Init:ID "x" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes

[Volans]

Hello, I really need help!

I installed fedora 8 yesterday (clean install, and no problems about it). When it was time to update, it told me that there were missing dependencies for certain packages (DHCP6, Rhythmbox, and a part of open office). Since the software updater stopped at that point, I decided to update everything else (about 155 updates) and let those pieces of software out, by unckecking them on the list.

Everything went fine, the updates were downloaded and installed smoothly (except the ones with missing dependencies, that I had unckecked). Then it asked me to restart the PC, and so I did.

When I turned on the PC again, the following error message came out on tty1:

INIT: Id "x" respawning too fast: Disabled for 5 minutes

I googled it, and it said it was a line "x" of the inittab that started some piece of software, and that this happens when the program keeps restarting in a closed loop without end, and so Linux stops it. I went to inittab, and I found this:

x:5:respawn:/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon

I tried to comment out this line and the error dissapears, but then I just have command line I also tried to just do this:

/etc/X11/prefdm -nodaemon

to see if I got any error from the program, but no, it just ends abruptly and I get no error (command prompt right after).

Can anyone help me?

Thank you!

[bric]

I am seeing the exact same issue.

If I hit enter, I see a plain text log-in dialog. If I log in and then enter "startx", X-windows start up normally.

[Volans]

I tried just that, and it works!! I also managed to make the x-window system to startup like that.

[scottro]

I've had that issue from time to time, usually for one of two reasons.
One, if gnome is not installed and it's set to boot into run level 5, it seems to automatically look for the gdm (Gnome Display Manager). If you don't have that, it will start that evil spawn <snicker> thing.

The other reason is when xorg either has the wrong card (or possibly is missing the video card section.) Those are the two things that have caused it for me.

I tend to boot into run level 3 (text mode) so that avoids the first problem for me. If I have the second one, it shows up the first time I startx.

[bric]

Volans, I think I might have gotten into this mess by accidentally getting the "rawhide" development package updates vs. the plain "Fedora 8" ones.

Did you happen to do the same thing?

[Volans]

Nope, I didn't do anything like that. The problem showed up when I restarted my computer after updates. I think updates introduced some sort of misconfiguration that caused the problem. It was working fine before...

[Volans]

I just would like to finalize saying that I reinstalled Fedora 8 today and of course it works fine now. I think what caused the problem was that, when repository manager showed up, I checked all repositories on the list, and so, I think YUM went to get packages from unstable software, something it shouldn't do. :P

Anyway, I'll not change the default repositories now. My computer already updated, and nothing bad happened. I recommend everybody to not change the default repositories.

If you any additional comment of information, please post.


Volans

[bric]

Originally Posted by Volans

I just would like to finalize saying that I reinstalled Fedora 8 today and of course it works fine now. I think what caused the problem was that, when repository manager showed up, I checked all repositories on the list, and so, I think YUM went to get packages from unstable software, something it shouldn't do. :P

Anyway, I'll not change the default repositories now. My computer already updated, and nothing bad happened. I recommend everybody to not change the default repositories.

If you any additional comment of information, please post.


Volans

That fixed it for me as well.

[kanila86]

I'm experiencing the same issue. Now i need to log on as root and then start kdm from the shell by typing:

$kdm

afterwards everything works fine

[ping_01]

Hello,

Im new with Fedora, and after installing fedora 8 it works fine, until the update, as the post above, but now I cant enter to the graphical interfac, until I log in and run the startx, can I fix this?

Could you help me?

Also Im trying to restore the repositories, but I dont know how.

I got this after YUM update
================================================== ===========================
Package Arch Version Repository Size
================================================== ===========================
Installing:
libcurl-devel i386 7.16.4-10.fc9 development 198 k
replacing curl-devel.i386 7.16.4-8.fc8

libcurl-devel x86_64 7.16.4-10.fc9 development 198 k
replacing curl-devel.i386 7.16.4-8.fc8

Updating:
curl x86_64 7.16.4-10.fc9 development 123 k
Installing for dependencies:
libcurl x86_64 7.16.4-10.fc9 development 128 k
libcurl i386 7.16.4-10.fc9 development 130 k

Transaction Summary
================================================== ===========================
Install 4 Package(s)
Update 1 Package(s)
Remove 0 Package(s)
Total download size: 777 k
Is this ok [y/N]: y
Downloading Packages:
Running rpm_check_debug
Running Transaction Test
Finished Transaction Test


Transaction Check Error:
file /usr/lib/libcurl.so.4.0.0 from install of libcurl-7.16.4-10.fc9.i386 conflicts with file from package curl-7.16.4-8.fc8.i386

Error Summary
-------------

Thanks in advance

[BattleStarJesus]

Ok, the same thing happened to me, with 100+ updates. I didn't change any repository configurations that I was aware of. The update window popped up said I needed some updates, so I updated. Of course I thought it was odd, Fedora 8 isn't even a month old and there are so many updates, but Linux is a robust animal so it seems conceivable.

After a night of updating and I get this error, I'm not going to pull the nuclear option and start from scratch by reinstalling again. I'm going to work my way through this. It obviously appears to be a significant problem. Someone has to know something. I have read through the posts on this thread, unfortunately I don't really understand what anyone realy means in terms of fixing any of this. I still dredge on!

Will someone please explain how they managed to workaround this, in a basic simple step by step syntax? Has someone found a way to make this problem completely go away? What does this error mean?

[ianinsuffolk]

I also with Fedora 8 after installing updates. Yes, startx will work in command line but want this to be a Showcase for Linux at workshops so not an acceptable fix. Pity as 8 is otherwise superb on my dual core machine that I built for around £100!

Will await an expert telling me/us which update file causes the problem before I do ANY updates!
Ian

[BattleStarJesus]

Unfortunately I have not the technical inclination to advance effective repairs to this malfunction. I reinstalled the system and I'm not doing any updates until I am confidently assured that whatever update it is that causes this problem has been resolved.

I really hope someone has the solution. I did scheduled updates and it rendered the system useless. I did not have the technical intuition to resolve the problem and unfortunately I took the nuclear option. I never like doing that.

So what is up anyone know?

[BattleStarJesus]

THIS IS A REALLY SMEGGING SERIOUS MALFUNCTION! What can I do to help! I'm pulling up my sleeves and diving in! WHO DO I GOTTA TALK TO AROUND HERE TO GET THINGS DONE! Not that I really know anything but I want to help! This SUX!!!

[bric]

Guys, I'm about 30 minutes ahead of you all in all this, but here is my understanding. This problem is caused by having yum point to the unstable development repositories instead of the regular stable Fedora 8 repositories. The development repositories are the literal bleeding edge and can be expected to fail dramatically like this until the bugs are worked out.

This happened to me when I installed Fedora 8 Test 3 (which is a development, not stable version) and forgot to get off "development" and onto "stable" when Fedora 8 went gold.

I tried to downgrade all of my packages to the Fedora 8 non-development versions, but that left my machine in a worse state (though someone with more experience might have been able to get it to work). For me the easy solution was to create a Fedora 8 install DVD with the stable software and to re-install Fedora from that. It only took me 20 minutes or so and I had stable system that just plain works.