Terminal/Console doesn't work: No Interaction

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hi there,

In an attempt to set some system-wide customization and global variables, I made another copy of /etc/profile with a newer name, as suggested by the first line in the same file. The new file name was /etc/profile.local

I only added one line at the bottom, to set the JAVA_HOME env variable, as
export JAVA_HOME=/usr/java/latest

After then, the root terminal asks for a password, I input the password, then the terminal freezes forever.

I’m trying now to login to the system, but with a complete failure: grub starts okay, asks for a login password. Once I input the password, nothing happens at all. I tried almost all the login options starting from the Konsole login into the KDE login (along with failsafe); but no success.

All what I need is to remove (delete) the file /etc/profile.local (hoping that every thing will be back to normal)

System configuration:
OpenSuse 12.1 64-bit,
HP ProBook, Intel 64-bit.
Dual boot system with Windows7, 64-bit

Thank you.

2

You may need to boot from your install DVD or a live CD, mount the root partition, then undo that change.

One possibility - perhaps you have created an infinite loop somewhere.

3

Maybe you were to quiick in reading /etc/profile. You should not copy this into /etc/profile.local, you should only put your local additions in /etc/profile.local. It is added to /etc/profile. This in your case, all that is in /etc/profile will now be executed a second time. That could create havocc (as you found out).

Thus after repairing from any live/rescue CD/DVD, you now know what to do.

4

Thank you nrickert and Henk van Velden for your help and cooperation.
That works just as was before.

Yes, I was in hurry for reading the first few lines in /etc/profile.

5

On 2012-08-08 14:46, hcvv wrote:
>
> Maybe you were to quiick in reading /etc/profile. You should not copy
> this into /etc/profile.local, you should only put your local additions
> in /etc/profile.local. It is added to /etc/profile. This in your case,
> all that is in /etc/profile will now be executed a second time. That
> could create havocc (as you found out).

Indeed:


if test "$is" != "ash" ; then
#
# And now let's see if there is a local profile
# (for options defined by your sysadmin, not SuSE Linux)
#
test -s /etc/profile.local && . /etc/profile.local
fi

an infinite loop…

–
Cheers / Saludos,

Carlos E. R.
(from 12.1 “Asparagus” GM (bombadillo))