Whonix Workstation doesn't start as usual "default root acount is locked"

Support
1

Hi guys.

I tried to install the i2p application in whonix the recent days, witout success. Everything was updated before. Whonix is running in a VirtualBox VM with XFCE. I am not sure, if my problem comes with the i2p installation. But at some point, my PC froze and I had to do a restart. Since then, when I start Whonix Workstation i just get this screen that says the following:

The default root account is locked (or should be locked). This is a security feature. See:

Ignore “host login:” below. Do not enter your current host computer username or password if this is a virutal machine.

Login Instructions:

  1. Type the username. Default user name is “user” without quptes. Then press .

  2. Type the password. When entering the password, no password feedback (no asterisk (“*”) symbol) will be shown. Default password is “changeme” without quotes. Then press .

When I enter my ID and passwort I just get some “info text” and get a command line “user@host:~$” . But I don’t know what to do next.

Maybe if someone tells me how, i can upload a screenshot. I can’t even copy the whole text, I had to type it manually here.

Is there a way to recover the system/XFCE or does any one have a idea, what to do? I am a very beginner with whonix and have no idea of all the commands.

Thank you in advance for your help,
Cheers

2

This message is irrelevant.
(related to Safely Use Root Commands)

The real issue is that the graphical desktop environment (Xfce) is no longer automatically starting. Only the command line interface is available. Could also be considered “broken boot”. (Although the boot process is not fully broken.) Therefore the following wiki page applies:

(Whonix is based on Kicksecure.)

This might not be easy to mitigate except through a factory reset.

A real investigation and fix might be difficult.

What you now likely have is a “broken APT”. For commands that might fix it, see:
Operating System Software and Updates - Kicksecure chapter Broken APT in Kicksecure wiki

Also:

Investigating and fixing such issues is also unspecific to Whonix.