Oh no something has gone wrong.

[Roschrick]

Hi All,

I have a Debian based Linux distro. When I am trying to boot it up I get the following error message, " Oh no something has gone wrong. A problem has occurred and the system can't recover. Please contact a system administrator.".

Before asking for a help I tried to look for a solution and seems like we have to edit the syntax in the GRUB menu before booting it up. But none of the solutions provided matched with my case. Also, the syntax in the Grub menu didn't make any sense as I am new to the Linux environment.

Someone please help me on this issue.

This is the output from GRUB:

GNU GRUB version 2.02"beta2-22

setparams 'Debian GNU/Linux'

load_video
insmod gzio
if [ x$grub_platform = xxen ]; then insmod xzio; insmod lzopio;
fi
insmod part_msdos
insmod ext2
set root='hd0,msdos1'
if [ x$feature_platform_search_hint = xy ]; then
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root --hint-bios=hd0,msdos1 –hint-efi=hd0,
msdos1 --hint-baremetal=ahci0,msdos1 15299258-7869-4b1c -abe7-40a7bed4be33
else
search --no-floppy --fs-uuid --set=root 15299258-7869-4b1c-abe7-40a7bed4be33
fi
echo 'Loading Linux 3.16.0-4-686-pae ...'
linux /boot/vmlinuz-3.16.0-4-686-pae root:UUID:15299258-7869-4b1c-abe7-40a7bed4be33 ro quiet
echo 'Loading initial ramdisk ...'
initrd /boot/initrd.img-3.16.0-4-686-pae

FYI, running it on VMware workstation.

[reinob]

I have a Debian based Linux distro.

Debian usually doesn't require you to directly edit the grub configuration.
Whatever Debian-based distribution you're using should have a support forum/e-mail/whatever.

[kedaha]

Hi,
Looks like an old system.
By the way, since it's a "Debian-based" distro (it might help to know which one) not Debian, then really the topic ought to be elsewhere.
It very likely has nothing to do with the grub menu but is probably because the graphics driver in use doesn't meet minimum specifications to load the desktop environment. If this is the case then you might need the proprietary driver.
What DE is it? Gnome?
What graphics card is it?
Go to a tty by pressing these three keys Ctrl Alt F1 (To return to the login screen Ctrl Alt F7).
Login at the prompt and then enter the command su - (with the hyphen), enter your root password and install inxi, which is a handy system information script "that can display various things about your hardware and software to users in an IRC chatroom or support forum."

Code: Select all

# apt install inxi

And post the output of:

Code: Select all

# inxi -G

To show the graphics card and driver.
And post here or preferably in the appropriate support forum.

[Head_on_a_Stick]

the topic ought to be elsewhere

I've already moved the thread to the Offtopic section.

[Roschrick]

Hello @kedaha,

I am using windows 10 home, have 8 gb ram, intel UHD graphics with latest version of driver. I am running it on vmware workstation. It is Slingshot VM from SANS institute debian-based. And what you suggested to me earlier didn't work out for me, sorry. When I boot it up it ask the following prompts

Debian GNU/Linux
Advanced options for Debian GNU/Linux

If I select the first one that error message is displayed.

If I select the second one I get following prompts

Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 3.16.0-4-686-pae
Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 3.16.0-4-686-pae (recovery mode)

Here, if I select the first one again that results to that error message,
and for the second one, if I type control + D when there is boot up I get that same error message and if I leave it like that following is the screen which I get for hours without any progress.

2.639706] input: PC Speaker as /devices/platfUPm/pcska/input/inputS

2.666351] ppdev: user-space parallel port driver

2.671422] alg: N0 test for CPC32 (CP032-pclmul) UK ] Found device VHware_Virtual_S 5.

activating swap /dev/disK/bg-uuid/a6b7132a-5954-4863...7763b2d5375f.. [ 2.717316] Adding 901116K swap 0n /dev/sda5. PPioritg:-1 extentszl across 01116K FS [ UK ] activated swap /dev/disK/bg-uuid/a6b71326-5854-4963-b9f6-7763b2dSa75f [ 8K ] Reached target Swap. [ 2.846804] input: ImPS/2 Generic Wheel House as /devices/platfoPm/18042/se ol/input/input4 [ 8K ] Started LSB: Raise network interfaces.. [ UK ] Reached target Network. [ 8K ] Reached target System Initialization. Starting Rescue Shell... [ 8K ] Started Rescue Shell. [ 8K ] Reached target Rescue Mode. Starting Update UTMP about System Runlevel Changes...

[ 8K ] Started Update UTHP about System Runlevel Changes. Helcome to rescue mode! Type "sgstemctl default” or “D to enter default mode. Tgpe ”journalctl -xb" to Vlew system logs. Type "sgstemctl reboot” to reboot. Give root password for maintenance (UP type Control-D to continue): [ 4.687198] random: nonblocking pool is ini ialized

[stevepusser]

Apparently VMware is not providing the openGL acceleration that GNOME wants. It's also based on a pretty old version of Debian, Jessie, so I hope you really needs whatever it provides.

You don't need to use a demanding desktop like GNOME, though. Just "apt-get install xfce4" as sysadmin and you should be able to choose that desktop from a menu in the login screen. You can also install lightdm as a login manager and dump gdm if you decide to keep using xfce.

[kedaha]

Debian GNU/Linux, with Linux 3.16.0-4-686-pae

Good to see it's Debian rather than a Debian-based spin-off; however, it is "Jessie" which is the "oldoldstable" release so, while it may still be OK for a server whose sysadmin hates change, it's not a good choice for a desktop environment. See DebianReleases.

The "stable" distribution ["Buster" ] contains the latest officially released distribution of Debian. This is the production release of Debian, the one which we primarily recommend using.

With 8GB RAM, I assume it has a Dual Core CPU so you should choose amd65. If it's an x86 Machine, then it would, I think, have a memory limit of 4 GB.
Rather than using non-Debian stuff like "Slingshot" I would also suggest you download and try a live install image for the amd64 architecture and desktop environment of choice. See the FAQ for further details.
Finally, the best way to run Debian is to install it to an empty partition on your hard drive when it will also boot, via the Grub Menu, Windows, if required, but it is certainly a good idea to read the installation manual beforehand.

[Moltke]

It is Slingshot VM from SANS institute debian-based.

You mean this https://www.sans.org/slingshot-vmware-linux/ and in that website it says

Slingshot is an Ubuntu-based Linux distribution with the MATE Desktop Environment built for use in the SANS penetration testing curriculum and beyond.

It does have a support section too https://survey.sans.org/jfe/form/SV_9toec9YBwzdl1zf

[stevepusser]

Well, that's weird. I thought GNOME is the only DE that gives the "oh, no!" message, and what the heck the Jessie Debian kernel is doing there...maybe the OP is using an old release of that distro, and newer ones use Ubuntu.

[Moltke]

Well, that's weird. I thought GNOME is the only DE that gives the "oh, no!" message, and what the heck the Jessie Debian kernel is doing there...maybe the OP is using an old release of that distro, and newer ones use Ubuntu.

Well, AFAIK, Mate it's based on Gnome, so that might explains it. I searched the site for another version other than Ubuntu but didn't find any, maybe it's really a very old one and they don't offer that anymore.

[stevepusser]

I meant the current GNOME 3, sorry I didn't make that clear. MATE doesn't need hardware acceleration for its desktop.

Do you have to use that particular vmware image for a class or something?