Debian stretch not completing the booting process

Rnanda · 10-08-2021, 11:40 AM

Hello,
I have been using debian stretch for a couple year now and never experienced a booting issue. Yesterday the computer froze when I was listening to music and I just unplugged it and when to bed. In the morning I started it, the booting ran up to the point where it usually launch the graphical desktop but just hanged. I tried rebooting in recovery mode, it ran and at some point requested the root password. I input it and it hanged.
I forced rebooting again but noticed that the recovery mode had disappeared, now I can just start it in normal mode, it runs up to the point when it usually launches the graphic mode and just hangs there.

I am not sure how to fix this, I did a network installation so I do not have any installation disk to try and fix it, I do not want to lose my data so I hope I can find a way to fix the booting without erasing the data.

Could you please help me.
Thank you.

pan64 · 10-08-2021, 11:45 AM

that can be a hardware (disk/ram?) issue, so most probably I would try to load a live CD and look around.

Rnanda · 10-08-2021, 06:04 PM

thanks for you reply.
I do not have any installation disk now, is there a way to force the grub to launch just the os without launching the kde? as it sems as the problem happens when the system attempt to launch the graphocal interface.

mrmazda · 10-08-2021, 06:24 PM

At the Grub menu, strike the "E" key, navigate to the end of the line that begins linu, which may wrap one or more lines, and add a space and a 3, then continue to boot. That should bring you to a text screen with a login prompt, if the filesystem(s) are not corrupt from the lockups and unplugging.

If it works, login and run the following commands

Code:

sudo apt install inxi
sudo echo B_ALLOW_UPDATE=true >> /etc/inxi.conf
sudo inxi -U
inxi -GSay
cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | pastebinit

and paste the resulting hardware info and URL here. If a file not found message appears, run this command

Code:

cat ~/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log | pastebinit

and paste its result here.

ondoho · 10-09-2021, 12:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rnanda

I tried rebooting in recovery mode, it ran and at some point requested the root password. I input it and it hanged.

This seems weird. No output at all?
Are you sure you did that right? Did you even define a root password at installation?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rnanda

I forced rebooting again but noticed that the recovery mode had disappeared

It's probably just hidden in a submenu. There's no way that option would completely disappear when clearly you didn't update grub in between.

Rnanda · 10-09-2021, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmazda

At the Grub menu, strike the "E" key, navigate to the end of the line that begins linu, which may wrap one or more lines, and add
a space and a 3, then continue to boot. That should bring you to a text screen with a login prompt, if the filesystem(s) are not corrupt from the lockups and unplugging.

If it works, login and run the following commands

Code:

sudo apt install inxi
sudo echo B_ALLOW_UPDATE=true >> /etc/inxi.conf
sudo inxi -U
inxi -GSay
cat /var/log/Xorg.0.log | pastebinit

and paste the resulting hardware info and URL here. If a file not found message appears, run this command

Code:

cat ~/.local/share/xorg/Xorg.0.log | pastebinit

and paste its result here.

Thank you
It did started the command line and I ran all the commands you provided successfully .
the last command only displays a url
http://paste.debian.net/1214873/
the inxi.-GSay displays
System:
host: nrsoft kernel: 4.9.0-16-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v 6.3.0
parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/vnlinuz-4.9.0-16-amd64
root=/dev/mapper/nrsoft--vg-root ro quiet 3
console: tty 1 Distro: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)
Graphichs:
Device-1: AMD Wrestler [Radeon HD 6320] vendor: Acer Incorporated ALI
driver: radeon v: kernel bus-ID: 00:01.0 chip-ID: 1002:9806 class-ID: 2-4:3
chip-ID: 1bcf:288a class-ID: 0e02
Display: server: X.org 1.19.2 driver: loaded: ati, radeon
unloaded: fbdev,modesetting,vesa tty: 200x56
Messages: Advanced graphics data unavailable on console for root

Also I remember that earlier that day, I installed python build-essential, atlas-python and ran some examples, since it is a GUI library maybe it messed my graphic configiration.

yancek · 10-09-2021, 02:06 PM

Quote:

when I was listening to music and I just unplugged it

That's a bad idea. Next time try holding down Alt and SysRq keys (which is the Print Screen key) simultaneously while typing REISUB to get it started. Might write it down somewhere that it is accessible as it won't do you any good in a text file on the computer.

