2

Details
Session returned error code 1

I was attempting to install VNC Server via this walk-through, but this is where I went wrong (hindsight being 20/20):
sudo apt install xfce4 xfce4-goodies

I have created a new sudoer account, but I really want to get my original one working again. When I try to login to it, I see this: unable_to_login

Here is the last bit of my /var/log/lightdm/lightdm.log file:

[+0.60s] DEBUG: Acquired bus name org.freedesktop.DisplayManager
[+0.60s] DEBUG: Registering seat with bus path /org/freedesktop/DisplayManager/Seat0
[+1.46s] DEBUG: Got signal 10 from process 808
[+1.46s] DEBUG: XServer 0: Got signal from X server :0
[+1.46s] DEBUG: XServer 0: Connecting to XServer :0
[+1.49s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Display server ready, starting session authentication
[+1.49s] DEBUG: Session pid=828: Started with service 'lightdm-greeter', username 'lightdm'
[+1.50s] DEBUG: Session pid=828: Authentication complete with return value 0: Success
[+1.50s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Session authenticated, running command
[+1.50s] DEBUG: Session pid=828: Running command /usr/lib/lightdm/lightdm-greeter-session /usr/sbin/io.elementary.greeter
[+1.50s] DEBUG: Creating shared data directory /var/lib/lightdm-data/lightdm
[+1.50s] DEBUG: Session pid=828: Logging to /var/log/lightdm/seat0-greeter.log
[+1.59s] DEBUG: Activating VT 7
[+1.59s] DEBUG: Activating login1 session c1
[+1.59s] DEBUG: Seat seat0 changes active session to c1
[+1.59s] DEBUG: Session c1 is already active
[+1.90s] DEBUG: Greeter connected version=1.26.0 api=1 resettable=false
[+2.36s] DEBUG: Greeter start authentication for drewadmin
[+2.36s] DEBUG: Session pid=975: Started with service 'lightdm', username 'drewadmin'
[+2.37s] DEBUG: Session pid=975: Got 1 message(s) from PAM
[+2.37s] DEBUG: Prompt greeter with 1 message(s)
[+87.80s] DEBUG: Cancel authentication
[+87.80s] DEBUG: Session pid=975: Sending SIGTERM
[+87.80s] DEBUG: Greeter start authentication for andrew
[+87.80s] DEBUG: Session pid=1122: Started with service 'lightdm', username 'andrew'
[+87.80s] DEBUG: Session pid=975: Terminated with signal 15
[+87.80s] DEBUG: Session: Failed during authentication
[+87.80s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Session stopped
[+87.81s] DEBUG: Session pid=1122: Got 1 message(s) from PAM
[+87.81s] DEBUG: Prompt greeter with 1 message(s)
[+91.65s] DEBUG: Continue authentication
[+91.67s] DEBUG: Session pid=1122: Authentication complete with return value 0: Success
[+91.67s] DEBUG: Authenticate result for user andrew: Success
[+91.67s] DEBUG: User andrew authorized
[+91.68s] DEBUG: Greeter requests session xfce
[+91.68s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Failed to find session configuration xfce
[+91.68s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Can't find session 'xfce'
[+97.60s] DEBUG: Greeter start authentication for andrew
[+97.60s] DEBUG: Session pid=1126: Started with service 'lightdm', username 'andrew'
[+97.61s] DEBUG: Session pid=1126: Got 1 message(s) from PAM
[+97.61s] DEBUG: Prompt greeter with 1 message(s)
[+106.43s] DEBUG: Seat seat0 changes active session to

So, my question is how can I stop lightdm from trying to use xfce? I already tried apt purge it, but it was apparently not enough.

Final update: I have deleted Elementary OS from this machine and installed Ubuntu instead. As such I will never know what the fix was, or if this was fixable. Sorry

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3
  • Is here any progress I had an package error with python3.6 where I accidentally uninstalled some packages. And I think there was one important one because I lost the ability to login and now face the same issue...
    – phrogg
    Feb 28, 2020 at 16:31
  • I fixed this problem with the help of this website pc-prime.com/blog/unable-login-elementary-freya remove the .Xauthority file and install pantheon-xsession-settings
    – phrogg
    Feb 28, 2020 at 23:38
  • I have deleted Elementary OS from this machine and installed Ubuntu instead. As such I will never know what the fix was, or if this was fixable. Sorry
    – SamAndrew81
    Jun 24, 2020 at 21:10

2 Answers 2

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1

Developers who make Elementary OS rather do not use this forum, so complaining has totally no sense, because noone is able to solve the issue permanently. You can remove lightdm. If you will ask Google how to remove lightdm in Elementary OS Hera or Juno, you will find the answer. Besides the Elementary OS is Ubuntu/Debian based so solutions from these distros should work, but not always.

sudo apt purge lightdm
sudo apt install pantheon-xsession-settings
cd
sudo rm -rf .Xauthority
sudo nano /etc/gdm3/custom.conf

Change:

WaylandEnable=true

to:

WaylandEnable=false

save changes and exit nano. Then type:

sudo reboot
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1
  • I don't know who was "complaining" but thanks for the reply all the same.
    – SamAndrew81
    Jul 8, 2020 at 20:51
0

I didn't install any shells. Just did an update 5.0 to 5.1 and after reboot have the same situation and search session 'pantheon'

[+0.95s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Failed to find session configuration pantheon

[+0.95s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Can't find session 'pantheon'

[+0.95s] DEBUG: Seat seat0: Creating greeter session

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4
  • Wow, so this might be a known bug then!? Do you have a link to that...? Also, very much worth noting that I did not upgrade, this was a brand new install of 5.1.
    – SamAndrew81
    Dec 12, 2019 at 1:43
  • No, there is no link. And there is no solution yet.
    – user19805
    Dec 12, 2019 at 8:16
  • Ok, I see. You may already know but what I did as a workaround was to press CTRL+ALT+F1 at the login screen to switch to a CLI interface, then you are able to login without a GUI, create a new Sudoer user, reboot and use that new user (which works normally).
    – SamAndrew81
    Dec 12, 2019 at 16:58
  • look for the .xsession (or is it .Xsession) file ... there is probably a line in there referring to the xfce4 session ... BTW i have tried getting remote GUI working for Elemenmtary with no success
    – george Barbaz
    Jan 7, 2020 at 19:10

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