Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!lll-winken!ncis.llnl.gov!helios.ee.lbl.gov!pasteur!ucbvax!adt.UUCP!madd
From: madd@adt.UUCP (jim frost)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.sgi
Subject: Broken window manager
Message-ID: <8901231426.AA10105@adt.uucp>
Date: 23 Jan 89 14:26:16 GMT
Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU
Organization: The Internet
Lines: 28

>With normal user accounts, login at the console doesn't come up
>with the window manager, but after some seconds, returns to login
>prompt.  Root works fine, as usual.

One thing to check is that the localhost loopback is in /etc/hosts.
If it isn't, the window manager doesn't work right -- you just can't
get a shell (not surprising, considering how 4Sight works).  Since
root is working I don't think this is the problem, but it's something
to check.

If this happens to you, the way to log in without graphics so you can
fix it is:

	login: username NOGRAPHICS=

You'll be at a terminal that feels a lot like a DECWriter, totally
stupid.  I don't believe this technique is documented anywhere (a
co-worker of mine originally found it with "strings" I believe) but
it's effective.  There should be a better way.  Which reminds me, how
do you get the Personal Iris to boot single-user?  I never did figure
that out.

And what prompted me to delete localhost?  Well it seems I'm not so
familiar with vi....

jim frost
associative design technology
madd@bu-it.bu.edu