redhat.com>
Date: Tue, 4 May 2004 06:55:35 -0500

Still fighting, and need some ideas.
I did a minimal install and was able to login as root, create and login to
my user. All looks well. Installed again, adding only X-windows. X did not
start with boot. Ran startx & to get session. Same story but was unable to
su - after logging as my user. Started another x session and was able to su
- from there, however I was not able to su back to root after changing back
to my user again. Tried in another X and same symptom. Again same. This
should be a good clue, I would think. It is like it does not read the passwd
when I return. Have to ctrl c to get out of the passwd entry on the su -.

Don't know if I tried the su root...user...root in the minimum install, so I
am going to do that again.

-----Original Message-----
From: fedora-list-bounces@redhat.com [mailto:fedora-list-bounces@redhat.com]
On Behalf Of Gary Rickert
Sent: Monday, May 03, 2004 2:07 PM
To: 'For users of Fedora Core releases'
Cc: sdlux@hotmail.com; shawn@ategis.net
Subject: RE: Boot/login problems after installation

I solved the dual boot problem. There is a setting for how long the boot
option display, and it was set to 0. Set it to 10 and it works fine. The
login problem is still a problem. I have reloaded FC1 once again and I still
cannot login, root or my user. The passwd and edited shadow files are
attached in case I am missing something.

-----Original Message-----
From: fedora-list-bounces@redhat.com [mailto:fedora-list-bounces@redhat.com]
On Behalf Of Jeff Vian
Sent: Monday, May 03, 2004 12:22 PM
To: For users of Fedora Core releases
Subject: Re: Boot/login problems after installation

Gary Rickert wrote:

>Thanks again Jeff. I will have to go through the install one more time to
>verify the attributes of boot.ini, but I do know that recovery does run if
I
>just allow the installer to do the work and make no manual edits, or if I
do
>the edits I described. I am sure that I did have to make boot.ini editable
>and I did set the permissions back to read only after the edits. I would
>love to know what triggers recovery to run. It tells you to exit recovery
>and save your files before recovery runs, but it won't let you in without
>recovery running. I did check the /etc/passwd and /etc/shadow files and
they
>look OK. What is the /etc/passwd- file? I assume it is a copy of passwd for
>recovery, before the changes were made, users added. It looks as I would
>expect without any added user accounts. The root line in passwd =
>"root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash". The root line in shadow =
>"root:(encrypted password):12539:0:99999:7:::".
>
>
/etc/passwd is the password file that lists users accounts and controls
access.
/etc/shadow is a hidden adjunct ot passwd that actually contains the
passwords and account activation parameters. Read the man pages on
these 2 files for more details.

These files in linux have nothing to do with the problem of XPlease
forcing a recovery, but may be related to the inability for linux users
to log in.

What I have done and it works seamlessly is similar to what your listed
steps were.

1. install windows on hda
2. install linux on hdb using the steps below.
 From here it gets critical. You have 2 options. Use the NTLDR to
boot or use GRUB to boot.
I chose NTLDR since the earlier version of NT (NT 4.0) would not boot if
its boot loader was not used.

The following steps are for the NTLDR option.
3. install linux, and when it asks where to install the boot loader
(GRUB) select the boot sector of the root partition (whereever you put /
). complete the install and create a boot floppy so you can boot back
to linux.
4. boot into linux
5. mount a dos formatted floppy
6. use this command to create the boot image. #dd if=/dev/<your boot
partition> of=/mnt/floppy/linux.img bs=512 count=1
    After the boot image file is created boot into XP
(The next step may solve your problem with XP doing the restore of the
boot.ini file)
7. login as an adminitrative user
    a. start - run - command (to get a dos window open)
    b. copy a:\linux.img c:\
    c. edit boot.ini (I use the dos editor and the command is literally
"edit boot.ini")
        add the line ' c:\linux.img = "Fedora" ' in the [operating
systems] section of the boot.ini file then save it.
        NOTE: the boot.ini file is hidden and a system file, but can be
edited this way without touching the attributes.
    d. log off and reboot
8. you now should see the options for XP and Fedora in the list for the
NTLDR menu and should be able to select either to boot

I have never had XP attempt a restore using this method and the 2 files
BOOT.INI and linux.img just work.
-
As far as Fedora not allowing user login; I usually use the system tool
for user admin from the menu and as long as I create the user account
and put in the password for that user they always can log in.

>I did use all defaults for the installation of FC1 all 3 times, and will
>again. Any idea of how to turn recovery off, or how to escape it when it
>wants to run? What do you think about swapping the primary XP drive and the
>new slave FC1 drive and then installing FC1?
>
>
Swapping drive locations will cause other problems. easy configuration
of booting for one.
In order for the boot record and initrd.img to be written correctly for
your current install linux should be installed while the drive is the
slave (hdb). If not there will be changes needed in order to boot when
you put it back into the slave position.

