Solved After installation, can't login.

I installed 10.3 64 bit on a virtual machine. The installation process went flawlessly. I installed the xfce4 desktop environment. I rebooted. At the login screen it prompts me for my username and I provide it. It then prompts me for my password and I provide it. But instead of logging me in, it again prompts me for my username. There are no error messages, just an endless cycle of username, password, username, password. I wish I could provide more detail, but there's no error messages.

I have also tried this on a laptop and encountered the same problem.

edit: per the handbook, I of course installed xorg, modified /etc/rc.conf and other relevant files.
 
Stupid question (and I believe you already tried), but for the record... have you tried root?

As others have learned, I am a potato--so your question is perfectly reasonable. Yes, I have tried as root.

Incidentally, I went back through the /home/'youruser'/.xinitrc and found an error. I corrected it, but when I tried to save my changes it said no such file or directory. I've encountered that before, so I ran

Code:
# fsck
# mount -u /
# mount -a -t ufs

as I have other times. However this had no effect and I was unable to make changes. Figuring I had ascended to a level of tuber higher than potato, I rebooted. Now when I try to run fsck nothing happens.
 
It depends on what changes were made to /etc/rc.conf and what you mean by "login screen".

If you have enabled some sort of graphic login manager like xdm(1), that complicates things by involving X. Regular console login does not take much.
 
Code:
# fsck
# mount -u /
# mount -a -t ufs

as I have other times. However this had no effect and I was unable to make changes. Figuring I had ascended to a level of tuber higher than potato, I rebooted. Now when I try to run fsck nothing happens.
This doesn't do anything if you have ZFS.
 
I followed the steps in the handbook, and it works when I run it.

However, it does not start automatically after a reboot.

I had one little glitch where my mouse constantly wants to move to the top left corner, but logging out closes x, and that fixed that problem.

I had xorg installed as well, I ran pkg remove xorg now and made no difference. I can still run startx and it still doesn't boot automatically into x

*Edit* Nevermind, as soon as I move the mouse, it shoots right into that corner again. It is a FBSD 11 on VMware player 12 (no vmware tools installed)
 
I had xorg installed as well, I ran pkg remove xorg now and made no difference. I can still run startx and it still doesn't boot automatically into x
That's because x11/xorg doesn't contain anything. It's a convenience package that simply depends on other packages, and those are still installed.


It is a FreeBSD 11 on VMware player 12 (no vmware tools installed)
Topics about unsupported FreeBSD versions

I suggest you use 10.3 instead. Or, PC-BSD. At least until you have some experience with FreeBSD.
 
That's because x11/xorg doesn't contain anything. It's a convenience package that simply depends on other packages, and those are still installed.



Topics about unsupported FreeBSD versions

I suggest you use 10.3 instead. Or, PC-BSD. At least until you have some experience with FreeBSD.


I just spun up a VM with 11 on, to see if the handbook is right or not. I will download 10.3 and test again.

I am just helping out where I can :) I would like to gain more experience with FreeBSD, as I am now supporting it (sort of)

*edit* I prefer the terminal, but there are people who like using a UI... the only GUI I use is linux based (gnome, kde, xfce on centos/debian/etc) or windows... but that's for desktops anyway.
 
Nevermind, as soon as I move the mouse, it shoots right into that corner again.
As this is with a VM, make sure you've set the mouse emulation to PS/2. The USB mouse emulation makes it act like a tablet instead of a mouse.
 
That's because x11/xorg doesn't contain anything. It's a convenience package that simply depends on other packages, and those are still installed.



Topics about unsupported FreeBSD versions

I suggest you use 10.3 instead. Or, PC-BSD. At least until you have some experience with FreeBSD.

Oh by the way, I tested it again and followed the instructions to the T (I can start it, but it doesn't start automatically, as that is not in the handbook). So if you can give some insight, instead of "its not supported". That would help the one's struggling.
 
per the handbook, I of course installed xorg, modified /etc/rc.conf and other relevant files.

