[SOLVED] Login screen takes too long to appear

[debiman]

Like several people, I've got round it by installing the previous version of the kernel.

this is an important hint.
can the others confirm that?
and ALL are using SSDs???

[kevinthefixer]

Where do I find the list of packages that were in that update? Should have copied it down, I knew it was a kernel UD after all. System won't let me attach an svg, and when I made it .svg.gz it says "Sorry, the board attachment quota has been reached." There were some 4 files in the update IIRC. And how would I see which DM I'm using, and how to change it? I already have SLIM and if I'm also using lightDM then it didn't fix it for me.

[cgirerd]

Like several people, I've got round it by installing the previous version of the kernel.

this is an important hint.
can the others confirm that?
and ALL are using SSDs???

Yes, I confirm that. I only have a SSD on my computer, with everything running on it. I tried switching tty as my login window didn't appear. I logged in in tty2, ran startx. Everything runs fine, and then my computer swiches on tty1 by itself, with the login window diplayed this time. Maybe it corresponds to the delay for tty1 to launch the login window. It takes a couple of minutes for that.
The temporarily fix for me is to boot on another kernel, but it doesn't seem to work all the time, as this other person says:

Well, I did some more tests here and I noticed that this error persists. In 10 attempts to boot a 3 may show error. I did a clean install of Debian 9 with LXDE and noticed that this error does not happen even in the newer kernel. Something tells me that the network manager used in GNOME in XFCE and KDE in the kernel is causing this slowness. 24 minutes to boot is not a very normal time. Best to leave the topic open even.

Here is my output of 'systemd-analyze blame', and here is the output of 'systemd-analyze plot > graph.svg': https://filesender.renater.fr/?s=downlo ... f33073d25b. Let me know if I can do anything else to help solve this problem.

Code: Select all

         13.939s NetworkManager-wait-online.service
          1.137s exim4.service
           678ms apt-daily.service
           524ms apt-daily-upgrade.service
           290ms dev-sda6.device
           155ms systemd-timesyncd.service
           120ms ModemManager.service
           114ms winbind.service
            98ms accounts-daemon.service
            92ms keyboard-setup.service
            85ms colord.service
            78ms tlp.service
            76ms lm-sensors.service
            75ms NetworkManager.service
            74ms speech-dispatcher.service
            71ms systemd-logind.service
            69ms systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-36f0c99c\x2d8ed0\x2d41c3\x2d9b62\x2d3a35cb93dbb9.service
            64ms rsyslog.service
            63ms pppd-dns.service
            56ms avahi-daemon.service
            54ms networking.service
            54ms rtkit-daemon.service
            53ms systemd-journald.service
            49ms upower.service
            47ms bluetooth.service
            47ms systemd-udevd.service
            45ms systemd-udev-trigger.service
            39ms packagekit.service
            34ms user@1000.service
            33ms user@117.service
            33ms dev-disk-by\x2duuid-8b1921b7\x2d801f\x2d4803\x2d966a\x2da623b8dbed27.swap
            26ms minissdpd.service
            22ms wpa_supplicant.service
            20ms udisks2.service
            19ms systemd-modules-load.service
            19ms polkit.service
            18ms systemd-tmpfiles-setup-dev.service
            15ms gdm.service
            14ms systemd-tmpfiles-clean.service
            13ms systemd-journal-flush.service
            12ms var-log.mount
            10ms sys-kernel-debug.mount
            10ms home.mount
            10ms dev-mqueue.mount
             9ms systemd-update-utmp-runlevel.service
             9ms systemd-user-sessions.service
             9ms systemd-remount-fs.service
             8ms systemd-backlight@backlight:intel_backlight.service
             8ms systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service
             8ms dev-hugepages.mount
             7ms systemd-random-seed.service
             6ms tmp.mount
             6ms systemd-sysctl.service
             5ms kmod-static-nodes.service
             5ms systemd-update-utmp.service
             4ms sys-fs-fuse-connections.mount
             3ms console-setup.service
             3ms var-cache-apt-archives.mount

[kevinthefixer]

Not sure how to downgrade the kernel? Found the history in Synaptic and tried this:

Code: Select all

kevin@DellLatE4300:~$ sudo apt install linux-image-4.9.0-6-amd64 (4.9.82-1+deb9u3)
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `('

[kevinthefixer]

OK, told GRUB to boot with an earlier kernel (4.9.0.5) and I'm back to an 18-second boot, so I'm confirming that the latest kernel update is not playing nicely with something. Can I simply uninstall the 4906 kernel, will the system revert back to 4905 since it's still installed?

[cgirerd]

Not sure how to downgrade the kernel? Found the history in Synaptic and tried this:

Code: Select all

kevin@DellLatE4300:~$ sudo apt install linux-image-4.9.0-6-amd64 (4.9.82-1+deb9u3)
bash: syntax error near unexpected token `('

I am running an up-to-date Debian Stretch. Latest kernel is linux-image-4.9.0-6-amd64. When starting my laptop, I select "Advanced options for Debian GNU/Linux" in GRUB and can select the previous version of my kernel to boot (linux-image-4.9.0-5-amd64).

[smalltimer]

Yeah you're probably right debiman - seems like something to do with SSDs. Thanks for uploading the bootplot cgirerd - systemd-fsckd.service is still active after systemd-analyze says the boot is over (~18 sec).

I am chasing a couple of deadlines, so switching to lightdm for the time being. But it would be nice to have the gnome-consistent gdm greeter back at some point Will keep an eye on the thread.

