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Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

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grooveman
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Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#1 Post by grooveman »

Hi.

I just updated to stretch today (from Jessie). Now my system will not start key services. I have RT installed on this system (its primary function), and no one can log in.

I'm getting weird systemd errors at login, but they are not verbose, and I cannot find anymore information on this. I just spent the last 2 hours googling this... find a lot of references, but no fixes.

After booting the system, I log in and get this on the console:

Code: Select all

[   89.804349] systemd-logind[2685]: Failed to enable subscription: Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
[   89.804456] systemd-logind[2685]: Failed to fully start up daemon: Input/output error
When I look at dmesg or syslog, I see that it is loaded with similar error messages:

Code: Select all

Aug  9 10:55:52 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activating service name='org.freedesktop.login1' (using servicehelper)
Aug  9 10:55:52 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activating service name='org.freedesktop.systemd1' (using servicehelper)
Aug  9 10:55:52 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activated service 'org.freedesktop.systemd1' failed: Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
Aug  9 10:55:52 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activated service 'org.freedesktop.login1' failed: Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
Aug  9 10:55:52 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activating service name='org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit' (using servicehelper)
Aug  9 10:55:52 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Successfully activated service 'org.freedesktop.ConsoleKit'
Aug  9 10:56:11 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activating service name='org.freedesktop.systemd1' (using servicehelper)
Aug  9 10:56:11 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activated service 'org.freedesktop.systemd1' failed: Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
Aug  9 10:56:34 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activating service name='org.freedesktop.login1' (using servicehelper)
Aug  9 10:56:34 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activating service name='org.freedesktop.systemd1' (using servicehelper)
Aug  9 10:56:34 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activated service 'org.freedesktop.systemd1' failed: Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
Aug  9 10:56:34 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activated service 'org.freedesktop.login1' failed: Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
Aug  9 10:56:39 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activating service name='org.freedesktop.login1' (using servicehelper)
Aug  9 10:56:39 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activating service name='org.freedesktop.systemd1' (using servicehelper)
Aug  9 10:56:39 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activated service 'org.freedesktop.systemd1' failed: Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
Aug  9 10:56:39 EMI-RT dbus[1613]: [system] Activated service 'org.freedesktop.login1' failed: Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
Aug  9 11:00:01 EMI-RT CRON[2714]: (www-data) CMD ([ -x /usr/sbin/rt-email-dashboards-4 ] && /usr/sbin/rt-email-dashboards-4)
If I so much as execute systemctl at the command line:

Code: Select all

systemctl
Failed to list units: Launch helper exited with unknown return code 1
I have tried reinstalling all the systemd packages I found in "dpkg -l |grep systemd'. I also tried using dpkg-reconfigure... obviously, these attempts did not help.

I have updated a few systems so far to stretch, but this is the first time I have seen this...

I tried booting to the last kernel, and some other boot time options... doesn't help.

I appreciate any help.

G

Bulkley
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#2 Post by Bulkley »

So how, exactly, did you do the upgrade?

Please post your sources.list.

While you are at it, what is RT? Is that short for RTOS?

grooveman
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#3 Post by grooveman »

I pretty much followed this:
https://www.linuxbabe.com/debian/upgrad ... -9-stretch

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deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stable main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian stable main contrib non-free

deb http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://ftp.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free

deb http://security.debian.org/ stretch/updates main contrib non-free
deb-src http://security.debian.org/ stretch/updates main contrib non-free

deb http://www.deb-multimedia.org stretch main non-free
Oh yes, RT = Request Tracker... it is a helpdesk ticketing system.

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HuangLao
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#4 Post by HuangLao »

well, probably because the instructions came from someone called linuxbabe....geez..unofficial much

better luck with this, I would bet:
https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/ ... ng.en.html

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dasein
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#5 Post by dasein »

HuangLao wrote:well, probably because the instructions came from someone called linuxbabe....geez..unofficial much
+1

If that's "linuxbabe's" idea of an acceptable sources.list then she'd better be quite the babe, because she dunno $#!t about linux (or at least Debian).

@grooveman: unless you actually want an unplanned switch to Buster someday, replace both instances of "stable" with "stretch".

And while I'm at it, I'll urge you to comment out that potentially dangerous multimedia repo and re-enable it only when you truly must have something that is found only there. (Is there any such thing any more?)

And if I may say, eight years is plenty of time for you to have mastered repo management long ago. Becoming master of your own sources just isn't hard. Time to "bite the bullet" and visit the Wiki.

Aside: When I saw the thread title, I confess my first (ironic) thought was, "Well damn, if it's that easy to jettison systemd, sign me up already!" :mrgreen:
Last edited by dasein on 2017-08-09 20:05, edited 1 time in total.

