[SOLVED] Problems with administrative password in GUI

[mph]

I noticed after todays updates that I can't start Synaptic (or Gparted and probably many other admintrative applications) from MintMenu anymore (a reason might be some earlier but still recent updates as well). It asks to enter the administrative password but when I write my password it says that "Incorrect password... try again". I've tried this several times and restarted the computer but no success. However, everything works normally from the shell (i.e., sudo synaptic works for example). Further, I can start Update manager from its icon normally. I have standard LMDE (testing repositories) and a single user account. Any ideas what to do (I prefer GUI over the command line)?

[viking777]

Firstly it really depends what 'today's update' included for you. I have just completed a largish update and do not have any such problem, but then again there was nothing in my update that was likely to cause such a problem anyway.

Open synaptic any way you can and go to 'File', 'History' choose today's date and copy and paste the list of updates on the forum and that might give a clue where to look for the problem.

[mph]

Thanks for the reply. Please find below the recent update history.

Regards, mph

Commit Log for Fri Mar 4 09:06:31 2011

Upgraded the following packages:
gstreamer0.10-plugins-bad (0.10.19-2+b2) to 0.10.19-2.1
libfreetype6 (2.4.2-2.1) to 2.4.4-1
libmms0 (0.6.2-1) to 0.6.2-2
libportaudio2 (19+svn20071022-3.2) to 19+svn20101113-3
libsqlite3-0 (3.7.4-2) to 3.7.5-1
libvlc5 (1.1.3-1squeeze2) to 1.1.7-2
libvlccore4 (1.1.3-1squeeze2) to 1.1.7-2
libx11-6 (2:1.4.1-4) to 2:1.4.1-5
libx11-data (2:1.4.1-4) to 2:1.4.1-5
libx11-dev (2:1.4.1-4) to 2:1.4.1-5
libx11-xcb1 (2:1.4.1-4) to 2:1.4.1-5
vlc-data (1.1.3-1squeeze2) to 1.1.7-2
w3m (0.5.3-1) to 0.5.3-2

Installed the following packages:
libsoundtouch0 (1.5.0-4)

Commit Log for Thu Mar 3 08:38:52 2011


Upgraded the following packages:
cups (1.4.5-3) to 1.4.6-1
cups-bsd (1.4.5-3) to 1.4.6-1
cups-client (1.4.5-3) to 1.4.6-1
cups-common (1.4.5-3) to 1.4.6-1
cups-pdf (2.5.0-17) to 2.5.1-1
cups-ppdc (1.4.5-3) to 1.4.6-1
desktop-base (6.0.5) to 6.0.6
eject (2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-7.1) to 2.1.5+deb1+cvs20081104-8
hpijs (3.10.6-2) to 3.11.1-2
hplip (3.10.6-2) to 3.11.1-2
hplip-cups (3.10.6-2) to 3.11.1-2
hplip-data (3.10.6-2) to 3.11.1-2
iputils-ping (3:20100418-3) to 3:20101006-1
libcups2 (1.4.5-3) to 1.4.6-1
libcupscgi1 (1.4.5-3) to 1.4.6-1
libcupsdriver1 (1.4.5-3) to 1.4.6-1
libcupsimage2 (1.4.5-3) to 1.4.6-1
libcupsmime1 (1.4.5-3) to 1.4.6-1
libcupsppdc1 (1.4.5-3) to 1.4.6-1
libgdata-common (0.6.4-2) to 0.6.4-3
libgdata7 (0.6.4-2) to 0.6.4-3
libglib2.0-0 (2.24.2-1) to 2.28.1-1+b1
libglib2.0-data (2.24.2-1) to 2.28.1-1
libgsf-1-114 (1.14.19-2) to 1.14.19-3
libgsf-1-common (1.14.19-2) to 1.14.19-3
libhpmud0 (3.10.6-2) to 3.11.1-2
libnspr4-0d (4.8.6-1) to 4.8.7-2
libpcre3 (8.02-1.1) to 8.12-3
libsane-hpaio (3.10.6-2) to 3.11.1-2
xdg-utils (1.1.0~rc1-1) to 1.1.0~rc1-2

