Re: Cannot open shared object file errors preventing boot up

[Rick Stevens <rstevens vitalstream com>]

Bob McClure Jr wrote:
> On Tue, Aug 10, 2004 at 04:04:31PM +1000, Graeme Nichols wrote:
>
> > Rick Stevens wrote:
> >
> > > Graeme Nichols wrote:
> > >
> > >
> > > > Hello Folks, I don't know if I have been hacked or have simply managed 
> > > > to corrupt something but I cannot start any apps. and cannot really 
> > > > boot the system.
> > > >
> > > > The errors I am receiving all say 'error while loading shared library 
> > > > <some library: cannot open shared object file: no such file or directory"
> > > >
> > > > While trying to boot the first error encountered says: "Starting xfs: 
> > > > xfs: error while loading shared library libXfont.so.1: cannot open 
> > > > shared object file: no such file or directory."
> > > >
> > > > The when the graphical login screen is trying to load I get the error 
> > > > "Id X respawning too fast. Disaabled for 5 minutes"
> > > >
> > > > If I manage to boot into run level 3 then try to run 'startx' I get 
> > > > about 6 lines of errors similar to the following: " Xauth: error while 
> > > > loading shared libraries: libXmuu.so.1; cannot open shared etc. etc. 
> > > > No such file or directory"
> > > >
> > > > I was running mrtg at the time and it failed with the same type of error.
> > > >
> > > > The only other thing I was doing at the time was installing epiphany 
> > > > using the package manager, which finished normally but epiphany would 
> > > > not run. Said it was starting but it bombed out. Trying to start it 
> > >
> > > > from a terminal resulted in a similar error to all the above.
> > >
> > > > Help Please... I'm sending this from Win 98, not good.
> > >
> > >
> > > Some of your X environment got stomped on.  Boot up in run level 3 or
> > > single user mode, dig up your CDs and run
> > >
> > >   rpm -Uvh --force XFree86-devel*.rpm
> > >
> > > Hopefully that should fix it unless other bits got munched, too.
> >
> > Hi Rick, thanks. re-installed all the xorg-X11* rpms on the 4 FC2 CDs. 
> > This had an impact in that 'startx' tries to do things now but 
> > eventually bombs out on the 'unix/7100' (or something) font path and 
> > then 'cannot load 'fixed' fonts' I've googled around but cannot find any 
> > answers yet.
> >
> > Have you any further ideas on what may be happening now and how I can 
> > work out just where this font path refers to?
> >
> > --
> >
> > Kind regards,
> > Graeme Nichols.
>
>
> It'll be another nine hours before Rick comes on-line, so I'll take a
> shot at this.  (Don't ask why I'm up this late.)
>
> Your symptoms indicate your X font server is not running.  As root,
> run
>
>   service xfs status
>
> You should get something like
>
> xfs (pid 1032) is running...
>
> If not, run
>
>   service xfs start
>
> That gets it starting right now.  If that comes up ok, run
>
>   chkconfig --list xfs
>
> You should get something like
>
> xfs             0:off   1:off   2:on    3:on    4:on    5:on    6:off
>
> If not, run
>
>   chkconfig xfs on
>
> That makes it come on next time you boot.  If it won't come up and
> stay up, look in /var/log/messages for clues.

That's exactly right.  xfs must be running.  Many people turn it off
thinking it's a security risk, but it's not as it only runs on Unix
sockets.
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- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens vitalstream com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
-                                                                    -
-              Where there's a will, I want to be in it.             -
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