PCLinuxOS Openbox Bonsai 2011 for test

[jlf001]

Mélodie,

I had a little time this morning to burn a Bonsai live CD and install it to an older HP Slimeline with an AMD processor.  The logoff / reboot problem happened on both the live CD and and the installed version.  This is my first machine that has the reboot problem with a full install using kernel 2.6.38.8.bfs.  At this point, I've yet to look at the problem any further.  I'll install your full OpenBox test version next and see what happens.  I'll get back to you tomorrow concerning such.

Jeff

[melodie]

Hi,

* I would like you to try this new menu.xml, to place in your /home/user/.config/openbox directory in replacement for the one you already have:

Code: [Select]

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>

<openbox_menu xmlns="http://openbox.org/3.4/menu">

<menu id="desktop-app" label="Applications" execute="openbox-menu -t 'sakura -e'" />

<menu id="openbox-menu" label="OpenBox">
  <item label="ObConf">
  <action name="Execute"><command>obconf</command></action>
  </item>
  <item label="Reconfigure">
    <action name="Reconfigure" />
  </item>
</menu>

<menu id="root-menu" label="Openbox 3">
  <separator label="Menu" />
  <menu id="desktop-app" />
  <separator />
  <item label="firefox">
  <action name="Execute"><command>firefox</command></action>
  </item>
  <item label="File manager">
  <action name="Execute"><command>pcmanfm</command></action>
  </item>
  <item label="Terminal"><action name="Execute">
  <command>sakura</command></action>
  </item>
  <separator />
  <menu id="client-list-menu" />
  <menu id="openbox-menu" />
  <separator />
  <!--<item label="Exit">
<action name="Exit" />
</item>-->
     <item label="Log Out">
<action name="SessionLogout">
<prompt>yes</prompt>
</action>
     </item>
<item label="Reboot">
<action name="Execute">
<execute>dbus-send --system --print-reply --dest=org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit /org/freedesktop/ConsoleKit/Manager org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Manager.Restart</execute>
</action>
  </item>  
    <item label="Shutdown">
<action name="Execute">
<execute>dbus-send --system --print-reply --dest=org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit /org/freedesktop/ConsoleKit/Manager org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit.Manager.Stop</execute>
</action>
  </item>
  <separator />
<item label="Suspend">
<action name="Execute">
<execute>dbus-send --print-reply --system --dest=org.freedesktop.UPower /org/freedesktop/UPower org.freedesktop.UPower.Suspend</execute>
</action>
</item>
</menu>
</openbox_menu>
* Then reload openbox (in menu, or in console "openbox --reconfigure";

* Logout;

* click on GDM gui on "configure", type root password, go the the section : "General", at "Default session" change it for Openbox. (Instead of start Xscript client).

* Login again;

* Now try shutdown again.

Thanks.

[melodie]

Hi,

I just passed one full hour on the PCLinuxOS Education version, in the Dell where I have put it up. I have been shutting down and got reboots so many times that I could not count.

I tried acpi=off : this does not work for me. I tried to remove nodkmsboot from the kernel command line as well, but then I got a message during boot related to some video drivers that would not be loaded without this option... :/

I continued anyhow and managed to have X working. Alas, with or without it, without it and with acpi=on, without it and with acpi=off : it still reboots after shutdown looks like it was completed.

The only shutdown that worked was the one from GDM login.

I have to update this PCLinuxOS, anyway. So as soon as I can plug a cable in it and get it connected to the web I will update and add the older kernel. Then see what it does.

I notice that in my main machine, the laptop Nec M160, with kernel:
# uname -a
Linux localhost.localdomain 2.6.38.8-pclos1.bfs #1 SMP PREEMPT Sat Jun 4 04:13:21 CDT 2011 i686 i686 i386 GNU/Linux


I have this for the kernel line:
kernel (hd0,5)/boot/vmlinuz BOOT_IMAGE=linux root=/dev/sda6 quiet acpi_apic_instance=2 acpi=force splash=silent

My video driver there is Intel. (i915 for the driver).

The Dell needs nv, or nouveau, or nvidia...

Does this help us for more findings ?

[jlf001]

Hi Mélodie,

I tried your change to menu.xml and no luck.  As a matter of fact, I was unable to reboot or shutdown, only log out worked.  From there, I was able to shutdown, however, the system rebooted.  I then reverted back to the original menu.xml.  This is a full OpenBox test CD installed on a HP Slimline desktop.  It was fully updated, as of yesterday, and still has the shutdown / reboot problem.  The problem is not just related to Dell machines.  

