Scheduled Maintenance: We are aware of an issue with Google, AOL, and Yahoo services as email providers which are blocking new registrations. We are trying to fix the issue and we have several internal and external support tickets in process to resolve the issue. Please see: viewtopic.php?t=158230

 

 

 

Debian Stretch freeze on login

New to Debian (Or Linux in general)? Ask your questions here!
Post Reply
Message
Author
ViR0
Posts: 3
Joined: 2018-02-01 21:31

Debian Stretch freeze on login

#1 Post by ViR0 »

Hello, I’ve being using different Linux distributions for several years on my old laptop. I just got a new laptop and I wanted to try Debian. I installed Stretch (fresh install). Initially it was working. Than I installed Firefox Quantium following this guide: https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-install- ... etch-linux

Now after rebooting the gnome login screen appears normally, but when I insert my password the and press login the UI freeze. I can move in TTY and login there, but I cannot find the problem in any log file. (probably I'm not looking the right one). Any idea on what can provoke this issue?


Thank you

User avatar
bw123
Posts: 4015
Joined: 2011-05-09 06:02
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 28 times

Re: Debian Stretch freeze on login

#2 Post by bw123 »

ViR0 wrote:...I installed Stretch (fresh install). Initially it was working. Than I installed Firefox Quantium following this guide: https://linuxconfig.org/how-to-install- ... etch-linux

Difficulty Easy
<snip>
Add the Sid Repos...
<snip>
Apt Pinning...
<snip>
# apt update
# apt install -t sid firefox
wow, just wow. So what all got installed along with firefox from sid?

https://bugs.debian.org/firefox
Last edited by bw123 on 2018-02-01 22:58, edited 1 time in total.
resigned by AI ChatGPT

Bulkley
Posts: 6383
Joined: 2006-02-11 18:35
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 39 times

Re: Debian Stretch freeze on login

#3 Post by Bulkley »

I would remove everything installed from that Sid repository. Stable and Unstable conflict. Experienced Debian users can get away with mixed repositories but it's not advised.

As to Firefox, download the tarball and open it. Then run

Code: Select all

~/firefox/firefox
to open it. You may need to modify the instructions but you get the idea. By running it in your user space you won't mess up your system.

User avatar
sunrat
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6412
Joined: 2006-08-29 09:12
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Has thanked: 116 times
Been thanked: 461 times

Re: Debian Stretch freeze on login

#4 Post by sunrat »

That guide is a brave and reckless way to install FF Quantum and I'm not surprised it broke something. One does not just install stuff from Sid and pray.
I recommend restoring the system backup you made before doing that precarious thing, and then follow Bulkley's advice.
If you didn't make a system backup, I'm sure you will next time you attempt to do something potentially damaging.
“ computer users can be divided into 2 categories:
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ”
Remember to BACKUP!

User avatar
GarryRicketson
Posts: 5644
Joined: 2015-01-20 22:16
Location: Durango, Mexico

Re: Debian Stretch freeze on login

#5 Post by GarryRicketson »

From the bad advice website:
This way, you won't miss out on the latest features coming from Firefox while still maintaining your stable Debian system.
From the Debian wiki, website:
Advice For New Users On Not Breaking Their Debian System
Debian is a robust and reliable system, but it's still very easy for new users to break their systems by not doing things the Debian way. This page lists common mistakes made by new users. Some of the things listed here can be done safely, but only if you have enough experience to know how to fix your system when things go wrong. ---- snip ------
Don't suffer from Shiny New Stuff Syndrome

The reason that Debian Stable is so reliable is because software is extensively tested and bug-fixed before being included. This means that the most recent version of software is often not available in the Stable repositories. But it doesn't mean that the software is too old to be useful!

