New Manual Install Gentoo System stuck at "login" [SOLVED]

[SteelyEyedCodeslinger]

I just installed Gentoo from the manual install guide in the Gentoo x86 handbook online. I thought I followed all of the instructions correctly and should be finished (kernel built & everything in /etc configured), but my new Gentoo system won't go past the "login" screen. No matter what username you type, it never asks for the password. Instead, it just "thinks" for a minute and then shows another login prompt. Not even "root" works. At first I thought "root" didn't exist somehow, but now I'm thinking maybe there is no shell or the shell is exiting immediately. What could cause this?

Edit: BTW, I have /bin on a separate partition, but /etc is in the root partition. Shouldn't it correctly pick up and mount the /bin partition when it reads /etc/fstab?

2nd Edit: I made a regular bin directory in the root partition and mv'd all the bin partition's files into it, and it fixed my boot problem. Is /bin on a separate partition not a workable scheme?

[padoor]

try boot runlvel 1 and see if you can boot to get prompt.
have you run emerge --sync and emerge system before new install booting?
have you made unix passwd ?
one or more steps after kernel config you might have forgotten

edit
seperate /bin partition you must mount with fstab i think
what purpose does it serve?
seperate /usr /home partitions will help more than /bin
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[NathanZachary]

While I'm not sure why one would want to have a separate /bin partition, it should be doable. The only thing to remember is to make sure that it is set to auto in your fstab. Without automounting, you won't be able to login to be able to mount the partition...in essence, somewhat of a Linux Catch-22.
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“Truth, like infinity, is to be forever approached but never reached.” --Jean Ayres (1972)
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[SteelyEyedCodeslinger]

Thanks, to both of you. It is true that I didn't have the /bin partition marked "auto" in fstab. Before I got your reply, I had already fixed it by moving all my /bin partition's files to a new /bin on the root partition, but I didn't know then why I had to do that. Thanks to your replies I understand now why the "auto" tag is necessary.

My reasoning on the separate /bin partition was so that I would still have my basic commands available even if I lost the other partitions besides /boot. Kind of silly in retrospect, when I can always just boot off a live cd instead. I'm still trying to learn the best way to partition a system. (I already have /usr and /home on separate partitions, too, btw, so it wasn't just bin off by itself randomly!)

[NathanZachary]

No need to explain your rationale for your partition scheme. If you would like any help or other suggestions, please don't hesitate to ask. Welcome to Gentoo!
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“Truth, like infinity, is to be forever approached but never reached.” --Jean Ayres (1972)
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[cyrillic]