Posts by dp

dp · Desktop and Multimedia

Sorry about the Thunderbird confusion. Its not needed to induce the problem.
I've tried to collect some data that may help someone suggest a next move. At this point, I'm more interested in learning How to troubleshoot a problem like this than to actually fix it. This will help me learn my way around the system better. (and perhaps someone else also.) Here's what I've found with my limited skills:
---------------------------------------
This looks like some sort of memory DMA access problem:

[ 8647.079594] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: fifo: DMA_PUSHER - ch 4 [Xorg[2108]] get 000019bef0 put 000019cbc0 ib_get 000003a0 ib_put 000003fa state 80000000 (err: INVALID_CMD) push 00406040

[ 8647.079632] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: gr: DATA_ERROR 00000004 [INVALID_VALUE]

[ 8647.079638] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: gr: 00100000 [] ch 4 [000f749000 Xorg[2108]] subc 3 class 8297 mthd 0ec8 data 00146200

[ 8647.079667] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: fifo: DMA_PUSHER - ch 4 [Xorg[2108]] get 000029b004 put 000029b00c ib_get 000003a1 ib_put 000003fa state 80000000 (err: INVALID_CMD) push 00406040

….

[ 9234.234212] perf: interrupt took too long (2503 > 2500), lowering kernel.perf_event_max_sample_rate to 79750

Looks like it gave up waiting for a return from interrupt.

zenos@E6400:~$

--------------------------------

Here's the process 2500 that got offended: (a disk access failure?)

zenos 2485 2394 0 08:54 ? 00:00:29 /usr/bin/python -O /usr/share/wi

zenos 2493 1 0 08:54 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/i386-linux-gnu/xfce4/no

root 2500 1 0 08:54 ? 00:00:01 /usr/lib/udisks2/udisksd

zenos 2524 1 0 08:54 ? 00:00:00 /usr/lib/gvfs/gvfs-goa-volume-mo

zenos 2529

-----------------------------------

"TOP" shows where kworker settles down(up) to with around 35% cpu and up to 3-4% mem:

PID USER PR NI VIRT RES SHR S %CPU %MEM TIME+ COMMAND

6846 root 20 0 0 0 0 R 33.4 0.0 15:12.50 kworker/0+

9072 zenos 20 0 712392 130768 94440 S 3.0 6.4 1:32.75 Isolated +

2108 root 20 0 171132 66468 32604 S 1.0 3.2 9:59.85 Xorg

520 root -51 0 0 0 0 S 0.7 0.0 0:46.71 irq/27-iw+

8701 zenos 20 0 8400 2948 2516 S 0.7 0.1 0:16.25 top

killing FF caused FF to go to 100%, eventually dying.

zenos@E6400:~$ kill 9072

zenos@E6400:~$ kill 8791

zenos@E6400:~$ dmesg | tail

[12115.107292] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: EVT_LOGT:1132408922:0x0000000c:0512

[12115.107307] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: EVT_LOGT:1133408960:0x00000000:0125

[12115.107350] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Command SENSITIVITY_CMD failed: FW Error

[12115.118904] ieee80211 phy0: Hardware restart was requested

[12115.166666] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0

[12115.295444] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0

Looks like it lost the wifi connection but successfully reconnected without loss of ssh sessions.

[12115.463718] volumeicon[2482]: segfault at 50 ip b7622f75 sp bfdf5708 error 4 in libgdk-3.so.0.2404.1[b75e9000+7f000]

….

[12115.466343] panel-17-xkb[2555]: segfault at 50 ip b7614f75 sp bf8d9568 error 4 in libgdk-3.so.0.2404.1[b75db000+7f000]

This segfault could be caused by the DMA failure...?
----------------------------

Did not lose the wifi this time and thus the ssh sessions survived.

At the point of this failure, kworker consistently increases incrementally from around 25% to 36% mem over one-two minutes.

_____________________________

On previous failures, at the point of failure, Xorg bounces around 100% cpu, 3-4 %mem. When it dies, FF bounces around 99% similiar mem use, before being killed. (takes a while for it to find time to get to the kill command). Machine recovered.

Thanks.

