# Mac boots into Darwin....help!!!



## Giblad (Nov 14, 2002)

I have a new PowerMac G4 running 10.2.1 and all of a sudden the machine boots straight into Darwin after starting up. Once it's finished starting up it asks me to log into Darwin with my usual name and password and then that's it, I cannot see my usual nice and fiiendly Mac OS X, I'm faced with a CLI.

I have tried typing 'exit' and that just takes me back to the Darwin login and I'm back to square one !

Can anyone help me get back into my normal nice and friendly Mac OS X machine ?


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## jwalk76 (Nov 14, 2002)

i've never had to deal with this on my Mac, so i'm not sure if run-levels work the same on Macs as in Linux; however, in every Linux distro i've used there is a file called /etc/inittab where you can set the default run-level for your box i.e. the run-level the machine boots into...

i'm at work and can't access my Mac right now, but check for that file.  if it exists, then you'll need to modify the file.  here are the pertinent lines from my Slackware /etc/inittab file:


```
# These are the default runlevels in Slackware:
#   0 = halt
#   1 = single user mode
#   2 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3)
#   3 = multiuser mode (default Slackware runlevel)
#   4 = X11 with KDM/GDM/XDM (session managers)
#   5 = unused (but configured the same as runlevel 3)
#   6 = reboot

# Default runlevel. (Do not set to 0 or 6)
id:3:initdefault:
```

if i'm completely off-target, then forgive me for i know not what i say...


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## gatorparrots (Nov 14, 2002)

OS X doesn't use /etc/inittab.


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## jwalk76 (Nov 14, 2002)

any ideas how it does control run-levels or whatever the OS X equivalent is...?


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## BSDimwit (Nov 14, 2002)

Single User Mode
Multi User Mode

Not sure what your problem is however...


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## jwalk76 (Nov 14, 2002)

no problems here, but if you read above, Giblad appears to be in a bind...


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## anarchie (Nov 14, 2002)

Try entering this command:  sudo /sbin/SystemStarter

Normally, you have to hold down Command-Shift-S to boot in single-user mode.

Inspect your /etc/rc and make sure it has SystemStarter -g ${VerboseFlag} ${SafeBoot} or similar near the end.


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## jwalk76 (Nov 14, 2002)

so, is there a way to boot to multi-user CLI mode and bypass the GUI?

what exact function does SystemStarter serve?  the name sounds obvious, but there was no man page for specific details...


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## scruffy (Nov 15, 2002)

SystemStarter runs all the startup items in [/System]/Library/StartupItems.  I have a man page for it on my system...  You can also use it to start and stop individual services apparently.


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## Giblad (Nov 15, 2002)

Thanks for your help guys but I just started the Mac from scratch as I had a deadline to meet with this one. I'll just have to get mu UNIX manual out and get to grips with it.


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## jwalk76 (Nov 15, 2002)

i was under the impression that you had already tried rebooting and kept getting forced into the CLI.  good luck with the deadline.


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