06-16-2009, 10:51 AM

Hi All -- new to forum... great site!

Hoping gurus can help me out here... I was trying to install php and mysql, and somehow, in the process, i must have messed my bash or some preference as I can no longer get a Terminal prompt on ANY of the multiple accounts i have on the machine.

Even if I create a new account and open Terminal, I cannot get the prompt.

I've read the FAQ/Common Troubleshoots...
1) Reboot the Computer. - nope, didn't work

2) Run Software Update - no effect.

3) Clean Your Caches - nope.

4) Delete the .plist file - removed Terminal .plist... nada

5) Uninstall then reinstall the offending application - did not do this...

6) Repair Disk Permissions - Go to Applications|Utilities|Disk Utility and select repair disk permissions on your OS X drive... uncertain how to repair.

7) Run Disk Repair - I don't think the disk is corrupted, limited to Terminal

8) Resetting the PRAM: When booting, hold down Command-Option-P-R and wait for the triple startup chimes.... seems extreme.

9) File System Check - When booting up your computer hold down the Apple Key & the S key and it will boot into single user mode. When the text is done loading on the screen type in /sbin/fsck -f and hit enter.
When that is done if it fixed things then do the check again to make sure it is cleared
When finished with that type in exit and it will start the computer in normal mode... haven't done this

10) Reset Nonvolatile Firmware - When booting, hold down Command-Option-O-F and wait for the command prompt. Type "reset-nvram" and hit enter.... haven't done this

11) Search the Forums - searched... some suggest a reinstall? Is that what you recommmend.

12) Search the Apple Support Knowledge Base - macforum is better.

Thanks for your help in advance!

06-16-2009, 10:55 PM

Can you do anything in Terminal? If you can type commands try "echo $PATH" without the quotes.
Also look for .term files in your user folder or Preferences folder.

06-17-2009, 12:27 AM

cradom -- thanks for your reply.

to answer your question, I can't do ANYTHING in Terminal. I tried the command you suggested above through "New Command" on the menu, but that brought up another Terminal window doing, and showing, nothing but blank screen.

06-17-2009, 10:43 AM

Check Terminal Preferences and make sure everything is set to defaults:
ie: execute default login shell..make sure Open saved .term file is not checked.
Also look in /bin using go to folder in Finder and make sure bash is there.

06-17-2009, 12:20 PM

do you happen to have another user on the machine? If so, does terminal work for that user?

06-17-2009, 01:22 PM

Through Textwrangler... and looking at all files, I can see that bash is there...

I am trying to figure out how to see the unix files and hidden files using the regular browser without Terminal.

I can find no terminal preferences... :-(

06-17-2009, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by Dysfunction

do you happen to have another user on the machine? If so, does terminal work for that user?

I have created new users... and terminal does NOT work for those users.

06-17-2009, 07:59 PM

Originally Posted by 1qa

I can find no terminal preferences... :-(

Open Terminal, in the menubar click on Terminal - select Preferences.

To see hidden files in Finder use something like Tinkertool to show them.

06-18-2009, 01:59 AM

Prompt is back.. can login using terminal...

I rebooted computer to single-user mode (root), and ran fsck -fy...

rebooted... it worked. don't really know why.

But all is good now, thanks everyone for your help!

06-18-2009, 10:14 AM

Glad you got it sorted.
What you did is the same as no. 7 in your first post: Run Disk Repair.
Might just have had a corrupted file system.