Persistent login problem

[nekvt]

I am on my fourth try with Raspbian on Raspberry Pi 3 Model B+. The first three times, I installed NOOBS. This fourth time, I installed from a downloaded image. All four times, I have no problem getting started. The problems start later.

I don't see a login screen for weeks when I boot the machine. Many, many boot cycles later, the login screen comes up but won't accept the password I entered. (At the first complete restart, I taped the password to the monitor so I wouldn't forget it!) I used recovery mode to edit cmdline.txt so I could enter the command shell, remounting the volume and execute the passwd command. I was heartened to see the "password successfully changed" message, but still I could not login.

So, now I am starting all over again for the fourth time. Many weeks of work lost. Again.

Booting from the Debian image and stepping through the initial configuration process, I again see no login screen at boot. So, I suspect I will run into the same problem all over again and lose more weeks of work.

Can someone, please, explain what I am doing wrong.

[Ernst]

I suggest you replace the memory card for a new card.

[B.Goode]

Might this be a result of inadequate free space left on the root filesystem?

Perhaps the changes you make to Raspbian result in the accumulation of datafiles or log files that need to be periodically tidied up?

[RaTTuS]

1) make backups
2) have you opened up ssh to the outside world?
3) what do yo do
4) have you got a new better sdcard you cna try
5) do you get any brown out's
6) are you running any other stuff plugged in
7) what sort of stuff are you doing
8) what is your PSU
9) post links to all things you have connected
10) exactly what downloaded image are you using

[nekvt]

There seem to be several threads to your reply, so I will answer them in groups:

>> 10) exactly what downloaded image are you using
>> 4) have you got a new better sdcard you cna try

The first three times, I used Windows 7 to unZip NOOBS_v2_8_2.zip from RaspberryPi.org onto a 16GB SD card. I did this with two different new SanDisk 16GB SD cards purchased at the same time from the same manufacturer, with the same failed result. The fourth time, I used an Android device to clear one of those SD cards, then copied 2018-06-27-raspbian-stretch.img to the card with Win32DiskImager.

In all cases, I can boot, configure and use the machine, but there is no login screen until. In the first three tries, after many boot cycles, the login screen suddenly appears and will not accept my password. On this fourth try, I again see NO login screen when I boot the machine, so I anticipate running into this problem again eventually.

Can this problem be caused by a bad SD card?

>> 5) do you get any brown out's
>> 8) what is your PSU

Power interruptions are not unknown here, but I have never observed a brownout. I never experienced a power outage when the machine was running. The PSU is a generic 5V 3.0A wall-wart purchased from a large, computer-oriented, online vendor. Again, this seems unlikely to cause the "T-zero" problem of seeing no login screen.

>> 2) have you opened up ssh to the outside world?
>> 3) what do yo do
>> 7) what sort of stuff are you doing

The problem of seeing no login screen begins before I have done anything with the machine, immediately after completing the initial configuration process. So, the short answer is, "Nothing." On this fourth attempt, I have not downloaded or updated any packages, though I did allow the OS to check itself for updates as part of the configuration process.

>> 6) are you running any other stuff plugged in
>> 9) post links to all things you have connected

a) AudioInjector "Stereo Raspberry Pi cound card." (see http://www.audioinjector.net/rpi-hat).
b) Logitech USB Classic Keyboard 200 (no link on Logitech site)
c) Logitech M325 wireless mouse (https://www.logitech.com/en-us/product/ ... mouse-m325)
d) Asus HDMI monitor

>> 1) make backups

In my ignorance, I thought I was doing this, before I understood the Windows "hidden volume" problem. As a beginner, this is among the many things I have needed to learn as I make the transition into the free OS world. From now on, I will use Win32DiskImager to make backups. But there is no point to making a backup until I'm sure I have a reliable image.

[Ernst]

The first three times, I used Windows 7 to unZip NOOBS_v2_8_2.zip from RaspberryPi.org onto a 16GB SD card. I did this with two different new SanDisk 16GB SD cards purchased at the same time from the same manufacturer, with the same failed result. The fourth time, I used an Android device to clear one of those SD cards, then copied 2018-06-27-raspbian-stretch.img to the card with Win32DiskImager.

Do you notice the connections in the above quote ? same card, same time, same manufacturer (should be is SanDisk) or did you mean same supplier.

The chances are quite reasonable that you have received two fake memory cards, right now you should first test your cards with "H2testw" to ensure that your cards are genuine.
https://www.heise.de/download/product/h ... 9/download

FYI: SanDisk has a good name, but SanDisk is also known for bad quality on certain types of cards (personal experience), a sh*tload of card types that nobody really understands and being one of the most likely faked cards in some areas.