>-----Original Message-----
>From: fedora-list-bounces@redhat.com
[mailto:fedora-list-bounces@redhat.com]
>On Behalf Of Jeff Vian
>Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2004 10:30 PM
>To: For users of Fedora Core releases
>Subject: Re: Boot/login problems after installation
>
>
>
>Gary Rickert wrote:
>
>
>
>>I get the boot options screen fine as long as I only select Fedora.
However
>>I cannot login. Authentication failures /var/log/messages look good except
>>for the "couldn't set account for root", or ditto my user. As soon as I
>>
>>
>boot
>
>
>>XP, it goes into recovery and wipes (fixes) BOOT.ini so I no longer see
the
>>options.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>Ok, then this is (at least partially) an XP issue.
>Are you sure the boot.ini has the same attributes it was installed as.
>IIRC it should be hidden - system (at lest it is on my system). At a
>command prompt "attrib \boot.ini" should give the attributes and mine is
>'A SH'
>Was the boot.ini edited and saved by an administrative user?
>
>If it sees the file incorrectly it may restore it to default because it
>thinks it is corrupt or has been modified. If the boot.ini file is left
>with the default attributes it should not force a recovery of that file.
>
>See below for ideas on the problem with fedora
>
>
>
>>-----Original Message-----
>>From: fedora-list-bounces@redhat.com
>>
>>
>[mailto:fedora-list-bounces@redhat.com]
>
>
>>On Behalf Of Jeff Vian
>>Sent: Sunday, May 02, 2004 12:25 PM
>>To: For users of Fedora Core releases
>>Subject: Re: Boot/login problems after installation
>>
>>
>>
>>Gary Rickert wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>I installed Fedora, default server on a new slave drive on my HP pavilion
>>>a320n XP system. When booting after the install, the fedora boot will not
>>>accept my user or root password. Under "linux single" I can see that the
>>>user and root accounts exist. I can create a user, and that works OK. I
>>>cannot login.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>What options did you select for password/login on the FC install?
>I always just select the defaults and it works perfectly.
>
>When you boot to single user mode, have you checked /etc/passwd and
>/etc/shadow to see if the user is there and is using a shadowed password?
>Have you tried changing the user password and verified it gets changed
>in /etc/shadow ?
>
>I suspect that since the login problem occurs with different users and
>even creating a new user does not allow login, that something may be
>wrong in the way it was setup for authentication.
>
>
>
>
>>>When I try to boot XP, the HP box goes into recovery and wipes out the
>>>boot.ini modifications when I:
>>>
>>>If you wish to use the NT Loader to dual boot the system you will need to
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>do
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>the following:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>When you get to the point that Anaconda asks where you wish to install
the
>>>bootloader, make certain you chose your FC boot partition, e.g.
/dev/hda2,
>>>and NOT the MBR. You can use either GRUB or LILO, it doesn't matter.
After
>>>the install and before you re-boot make sure you make a bootdisk.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Now, when you re-boot do so with the bootdisk so you can boot into FC.
>>>
>>>
>Once
>
>
>>>booted, log in as 'root' and insert a blank floppy then copy out the boot
>>>sector like so:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>mount /dev/fd0
>>>
>>>dd if=/dev/hda2 of=/mnt/floppy/bootsect.lnx bs=512 count=1
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>(hda2 may not be the actual partition you need to copy, I use this as an
>>>example)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>You can now ls /mnt/floppy to verify you have a 512 byte file named
>>>"bootsect.lnx" and then:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>umount /dev/fd0
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>Next, boot into XP and copy the bootsect.lnx file to the root directory
of
>>>the C: drive. Edit your BOOT.INI file and add a line:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>C:\bootsect.lnx = "Fedora Core"
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>This must be added in the section labeled [OPERATING SYSTEMS] and
>>normally after the line related to loading XP.
>>NOTE: the first OS in the boot.ini file selects which is default, so put
>>the one you want as default first.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>Save the file and re-boot. You will see the NT Loader menu offering you
>>>either Windows XP or FC. If you choose FC it will jump you into the GRUB
>>>
>>>
>or
>
>
>>>LILO bootloader. If you added your Windows partition in your Linux
>>>bootloader during the install you will see a choice for FC or
DOS/Windows.
>>>If you scroll and choose Windows, it will put you back into the NT Loader
>>>menu screen.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>It also went into recovery the first time I loaded Fedora, but I am not
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>sure
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>what it did. The end result was that after I booted XP, I no longer got
>>>
>>>
>the
>
>
>>>boot options screen, had to boot from boot floppy to get to Fedora. I am
a
>>>raw newbie and could sure use some help.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>All of your steps above look fine
>>
>>What do you mean you no longer got the boot options screen?
>>Using this procedure you are using the ntldr boot options and it should
>>come up with the menu under that for selecting Windows or Fedora. If
>>that is not happening then the boot.ini file did not get changed
correctly.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>
>
>
>

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• Previous message: Elvio Caruana: "Re: KDE 3.2.2"
• In reply to: Gary Rickert: "RE: Boot/login problems after installation"
• Next in thread: Gary Rickert: "RE: Boot/login problems after installation"
• Reply: Gary Rickert: "RE: Boot/login problems after installation"
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