Black Screen no Command Prompt

Recently I have run into a problem.
I made a change that has crippled my system and do not know how to reverse the effect.

I made a copy of a file bash.bashrc and named it bash.bashrc.local

when I restarted my konsole all I got was a blank line.
my prompt did not show user@desktop $ anymore and any thing that I type goes through without any reaction from the command line.

typing ls results in cursor moving to next line and nothing happens.

After I rebooted the machine and tried to log in the screen goes black and I see a cursor.

I’ve tried GNOME, KDE3, KDE4, IceWM, and all failesafe modes with the same results. Loggin into the command line will allow me to log in and then I get no command prompt and no response from the pc.

I know it’s working becuase my virtual windows machine on it is running and I can remote into it.

Anybody have any how I can get back in and delete the bash.bashrc.local file when nothing seems to be working?

If it is related to deleting a file, then you can use console with out any graphical mode.
Do you know the location of the file. cd to that folder and delete it.

Just an example:

rm /home/test/bash.bashrc.local

Note: backup, backup and backup before deleting or doing any thing.

I tried getting to console mode from the login screen.
It asked for my user name and then the password and logged me in. However, I did not get a command prompt. Whatever I type has no effect.

Type 3 at the boot screen while stopping the timer by arrow key(up/down).
And login to command based mode and try there.

-boot
-at first screen select Fail Safe, press enter
-when the command line comes
–type root hit enter
–type [root’s password] hit enter
-type cd /etc hit enter
-type mv bash.bashrc.local bashrc.bashrc local.bad-idea hit enter
-type exit hit enter
-type startx hit enter
-log in as yourself

-start over this time by creating an EMPTY file named
bash.bashrc.local and then fill it with whatever the directions you
are following says to…

mine begins like this:

/etc/bash.bashrc.local for openSUSE Linux

PLEASE DO NOT CHANGE /etc/bash.bashrc There are chances

that your changes will be lost during system upgrades.

Instead use /etc/bash.bashrc.local for your local settings,

favorite global aliases, VISUAL and EDITOR variables, etc …

below alias list developed over time

alias lsd=‘ls -hal | less’
alias x=‘exit’
alias m=‘mc’
alias s=‘su -’
alias a=‘atop’
alias t=‘top’
alias mv=‘mv -i’
alias cp=‘cp -i’
alias rm=‘rm -i’
alias rmdir=‘rmdir -i’

enjoy

platinum

On Wed, 23 Sep 2009 18:46:01 +0000, rashid1985 wrote:

> Recently I have run into a problem.
> I made a change that has crippled my system and do not know how to
> reverse the effect.
>
> I made a copy of a file bash.bashrc and named it bash.bashrc.local
>
> when I restarted my konsole all I got was a blank line. my prompt did
> not show user@desktop $ anymore and any thing that I type goes through
> without any reaction from the command line.
>
> typing ls results in cursor moving to next line and nothing happens.
>
> After I rebooted the machine and tried to log in the screen goes black
> and I see a cursor.
>
> I’ve tried GNOME, KDE3, KDE4, IceWM, and all failesafe modes with the
> same results. Loggin into the command line will allow me to log in and
> then I get no command prompt and no response from the pc.
>
> I know it’s working becuase my virtual windows machine on it is running
> and I can remote into it.
>
> Anybody have any how I can get back in and delete the bash.bashrc.local
> file when nothing seems to be working?

In addition to the other suggestions, I might even boot into single user
mode since the bash.bashrc script is probably run by the root user login
as well. IIRC, single user mode will bypass that.

Jim


Jim Henderson
openSUSE Forums Moderator

> -type mv bash.bashrc.local bashrc.bashrc local.bad-idea hit enter

ERROR in that line!! it should be

-type mv bash.bashrc.local bashrc.bashrc.local.bad-idea hit enter


platinum
no matter who you get advice from: THINK and do not blindly follow!!

Thanks all seems to be working so far. I will update as soon as possible.

-boot | ok
-at first screen select failsafe, press enter | ok
–type root hit enter | ok
–type [root’s password] hit enter | ok
System Message:
You have new mail
Have a lot of fun!

From here on is what happens

cd /etc
#no response returns to the beginning of the line
mv bash.bashrc.local bashrc.bashrc local.bad-idea
#no response returns to the beginning of the line
exit
#no response returns to the beginning of the line
startx
#no response returns to the beginning of the line

BTW I have Xen - OpenSUSE 11
My operating system selection has 4 choices

Xen - OpenSUSE 11
OpenSUSE 11
Xen - OpenSUSE 11 Failsafe
Floppy Disk

#on the bottom I have two lines
Boot Options (different for each selection)
More Oprtions (different for each selection)

where do I select single user mode or type 3?
I need something that’ll boot me to a working command line so I can move or delete the file.

On Thu, 24 Sep 2009 00:26:01 +0000, rashid1985 wrote:

> where do I select single user mode or type 3

In the grub menu, move the cursor down to the line with the options and
put in “s” or “single” to get to single user mode; put “3” on the line to
go to runlevel 3 (console only).

Single user mode will ask just for the root password; you can’t login as
another user.

Jim


Jim Henderson
openSUSE Forums Moderator

> In addition to the other suggestions, I might even boot into single user
> mode since the bash.bashrc script is probably run by the root user login
> as well. IIRC, single user mode will bypass that.

of course…why didn’t i think of that!

the reason my prescription didn’t work is because even root’s
environment is corrupted by the VERY faulty bash.bashrc.local

Rashid, if the above direction to insert s and single user boot
doesn’t work, then try
-boot from a live CD (any live cd)
-mount the partition with /etc
-THEN rename (or simply delete, CAREFULLY) /etc/bash.bashrc.local
-shutdown, and try a normal boot…it should come up fixed and happy…


platinum