Problems trying to run level 3...

afdiaz · #1 30th June 2011, 10:28 AM

Hi everybody!...

Well I really don't understand why Fedora Project has changed the way to start in the level what I need by changing the inittab file...

... Now is a bit complicated and following the instruction in the fedora.wiki the only thing I get is block my access to the graphical interface and blocked the access to my shell.

I've deleted the original 'default.target' file and replaced it by the multi-user.target pointing out to the 'runlevel3.target'. Thus the only thing is my blue screen with Fedora logo freezed.

So the question is: How to recover my graphical interface?

Thank you for your help!

mightymouse2045 · #2 30th June 2011, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by afdiaz

Hi everybody!...

Well I really don't understand why Fedora Project has changed the way to start in the level what I need by changing the inittab file...

... Now is a bit complicated and following the instruction in the fedora.wiki the only thing I get is block my access to the graphical interface and blocked the access to my shell.

I've deleted the original 'default.target' file and replaced it by the multi-user.target pointing out to the 'runlevel3.target'. Thus the only thing is my blue screen with Fedora logo freezed.

So the question is: How to recover my graphical interface?

Thank you for your help!

I can only say by undoing everything you did on the wiki. Without a link to the wiki or a clear idea of what it is that you changed then it's not really possible to help you.

If you want to get into run level 3 still because you want to fix the frozen screen the quickest and easiest is to add a 3 to the end of the kernel line in the boot menu.

To do that at the boot menu press e to edit the menu item, arrow down to the kernel line and put in 3 at the end of that line with a space before it of course.

Then I think it is ctrl b or ctrl x to boot and you will get into init 3

If you want to make it permanent for some reason just edit the /boot/grub/menu.lst or grub.cfg file to do it.

***glennzo*** · #3 30th June 2011, 11:17 AM

After you add the "3" you press enter and then press "b" to boot.

afdiaz · #4 30th June 2011, 11:31 AM

Well... below what I did:

Quote:

# rm -rf /etc/systemd/system/default.target
# ln -sf /lib/systemd/system/runlevel3.target /etc/systemd/system/default.target

After that the blue screen with Fedora logotype is freezed.

I've followed your instruction adding '3' at the end of the kernel line in the boot menu and I can access directly to my shell but I get the following error message:

Quote:

Welcome to rescue mode. Use "systemctl default" or ^D to activate default mode.

The idea to start in level 3 is just because I need install the NVIDIA graphic driver allowed to be installed out of the graphic mode.

After try to install my .sh file, I get the message below:

Quote:

You appear to be running in level 1...... It's recommended that you quit installation now and switch to runlevel 3 (`telinit 3`) before installing.

Next step is try to change to level 3 through the suggested command line, but I get this message:

Quote:

# telinit 3
Failed to issue method call: Unit multi-user.target failed to load: invalid argument.
#

Apparently the 'systemctl' takes control of all services. So, as all services are stopped, I've started the 'network' service in order to update my system through 'yum'. I get around 263 updates including the 'xorg-x11-drv'.

I've restarted my machine, but I get the same fereezed screen!.

Thank you for any help.

mightymouse2045 · #5 30th June 2011, 02:28 PM

Ok your command ln -sf /lib/systemd/system/runlevel3.target /etc/systemd/system/default.target is actually linking you to the rescue service.

When you boot add 3 to the kernel line again in the boot menu then login and run this command instead

Code:

ln -sf /lib/systemd/system/runlevel5.target /etc/systemd/system/default.target

Then you reboot and you can then follow this guide to install the nvidia drivers from step 3:

http://www.my-guides.net/en/guides/l...allation-guide

---------- Post added at 09:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 09:26 PM ----------

Adding 3 to the end of the kernel line in the boot menu is the best and safest way to avoid anything like what you've done happening :P

PatMcLJr · #6 30th June 2011, 02:43 PM

no more initab ???
systemd could take me a long while to figure out

***glennzo*** · #7 30th June 2011, 03:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PatMcLJr

no more initab ???
systemd could take me a long while to figure out

Pat. Have a look at /etc/inittab (it still exists on my F15 box) and you'll see a short note at the bottom of the file.

afdiaz · #8 30th June 2011, 03:37 PM

mightymouse2045,

Thank you for your answer. I did it but I get the same freezed screen. After one hour the logo appers but then my keyboard is completely blocked.

I only can move through "ALT" + "F1" but only a message:

Quote:

Welcome to Fedora release 15 (Lovelock) !

After that the only way to restart is through the "restart button".

Any other suggest?... It's really annoying to install absolutely all again just because the graphic interface is failed.

Thank you

PabloTwo · #9 30th June 2011, 03:53 PM

Perhaps you could undo your changes by first, deleting the symlink you made, then, as root,

Code:

 yum reinstall `rpm -qf /etc/systemd/system/default.target`

That should reinstall the package that provides /etc/systemd/system/default.target.

mightymouse2045 · #10 30th June 2011, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by glennzo

Pat. Have a look at /etc/inittab (it still exists on my F15 box) and you'll see a short note at the bottom of the file.

lol and the way it says to do it in inittab is exactly the way he's done it...

