Can't log into my account after being logged out

[machs]

While using Salix 13.1 (XFCE) which I installed 2 days ago, I was suddenly taken to log in window even though I hadn't logged out. When I tried to login again, I was unable go to desktop because after a brief glimpse of terminal which shows "starting X11 server" in green with darkstar login prompt below it, I was returned to the login window. I can login as root, but I cannot login using the account I was using when I was automatically logged out.
How do I log into this account?

[gapan]

While using Salix 13.1 (XFCE) which I installed 2 days ago, I was suddenly taken to log in window even though I hadn't logged out.

What were you doing when that happened? Were you messing with partitions? Did you add any software from other repositories?

I can login as root,

You shouldn't be able to do that. Unless you enabled root login yourself, it is disabled by default. And if you did enable root login, my guess is that you also "played" with something else that caused all your trouble.

but I cannot login using the account I was using when I was automatically logged out.
How do I log into this account?

Are you using the correct username and password? Are you sure? Is your home directory still in place? Can you log in with the same user/password from a terminal if you press alt-F2?

[machs]

What were you doing when that happened? Were you messing with partitions? Did you add any software from other repositories?

I was tweaking the preferences & settings. In fact I was changing the theme when I was logged out. I did not change any partitions or add/edit any packages from the repositories since I installed Salix.

You shouldn't be able to do that. Unless you enabled root login yourself, it is disabled by default. And if you did enable root login, my guess is that you also "played" with something else that caused all your trouble.

And yes, I had changed login settings to enable root login just before I changed the themes. I also had added my account to automatic login. Other than that I had not changed anything. I had also changed the mouse cursor theme before that.

Are you using the correct username and password? Are you sure? Is your home directory still in place? Can you log in with the same user/password from a terminal if you press alt-F2?

The username & password were correct and I was able to login using failsafe console session as well as from terminal. My home directory was also intact.

[gapan]

If you messed up your user settings somehow and xfce fails to start, the easiest way to get it working is to log in as root, delete the user without removing the home dir (userdel will do that, but you can do also do it with the user settings tool) and recreate the user.

[ceeslans]

see http://www.salixos.org/forum/viewtopic. ... bush#p5651.
it helped me recover user login (although problem still unsolved).

[machs]

Thanks a lot guys, that solved the problem !