[CentOS] Unable to log out normally

Sat Jan 26 01:28:20 UTC 2008
MHR <mhullrich at gmail.com>

I've posted this question to the Gnome users list, but so far no luck,
so I thought I'd mention this here.

A little while ago, I noticed that I was no longer able to log out
from my GDM.  I'm running the default GDM (2.16) that comes with
CentOS, and this problem started up right about the same time that I
updated to the 53.1.4 kernel (from the 8.1.15 version).

As I've posted here recent;y, I was unable to use yum to install the
53.1.6 kernel until I rebooted to the 53.1.4 default kernel (I run a
modified kernel that has NTFS support built in as a module with
read/write support.)  However, I was not only unable to log out using
the System->LogOut applet, I was also unable to shut down or reboot
using the System->Shutdown applet.

This has also occurred since rebooting to the 53.1.6 stock kernel and
my own 53.1.6 kernel with NTFS.

What happens is that I either click on the Log Out or Shutdown applet,
and if I click on the relevant button (Log Out, Shutdown or Reboot),
the applet freezes.  I can't cancel it or change options (in the case
of the shutdown applet), but if I click on the close window button
(upper right hand corner), after a moment or two, the "not responding"
window pops up and I can kill the applet.  (Thsi also happens if I
just let the applet time out - it freezes then, too.)

The only way I have been able to log out is to kill my gnome-session.
To reboot, I can run "reboot" in a terminal window, or log out (by
killing the gnome session) and then click on the "Reboot" link at the
bottom of the login screen.

I confess that I have downloaded and installed a few third-party
packages, but I got most of them via rpmforge, CentOS (Fedora) Extras
and SourceForge.

The only thing that I find really suspicious in all of these is that I
tried to install k9copy and it refused to install due to too many
missing parts, but I did manage to install a number of KDE pieces -
could they be interfering?  Also, IIRC, the problem began before that,
so I'm in a quandary here.

Part of the problem is that I rarely log out, so I'm not 100% sure of
exactly when this started or what I last installed that might have
triggered it.  (BTW, how do I view that?)

Suggestions?  Wisdom?  Not too abrasive, please....  :-)

Thanks.

mhr