---------- Post added at 11:12 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:06 PM ----------

Quote:

Originally Posted by afdiaz

Any other suggest?... It's really annoying to install absolutely all again just because the graphic interface is failed.

Dude I really don't know. After doing the link to point it back at the runlevel5 target when you have the "frozen logo" try pressing ctrl + alt +f2 or f3 etc and see if you can get a login prompt.

Or after an hour?!? when it finally lets you get to a terminal and you login are you still getting the rescue message like before?

because basically you shouldn't be getting a frozen logo if you have successfully booted into runlevel 3. It SHOULD go straight to a terminal.

ummmmm do what the other chap above said to try deleting the link altogether and then reinstall that package.

afdiaz · #11 30th June 2011, 04:25 PM

Thank you PabloTwo... I've tried to reinstall the packages but I get a error message as it isn't an invalid version flag from rpm. I've checked around and found something through Bugzilla.RedHat ans it could be fixed through the following command:

Quote:

# rpm -e --nodeps systemd-units
# yum install systemd-units

But I get the same freezed screen again

!

It seems I should re-install all Fedora again. I really don't know why that people has changed something that works fine (inittab) for a new really complicated way... The idea of an Open Source OS is to be closed to more single users. Or probably I wrong and the most complicated way to change someting is the goal of Fedora project?

---------- Post added at 05:25 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:18 PM ----------

Hey mightymouse2045,

Thank you again for your help... Well, after the frozen logo I cannot move around... My keyboard is completely blocked and the only way to restart is through the "reset" button.

I can go directly to the shell if I add the number 3 at the end of the kernel line at the boot screen. But I'm still getting the error message:

Quote:

Welcome to rescue mode. Use "systemctl default" or ^D to activate default mode.

So... Is there a possibility to keep my data if I'm re-install whole OS again?

smr54 · #12 30th June 2011, 04:31 PM

In theory at least, systemd will be more efficient, boot more quickly and so on. Thanks to Bill Nottingham, I believe, the instructions are right in /etc/inittab, which made the most sense, as that's where the sort of person who changes their runlevel to three would have gone to fix it.

Whether systemd is really a good thing, or just another thing so that laptop users can boot faster, while making others' live complex is a topic of debate. For me, I haven't found it to affect anything--they've been good enough to make sure that the chkconfig and service commands are linked to work, as well as making it easy by putting instructions in /etc/inittab.

Now, it's possible, looking at the description, that part of the problem is the rhgb quiet entry at the end of the kernel line. In the same place where you put the 3, just before that, you should see rhgb quiet. Remove that before pressing b for boot.

afdiaz · #13 30th June 2011, 04:51 PM

Hi smr54...

Thank you for your post.

Yes, I agree that all efforts and community works are focused to improve and release a product better and better each version.

I really like the Opensource products and I develop and propose OpenSource solution (starting from Fedora for common users) for any critical an non-critical frameworks. But sometimes, following instruction of the OSystem all is broken!

I've followed your instructions to access in level 3, but it seems that I'm still forwarded to level 1 (according to NVIDIA installation).

Now I'll forgot the ?$*\&@#§ Nvidia Card and I'll focus my energy in recovery my graphical access. I've repeat some steps suggested in the inittab file and in the wiki.fedora but still with the same frozen screen.

mightymouse2045 · #14 30th June 2011, 04:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smr54

Now, it's possible, looking at the description, that part of the problem is the rhgb quiet entry at the end of the kernel line. In the same place where you put the 3, just before that, you should see rhgb quiet. Remove that before pressing b for boot.

Yeah try what smr54 says also to get rid of the graphic boot altogether for now.

Dude if you are still getting the rescue mode warning then you haven't reset the changes you made before and you are still booting into runlevel target 3

Do this

Code:

cat /etc/systemd/system/default.target

If it says:

Code:

[Unit]
Description=Multi-User
Requires=basic.target
Conflicts=rescue.service rescue.target
After=basic.target rescue.service rescue.target
AllowIsolate=yes

[Install]
Alias=default.target

Then you haven't linked to the correct file properly.

Do this:

Code:

rm -f /etc/systemd/system/default.target
ln -s /lib/systemd/system/runlevel5.target /etc/systemd/system/default.target
cat /etc/systemd/system/default.target

Then you should see:

Code:

[Unit]
Description=Graphical Interface
Requires=multi-user.target
After=multi-user.target
Conflicts=rescue.target
AllowIsolate=yes

[Install]
Alias=default.target

Then you should be good to go.

If you already see the correct multi-user.target when you cat default.target then something else weird is going on!

afdiaz · #15 30th June 2011, 05:08 PM

Hey mightymouse2045,

My 'default.target' file contains the following information:

Quote:

[Unit]
Description=Graphical Interface
Requires=multi-user.target
After=multi-user.target
Conflicts=rescue.target
AllowIsolate=yes

[Install]
Alias=default.target

And sorting my default.target file I get:

Quote:

/etc/systemd/system/default.target -> /lib/systemd/system/runlevel5.target

... which involve that the 'default.target' is pointing out in the good address.

BTW... What is 'graphical.target.wants' (an empty file in the same folder)