Jeff

P.S.  I'll try again later today, it's time to mow the yard.

[melodie]

Hi Mélodie,

I tried your change to menu.xml and no luck.  As a matter of fact, I was unable to reboot or shutdown, only log out worked.

Hi Jeff,

Haven't you forgotten a step ?

* click on GDM gui on "configure", type root password, go the the section : "General", at "Default session" change it for Openbox. (Instead of start Xscript client).

The configuration I did makes gdm start the Xscripts : .xsession. This is one session which is too much. By making gdm start just "Openbox", there is just one session started, which is active, then the ConsoleKit commands (and Upower command) work.

It was fully updated, as of yesterday, and still has the shutdown / reboot problem.  The problem is not just related to Dell machines.

 

I have done a diff in console between the Kde4 directory init scripts and the one in Bonsai (having both on the same machine). I found a difference in  the halt script, so I made a copy of both in the home user in Bonsai, named the kde halt "halt-kde" and opened them in Geany. There are two lines "Unmount ... " which are before and after a block of text in the Kde version. It's only before the same block text in the version which is in Bonsai. Therefore I have copied the halt file from Kde and the trouble has gone. I have repeated the shutdown a pair of times to be sure it was not  rebooting again. Later, my crummy internet connection which had failed had came back and I did an update.

I have then installed the last bonsai on the same machine, and did change the halt file, updated (didn't see anything related to initscripts in the update, by the way). Well the problem here seems gone.

I'll remaster a new bonsai later tonight.

Regards,
Mélodie

P.S.  I'll try again later today, it's time to mow the yard.

Happy mowing !

[gseaman]

...
I have done a diff in console between the Kde4 directory init scripts and the one in Bonsai (having both on the same machine). I found a difference in  the halt script, so I made a copy of both in the home user in Bonsai, named the kde halt "halt-kde" and opened them in Geany. There are two lines "Unmount ... " which are before and after a block of text in the Kde version. It's only before the same block text in the version which is in Bonsai. Therefore I have copied the halt file from Kde and the trouble has gone. I have repeated the shutdown a pair of times to be sure it was not  rebooting again. Later, my crummy internet connection which had failed had came back and I did an update.

I have then installed the last bonsai on the same machine, and did change the halt file, updated (didn't see anything related to initscripts in the update, by the way). Well the problem here seems gone.

I'll remaster a new bonsai later tonight.

Regards,
Mélodie
...

Excellent sleuthing!

Galen

[melodie]

Excellent sleuthing!

Galen

Thanks Galen, but now I meet with a new problem. After I boot again, I can't get any of the tty : they are stucked, with what should be the tty1 that delivers error messages about the driver "nouveau" and the Edid. I have login to guest account and extracted messages from /var/log/messages, and dmesg, and saved to a file, to show here later. The thing is then I have removed "nouveau" from the installed packages, in Synaptic, along with it's related libdri-something*, and rebooted : but the system still looks for nouveau. Then I tried to boot to init1, change "nouveau" for "nv" in the xorg.conf file, but this did not help. No way I would go without tty's !

I remember also a very briefly seen message just at the beginning of the boot, related to a conflict, concerning fb, nouveaufb, something like that...

This Dell has a nvidia 8400gs video card.

So it's a full slaughter for this one install. Let's see what happens next...

Regards,
Mélodie

* libdri-drivers-experimental
Mesa DRI - unstable experimental drivers

PS: in PCLinuxOS Education I also meet with issues with "nouveau", it does not want to be replaced by nvidia, when I try to change it in the drakX11 configurator. And it brings some problems... I will have to take more  notes about it. (It's a pain !)

[gseaman]

I no longer have an nvidia card to test, but I also get an error about a conflict between the intelfb and the vesa? fb. This also exist with the kde test isos, but it doesn't seem to cause any problems. I wish I could help more!

Galen

[melodie]

I no longer have an nvidia card to test, but I also get an error about a conflict between the intelfb and the vesa? fb. This also exist with the kde test isos, but it doesn't seem to cause any problems. I wish I could help more!

Galen

Hi, I would just like to ask you, if you can access to the tty's ? Just at the end of the boot ? After login to X ? (In any version, bonsai, full openbox and kde ?)

