[lug] debugging workstation issue

[Maxwell Spangler]

Sometimes on my intel based laptop with integrated Intel GMA drivers,
the GUI display will lock up.
Can you CONTROL-ALT-F2 (or f3, f4, etc) to get to an alternate console?
If so, you can then login on a text console and use 'dmesg' and
'journalctl -f' to see what's going on.
Due to bugs in X-windows/Gnome/intel drivers/whatever this happens to
me a lot and for all my love for Linux I have to reboot it a lot to get
back to a normal GUI display.
M
On Thu, 2020-04-09 at 16:45 -0600, Davide Del Vento wrote:
> Thanks to both of you.
> 
> Zan: it is indeed a systemd system and "journalctl -b -1" provides
> what I was looking for. I don't see anything suspicious other than
> perhaps
> 
> Apr 09 13:23:43 buzzicone systemd[1]: Starting Message of the Day...
> Apr 09 13:23:43 buzzicone systemd[1]: Started Message of the Day.
> 
> (and then the log ends). The time is around when the problem occurred
> and I tried to trigger that live by e.g. opening a new shell,
> starting bash with -l option, ssh'ing to localhost, triggering the
> screensaver. Nothing cause it to happen.... so that is weird.
> 
> D Stimits: ssh'ing prior to the failure assumes that I have a spare
> system to do that, which unfortunately at the moment I haven't (plus
> as I said it sometimes happens at boot before I get a chance to ssh
> into it). Thanks for the tip about unplugging and replugging USB
> devices, I will try that next time!
> 
> Cheers,
> Davide
> 
> 
> On Thu, Apr 9, 2020 at 3:10 PM D. Stimits <stimits at comcast.net>
> wrote:
> >   
> >    
> >  
> >  
> >   
> >    
> > 
> >   
> >   
> >    
> > 
> >   
> >   
> > >    On April 9, 2020 at 2:14 PM Davide Del Vento <
> > > davide.del.vento at gmail.com> wrote: 
> > >    
> > > 
> > >    
> > >     
> > >      Folks,
> > >     
> > >     
> > >      
> > > 
> > >     
> > >     
> > >      My workstation, a desktop-sized server computer used as a
> > > desktop, is having a very annoying problem, which is even more
> > > severe these days that I have to rely to it for basically
> > > everything (so far the only thing I don't use it for is for when
> > > I use the restroom, but that may change soon)...
> > >     
> > >     
> > >      
> > > 
> > >     
> > >     
> > >      Anyway, the problem is that sometimes at boot and sometimes
> > > after the screensaver is engaged the machine goes into a "dead"
> > > status. I suspect it can be an hybernation mode or something like
> > > that, which does not awake when I hit the keyboard, mouse or
> > > power button. A long press on the power button does trigger a
> > > reboot, with all the usual consequences of such a thing (possible
> > > files not closed, filesystem checks, loss of not-saved data,
> > > etc). When it is in this status, trying to ssh into it from
> > > another machine hangs with no response. 
> > >      
> > > 
> > >     
> > >     
> > >      
> > > 
> > >     
> > >     
> > >      It's been a long time since I debugged something like this
> > > and dmesg shows only messages since last reboot, which are
> > > clearly useless. Any clues on how to look at the logs immediately
> > > BEFORE that? Bonus points if you have any ideas on what might be
> > > going on or specifically what to look for.
> > >     
> > >    
> > >   
> > 
> >   
> >    
> >  Ssh in and run "dmesg --follow" prior to the failure. The computer
> > which is displaying this will still be running.
> >    
> > 
> >   
> >   
> >    
> > 
> >   
> >   
> >    Tip: Often USB devices do not correctly handle or respond to low
> > power mode events. If this is the case, then when mouse/keyboard
> > fails to wake up the system, you might try to unplug and replug the
> > mouse/keyboard and test again if you can now resume.
> >    
> > 
> >   
> >   
> >    
> > 
> >   
> >   
> >    PS: If I were more motivated I'd edit my window manager and
> > display manager code and remove the option to manually
> > sleep/suspend. I hate accidentally clicking that instead of log out
> > or shut down or reboot.
> >    
> > 
> >    
> >  
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> > 
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> _______________________________________________Web Page:  
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-- 
Maxwell Spangler

===================================================================
Denver, Colorado, USA

maxwellspangler.com
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