can't login from console

[Andrew Certain]

In article <1618 at cunixc.cc.columbia.edu> marg at cunixc.cc.columbia.edu (Margarita
Suarez) writes:
>hi, i just inherited a mac II/X with an 80SC with A/UX.  i've not been
>able to boot multi-user from the console -- what happens when i type
>"telinit 2" is an infinite loop of "login:" immediately followed by
>"Login incorrect" (didn't ask for password).

In article <8595 at pyr.gatech.EDU> glenn at aspen.ga.UUCP (Glenn Souther) writes:
>I have seen a similar problem here. However, in our case the machine stays up
>for a while, and later when an account name is entered at login: the machine
>immediately responds with "login incorrect" without asking for a password.

I have also experienced this problem.  I haven't yet determined what the cause
is, but if you have an account that doesn't require a password, you can log
in with that.  For other reasons, we had an account set up that would, if you
were at the console and typed "reboot" at the login prompt, reboot the
machine.  Since this syncs the disks, it isn't as harsh as hitting the reboot
switch.  One day, when this problem arose,  I typed reboot at the login prompt
to reboot the machine, but instead of rebooting the machine, it cleared up the
problem.....  Believe it, or not.

The reboot login is very simple... The .login has logout in it, and .logout
says if tty = console then sync;sync;sync;reboot (written more precisely in
C-Shell script).  I don't claim that this will work everytime or even at all,
and I don't claim that it won't actually reboot your machine.  Proceed at your
own risk.  I'm just telling you my experience.

Andrew Certain
certain at cs.unc.edu