CDE screen locked

[Van Fortier]

I have a K box running 10.20. Logged into the console and locked the screen from the CDE. Now the screen won't unlock. Why doesn't CDE recognize root's passwd and is rebooting my only option.

[Patrick Wallek]

Did you log into the console as root? If not, have you tried the users' password that you logged in with?

Are you sure the password is correct and your CAPS LOCK key is not on?

If you can telnet in from another machine, you can kill your CDE login processes so that you can get back to the CDE prompt.

A reboot at this point is not warranted.

[Van Fortier]

Yes logged in as root and no the CAPS lock isn't on. Killed the CDE processes and the getty. The getty restarted, and got a console login prompt not the CDE login. Problem now is console is locked up at the console prompt. I can telnet in without problem.

[Darren Prior]

You haven't mentioned whether or not this is a trusted system, if it is please try logging in using the first 8 characters of the password.

Other things to check are whether you have an /etc/securetty set up in a peculiar way, and also checking the cons entry in inittab and comparing it against the default inittab.

regards,

Darren.

[Ceesjan van Hattum]

I assume the box in on a network. If you telnet to this box, try to send a SIGINT (kill -1) to the CDE motherprocess. If this does not work, go to runlevel 2 (assuming CDE is in runlevel 3).
By typing 'init 2', you should maintain your network connectivity, but CDE will stop. Then type init 3 again.
Switching runlevels is strongly recommended... but still assuming networka access.

Regards,
Ceesjan

[Bryan Munshower]

VF,
If you can telnet in from another box (logging in as root), run the following command:

/sbin/init.d/dtlogin.rc stop

This will take CDE down and leave you at a console login on the host. Next you may run the above command with "start" from the telnet session which will bring up the standard CDE login or you may simply login back at the host and run the command from there.

Going down to run level two (init 2) and back up is another option, but run level three has more running on it than just CDE (depending on how you've configured your system) so you must determine if you can afford to do that. during production hours.