HAL not starting on Lenny/Sid

adz · 07-18-2007, 06:38 AM

Hello,

I recently reinstalled debian by installing Etch and then dist-upgraded to Lenny. Since that time HAL simply will not start. As a result, gnome-volume-manager wont run either which I found extrememly useful. Here are some outputs of various commands:

Code:

adz@hades:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/hal start
Starting Hardware abstraction layer: haldadz@hades:~$

No errors but no HAL running.

Code:

adz@hades:~$ sudo /etc/init.d/dbus restart
Stopping Hardware abstraction layer: hald.
Stopping Avahi mDNS/DNS-SD Daemon: avahi-daemon.
Stopping System Tools Backends: system-tools-backends.
Stopping system message bus: dbus.
Starting system message bus: dbus.
Starting System Tools Backends: system-tools-backends.
Starting Avahi mDNS/DNS-SD Daemon: avahi-daemon.
Starting Hardware abstraction layer: haldinvoke-rc.d: initscript hal, action "start" failed.

Generates an error but I have no idea what this means. I've tried looking in /etc/init.d/hal for "haldinvoke" or whatever else and I can't find it.

Now, manually running hald:

Code:

adz@hades:~$ sudo hald --daemon=yes --verbose=yes
21:34:20.307 [I] hald.c:529: hal 0.5.9.1
21:34:20.308 [I] hald.c:538: Will daemonize
21:34:20.308 [I] hald.c:539: Becoming a daemon

Looks like it's doing something but nothing actually happens. There is no process called "hald" running.

Web search turned up nothing. I have no idea what's wrong since I can't get any useful error messages. Anyone have any ideas?

war1025 · 07-18-2007, 07:22 PM

in the man page for it, it recommends saying dameon=no and verbose=yes. It gives alot more output that way I think. At least it did for my friend...

adz · 07-19-2007, 02:23 AM

Finally! Thanks for the tip. I finally got it working because of you. Do you want to know what the problem was? There was no group called "haldaemon". That's all. I created the group and now it works. What a load off my mind.

Zolex · 07-19-2007, 03:41 AM

I think I have exactly the same problem.

Can you explain me how you have created the group ?

adz · 07-19-2007, 06:55 AM

You just use the command addgroup haldaemon. You have to be root, though, so either run su beforehand or use the command sudo addgroup haldaemon instead.

Zolex · 07-19-2007, 06:58 AM

Thanks fior your reply.

Should I have to add users to this group ?

adz · 07-19-2007, 07:08 AM

No that wont be necessary. You may need to add the user "haldaemon", though. Try without first and see how you go. I think hald simply runs as the user "haldaemon" and with only those permissions it needs. Hence the need for a "haldaemon" group.

Zolex · 07-19-2007, 10:22 AM

It does not work, I still have this group.

My problem is related to the new kernel installed because, on the old kernel, everything is working well, I do not have any problem.

Any idea ?

war1025 · 07-19-2007, 11:29 AM

run
hald --dameon=no --verbose=yes
and it should tell you what it's angry about.

adz · 07-19-2007, 04:46 PM

Do as war1025 suggested. Also, did you compile your own kernel or is it a prebuilt debian one?

adrian82 · 07-22-2007, 03:36 AM

Hello,

the output from hald in verbose-mode is as follows on my Debian Lenny with 2.6.22.1. See also Debian-Bug #426049.

Code:

root@shibuya:~> hald --daemon=no --verbose=yes
10:07:43.504 [I] hald.c:529: hal 0.5.9.1
10:07:43.505 [I] hald.c:594: Will not daemonize
10:07:43.506 [I] hald_dbus.c:4807: local server is listening at unix:abstract=/var/run/hald/dbus-lXxeHtE46Y,guid=ad6400d14d113915c26f860046a3104f
Runner started - allowed paths are '/usr/lib/hal:/usr/lib/hal/scripts:/usr/bin'
10:07:43.517 [I] hald_runner.c:299: Runner has pid 8001
10:07:43.519 [W] ci-tracker.c:200: Could not get uid for connection: org.freedesktop.DBus.Error.NameHasNoOwner Could not get UID of name 'org.freedesktop.DBus': no such name
10:07:43.520 [E] hald_dbus.c:4462: Cannot get caller info for org.freedesktop.DBus
10:07:43.520 [I] hald_runner.c:180: runner connection is 0x8092858
10:07:43.533 [I] mmap_cache.c:251: cache mtime is 1185090119
*** [DIE] osspec.c:watch_fdi_files():349 : Unable to initialize inotify: Function not implemented

I'm about to recompile my kernel with Inotify-support and see if this fixes hald.

Adrian