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Lysander
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#6 Post by Lysander »

HuangLao wrote:well, probably because the instructions came from someone called linuxbabe....geez..unofficial much

better luck with this, I would bet:
https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/ ... ng.en.html
I took some instruction from Linuxbabe. The site suggested I install Infinality through an Ubuntu PPA. I did indeed do so a few weeks back on Stretch, but I have since purged Infinality and commented out said repo from sources.list.

[I think I hijacked the topic again, apologies].

grooveman
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#7 Post by grooveman »

HuangLao wrote:well, probably because the instructions came from someone called linuxbabe....geez..unofficial much

better luck with this, I would bet:
https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/ ... ng.en.html
Thanks. The instructions do pretty much the same thing the "babe" suggests. The sources.lst have been carried through from Wheezy (maybe even before), so they were whatever shipped with that. They are old, and I should have picked through them... I changed the "jessies" to "stretches" but didn't really pay close attention to the rest. My bad.

I fixed the sources.list, and ran through the documentation you gave me... no new packages were installed, and the same problem exists. I also ran through the suggestion to purge old files... no difference,I'm afraid. Same problems persist.

Any ideas?

Thanks.

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HuangLao
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#8 Post by HuangLao »

is your /home on a different partition? If so then just install Stretch from scratch so to speak....Stretch scratch kinda sounds like an Ubuntu release... :lol:

I find it difficult to fathom that your sources were not mangled prior to the upgrade attempt. It is rediculuosly easy to upgrade Debian (one of its strengths). If you want to stay with stable, then instead of changing Jessie to Stretch and then Buster in 2-3 years, just change it to stable (for every section in your sources.list). That way you always have stable, just a thought. Just keep in mind that if you want to run oldstable in the future or want to stick with stretch etc...then keeping stable will kinda ruin that plan :wink:

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HuangLao
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#9 Post by HuangLao »

dasein wrote:
Aside: When I saw the thread title, I confess my first (ironic) thought was, "Well damn, if it's that easy to jettison systemd, sign me up already!" :mrgreen:
LOL...Similar, my first thought was, and....what exactly is the problem? Was this a hidden feature of Stretch the dev.'s put in... :mrgreen:

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dasein
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#10 Post by dasein »

HuangLao wrote:my first thought was, and....what exactly is the problem?
Closed as NOTABUG, WONTFIX :mrgreen:

Meanwhile, on the subject of slack/salix, wherein you say lots of myth abounds, maybe start a thread in Offtopic where you disspell what you see as the most common SlackMyths? As Wheezy EOL looms large, I suspect lots of folks would benefit from that insight.

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dasein
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#11 Post by dasein »

Lysander wrote:I took some instruction from Linuxbabe. The site suggested I install Infinality through an Ubuntu PPA.
I decided to visit "her" site, and found lots of instances where "she" recommends PPAs without hesitation. Does not exactly inspire confidence. More to the point, absent an appropriate disclaimer, it leaves "her" unsuspecting readers with the impression that PPAs are routinely safe sources from which to install software on Debian.

tl;dr; linuxbabe is PRC's answer to NixiePixel.

grooveman
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#12 Post by grooveman »

HuangLao wrote:is your /home on a different partition? If so then just install Stretch from scratch so to speak....Stretch scratch kinda sounds like an Ubuntu release... :lol:

I find it difficult to fathom that your sources were not mangled prior to the upgrade attempt. It is rediculuosly easy to upgrade Debian (one of its strengths). If you want to stay with stable, then instead of changing Jessie to Stretch and then Buster in 2-3 years, just change it to stable (for every section in your sources.list). That way you always have stable, just a thought. Just keep in mind that if you want to run oldstable in the future or want to stick with stretch etc...then keeping stable will kinda ruin that plan :wink:
I know. I have performed dozens of debian upgrades and never had a problem. That is why I use it for my servers. In fact, this was one of four done this week (other three had no problems). But changing "stable" to stretch on those two lines did not change any of the packages installed on the system. I don't know that I'd say that it was mangled... just following a moving release instead of a static one. So, since stretch is stable, it doesn't seem like it is a big surprise there were no package changes...

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dasein
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#13 Post by dasein »

grooveman wrote:this was one of four done this week (other three had no problems)
All the more reason to suspect a configuration anomaly unique to one particular machine. It is unclear why you are so determined to reject the inference best supported by the available evidence.
grooveman wrote:changing "stable" to stretch on those two lines did not change any of the packages installed on the system.
Well of course it didn't, anymore than changing your socks would alter the list of installed packages. And it's unclear why you would imagine that it would (yet another sign that it's time for you to learn basic repo management).

