terminal: Error reading configuration file (solved)

[Member Vincent17]

Hello,
When I open a terminal, I always get the message

Bad file
Error reading configuration file

followed by the normal prompt, and the terminal works normally. This happens with lxterminal and urxvt. I have tried deleting config files in ~/.config/lxterminal and /usr/share/lxterminal: no change. Also uninstalled and reinstalled both.
Does someone know the reason for this minor annoyance? Thanks

System:
  Host: antiXWind Kernel: 4.9.221-antix.1-486-smp i686 bits: 32 
  compiler: gcc v: 6.3.0 Desktop: JWM 2.3.6 
  Distro: antiX-17.3.1_386-base Helen Keller 27 December 2018 
  base: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch) 
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: MICRO-STAR product: U-100 v: Ver.001 
  serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: MICRO-STAR model: U-100 v: Ver.001 serial: <filter> 
  BIOS: American Megatrends v: 4.6.3 date: 10/06/2008 
Rox-jwm

• This topic was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Vincent17. Reason: clarity, additional info
• This topic was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Vincent17. Reason: mark as solved

[Member ex_Koo]

Helpful

Up

0

::

Don’t know about lxterminal but I control urxvt from .Xresources file in home. Have you changed your .Xresources file at all?

If so you need to find the error their you can Reload .Xresources with xrdb ~/.Xresources and see if the error stops.

And their is no urxvt config file in .config if so remove it.

[Anonymous]

Helpful

Up

0

::

noted: happens with lxterminal and urxvt

This is happening while you are logged into desktop session (not as root) as a regular user?
Your ~/.profile or ~.bashrc, might either of these have incorrect permissions (resulting from editing or copying)?

How are you launching the terminal emulator apps? Via desktop menu entry, via desktop icon?

“…followed by the normal prompt, and the terminal works normally”
If, from its commandline, you launch another instance of either urxvt or lxterminal, is that same error message displayed each time?

? Is an error message displayed if, from terminal emulator commandline, you to start a new shell via
$sh
or
$bash

[Member Vincent17]

Helpful

Up

0

::

@Koo Thanks. No changes to .Xresources file. I could not find any config file for urxvt.

@skidoo, thank you for the fruitful questions! They led me to the .bashrc file where I found a typo in one of my customizations.
Point by point:

This is happening while you are logged into desktop session (not as root) as a regular user?

YES It does not happen in the guest account

Your ~/.profile or ~.bashrc, might either of these have incorrect permissions (resulting from editing or copying)?

Or a typo 🙁

How are you launching the terminal emulator apps? Via desktop menu entry, via desktop icon?

Either

If, from its commandline, you launch another instance of either urxvt or lxterminal, is that same error message displayed each time?

YES

? Is an error message displayed if, from terminal emulator commandline, you to start a new shell via
$sh (NO)
or
$bash (YES)

Thanks again. I had no idea what configuration file it was complaining about!

• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Vincent17. Reason: added
• This reply was modified 2 years, 8 months ago by Vincent17.

[Author]

Posts