"Other relevant files" could include an X start-up configuration script, which is necessary whether logging in from the console or a graphical login manager. startx and x11/slim require the file ~/.xinitrc; x11/xdm requires the file ~/.xauthority. If the requisite file isn't present, or is empty, or is incorrectly configured, that could result in what JDD is describing. Without more information, there's nothing anyone can really do.

Looks like some moderators are a quick to make assumptions with no assistance.

Assumptions are all they have to go on. "Can't log in" isn't information anyone can really do anything with, even if they happen to be moderators and developers. wblock@ did make a suggestion, sure, but that suggestion was itself founded on an assumption. People don't have infinite time to putz around trying to replicate ambiguous problems.

Picking a fight with community leaders immediately after joining that community is not what you'd call endearing.
 
"Other relevant files" could include an X start-up configuration script, which is necessary whether logging in from the console or a graphical login manager. startx and x11/slim require the file ~/.xinitrc[; x11/xdm requires the file ~/.xauthority. If the requisite file isn't present, or is empty, or is incorrectly configured, that could result in what JDD is describing. Without more information, there's nothing anyone can really do.



Assumptions are all they have to go on. "Can't log in" isn't information anyone can really do anything with, even if they happen to be moderators and developers. wblock@ did make a suggestion, sure, but that suggestion was itself founded on an assumption. People don't have infinite time to putz around trying to replicate ambiguous problems.

Picking a fight with community leaders immediately after joining that community is not what you'd call endearing.

Who said I am picking a fight? I just made a comment... If someone took offence to that, I apologize... I do have a bit of a sarcastic attitude

But thanks for the help, though. I will try what you mentioned. The handbook doesn't mention these steps. It is probably somewhere... hopefully... just don't know where...
 
As this is with a VM, make sure you've set the mouse emulation to PS/2. The USB mouse emulation makes it act like a tablet instead of a mouse.
Can you send me a screenshot of where to set this? I can't find an option for this in VMware player, and I cannot find a KB for it (VMware).

*edit* or even a link will do. Thanks

AAAH... nevermind... find a fix on VMWare's forum to remove the USB controller forcing it to fallback onto P/S2
 
Well, I blew up a thread and then disappeared. Okay, once I get some things sorted out I will try to sift through everyone's sage advice and see if I can make sense of things.
 
http://i.imgur.com/E75QQ9r.jpg

That is the login screen I spoke of in my first post.
Start by disabling Xorg from starting when booted. Start at the command prompt. Make sure you can login there. Keep an eye on "special" characters if you use a keyboard with a non-US layout. They may not actually print the character that's on the key and the login screen may revert to a standard US layout. That has bitten me more than once (the @ and " are sometimes swapped on a Dutch keyboard).

Make sure you're logging in with a user account, not with root. If that part works see if you can simply startx and get Xorg up and running. Once everything is configured and working as expected enable Xorg again.
 
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Reactions: JDD
So, here's a new problem. I thought I would just give KDE a shot before I started digging down into everyone's suggestions. I logged in as root and entered

Code:
pkg install x11/kde4

and nothing happens, much in the same way as when you enter

Code:
mount -u /

It just skips down to the next line as if nothing happened.
 
Finally got everything installed and xfce working. Ended up starting from scratch. I'm not even sure what I did differently.

Thanks to everyone who gave input, some of which was helpful, some of which was too difficult for me to understand. In either case, I am grateful!
 
Hurray!

You're going to end up doing that a lot. I know I did when I first started with FreeBSD ;)

There's still so much I can't figure out, and although I know I'm not the first to encounter the problems I face it feels like I'm the first. Even when I copy-paste solutions, nothing gets solved. I don't know. I admire the reputation FreeBSD has earned, and I appreciate it's potential. But it might be beyond a poor potato like me.
 
But it might be beyond a poor potato like me

We all start out that way :) I am a Microsoft expert, moved to Linux, now moving to FreeBSD, as one thing caught my eye regarding who owns Linux... And systemd of course, nifty and useful, but just not for me.

http://www.linuxfoundation.org/programs/legal/trademark/attribution
This page describes how to publicly acknowledge that Linus Torvalds is the owner of the Linux trademark.

I've been playing with FBSD for years, but never seriously, until now :)
 
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