can only login as root

[sean darcy]

I'm running fc3 - with the released updates. I have two user accounts - 
system and mythtv. For both of them, when I login - init 3 - I just get 
returned to the login prompt.  No error message about the password.  I can 
login as root.

/var/log/messages shows:
session opened for  user mythtv by LOGIN(uid=0)

same for system ( also for root).

I've rest the passwords for both users - though that doesn't seem to be the 
problem anyhow.

If I do login as root, I can't su to a user and startx because I don't "own" 
the console.

sean