Quote:

I do not want to lose my data

If your data is important to you, you obviously should have had a backup. Hopefully, mrmazda will be back to read through your output and make a suggestion. Good luck.

Rnanda · 10-09-2021, 02:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by yancek

That's a bad idea. Next time try holding down Alt and SysRq keys (which is the Print Screen key) simultaneously while typing REISUB to get it started. Might write it down somewhere that it is accessible as it won't do you any good in a text file on the computer.

If your data is important to you, you obviously should have had a backup. Hopefully, mrmazda will be back to read through your output and make a suggestion. Good luck.

What is REISUB ?
thanks

shruggy · 10-09-2021, 03:20 PM

Magic SysRq key

mrmazda · 10-09-2021, 03:32 PM

REISUB are keystrokes.

The log reports "(EE) open /dev/dri/card0: No such file or directory". This failure blocks use of any optimal Xorg display driver. If you're using GDM as display manager, it will fail because of this blockage. I think there may be other display managers that will also fail for the same reason. I suppose it could be that whatever you did that day is the cause of this failure, either software, or pulling switch. You have a usable system, just Xorg is broken. Your data should still be there, most likely fully intact.

This might be an opportune time to perform an online upgrade from Stretch, which is now oldoldstable, to Buster, oldstable, and possibly then to current stable, Bullseye. Looks like first hit on https://www.google.com/search?q=debi...-US:unofficial is good for getting this started.

Before doing too much with software I'd do a bit of hardware checkup if the system hasn't been opened up in several years. Make sure there is no overheating involved from accumulated dust or failed fan(s). Also if it's a PC several years older than the 1002:9806 Radeon gfxcard, it may have the older type electrolytic capacitors that are subject to failure, causing electrical instability. Such failures can usually be found via simple inspection for leakage and/or swelling of their normally flat tops or out the bottom. Power supplies have continued to be subject to these same cap failures.

Rnanda · 10-10-2021, 03:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmazda

REISUB are keystrokes.

The log reports "(EE) open /dev/dri/card0: No such file or directory". This failure blocks use of any optimal Xorg display driver. If you're using GDM as display manager, it will fail because of this blockage. I think there may be other display managers that will also fail for the same reason. I suppose it could be that whatever you did that day is the cause of this failure, either software, or pulling switch. You have a usable system, just Xorg is broken. Your data should still be there, most likely fully intact.

This might be an opportune time to perform an online upgrade from Stretch, which is now oldoldstable, to Buster, oldstable, and possibly then to current stable, Bullseye. Looks like first hit on https://www.google.com/search?q=debi...-US:unofficial is good for getting this started.

Before doing too much with software I'd do a bit of hardware checkup if the system hasn't been opened up in several years. Make sure there is no overheating involved from accumulated dust or failed fan(s). Also if it's a PC several years older than the 1002:9806 Radeon gfxcard, it may have the older type electrolytic capacitors that are subject to failure, causing electrical instability. Such failures can usually be found via simple inspection for leakage and/or swelling of their normally flat tops or out the bottom. Power supplies have continued to be subject to these same cap failures.

The upgrade process ends with a bus error
dpkg: error processing package libc-bin (reconfigure):
subprocess installed post-installation script returned error exit status 135
Errors were encountered while processing:
libc-bin
E: Subprocess /use/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)
Not sure how serious it is.
I reboot and it still the same, not launching the graphical interface
When I check the system version it says 9.13 even though I replaced all the stretch by buster in the /etc/apt/sources.list before doing the apt upgrade and apt full-upgrade

Is there a way to fix the xorg graphic card driver issue without rebuilding the whole system ?
Thanks

mrmazda · 10-10-2021, 04:56 PM

I expect completing the upgrade process will fix X. I'm no expert on fixing incomplete upgrades, but I have succeeded multiple times. The web is full of different ways this problem might be solved. Maybe start here: https://itsfoss.com/dpkg-returned-an-error-code-1/