Waldorf Freezing Just before SLiM screen?

Videodrome · 2014-01-11 23:11:32

While searching, I saw some similar problems mentioned, but thought I'd start a new topic.

This is awkward to workout because this is not my computer. I stayed at a relative's place while finishing college. I told my Aunt what I was studying and how I customized my computer. She said she was willing to try Linux since WinXP was falling out of support from Microsoft. Also, I'm now finished with college and no longer at their place.

I put everything on there with Cairo-Dock icons to make it fast but very user friendly with Printer support and SANE for the Scanner as well as Skype.

I got an email from my Aunt saying there is a problem

sometimes when i turn on my computer, it stops before it asks for my ID ( i have waited 5 minutes and nothing happens. i turn off the computer and wait a second or two and turn it back on. sometimes it works just the way it is supposed to. i have had to turn it off and on three times before it finally works correctly.

Based on reading about some similar issues in other threads, I suggested she unplug the USB Hub that has her wireless mouse and USB Storage as well as trying having the Wifi Hardware Switch turned off during bootup. This is an idea to reduce Hardware Detection occurring during the bootup.

At least it sounds like GRUB is okay so I don't want to touch that. I have considered talking her through removing and reinstalling SLiM or just doing "apt-get update; apt-get -y upgrade; apt-get -y dist-upgrade". I thought I'd get some feedback here before trying to talk my aunt through using the Terminal over the phone. yikes

Another idea might be to try another login manager liek GDM?

I appreciate any feedback on this. I was hoping to introduce Linux to my relatives and I think it's been running really well except for this one issue.

Last edited by Videodrome (2014-01-11 23:19:33)

cloverskull · 2014-01-12 10:30:52

I'd see if you can get her to send you her /var/log/syslog, and /var/log/slim.log and see what you can find poking around in there.

ratcheer · 2014-01-12 13:06:10

I have been fighting this problem for months. I did a fresh install just after New Year Day. The problem was gone. Then, last night (Jan 11), it came back. I have never found anything related to the freeze-up in any logs.

On my previous system (before the recent fresh install), I had worked around the problem by removing Slim and network-manager, configuring my network with ceni, booting to the console, logging in as my normal user account, and manually running startx. But I still have no idea what the real problem is. I am on the verge of doing another fresh install, but man, what a pain it has been.

OTOH, another installation on the same host with KDE and kdm is still working perfectly. Maybe I should make that my main system, but bloat.

Tim

Sector11 · 2014-01-12 14:09:30

EDIT +1 for ↓↓↓↓

cloverskull wrote:

I'd see if you can get her to send you her /var/log/syslog, and /var/log/slim.log and see what you can find poking around in there.

My suggestions: Write a HowTo that she will understand to cover:

LOG IN
I would suggest changing 'slim' for 'lightdm', it's in the repos.

NET Connect - Two suggestions.
Easiest: Install wicd from the repos, configure it, then delete GNOME Network Manager
Second what I did (Not for your aunt though): Install smxi (Debian only - Ubuntu need not apply) you can do:

- kernel upgrades
- for Debian Stable - install the stable version of ceni (not in the repos)
- install graphic drivers almost painlessly - Nvidia needs to be installed twice - the neuvoux (sp) driver doesn't get deleted the first time, but no need to download it the second time
- install inxi:
- and a whole bunch more

ceni:

 12 Jan 14 | 10:58:58 ~
    $ sho ceni
Package: ceni                     
State: installed
Automatically installed: no
Version: 2.38
Priority: optional
Section: net
Maintainer: Sebastian Görgen <zeppo@siduction.net>
Architecture: all
Uncompressed Size: 291 k
Depends: perl, libcurses-ui-perl, libexpect-perl, libterm-readkey-perl, ifupdown, udev, wpasupplicant
Recommends: resolvconf
Suggests: wpagui
Description: Curses interface to /etc/network/interfaces
 A Curses user interface for configuring network interfaces with ifupdown. Ceni can manage basic network interface
 ifupdown configuration stanzas for ethernet and wireless devices.

