Ubuntu problem- "id 1 respawning too fast"

kc66

I am a complete noobie to Linux. Installed Ubuntu and install went well until just before I was due to get the login screen. I got this message:

id 1 respawning too fast: disabling for 5 minutes.

This kept repeating. Found a lot of people with similar problem on other forums but no solution. Does anyone have an idiots guide to sorting it out? Thanks.

AndrewMc

kc66 wrote:

I am a complete noobie to Linux. Installed Ubuntu and install went well until just before I was due to get the login screen. I got this message:

id 1 respawning too fast: disabling for 5 minutes.

This kept repeating. Found a lot of people with similar problem on other forums but no solution. Does anyone have an idiots guide to sorting it out? Thanks.

Here's a half-way attempt, but this is an odd problem to have

"Init" is the parent process from which all others run for the entire running life of the computer. Among other things it triggers the other system processes and the text-based logins. Its configuration file is /etc/inittab.

As I understand it in the message above, the "id 1" it refers to is the line in /etc/inittab starting "1:". On my Ubuntu setup, and presumably yours, it looks like:

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1

"getty" is the text-based login screen that you can normally get to by pressing Ctrl-Alt-F1, and is the one that's displayed if you don't have X (the graphical login) installed at all. The "respawn" means that init is supposed to restart it when getty exits. This normally only happens when you log out of the text-based login session.

When init says it's restarting too fast, it suggests that getty is dying almost immediately after starting, is restarted, dies again, is restarted, dies again... This is strange and shouldn't be happening.

Can you boot the system into rescue mode (text only) and check the contents of /etc/inittab? "cat /etc/inittab" will list the file and you should look for the line starting "1:". There should be only one, and should look like the example I gave above.

If that's normal, you can then try starting "getty" yourself. In rescue mode there shouldn't be any running yet, so you can try this:

/sbin/getty 38400 tty2

If that works (it should sit there without returning the prompt), pressing "Alt-F2" should show you the login prompt you've just asked it to put on tty2. Try it out by logging in and out with the username and password you made during installation. "Alt-F1" will bring you back where you were. If the command to start getty doesn't work, can you report back with exactly what error it gives, if any?

I've not seen this problem myself, so I'm flying somewhat blind on this one

niallb

Spot on AndrewMc.

If it's running OK on tty2 (ALT-F2), then the line in
/etc/inittab is probably corrupt.

I'd suspect that the getty binary doesn't exist,
or that there's a problem with one of the libraries it needs.
It only needs three libraries though, and most other things
need at least two of those, so it could be a serious problem
with your installation.

Did the install take a very long time?
Any chance there's dirt/scratch/corruption on the CD ?

Even if getty couldn't start, if X is installed and configured,
it should still have appeared if getty was the only problem.

Did you see any errors or retry requests during the install?

NiallB

kc66

Thanks for the replies. Installation didnt take long at all. Had just burnt the CDs so they are not scratched or dirty. Tried the live version before installing and it worked fine. Im not using the same machine at the moment so will try it later.
I can boot in rescue mode alright. I just wasnt sure how to access etc/inittab. Will try soon.

kc66

/etc/inittab reads:

1:2345:respawn:/usr/sbin/termwrap /usr/sbin/base-config new </dev/tty1 >/dev/tty1 2>&1
2:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty2
3:23:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty3
4:23:respawn:/usr/bin/tail -f /var/log/base-config-pkgsel.log </dev/tty4 >/dev/tty4 2>&1

Should the line starting "1:" be changed to

1:2345:respawn:/sbin/getty 38400 tty1

If so how do I edit the file?

I did some unix years ago but was a bit different.

Also

If that's normal, you can then try starting "getty" yourself. In rescue mode there shouldn't be any running yet, so you can try this:

/sbin/getty 38400 tty2

If that works (it should sit there without returning the prompt), pressing "Alt-F2" should show you the login prompt you've just asked it to put on tty2. Try it out by logging in and out with the username and password you made during installation. "Alt-F1" will bring you back where you were. If the command to start getty doesn't work, can you report back with exactly what error it gives, if any?

This let me login but gave this message:

-bash: no job control in this shell

Dont know if it makes any difference but this is installed alongside Windows XP

niallb

Looks like the install didn't complete.
That line should have been rewritten after base-config was run.

This may not work, and may damage your installation,
but it appears a little borked anyway.

boot up in rescue mode as before, but instead of running
the getty to allow you login, just use the login you have.
I think the job control problem in the second terminal
is down to 'init' not being run.

Type in base-config at the rescue command prompt,
and follow through the menus if they appear.
Let us know if there are any errors.

Check /etc/inittab after base-config is finished.
It may not fix the entry, in which case you should
enter the line in AndrewMc's post.

If you used unix a few years ago, you may be familiar
with the 'vi' editor. If not, nano is a popular alternative.

NiallB

kc66

When I login and type base-config it says:
"/usr/sbin/base-config: line 31: /var/log/base-config.timings: Permission denied"

PS niallb u live not far from where I lived until a few months ago- bective.




Thanks for your help. I did what I should have done ages ago. Reinstalled. Working fine now. Cheers.

niallb

Not far at all.

The reinstall was the best option.
We all knew that all along!
Your problem was unusual though,
and was worth looking more closely at.

Enjoy it,
NiallB