Thank you very much !
Mélodie

[gseaman]

ctrl-alt-F1 through ctrl-alt-F6 get normal tty's in the latest openbox full test and the latest kde test. ctrl-alt-F8 brings back X. (There are a lot of updates since this iso was created.)

Galen

[melodie]

Thank you very much sir !

Good night to all,
Mélodie

[Hootiegibbon]

Melodie,

I have taken a look at Bonsai tonight using the link at the start of the thread to find out why you may be having issue with it.

I only had about 45 minutes to test this thing , but I have made some observations.

My first comment to all trying to trouble shoot is dont do it in Vbox - its not a good platform for trouble shooting, try it on real hardware.

Here are my findings

you are missing some vital firmware for centrino chipsets (the microcode) which is in the repo - centrino is a combination of cpu withwireless and must fuction correctly or theere are likely o be issues

the licence document is missing with flp (the image software) this is a big NO NO

the livecd lacks the M4 package  (this may habve an influence to the auto generation of menus and other macrobased stuff)

the iso lacks nss and glibnetworking = no ssl !!!!

and i suspect that I hjave located the caue of all the little issues you have

you REMOVED PYTHON!!!!!

Python is a core element in PCLinuxOS it is in all the other versions, it is used for internal scripts and system calls.

If you wanted to build a version for others to build on then .... it will ultimatly fail, the removal of python for small iso size is not a good way to achive this.

I think you may want to start again - with python

Jase

[Texstar]

Hootie, what she does when you try to tell her anything.



(just kidding) or maybe not! 

[melodie]

Hootie, what she does when you try to tell her anything.

(just kidding) or maybe not!  

Hi Texstar, hi Hootiegibbon,

I certainly do care about what the people say, this is why I bring the Openbox versions to be tested here. There are many persons testing very well here and bringing back excellent feedback.

Hootie,
if you are right for M4, and if it is needed, I'll add it. I think last year it was not in the iso and all worked fine for everybody who used it since.

About the licence I don't know what you are talking about, could you be more clear ? I have done Bonsai starting from cli iso, and didn't remove any licence from it.

About the difference in the halt files in Texstar's official KDE iso and the version we currently have I also am right, and it makes a difference. For python I am not sure yet.

About microcodes, could you tell me what packages you are talking about ?

nss and glibnetworking = no ssl : Do you need ssl in any kind of install ? ie : a file server at home ?

For the tests, I do have Bonsai on a real machine : it's a Dell P4. I do a few remasters in Virtualbox now because it's a no go in the Dell with the last version I installed : no tty's; no remaster. I'll install the one done last night on the P4 and if I can get it to work correctly, will remaster it from there again.

python : it does not look absolutely necessary on a system which is meant to build what you want on top of it. But I will reinstall it if I come to the conclusion that we can't go without it (some users in another distribution have got rid of it in a full install so I wanted to see how that works here without it)

/!\ All theses are test versions. At the end I could very well start over from the 2010 11 which is in the repositories.

Conclusion 1 : the Openbox full and the Education, also build on Bonsai but containing normally all necessary packages, such as python and many others, do meet with a shutdown that reboots after 20 seconds. Having done research about that with google, the only entries found "reboot 20 seconds after shutdown" are on Windows XP machines !!

Conclusion 2  : do you think it would be better if I change "Bonsai" to a "real mini" ? I mean, instead of producing the small version "to make you own easily on top of it" (sort of a "cli iso enhanced"...) rather do something that is a bit bigger, and more at the level of a Zen mini or a Lxde mini ? Should I start a new topic with a poll ?

Thanks,
Mélodie

PS: siamer told me he makes all the Zen mini published on Virtualbox, and has not met trouble... I don't publish isos done in Virtualbox. (The first year only, in 2009, but I moved backword with that, for more safety)

PS 2 : I do actually meet with problems with nouveau driver on Dell P4 with nvidia 8400gs

[gseaman]

Melodie,

If the iso does all of the basics without python, I don't think it is absolutely necessary, but I am sure anyone extending it will very quickly be pulling in python from dependencies. The major requirements to me is that 1. there is a fully working, simple desktop, 2. all the hardware capabilities of PCLinuxOS are included, especially networking, 3. the Control Center tools should have all requirements met, and finally, 4. all packages in the repo should be able to install without missing dependencies, like task-KDE, task-lxde, etc.

If python is required for any of these, then it should be included.

Galen