[CentOS] Can ONLY log in as root-console perms problem

Wed Aug 30 02:23:56 UTC 2006
fredex <fredex at fcshome.stoneham.ma.us>

On Tue, Aug 29, 2006 at 08:45:06PM -0400, fredex wrote:
> I did yum update the other day and it downloaded and installed a bunch of stuff,
> including a kernel. Didn't have time to reboot until today. today when I reboot,
> I get a message something like this during boot (from memory since it doesn't
> seem to be saved in dmesg anywhere):
> 
> 	CRITICAL unknown class console at line 23 in /etc/security/console.perms
> 
> and when the system finishes booting, only root can log in. X won't start, keeps
> erroring out because, well, I can't be sure. whenever I try to log in as myself
> it thinks for a few seconds then I get a blue screen saying there already seems
> to be a ":0" running, would I like to start ":1". If I say yes it tries to 
> start another one and fails the same way.
> 
> 
> here's an excerpt from /etc/security/console:
> 
> 	<mainboard>=/dev/apm_bios
> 	<pmu>=/dev/pmu
> 	<bluetooth>=/dev/rfcomm*
> 	<raw1394>=/dev/raw1394
> 
> 
> 	# permission definitions
> 	<console>  0660 <floppy>     0660 root.floppy	<===== line 23
> 	<console>  0600 <sound>      0600 root
> 	<console>  0600 <cdrom>      0660 root.disk
> 	<console>  0600 <pilot>      0660 root.uucp
> 	<console>  0600 <jaz>        0660 root.disk
> 
> 
> I cannot log in on a text console either, only root can. When I try it instantly
> returns to the login prompt. Sometimes I'll see a short message flash for a
> hundredth of a second that looks like it might be the same one approximated
> above.
> 
> I saw a series of messages from someone else saying he had to back out to the
> previous kernel, apparently because of a NVIDIA driver issue, so I tried that
> and it made no difference. He also suggested adding "pci=noacpi pci=biosirq"
> to the grub boot command, but the thing wouldn't even boot when I tried that.
> so, this must be some other problem.
> 
> This is centos-4 32-bit xi6 on an Athlon XP 2600+, Gigabyte GA-7N400 Pro2
> motherboard that has been running either Tao or Centos for 2 1/2 years.
> 
> Advice would be appreciated!
> 
> Fred

There's nothing like following-up on my own post!

Found the problem...
Something had hosed /etc/security/console.perms.

I had just (over the weekend) installed Centos 4.3 on a box at work,
so I VPN'd into the office and looked at /etc/security/console.perms
there and saw about 25-30 lines at the top (mostly but not entirely
comments) that were missing in mine. so I did a copy-n-paste bit,
rebooted, and got the error about "unknown class dri". I'd already
seen several postings (googling) on how to fix that so I did, rebooted
again and was golden.

Curious, though, as to what it is that hosed it.


-- 
---- Fred Smith -- fredex at fcshome.stoneham.ma.us -----------------------------
                       I can do all things through Christ 
                              who strengthens me.
------------------------------ Philippians 4:13 -------------------------------
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