Fixing a Bad Desktop Profile

If you have customized your shell initialization files (.cshrc, .login, etc.) and cannot log in, you can use the failsafe login feature to log in and correct the situation. In a standard login, the shell initialization files are sourced at startup to provide features customized for your environment. In a failsafe login, the default values are applied to your environment and no shell initialization files are sourced. This guarantees your ability to log in and permits you to fix any problems in shell initialization files.

To Perform a Failsafe Login

1. Type your username in the text field in the username dialog box (see Figure 2-2).

2. Click the Options button and choose Failsafe Session from the Session submenu.

3. Click the OK button (or press Enter) and perform the rest of the steps in a standard login.

4. Edit the shell initialization file(s) where you think the problem may be occurring.