 12 Jan 14 | 10:59:05 ~
    $

inxi in action:

 12 Jan 14 | 10:41:32 ~
    $ s11
System:    Host: sector11 Kernel: 3.2.0-4-amd64 x86_64 (64 bit) Desktop: Openbox 3.5.0 Distro: CrunchBang Linux waldorf
Machine:   Mobo: ECS model: MCP61M-M3 version: 7.0 Bios: American Megatrends version: 080015 date: 11/03/2010
CPU:       Triple core AMD Athlon II X3 450 (-MCP-) cache: 1536 KB flags: (lm nx sse sse2 sse3 sse4a svm) 
           Clock Speeds: 1: 3214.019 MHz 2: 3214.019 MHz 3: 3214.019 MHz
Graphics:  Card: NVIDIA GT218 [GeForce 210] X.Org: 1.12.4 driver: nvidia Resolution: 1920x1080@60.0hz 
           GLX Renderer: GeForce 210/PCIe/SSE2 GLX Version: 3.3.0 NVIDIA 331.20
Audio:     Card-1: NVIDIA MCP61 High Definition Audio driver: snd_hda_intel Sound: ALSA ver: 1.0.24
           Card-2: NVIDIA High Definition Audio Controller driver: snd_hda_intel 
Network:   Card: NVIDIA MCP61 Ethernet driver: forcedeth 
           IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:    HDD Total Size: 500.1GB (10.5% used) 1: id: /dev/sda model: WDC_WD5000AAKX size: 500.1GB 
Partition: ID: / size: 20G used: 4.4G (24%) fs: ext4 ID: /home size: 20G used: 2.2G (12%) fs: ext4 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 40.0C mobo: 34.0C gpu: 40C 
           Fan Speeds (in rpm): cpu: 2222 fan-2: 0 fan-3: 0 
Info:      Processes: 132 Uptime: 1:29 Memory: 571.3/5988.1MB Client: Shell (bash) inxi: 1.9.17 
 
 12 Jan 14 | 10:41:49 ~
    $

- - OPINION: Best system checker yet.

As for this:

"apt-get update; apt-get -y upgrade; apt-get -y dist-upgrade"

I would never suggest to a "novice" computer user to use the forced yes ( -y ) command, in case there is a problem.

What I would suggest is ..,

Write another mini HowTo to edit the ~/.bashrc file and add two aliases:

alias supit='sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade --no-install-recommends --simulate'
alias upit='sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get dist-upgrade --no-install-recommends'

'upit' or 'supit' are very easy to remember.

In fact you could add at least one more, to see if it is a grub problem:

alias griu='sudo grub-install /dev/sda && sudo update-grub'

- reinstalls GRUB and recreates the grub list you see on boot..

Last edited by Sector11 (2014-01-12 14:17:41)

Videodrome · 2014-01-12 20:05:13

ratcheer wrote:

OTOH, another installation on the same host with KDE and kdm is still working perfectly. Maybe I should make that my main system, but bloat.
Tim

That's interesting. I wonder if this points to SLiM being the problem somehow? I wonder if you could swap SLiM for KDM to login to Crunchbang?

cloverskull · 2014-01-12 20:56:28

I would avoid kdm due to dependency installation.

Videodrome · 2014-01-13 00:51:35

Yeah, I typed sudo apt-get install kdm. I saw how much had to come with it and said no lol.

ratcheer · 2014-01-13 01:20:38

I agree about not adding kdm, but it was already installed on my KDE system and I decided to try it. And yes, it seems a little more bloated. But what is a little more bloat when running KDE, anyway?

Tim

cloverskull · 2014-01-13 01:57:44

@ratcheer agreed wink Missed the part where you mentioned KDE. My bad!

Videodrome · 2014-01-13 02:51:55

Well... I'm trying GDM3 on my Crunchbang Netbook. If my aunt is still having problems, I'll try and work through how to switch the DM over the phone or something.

CrunchBang Linux

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#1 2014-01-11 23:11:32

Waldorf Freezing Just before SLiM screen?

#2 2014-01-12 10:30:52

Re: Waldorf Freezing Just before SLiM screen?

#3 2014-01-12 13:06:10

Re: Waldorf Freezing Just before SLiM screen?

#4 2014-01-12 14:09:30

Re: Waldorf Freezing Just before SLiM screen?

#5 2014-01-12 20:05:13

Re: Waldorf Freezing Just before SLiM screen?

#6 2014-01-12 20:56:28

Re: Waldorf Freezing Just before SLiM screen?

#7 2014-01-13 00:51:35

Re: Waldorf Freezing Just before SLiM screen?

#8 2014-01-13 01:20:38

Re: Waldorf Freezing Just before SLiM screen?

#9 2014-01-13 01:57:44

Re: Waldorf Freezing Just before SLiM screen?

#10 2014-01-13 02:51:55

Re: Waldorf Freezing Just before SLiM screen?

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