topic Re: grey screen in Operating System - HP-UX

grey screen

ulisse — Thu, 23 Aug 2001 11:58:22 GMT

I've a server HP J280 with HP-UX 10.20 as operating system.
Here is what happens to me:
- the machine is running with login "root";
after I've given the root password to connect
the screen became grey with no text except
the cursor of the mouse, and I can move it.
- with rlogin, from an other Workstation,I've
controlled the most functions from server:
they seem OK.

Which is the possible cause from this problem ?
(console ? , videoram? )
I'm sure it's not depend from screen because I've tested with an other one.

Thanks.

ulisse

Re: grey screen

Alex Glennie — Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:03:35 GMT

What you descibes sounds like the Xserver has started but whatever window manager you are running has not.

Are you login via VUE or CDE ? Check say in/var/dt/Xerrors and $HOME/.dt/startlog

What's changed ? has this always happened I'd also look into dr_dt output if you are using CDE and also if hostname resolution is working correctly.

Re: grey screen

Greg OBarr — Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:03:36 GMT

Have you logged in remotely from another system and checked the syslog file for error messages?

Re: grey screen

ulisse — Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:46:49 GMT

To Mr.Glennie and OBarr,
I thank you very mutch for the rapide response.
I'm login with CDE.
Xerrors is zero bytes.
Is the first time that is happened.
3 day again I've changed the date, because after a reboot was setting on "23 november".

I attach the file : errorlog, syslog, startlog

Re: grey screen

ulisse — Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:47:47 GMT

File attached: syslog

Re: grey screen

ulisse — Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:48:57 GMT

File attached: startlog

Re: grey screen

Alex Glennie — Thu, 23 Aug 2001 12:56:49 GMT

23 November 2001 ? did you set time backwards whilst CDE was running ?

This may cause corruption of key CDE filesets / date timestamps .

I'd run dr_dt and may suggest a re-install of the CDE filesets maybe necessary if the above is the case.

Re: grey screen

ulisse — Fri, 24 Aug 2001 11:50:59 GMT

I attach you the result of 'dr_dt': it is without errors.( I don't use the DNS).
What you think about to kill the process 'dtlogin'? Will the CDE automatically restart?
I'm searching a solution with the minimal risc.
Maybe I don't need to re-install the CDE filesets.

With my best thanks.

Re: grey screen

John Bolene — Fri, 24 Aug 2001 12:11:10 GMT

You are using DNS because this was in the file...

hosts: dns [NOTFOUND=continue UNAVAIL=continue TRYAGAIN=continue] files

Yous system is unable to determine who it is and will not start up CDE unless it does.

If not using DNS, change the name of /etc/nsswitch.conf to /etc/nsswitch.conf.save

your hostname with correct IP then needs to be in the /etc/hosts file, which it probably is.

You might also have some terminals in /usr/dt/config/Xaccess, these all have to resolve in DNS if they exist in the table, the search quits on the first one that does not resolve.

Re: grey screen

Greg OBarr — Fri, 24 Aug 2001 12:35:33 GMT

The syslog file also shows some SCSI timeouts accessing a disk. Perhaps there is a disk access error reading some of the X libraries.

Re: grey screen

ulisse — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 11:30:24 GMT

To Mr. John Bolene.
I would precise: the DNS is configured but not running because I've stopped the Name server (named=0).
The sytem was working correctly along I've not set time backwards whilst CDE was running.
I'm searching a possibility to rerun the CDE without re-install the filesets ).

Re: grey screen

John Bolene — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 12:36:11 GMT

Just because named is not running does not mean you are not running DNS.

If the following is in the /etc/nsswitch.conf file, you are running DNS, it will go there first for lookups wheather you want it to or not.

hosts: dns [NOTFOUND=continue UNAVAIL=continue TRYAGAIN=continue] files

You can put
hosts: files [NOTFOUND=continue UNAVAIL=continue TRYAGAIN=continue] dns

in the file and it will check hosts first and then DNS if it does not find it.

I've been in this situation before, or rename nsswitch.conf to something else.

I am the DNS guy for Hertz rent-a-car, I know of what I speak.

Re: grey screen

Sachin Patel — Mon, 27 Aug 2001 12:54:12 GMT

Hi Ulisse,
John is right. Even if you stop named and your /etc/nsswitch.conf file has host DNS, then it will go look in the the server specify in /etc/resolv.conf file.

Sachin