Before attempting to install the newest version of some software from somewhere other than the Debian Stable repositories, here are some things to keep in mind: --- read it for details ----

Don't blindly follow bad advice

Unfortunately there's a lot of bad advice on the Internet. Tutorials found on blogs, forums and other sites often include instructions that will break your system in subtle ways. Don't simply follow the first advice you find, or the tutorial that seems the easiest. Spend some time reading the documentation and compare the difference between tutorials.
by ViR0 »Any idea on what can provoke this issue?
1.Thinking you must have the shiniest newest: "Don't suffer from Shiny New Stuff Syndrome".
2. Blindly following bad advise : "Don't blindly follow bad advice"
3. Pending , but it sounds like the OP did not make a good back up,
Murphy's Law, "If anything can go wrong it will". When you have made a good back up, when things go wrong it won't matter much, but also Bryan says, when one makes a back up, one probably will never need it. The great Bird is watching, and when it sees they did not make a backup, that is when it strikes. :mrgreen:

==== edite ====
I was going to post a comment, to warn others to at least make a good back up, and also read some Debian documentation, like the wiki,.. but I doubt they will allow it :
• 2 minutes ago Hold on, this is waiting to be approved by Linux Config.

Why does the author not warn the readers to make a good back up first ?
And why does the author give bad advise, ? or at least warn the readers of the possible consequences, From the Debian wiki: "don't break debian" :---- snipp--

ViR0
Posts: 3
Joined: 2018-02-01 21:31

Re: Debian Stretch freeze on login

#6 Post by ViR0 »

Thank you guys for answering so fast!

Yep, I need to pay more attention on random tutorials. I was confident and didn’t make any backup :roll:

tonight I’ll try to restore my installation by removing Firefox and all sit packages and use Firefox quantum as Bulkley advised.

can you indicate me a reliable tutorial to follow for making backups before updates in future?
(is https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/ ... ata-backup ok?)

steve_v
df -h | grep > 20TiB
df -h | grep > 20TiB
Posts: 1400
Joined: 2012-10-06 05:31
Location: /dev/chair
Has thanked: 79 times
Been thanked: 175 times

Re: Debian Stretch freeze on login

#7 Post by steve_v »

On that "easy" tutorial. Ouch.
The only thing that is easy when mixing stable and unstable is breaking your system.
Proof yet again that the internet is lousy with idiots, and most of them have blogs. :roll:

On the backups, there are a multitude of ways to go about this. The one you mention is fine, but it's not a full system backup so it will entail reinstalling before restoring the directories mentioned.
I just rsync the whole system to another machine (which also has ZFS snapshots of these backups) nightly, and reverse the process if I break something. This has pulled my ass out of the fire many times.
If your local filesystem supports snapshots (zfs, btrfs, or ext+lvm) it's even easier, just make a snapshot before fiddling. Local snapshots aren't a real backup though, you still need to move important data somewhere safe.
There are many more advanced backup solutions, but personally I like simple. And standard utilities like dd, cp, tar, rsync etc. are always available if you hose things badly enough to need a boot disk ;)
Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. Three times is enemy action. Four times is Official GNOME Policy.

User avatar
sunrat
Administrator
Administrator
Posts: 6412
Joined: 2006-08-29 09:12
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Has thanked: 116 times
Been thanked: 461 times

Re: Debian Stretch freeze on login

#8 Post by sunrat »

I use and recommend Clonezilla for partition backups prior to major upgrades or doing anything potentially damaging. This tutorial is ok - http://www.pontikis.net/blog/clonezilla ... up-restore
It shows expert mode but beginner mode works fine. There is a Clonezilla Live CD image available which you can burn to CD or USB, but many live distros also include Clonezilla. I actually run it from an installed multi-boot MX-17 to back up Debian, or vice-versa.
“ computer users can be divided into 2 categories:
Those who have lost data
...and those who have not lost data YET ”
Remember to BACKUP!

axelzaro
Posts: 2
Joined: 2018-03-06 08:37

Re: Debian Stretch freeze on login

#9 Post by axelzaro »

Hello ViR0,

Recently i had a new laptop and after installing Strech I had the same problem as you. (I admit i installed Firefox in a similar way as you did).
So I reinstall it fresh and after the first reboot the problem was still there.

So Even if mixing repositories is not good for you (us), may be there is a different problem.

I "solve it" following a guide for a (Bumblebee/bbswitch) bug report:

https://github.com/Bumblebee-Project/bb ... issues/162

If that is your case let me know and let me know if you find a more user friendly solution (i didn't like the solution proposed in the bug report)

Post Reply