Opening terminal kicks me off desktop

[Nelson]

Hi All

When I try to open a terminal it starts to open on the desktop but then exits the desktop and asks me to sign in again. I have to select "failsafe terminal mode" and then sign in. This takes some time, as I'm running Mint on a dinosaur of a machine (Dell Latitude laptop, 400MHz PII, 128 MB RAM, 6 GB HD).

I can't imagine that this is normal (if it is it's a serious PITA).

Any ideas / suggestions?

Thanks
Nelson

[Husse]

128 MB RAM

How the .... did you manage to install?
I think the answer is there - there is not enough memory to handle an open terminal
Not that it takes much (about 5 MB) but you are way below the normal limit!

[scorp123]

And maybe it's defective RAM too? Even if there is not enough RAM it shouldn't kick you out of your desktop session. I too have a very low-spec laptop (Sony VAIO C1 VFK with a Transmeta Crusoe CPU @600 MHz + 192 MB RAM) and although everything is super-duper *SLOW* and takes ages to load my desktop doesn't die all of a sudden ...

[Nelson]

Thanks for the reply.

128 MB RAM

How the .... did you manage to install?

It took FOREVER but it eventually happened. I had a 256K linux swap partition already in place on my hard disk, but I have no idea if this is utilized during install.

I think the answer is there - there is not enough memory to handle an open terminal
Not that it takes much (about 5 MB) but you are way below the normal limit!

But it's only the terminal that boots me from the desktop. All other apps work OK. Even GoogleEarth works, albeit glacially.

[scorp123]

I had a 256K linux swap partition .

256K? You surely mean 256 MB. Installing Linux on a system with only a 256K swap partition would be an interesting 'stunt' I'd really like to witness

It's strange that GoogleEarth which is really resource hungry works tip top but the Terminal doesn't. What happens if you open a different terminal? e.g. xterm ... it's a really really small app and I wonder if this one would load?