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</style></head><body><div class="body"><div class="sect1"><a name="troubleshooting"/><h1 class="sect1 title"><span class="title">Troubleshooting</span></h1><p xmlns:msg="http://www.gnome.org/~shaunm/gnome-doc-utils/l10n" class="para">
This section discusses helpful tips for getting GDM working. In general,
if you have a problem using GDM, you can submit a bug to the
"gdm" category in
<a class="ulink" href="http://bugzilla.gnome.org/" title="http://bugzilla.gnome.org/">bugzilla.gnome.org</a>
or send an email to the
<div class="address block-verbatim"><span class="email-punc"><tt><<a href="mailto:gdm-list@gnome.org" title="Send email to ‘’."><span class="email">gdm-list@gnome.org</span></a>></tt></span></div> mail list.
</p><p xmlns:msg="http://www.gnome.org/~shaunm/gnome-doc-utils/l10n" class="para">
If GDM is failing to work properly, it is always a good idea to include
debug information. Use the <span class="command" style="font-family: monospace; ">gdmsetup</span> command to turn
on debug ("Enable debug messages to system log" checkbox in the
"Security" tab), then use GDM to the point where it fails, and
include the GDM output sent to your system log
(<span class="filename" style="font-family: monospace; "><var>/log/messages</span> or
<span class="filename" style="font-family: monospace; "><var>/adm/messages</span> depending on your operating
system). Since the system log can be large, please only include the GDM
debug information and do not sent the entire file. If you do not see any
GDM syslog output, you may need to configure syslog (see syslog.3c man
page).
</p><p xmlns:msg="http://www.gnome.org/~shaunm/gnome-doc-utils/l10n" class="para">
You should not leave debug on after collecting data. It will clutter your
syslog and slow system performance.
</p><div class="sect2"><a name="wontstart"/><h2 class="sect2 title"><span class="title"><span class="label">12.1. </span>GDM Will Not Start</span></h2><p xmlns:msg="http://www.gnome.org/~shaunm/gnome-doc-utils/l10n" class="para">
There are a many problems that can cause GDM to fail to start, but
this section will discuss a few common problems and how to approach
tracking down a problem with GDM starting. Some problems will
cause GDM to respond with an error message or dialog when it tries
to start, but it can be difficult to track down problems when GDM
fails silently.
</p><p xmlns:msg="http://www.gnome.org/~shaunm/gnome-doc-utils/l10n" class="para">
First make sure that the Xserver is configured properly. The
GDM configuration file contains a command in the [server-Standard]
section that is used for starting the Xserver. Verify that this
command works on your system. Running this command from the
console should start the Xserver. If it fails, then the problem
is likely with your Xserver configuration. Refer to your Xserver
error log for an idea of what the problem may be. The problem may
also be that your Xserver requires different command-line options.
If so, then modify the Xserver command in the GDM configuration file
so that it is correct for your system.
</p><p xmlns:msg="http://www.gnome.org/~shaunm/gnome-doc-utils/l10n" class="para">
Another common problem is that the GDM greeter program is having
trouble starting. This can happen, for example, if GDM cannot find
a needed library or other resource. Try starting the Xserver and
a terminal program, set the shell environment variable
DOING_GDM_DEVELOPMENT=1 and run
<span class="command" style="font-family: monospace; "><lib>/gdmlogin</span>
or <span class="command" style="font-family: monospace; "><lib>/gdmgreeter</span>. Any error messages
echoed to the terminal will likely highlight the problem. Also,
turning on debug and checking the output sent to the system log
will often highlight the problem.
</p><p xmlns:msg="http://www.gnome.org/~shaunm/gnome-doc-utils/l10n" class="para">
Also make sure that the <span class="filename" style="font-family: monospace; ">/tmp</span> directory has
reasonable ownership and permissions, and that the machine's file
system is not full. These problems will cause GDM to fail to start.
</p></div><div class="sect2"><a name="notaccessfile"/><h2 class="sect2 title"><span class="title"><span class="label">12.2. </span>GDM Will Not Access User Settings</span></h2><p xmlns:msg="http://www.gnome.org/~shaunm/gnome-doc-utils/l10n" class="para">
GDM saves user settings, such as your default session and default
language, in the <span class="filename" style="font-family: monospace; ">~/.dmrc</span>. Other files, such
as the user's <span class="filename" style="font-family: monospace; ">~/.Xauthority</span> file will also
affect login. GDM, by default, is strict about how it tries to
access files in the users home directory, and will ignore the file if
they do not conform to certain rules. You can use the
<span class="filename" style="font-family: monospace; ">RelaxPermissions</span> configuration option to
make GDM less strict about how it accesses files in the user's
home directory, or correct the permissions issues that cause GDM
to ignore the file. This is discussed in detail described in the
"File Access" section of the "Overview".
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