1

I upgraded from Ubuntu 16.04 to Ubuntu 16.10 and now I can't log in. If I insert the correct password, the system munches a little and then returns to the password request window. It happens for every user including the administrator and is not a problem of password. Unluckily a bunch of data hadn't been backed up before the upgrade (my fault, I know) and I'm not even able to save them on an external medium. If I log in via bootable USB key I can't copy the data on an external medium because the data have "accessible only from the owner" privileges and if I log in by means of an external USB key I'm not able to copy, to modify the privileges (chmod) or copy the data even from root.

Elder Geek
  • 36,023
  • 25
  • 98
  • 183
Lazarus
  • 11
  • Hi! Try to hold the shift key while booting (inmediately after the BIOS). Then you will see the GRUB menu. Use the arrow keys to go to advanced options and then select the kernel in recovery mode. Once you reach the prompt with many options navigate to root prompt using the arrow keys (maybe is the last option). Once in that prompt, type startsand press enter. Once you've done this, you should get a superuser session. Be very careful now and copy your personal files to a USB drive. Then you can ping me to try to fix the system or reinstall and forget that. The next time do backups! – 0x2b3bfa0 Jan 30 '17 at 18:59
  • Hi, first of all: really many thanks! Second: I had attempted that route and have listed the protected files but hadn't been able to move them to an USB or external device. Could be that I have to explicitly mount it? As soon as I recover the files I'll bulldoze everything and install Ubuntu from scratch. Sorry, I'm just a bit a rookie, I know :-) – Lazarus Feb 01 '17 at 17:13
  • Hi! Can you post some screenshots? – 0x2b3bfa0 Feb 01 '17 at 17:20
  • From 19:30 to 22:30 I'll be very busy and off-line. However, I can help you in the AskUbuntu chat tomorrow. My timezone is CET. – 0x2b3bfa0 Feb 01 '17 at 17:42
  • Helio, thankyou for your kindess. Problem solved: I'm misteriosly not able to link a usb key with mkdir /media/backup, sudo mount /dev/sdXX /media/backup (with sdXX partition found with sudo fdisk -l) because (even as adm) I misteriously have no privileges to write on /media/backup. But solved simply writing directly on media: sudo mount /dev/sdXX /media/ and copying all the hell out of the crippled system. Now I have just to format, install Ubuntu from scratch and replace the data. Sorry of having bothered you and the community and thankyou for professional (and moral) support. Kind regards ! – Lazarus Feb 02 '17 at 08:25
  • You're welcome! I finally couldn't do nothing to help you, but I'm glad to know your success! Try to have a backup of your data to avoid these issues. – 0x2b3bfa0 Feb 02 '17 at 15:34

0 Answers0