On Sat, 1 May 2004, Telsa Gwynne wrote: > Date: Sat, 1 May 2004 23:55:04 +0100 > From: Telsa Gwynne <hobbit@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> > To: gnome-list@xxxxxxxxx > Subject: Re: GDM failsafe session query > > On Thu, Apr 29, 2004 at 10:16:01AM +0100 or thereabouts, > Roger Burroughes wrote: > > > I have a question about failsafe sessions when a user's home > > directory isn't available (for whatever reason)... > > > > When a user starts logging-in via GDM using the standard > > greeter (and assuming there is no home directory available for this > > user - everything works OK when it IS available), a warning message is > > displayed: > > > > "Your home directory is listed as: > > '/home/infteach' > > but it does not appear to exist. > > Do you want to log in with the root > > directory as your home directory? > > > > It is unlikely anything else will work unless > > you use a failsafe session" > > > > (This message is displayed even when a failsafe session is > > explicitly selected from the "Session" menu.) > > This suggestion came from someone else. Pardon me if it is not too > coherent :) > > If there is no home directory, it can't write to the home > directory. (Well, yes...) If it can't write to the home directory, > it can't write the .Xauthority file. Is that .Xauthority file > needed for applications to run? > > The person who mentioned this thinks it might be. > It might explain this, at least: > > > it's not even trying to run /etc/X11/gdm/Xsession (no > > /tmp/xses-infteach is created). Many thanks for the feedback (and the only response so far!). Given that it IS possible to log in via other methods (ssh, for example - which complains "/usr/bin/X11/xauth: error in locking authority file /home/infteach/.Xauthority", but does succeed), and then run something like /usr/X11R6/bin/xterm without error, I'm guessing that the lack of a .Xauthority file isn't a showstopper (but I'm willing to be proved wrong :-). It would also appear that /etc/X11/gdm/Xsession assumes that the home directory MIGHT not be available, since it redirects errors to /tmp/xses-$USER if ~/.xsession-errors isn't available (although I suppose this could just be for non-writability or some other error, rather than complete a absence of home directory) - but in this case it isn't even getting the chance to check... BTW, if anyone knows of any documentation that explains the components/programs invoked as part of the GDM login process, pointers would be appreciated... ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Roger Burroughes | University of Edinburgh Phone: +44 (0)131 650 4447 | School of Informatics Fax: +44 (0)131 650 4587 | 2 Buccleuch Place Email: R.Burroughes@xxxxxxxx | Edinburgh EH8 9LW Scotland ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ _______________________________________________ gnome-list mailing list gnome-list@xxxxxxxxx http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/gnome-list
