Changed my user name, lost my GUI

Hi, I have the linpus edition Aspire One. I changed my user name from "user" to something more personalized using "usermod" command. I also changed the name of my home directory, too. Unfortunately, when I rebooted after that all I got was a black screen instead of my regular graphical user interface. I can see my pointer but nothing else. I think the computer works fine because, for example, it sleeps and wakes up when it should. Maybe now it cannot find the correct configuration files for the GUI since the username has changed. I cannot get a command line interface because alt+F2 shortcut isn't working either.

Does anyone know how can I get a command line interface to undo what I have done? (I am thinking of something like Ctrl+Alt+F1 which works on my Debian computer and puts me outside of Window Manager and into a CLI, for example).

Or any other solution other than a total reinstall?

Thanks for reading my post.

 

You can try to boot on a USB key which contains a Live CD or a recovery system :
https://fedorahosted.org/liveusb-creator/
or
http://www.sysresccd.org/Download
http://www.sysresccd.org/Sysresccd-manual-en_How_to_install_SystemRescueCd_on_an_USB-stick

Once booted on the key :
# mkdir -p /mnt/disk
# mount /dev/sda1 /mnt/disk
# cd /mnt/disk/home
# ln -s <new_user> user

 

Hi imarune,

Thank you very much for your reply and the for the links. This solution makes a lot of sense to me (now that you said it).

I am now very busy (I am preparing to make a trip to France. I see you are writing from France, too. Nice coincidence). I will try what you said and post the results as soon as I get back.

By the way, after I create the symbolic link "user" pointing to <new user> directory with the command

# ln -s <new_user> user

can I use the system in this way happily ever after with my new user name? Or should I undo all the username changes because other programs may not like it this way?

Thanks again.

 

Actually, I have suggested this to avoid a username change. Though, if it does not work, you can always change the username ...

Have a nice trip in France