Installed the following packages:
smbclient (2:3.5.6~dfsg-5)

Commit Log for Tue Mar 1 08:10:04 2011


Upgraded the following packages:
apache2.2-bin (2.2.16-6) to 2.2.17-1
apt (0.8.10.3) to 0.8.11.5
apt-utils (0.8.10.3) to 0.8.11.5
avahi-daemon (0.6.28-3) to 0.6.28-4
dnsmasq-base (2.55-2) to 2.57-1
evince (2.30.3-2) to 2.30.3-3
evince-common (2.30.3-2) to 2.30.3-3
foomatic-db-engine (4.0.4-3) to 4.0.7-1
foomatic-filters (4.0.5-6) to 4.0.7-1
foomatic-filters-ppds (1:4.0.4-3) to 1:4.0.7-1
gir1.0-gtk-2.0 (0.6.5-7) to 0.6.5-8
gnome-menus (2.30.3-1) to 2.30.3-2
gnupg (1.4.10-4) to 1.4.11-3
gpgv (1.4.10-4) to 1.4.11-3
libavahi-client3 (0.6.28-3) to 0.6.28-4
libavahi-common-data (0.6.28-3) to 0.6.28-4
libavahi-common3 (0.6.28-3) to 0.6.28-4
libavahi-core7 (0.6.28-3) to 0.6.28-4
libavahi-glib1 (0.6.28-3) to 0.6.28-4
libavahi-gobject0 (0.6.28-3) to 0.6.28-4
libavahi-ui0 (0.6.28-3) to 0.6.28-4
libdjvulibre-text (3.5.23-3) to 3.5.23-5
libdjvulibre21 (3.5.23-3) to 3.5.23-5
libevince2 (2.30.3-2) to 2.30.3-3
libgnome-menu2 (2.30.3-1) to 2.30.3-2
libjpeg8 (8b-1) to 8c-1
libpam-modules (1.1.1-6.1) to 1.1.2-2
libpam-runtime (1.1.1-6.1) to 1.1.2-2
libpam0g (1.1.1-6.1) to 1.1.2-2
libquicktime1 (3:1.2.2-0.1squeeze1) to 3:1.2.2-0.3squeeze1
libsane (1.0.21-9) to 1.0.22-1
libsane-extras (1.0.21.2) to 1.0.22.1
libservlet2.5-java (6.0.28-10) to 6.0.32-1
libtotem-plparser17 (2.30.3-1) to 2.30.3-2
libunique-1.0-0 (1.1.6-1.1) to 1.1.6-2
libvorbis0a (1.3.1-1) to 1.3.2-1
libvorbisenc2 (1.3.1-1) to 1.3.2-1
libvorbisfile3 (1.3.1-1) to 1.3.2-1
libwnck-common (2.30.4-2) to 2.30.4-3
libwnck22 (2.30.4-2) to 2.30.4-3
python-gmenu (2.30.3-1) to 2.30.3-2
python-markupsafe (0.9.2-3) to 0.12-1
sane-utils (1.0.21-9) to 1.0.22-1
wvdial (1.61-2) to 1.61-3

Installed the following packages:
acl (2.2.49-4)

[viking777]

I'm sorry mph, but I can't see anything there that looks a likely candidate. Your updates are virtually identical to mine except for gir1.0-gtk and apache, neither of which I have installed.

About the only thing I can think of is to reset your password. Open terminal then

Code: Select all

sudo passwd yourusername

Enter your existing password and it will ask you for a new one(twice). You can reuse the old password again if you don't want to change it, or perhaps even better still change it to a new one, see if it works and then use the same technique to change it back to your preferred password.

Can't guarantee anything with that though.

Otherwise google 'linux wrong password' or something like that.

[mph]

Thanks viking777, your tip did work! (I don't still understand what made the difference between sudoing from the command line and starting the same applications from the GUI, but now both work again.)