[cgirerd]

Oh sorry I generated this log while using Debian with kernel linux-image-4.9.0-5-amd64 (this is my temparily fix). I guess you need a log generated while the problem occurs - I boot on linux-image-4.9.0-6-amd64, wait the necessary time to get to the login page, then login and generate the log? Sorry

[kevinthefixer]

I am running an up-to-date Debian Stretch. Latest kernel is linux-image-4.9.0-6-amd64. When starting my laptop, I select "Advanced options for Debian GNU/Linux" in GRUB and can select the previous version of my kernel to boot (linux-image-4.9.0-5-amd64).

Yeah, I got that down, and that fixes the current boot. My question is, how to go back permanently? Is it as simple as uninstalling the current kernel? And how to switch display managers?

[cgirerd]

Below is the result of 'systemd-analyze blame' when the problem occurs, as well as the output of 'systemd-analyze plot > graph.svg' here: https://filesender.renater.fr/?s=downlo ... bc8ad5af0d

Code: Select all

          9.289s NetworkManager-wait-online.service
           374ms dev-sda6.device
           349ms systemd-localed.service
           310ms systemd-hostnamed.service
           284ms exim4.service
           176ms systemd-timesyncd.service
           129ms ModemManager.service
           123ms winbind.service
           119ms tlp.service
            98ms keyboard-setup.service
            97ms accounts-daemon.service
            90ms speech-dispatcher.service
            86ms upower.service
            86ms systemd-logind.service
            85ms lm-sensors.service
            80ms colord.service
            70ms NetworkManager.service
            69ms pppd-dns.service
            64ms rtkit-daemon.service
            61ms avahi-daemon.service
            61ms systemd-journald.service
            57ms networking.service
            49ms systemd-udev-trigger.service
            48ms bluetooth.service
            46ms packagekit.service
            41ms systemd-udevd.service
            40ms systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-36f0c99c\x2d8ed0\x2d41c3\x2d9b62\x2d3a35cb93dbb9.service
            37ms user@117.service
            34ms rsyslog.service
            34ms user@1000.service
            20ms wpa_supplicant.service
            20ms udisks2.service
            17ms polkit.service
            16ms systemd-modules-load.service
            16ms systemd-tmpfiles-setup-dev.service
            16ms realmd.service
            15ms gdm.service
            14ms dev-disk-by\x2duuid-8b1921b7\x2d801f\x2d4803\x2d966a\x2da623b8dbed27.swap
            14ms systemd-journal-flush.service
            13ms dev-mqueue.mount
            11ms kmod-static-nodes.service
            11ms home.mount
            11ms minissdpd.service
            11ms tmp.mount
            10ms systemd-remount-fs.service
            10ms systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service
             8ms systemd-update-utmp-runlevel.service
             7ms systemd-user-sessions.service
             7ms sys-kernel-debug.mount
             7ms systemd-backlight@backlight:intel_backlight.service
             6ms systemd-random-seed.service
             5ms systemd-sysctl.service
             5ms var-log.mount
             4ms systemd-update-utmp.service
             4ms console-setup.service
             4ms dev-hugepages.mount
             3ms sys-fs-fuse-connections.mount
             2ms var-cache-apt-archives.mount

[kingocounty]

I'm experiencing the same problem (AMD FX-8350, Samsung SSD, Nvidia graphics) and I found a workaround on Reddit/debian. According to the thread, the problem is linked to low entropy and can be remedied by installing the haveged package. Here's the link to the solution and explanation:

https://www.reddit.com/r/debian/comment ... em/dyj3xhj

[kevinthefixer]

Worked for me too. Many thanks for posting this!

[cgirerd]

That also works for me! Thank you very much for this solution

[lbrunosouzati]

Just confirming the user's response kingocounty really solves the problem I just tested an "apt install haveged" and the boot returned the previous usual speed. (Before installing boot in 24 minutes / after 5s).

[cgirerd]

I've just renamed this thread with a more explicit formulation ("Login screen takes too long to appear"), as other users that have the same problem may not seem directly concerned by this thread regarding its previous name "Debian Stretch - boot problem". For instance, I just found another thread here: http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=137440 to explain the same problem.

[elbraca]

Same issue here. Solved it by installing havehed. Thanks!

Regards.

[debiman]

very glad to see this solved!
a true community effort!

[emariz]

Both of my laptops were affected by this issue, but I think that the symptoms here are worse, for the entire boot sequence is halted. This is, the system cannot perform a complete boot, even after one hour, unless one presses some keys multiple times (around ten times, in my case.)

One laptop is an old Sony Vaio with an Intel Sandy Brige i3 processor and a hard drive, the other one is a more recent ThinkPad E470 with an Intel Kaby Lake i5 processor and an SSD. Both are running Testing.

Installing haveged does seem to have solved to problem on the newer laptop, yet it does not solve it on the old Vaio, which must use the previous kernel (4.15.0-2-amd64 = 4.15.11-1) in order to boot normally.

According to systemd-analyze, the Vaio halts during the "kernel" period of the booting sequence. Unfortunately, the lines visible on the screen are only harmless warnings.

[kevinthefixer]

@emariz, sounds like your Vaio has a different problem. Suggest you start another thread for that one, and keep in mind that you are running Testing.

[smalltimer]

Not sure of the etiquette, but thought I'd report in. Issue solved! Many thanks to kingocounty for pointing out the haveged solution.