Cannot open shared object file errors preventing boot up

[Rick Stevens]

Graeme Nichols wrote:
> On Wed, 2004-08-11 at 06:11, Rick Stevens wrote:
> 
>>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.
> 
> 
> Hello Rick, please see my reply to Bob. X started up OK today but there
> is still the original problem similar to this one: 'error while loading
> shared libraries: libqt-mt.so.3: cannot open shared object file: No such
> file or directory'. Any clues? Doesn't appear to be a permission
> problem, but what the problem is I have no idea. Sound familiar :-)

It runs OK as root but not as a mortal user?  That smacks of permissions
problems.  The library should be in /usr/lib/qt-3.1/lib (may be a
different version, but you get the idea).  Make sure that all files in
that directory and the directory itself has at least world read/execute
permissions:

	# cd /usr/lib
	# chmod -R o+rw qt-3.1

If in doubt, try reinstalling the qt RPM.  I don't think it's part of
the X reinstall as qt isn't required for X, but a number of apps (Gnome
and other things) depend on it.

> Come live with me and be my love, And we will some new pleasures prove
> Of golden sands and crystal brooks With silken lines, and silver hooks.
> There's nothing that I wouldn't do If you would be my POSSLQ. You live
> with me, and I with you, And you will be my POSSLQ. I'll be your friend
> and so much more; That's what a POSSLQ is for. And everything we will
> confess; Yes, even to the IRS. Some day on what we both may earn,
> Perhaps we'll file a joint return. You'll share my pad, my taxes, joint;
> You'll share my life - up to a point! And that you'll be so glad to do,
> Because you'll be my POSSLQ.

Now what a wonderful thought!  I often wondered why there were no love
songs for POSSLQs and here's one dumped in my lap.  :-)
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- Rick Stevens, Senior Systems Engineer     rstevens at vitalstream.com -
- VitalStream, Inc.                       http://www.vitalstream.com -
-                                                                    -
-     Veni, Vidi, VISA:  I came, I saw, I did a little shopping.     -
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