Problem starting root applications in Ubuntu.

bnchakraborty · 04-17-2006, 11:29 PM

Hi everybody,

I am using Ubuntu Breezy since its release without much problem. Very recently I had to reformat the hard-disk and re-installed Ubuntu. This time I find a bizarre problem. I have an ADSL router to connect to my ISP for broadband. The router is connected through eth0 and working fine. The network is configured to use DHCP. The problem is, the moment I trigger the network (System -> Administration -> Network) the applications requiring administrative privilege like, Root Browser, Services, Users and Groups, etc., take very long time to start (about 5-10 minutes). Even 'sudo gedit' behaves similarly. The other programs (user applications), like Open Office, etc., are started normally. If I log-off from Gnome-desktop and try to log-in again, the system freezes. I have carefully observed that this problem happens only when I start the network. Restarting the machine remains the only resort. Linux friends, help me please!

--bnchakraborty

binary_y2k2 · 04-17-2006, 11:49 PM

I'm not sure why this would happen. First try making sure gksu and the system is up date. Also when you try to run a root app what do you get in the log? (dmesg | tail)

bnchakraborty · 05-04-2006, 06:24 AM

Sorry for my silence. I had to stay out of this job on health ground. On return, binary_y2k2, I got your reply and thank you for your quick response. The output of 'dmesg|tail' after starting 'sudo gedit' is as follows:

$ dmesg | tail
[4295531.580000] atkbd.c: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0xaa on isa0060/serio0).
[4295531.580000] atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes e02a <keycode>' to make it known.
[4295531.695000] atkbd.c: Unknown key pressed (translated set 2, code 0xaa on isa0060/serio0).
[4295531.695000] atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes e02a <keycode>' to make it known.
[4295531.768000] atkbd.c: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0xaa on isa0060/serio0).
[4295531.768000] atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes e02a <keycode>' to make it known.
[4295531.901000] atkbd.c: Unknown key pressed (translated set 2, code 0xaa on isa0060/serio0).
[4295531.901000] atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes e02a <keycode>' to make it known.
[4295531.986000] atkbd.c: Unknown key released (translated set 2, code 0xaa on isa0060/serio0).
[4295531.986000] atkbd.c: Use 'setkeycodes e02a <keycode>' to make it known.

This time 'gedit' didn't open and the error message displayed was:

** (gedit:9513): CRITICAL **: gedit_prefs_manager_get_int: assertion `gedit_prefs_manager->gconf_client != NULL' failed

** (gedit:9513): CRITICAL **: gedit_prefs_manager_get_bool: assertion `gedit_prefs_manager->gconf_client != NULL' failed

** (gedit:9513): CRITICAL **: gedit_prefs_manager_get_bool: assertion `gedit_prefs_manager->gconf_client != NULL' failed

** (gedit:9513): CRITICAL **: gedit_prefs_manager_get_int: assertion `gedit_prefs_manager->gconf_client != NULL' failed

(gedit:9513): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: invalid uninstantiatable type `<invalid>' in cast to `GObject'

(gedit:9513): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: instance of invalid non-instantiatable type `<invalid>'

(gedit:9513): GLib-GObject-CRITICAL **: g_signal_connect_object: assertion `G_TYPE_CHECK_INSTANCE (instance)' failed

(gedit:9513): GLib-GObject-WARNING **: invalid uninstantiatable type `<invalid>' in cast to `BonoboMDI'

** (gedit:9513): CRITICAL **: bonobo_mdi_add_child: assertion `BONOBO_IS_MDI (mdi)' failed

** (gedit:9513): CRITICAL **: gedit_file_new: assertion `ret != FALSE' failed

On a fresh installation of ubuntu breezy, I noted that the problem appears after updating (sudo apt-get update) & upgrading (sudo apt-get upgrade) the installation. Is it a bug in the updates released?

--bnchakraborty

binary_y2k2 · 05-04-2006, 03:33 PM

I have looked around for a fix to this (google, forums, Ubuntu Wiki) but had no luck.
It may be some bug or it may be that some file somewhere didn't get updated properly, you could try

Code:

sudo apt-get dist-upgrade

to make sure all the files are upgraded.
Then give it a go. "gksu gedit"
If it still won't work you could try removing the sudo package and the reinstalling it, but make sure you set the root password first:

Code:

sudo passwd root

then set the password for root.
then:

Code:

su
#(type the password you just set)
apt-get remove sudo

It will show a list of packages that will also be removed and ask if you want to continue, make a note or them so you can reinstall them and answer yes.
Then:

Code:

apt-get clean
apt-get install sudo
apt-get install (the list of packages that were removed)
E.g:
apt-get install gksu ubuntu-minimal

the "apt-get clean" makes sure it downloads the package from the ubuntu server by removing the archive files from the cache.
Other than that I really have no idea.
I was using Ubuntu from the 5.10 (Breezy) cd and when I updated it worked fine, now I'm using Kubuntu from downloaded 5.10 (Breezy). KDE uses a different command to use a program as root (kdesu) and have had no problems, so you could install KDE (BIG download) and use that with gnome. I think that could work, or if you don't want all of KDE's stuff try just getting "kdebase-bin" and it's dependencies.