The exhortation to s/stable/stretch/ was to prevent an entirely different problem, in an entirely different timeframe. Quoting myself...
...unless you actually want an unplanned switch to Buster someday, replace both instances of "stable" with "stretch"
HuangLao wrote:...just install Stretch from scratch so to speak...
+1

There is no benefit at this point in continuing to admire the problem. Fix it and move on.

joseph059
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#14 Post by joseph059 »

"There is no benefit at this point in continuing to admire the problem. Fix it and move on."

Well said +1

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Lysander
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#15 Post by Lysander »

dasein wrote:Meanwhile, on the subject of slack/salix, wherein you say lots of myth abounds, maybe start a thread in Offtopic where you disspell what you see as the most common SlackMyths? As Wheezy EOL looms large, I suspect lots of folks would benefit from that insight.
I second this. I had a fiddle around with Salix today out of curiosity [Live USB]. Would be interesting if a thread could be started on non-systemd distros by those with experience, their relative ease of install in comparison to Debian, similarities, dissimilarities, myths [e.g. MX Linux, Salix, Slackware] for when those using Wheezy need to move to something else [and anyone else who wants to/needs to, I suppose].

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GarryRicketson
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#16 Post by GarryRicketson »

Lysander wrote:
dasein wrote:Meanwhile, on the subject of slack/salix, wherein you say lots of myth abounds, maybe start a thread in Offtopic where you disspell what you see as the most common SlackMyths? As Wheezy EOL looms large, I suspect lots of folks would benefit from that insight.
I second this. I had a fiddle around with Salix today out of curiosity [Live USB]. Would be interesting if a thread could be started on non-systemd distros by those with experience, their relative ease of install in comparison to Debian, similarities, dissimilarities, myths [e.g. MX Linux, Salix, Slackware] for when those using Wheezy need to move to something else [and anyone else who wants to/needs to, I suppose].
===================================================

Except that this forum is intended for Debian users, Debian User Forums

To some extent, discussion of other distros in the "offtopic" forum is ok, but what you
are interested in would be more appropriate on a "Linux in Genral" forum, where they do
a lot of this , "comparison of this distro, to that distro",... etc.
If you think it would be interesting, then why don't you start a topic on the "offtopic" forum ?

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Lysander
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#17 Post by Lysander »

As I said,
Would be interesting if a thread could be started on non-systemd distros by those with experience
The only distros I can speak with some kind of authority on through experience are Ubuntu, Mint and Debian, and Solus to some extent - I have no experience of non-systemd distros.

I also qualified my post by specifying it would be useful for those who are reaching Wheezy EOL, so it does relate to Debian, I feel.

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dasein
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#18 Post by dasein »

Let's just see here... First, I suggest a tightly-focused thread in Offtopic
dasein wrote:maybe start a thread in Offtopic where you disspell what you see as the most common SlackMyths?
(Am I being too subtle here?)

Because after all, Debian Users who still run Wheezy (including, well, me), would find the information helpful in our impending forced transition to a non-Debian distro.

By way of response, we have a bunch of finger-wagging and an exhortation that such discussion would only be relevant to Offtopic
...why don't you start a topic on the "offtopic" forum ?
What. The. Fsck.

Pointless redundancy much?

Ya know, I think that this may just be the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back. I'll give myself a day or two to decide if I'm outta here for good, but just in case I decide to stay gone...
so long, and thanks for all the fish

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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#19 Post by HuangLao »

I'm going to work on this in off topic, going to include links to threads at LinuxQuestions and reviews from others that show the viability and benefits of running Slackware or SalixOS. Stay tuned and yes it will be in off-topic, as it will be pertinent to those running Wheezy.

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Lysander
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Re: Upgrade to Strech killed Systemd

#20 Post by Lysander »

HuangLao wrote:I'm going to work on this in off topic, going to include links to threads at LinuxQuestions and reviews from others that show the viability and benefits of running Slackware or SalixOS. Stay tuned and yes it will be in off-topic, as it will be pertinent to those running Wheezy.
Great, thank you. Though I won't be moving on likely any time soon, such a thread would be very useful both to those who are reaching EOL for Wheezy and for those who are curious to move onto a non-systemd distro and already have 8+ installed. It's unfortunate that such a thread is even necessary, but such is the dissent in some quarters that it is. However, I think it's actually a credit to this forum that it cares about its current members such that if they do move on, it will help them do so to another distro which they have used and approved. That's far better than abandoning members and saying - if it's not Debian, just deal with it yourself. I think it's good to think of this forum as part of the Debian community and the GNU/Linux community.

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