Login loop in Kali Linux after updating/upgrading

Question

I've updated/upgraded my Kali Linux and now I'm stuck in a login loop.
I've tried everything in console (Ctrl+Alt+F2):

dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
sudo reboot

Then also tried

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get upgrade
dpkg --configure -a
sudo apt-get install cinnamon-control-center-data
gdm3 --version
apt-get --reinstall install gdm3
apt-get --reinstall install gnome
apt-get --reinstall install gnome-shell
dpkg-reconfigure gdm3
reboot

Also tried installing lightdm but the problem persists

I empited /var/log and tried again, and then saw the file Xorg.0.log was generated, but cannot get which is the problem. I guess maybe something related to video...

/var/log/Xorg.0.log

/root/.xsession-errors

Solution

Hi there I have been having similar problems as well, but I was able to solve it by creating a new user and specifying a home directory using

sudo useradd -m username 

sudo passwd < enter your password for the account >

Finally I used

startx 

(assuming that you installed x-window-sytem)

Voila I ended up in the graphical interface instead of typing in my credentials and ending back at the login screen.

P.S.: I was initially setting up my Kali Linux OS when I wanted to add another user from root and realized that the login GUI would keep rebooting after entering credentials for the new user account. After hours of work I was finally able to get to a GUI for the non-root account. I am not sure if this is a permanent fix or merely a onetime fix, but I will keep working on it and let you know!

Comments

[davidbaumann]

So after entering user/password, it gets back to that screen? Are you able to log in on tty2?

[davidbaumann]

Do you login as root or did you create a user?

[admob actionscript iphone]

@davidbaumann Yes, after entering user/pass i get same login screen again. I can login on tty2 and logged in as root

[davidbaumann]

Check ~/.xsession-errors

[admob actionscript iphone]

@davidbaumann i've edited question and added /root/.xsession-errors output but I cannot figure out any problem... pastebin.com/d2GCitxZ

[admob actionscript iphone]

I've also deleted /root/.Xauthority and /root/.ICEAuthority and restarted, but nothing... loop still on

[Tim_Stewart]

After "apt-get upgrade", did you do a "apt-get dist-upgrade"? You don't usually want to update all the library's and dependencies without actually updating the distribution. I must say, Kali Linux is extremely easy to break an installation. I have come to just update my Kali installations by formatting and reinstalling over the kali partition with a USB stick and new stable rolling image. It's actually about 50% faster than doing the update/upgrades. Honestly, I haven't had a broken installation since I started doing that. If you haven't already done so, check out the Kali Linux revealed book.

[Tim_Stewart]

kali.org/download-kali-linux-revealed-book