Alternative solution:
download VBox directly from Oracle including the extension pack, copy the Buster .deb file to /tmp and install it with dpkg -i.

rolfie

Too bad, I am stuck here. You definitely need the elogind versions of these packages for mate desktop to work correctly.

That command did the job for me a while ago. Maybe one of the real Linux gurus can help.

Sorry that I could not help to fix this, rolfie

Edith: That problem with consolekit/elogind came up with ASCII, finally found the original post about that problem: https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=1952

Beowulf works out of the box normally. consolekit does not work nicely with mate/lightdm. Installing it past mate causes your problems I think. I can't exactly remember if there were issues in ASCII, or if that was during early Beowulf. Too lazy to search all my posts.

Give this a try:

apt install libpolkit-gobject-elogind-1-0

That should replace the consolekit packages  with the elogind ones that work.

rolfie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midori_(web_browser)

I am running a 5500XT with Beowulf on 2 X570 mainboards with Ryzen 3700X, latest backports kernel and firmware, Mate Desktop. For Gnome/Cinnamon you need the MX Mesa package upgrade. Read the linked post and all its branches.

rolfie

Impressing, isn't it?

No, you were reading too fast. I just hit TAB in the middle of starting to answer, which posted what I wrote so far. Had to edit the post for a complete answer.

Sorry, easily explainable.

rolfie

You can ignore the errors due to devices sdb to sde. Depending on the type of reader, there is no way to get rid of these messages (I have such an adapter myself in one of my PCs).

About the LVM: are you sure you haven't got that running? What is lsblk showing? Run this as root.

rolfie

To encourage you, have a read of this thread: https://dev1galaxy.org/viewtopic.php?id=3811

rolfie

I am using VB for many years now, no issues with it. Some people say its crap because its from Oracle. Ok.

Tried qemu, and did not have the features I used to have with VB: a good and useful graphical tools to administer, easy pass through of USB drives, shared folders. And it looked liked I could not reliably use it, it crashed on me spontaneously several times. So I dropped my try.

To pass through USB you have to install the extension pack, without it would not work. And you need to be in the vboxusers group. If I remember correctly on Beowulf I had to load some modules. That wasn't required with ASCII. Got an old XP and a Win7 virtual machine working fine for me (and I use VB to try Linux distros and new versions like Chimaera in VB).

If you need support give us a shout.

rolfie

Yes, backports is pinned down. If you want packages from backports, you need to enter:

apt -t ascii-backports install wine

or (as example)

apt install wine-4.0-2~bpo9+1

rolfie

I have got 4 PC with encrypted LVMs/unencrypted boot running under Beowulf on 5.8 kernel with no issues. They are automatically decrypted during boot based on keys from USB sticks.

rolfie

Installing the 5.8 kernel from backports is a good approach, but only 50% of the job. When you can install the backports kernel, what hinders you to perform the other 50% and enter:

apt -t beowulf-backports install firmware-linux-nonfree

rolfie

Edith: in the top right hand corner of this page is a button labelled Packages. Open this page, enter firmware-linux-nonfree and look at the output.