Users can't open terminal

[xevix]

For some obscure reason, root can open a terminal, but when users try nothing happens. Actually, the window for konsole opens, but remains blank minus a cursor. I can't figure this out for the life of me.... does anyone know what could be causing this?
_________________
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+ AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux 2x2.2 ghz
nVidia GeForce 8800 GTS 320Mb
250 gb SATA hd
2gb pc-3200 DDR

[Bigun]

What groups is your user part of?
_________________
"It's ok, they might have guns but we have flowers." - Perpetual Victim

[xevix]

audio, cdrom, games, usb, video, wheel
_________________
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+ AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux 2x2.2 ghz
nVidia GeForce 8800 GTS 320Mb
250 gb SATA hd
2gb pc-3200 DDR

[kimchi_sg]

This might be a dumb question, but have you added your user to the users group as a main group (i.e, with the -g option)?

The adduser command would have been

[xevix]

hmmmm, not quite, i followed the protocol in the handbook, which excludes the '-g' and only has the '-G' but how does this affect that?

their example given was:

# useradd -m -G users,wheel,audio -s /bin/bash john
_________________
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+ AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux 2x2.2 ghz
nVidia GeForce 8800 GTS 320Mb
250 gb SATA hd
2gb pc-3200 DDR

[transient]

Try opening an xterm as a normal user, or Eterm or similar.
You may be getting this error because your /dev/tty* files have the wrong permissions, and also the /dev/ptmx(I think??) file.

[Splink]

I am having a similar issues with my new install of Gentoo. I will figure it out in the end, but with work and things, its difficult.

Basically, a new install of Gentoo - only thing i have on is kde/x11

installed:

ati-drivers
xorg-x11 6.8
kde 3.3
kdecore


When opening a session in kde, it displays a window, but no text. I have checked the user and the memberships - they seem fine as per the recommendations in the documentation. I have chmod'd the /dev/tty file so that the user has the correct permissions to use it. I quickly chown'd it too - see if it was that, but same issue.

as root it works fine, I can init 3 and su as the user into root.

one other thing - if i try and run a root console from kde it says "unable to find su. Make sure you have specified the correct path" or something like that...... I am sure ill be be able to sort this with a simlink somewhere when I get back from work.

[Splink]

I think this is a PATH problem within kde after doing a little looking around. Things are ok out of kde, but in - it is giving me a few probs....

any ideas ?

[xevix]

Well, what exactly do I have to do as far as the tty and the ptmx?

And by the way, this is cross-window-manager, not specific to KDE< happens in fluxbox also, so in my case it doesn't sound like a PATH issue, but maybe so for Splink (and not being able to su means he's not in wheel).
_________________
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+ AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux 2x2.2 ghz
nVidia GeForce 8800 GTS 320Mb
250 gb SATA hd
2gb pc-3200 DDR

[Splink]

I am in the wheel group, and users and a few others too. I am not however, in the tty group (thats if there is one). I have been speaking to a few of the linux guys here and they seem to think I need to be in this group for gentoo.

I am not in the position to do anything about it for a few hours, as I have no ssh access to my box, so I will look at it later on and let you know how i got on.

[xevix]

do that please, i've never heard of the "tty group" =/
_________________
AMD Athlon(tm) 64 X2 Dual Core Processor 4400+ AuthenticAMD GNU/Linux 2x2.2 ghz
nVidia GeForce 8800 GTS 320Mb
250 gb SATA hd
2gb pc-3200 DDR

[Splink]

neither have i

i think they are pulling my leg here .. note to self - never look at problems on your home machine when you are not at home to look at it.

can you log in ok from the console .. ie .. not in a X session? Or are you having issues using su from there?

I have no probs at all using su when not using x11 .. its just when in kde and i use a bog standard user.

[Splink]

Yes this seems to have fixed the trick..


Adding your user to the group TTY lets you run consoles. I am surprised this is not in the General FAQ.. or at least the kde faq.

[thebigslide]

I remember that from like a year ago. Are you using an up to date livecd and stage tarball? It doesn't sound like it.

[transient]

Usually, you shouldnt need to be in the tty group to use terminals, as its a slight security risk.
But as you can see, sometimes its needed.