[nekvt]

Here are the contents of the /etc/passwd file. Does it look correct? I expect to see the password I entered at config time, but it is not there.

root0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
daemon1:1:daemon:/usr/sbin:/usr/sbin/nologin
bin2:2:bin:/bin:/usr/sbin/nologin
sys3:3:sys:/dev:/usr/sbin/nologin
sync4:65534:sync:/bin:/bin/sync
games5:60:games:/usr/games:/usr/sbin/nologin
man6:12/var/cache/man:/usr/sbin/nologin
lp7:7:lp:/var/spool/lpd:/usr/sbin/nologin
mail8:8:mail:/var/mail:/usr/sbin/nologin
news9:9:news:/var/spool/news:/usr/sbin/nologin
uucp10:10:uucp:/var/spool/uucp:/usr/sbin/nologin
proxy13:13:proxy:/bin:/usr/sbin/nologin
www-data33:33:www-data:/var/www:/usr/sbin/nologin
backup34:34:backup:/var/backups:/usr/sbin/nologin
list38:38:Mailing List Manager:/var/list:/usr/sbin/nologin
irc39:39:ircd:/var/run/ircd:/usr/sbin/nologin
gnats41:41:Gnats Bug-Reporting System (admin):/var/lib/gnats:/usr/sbin/nologin
nobody65534:65534:nobody:/nonexistent:/usr/sbin/nologin
systemd-timesync100:103:systemd Time Synchronization,,,:/run/systemd:/bin/false
systemd-network101:104:systemd Network Management,,,:/run/systemd/netif:/bin/false
systemd-resolve102:105:systemd Resolver,,,:/run/systemd/resolve:/bin/false
systemd-bus-proxy103:106:systemd Bus Proxy,,,:/run/systemd:/bin/false
_apt104:65534::/nonexistent:/bin/false
pi1000:1000:,,,:/home/pi:/bin/bash
messagebus105:109::/var/run/dbus:/bin/false
statd106:65534::/var/lib/nfs:/bin/false
sshd107:65534::/run/sshd:/usr/sbin/nologin
avahi108:112:Avahi mDNS daemon,,,:/var/run/avahi-daemon:/bin/false
lightdm109:113:Light Display Manager:/var/lib/lightdm:/bin/false
epmd110:114::/var/run/epmd:/bin/false

[Ernst]

Here are the contents of the /etc/passwd file. Does it look correct? I expect to see the password I entered at config time, but it is not there.

Code: Select all

root:x:0:0:root:/root:/bin/bash
daemon:x:1:1:daemon:/usr/sbin:/usr/sbin/nologin
bin:x:2:2:bin:/bin:/usr/sbin/nologin
sys:x:3:3:sys:/dev:/usr/sbin/nologin
sync:x:4:65534:sync:/bin:/bin/sync
games:x:5:60:games:/usr/games:/usr/sbin/nologin
man:x:6:12:man:/var/cache/man:/usr/sbin/nologin
lp:x:7:7:lp:/var/spool/lpd:/usr/sbin/nologin
mail:x:8:8:mail:/var/mail:/usr/sbin/nologin
news:x:9:9:news:/var/spool/news:/usr/sbin/nologin
uucp:x:10:10:uucp:/var/spool/uucp:/usr/sbin/nologin
proxy:x:13:13:proxy:/bin:/usr/sbin/nologin
www-data:x:33:33:www-data:/var/www:/usr/sbin/nologin
backup:x:34:34:backup:/var/backups:/usr/sbin/nologin
list:x:38:38:Mailing List Manager:/var/list:/usr/sbin/nologin
irc:x:39:39:ircd:/var/run/ircd:/usr/sbin/nologin
gnats:x:41:41:Gnats Bug-Reporting System (admin):/var/lib/gnats:/usr/sbin/nologin
nobody:x:65534:65534:nobody:/nonexistent:/usr/sbin/nologin
systemd-timesync:x:100:103:systemd Time Synchronization,,,:/run/systemd:/bin/false
systemd-network:x:101:104:systemd Network Management,,,:/run/systemd/netif:/bin/false
systemd-resolve:x:102:105:systemd Resolver,,,:/run/systemd/resolve:/bin/false
systemd-bus-proxy:x:103:106:systemd Bus Proxy,,,:/run/systemd:/bin/false
_apt:x:104:65534::/nonexistent:/bin/false
pi:x:1000:1000:,,,:/home/pi:/bin/bash
messagebus:x:105:109::/var/run/dbus:/bin/false
statd:x:106:65534::/var/lib/nfs:/bin/false
sshd:x:107:65534::/run/sshd:/usr/sbin/nologin
avahi:x:108:112:Avahi mDNS daemon,,,:/var/run/avahi-daemon:/bin/false
lightdm:x:109:113:Light Display Manager:/var/lib/lightdm:/bin/false
epmd:x:110:114::/var/run/epmd:/bin/false

You must learn to use code tags, that is the 5th item on the edit bar above.

Your password is ....... "x" because it is stored somewhere else.
But is does not make sense to look for it because you will not see a plaintext password.

[nekvt]

I apologize for my poor manners. I will endeavor to do better in future.

Even if I don't see a plain text password, should I not see some *entry* for a password?

[Ernst]

I apologize for my poor manners. I will endeavor to do better in future.

Even if I don't see a plain text password, should I not see some *entry* for a password?

The password hash is recorded in /etc/shadow, if you have not changed the Pi password you should see the following:

Code: Select all

pi@raspi4:~ $ sudo cat /etc/shadow | grep 'pi\:'
pi:$6$0VXr/Na/$eg4Ob3RmxXUMMeVRK5ujGiq0CuN3ZPE28vIYgnTMbM281nSG4fN70NVW7nCSgHK0yi8Iswn4L4SASyyRMc86n/:17603:0:99999:7:::
pi@raspi4:~ $