-------------------------------

dp · Desktop and Multimedia

The answer to MY question is yes.
The CHIMAERA machine can ssh into the Refracta machine via the iPhone tether. (This does not appear the case when both machines are connected to the public wifi (could be different routers?)) However, going the other way gives a "connection refused" error. This appears to be caused by Port 22 not being available. So far I haven't figured out how to to bring up port 22 on the chimaera machine. (This must be done for security reasons.) But I can ssh into the refracta machine from the chimaera machine (at least before the window freezes(haven't tried after) - not even the time clock gets updated). What can I do next to try and isolate the failure? FF usually ends up crashing and wanting to send a message to mozilla.

dp · Desktop and Multimedia

I have two laptops. One has an RJ-45 enet port, the other has only usb's. I can tether both machine to my smart iphone, note their IP addresses and ping between them. Is there a way to ssh via the tether connection? If so, I need a little hand holding to get this done so I can do a remote login and see if progress can be made with the on-hover problem.

dp · Desktop and Multimedia

A simpler way to induce this problem is to load FF and goto www.cepher.net and do a look-inside. Sometimes it locks up while loading the pdf pages. Sometimes it only affects the buttons in that window: can't X out. By messing around, it will fail all on-hover function requiring a power cycle to recover. Other times with the window locked, by cycling through different work-spaces, it will clear the on-hover within the window and sometimes FF dies. This happens with a live CHIMAERA or an older installed Refracta. However, it works just fine using a slightly older live copy of Knoppix. Any ideas as to how to isolate this problem further?

dp · Desktop and Multimedia

I'm thinking I may have a hardware problem.
Learned rsync and have backed up my home directory. Will reinstall the OS and retry.

dp · Desktop and Multimedia

chris2be8 wrote:

Do you have another system? If so can you log on to the systems with problems via ssh (preferably before causing it to hang)? That should give you a way to enter commands (I've had to do this).
Just to confirm, does Ctrl-Alt-F1---7 work whan the system is not hung?

I can bring up another laptop system. I have to learn how to use ssh... That's just where I am at this point. Yes---

Ctrl-Alt-F1---7 work when the system is not hung.
Thank you.

dp · Desktop and Multimedia

The best way to induce this problem is, upon boot (with a fresh live copy), load the browser (firefox), which will open two tabs the second of which will have a no network found and a "Try Again" button. Then load Libre-writer which will open a small window with a "Next Tip" button. At that point, the "on--hover" function no longer works for any of the icons on any of the panels. Additionally, Ctrl-Alt-F1--7 do not work. So there is no way to get to the command line to recover the system. Sometimes, when both appts are loaded in one window, and switching from one tab to the other, the title switches to firefox but the rest of the picture still shows Libre-writer. On some occasions, when switching around, multiple instances of the Devuan Launcher is attempted before locking up. (Don't know how to drop a screen pic into this message.)

It seems that two appts are waiting for their on-hover interrupt to be processed.(in sequence?) If the second appt covers the first screen, you can't get to the first button so the interrupt processor cannot issue a return-from-interrupt so that the interrupt stack can get back in sync. Any debug suggestions are appreciated. Progress is slow due to all the rebooting required...

Interestingly, if a network connection is established before loading the appts, everything seems to work ok.

Also, loading the appts in the reverse order changes the way the failure manifests. thanks.

dp · Desktop and Multimedia

I've downloaded a live copy of CHIMAERA and run it from a thumb drive. I have found a problem with the interaction of Firefox and Thunderbird. It appears that the "on-hover" function/interrupt gets confused and locks up the machine requiring a power cycle in order to get control of the machine. My conjecture is that the "on-hover" function is "single-threaded" (for lack of a proper term?). Firefox opens full screen with two tabs and a wait for the "Get Started" button on the second tab. Subsequently loading Thunderbird, which opens full screen, has an interactive 'window?' that’s waiting for the "Next Tip" button. At this point, the cursor is locked, in that, while the cursor can be moved around, no selection can be made even from the top of the page (system?) icons. It appears that the on-hover function is locked up. While this occurs with Firefox and Thunderbird, I think that, at boot, if two apts are loaded full screen with both requiring an input, the system will be locked up because the "on-hover" processor is confused and locked up. (IBM had a similar prob with OS/2 where all apts were “single-threaded” through the keyboard code. If one failed, no one had a keyboard.) So I think that this is a more generic problem than just in this specific case. If Firefox is loaded and resized to half screen, and T-bird is loaded and resized to half screen, then it mostly works but can be easily confused locking up the system requiring a power cycle.

How do I go about further isolating this problem?

And, is their a key-sequence that can rescue this situation? Once upon a time, I remember "somewhere" there was an "alt F4" to close the current window.

P.S. What code processes the on-hover interrupts? Is this the HTML processor? And who might that be. Thank you.

dp · Hardware & System Configuration

Yes, I believe that's right. My earlier experience was with a broadcom device on a different machine. What I'd like to do now, and to teach my way around the development landscape, I'd like to know the name of the devuan installer and how to access the source code for that package. I've located the debian-installer and its description. I attempted to download the source for bash, as an example, to learn how but that didn't work. I modified the /etc/apt/sources.list file using vi to open up those paths. I need some hand holding in order to make progress. The amount of information availableon the web has improved tremendously over the last few years. Please point me in the right direction.
Btw, not that it matters much since I was doing something that I wouldn't expect to work, was to do an accidental suspend while booted into the refracta live boot. What surprise me was, that after I did that, I could not shutdown nor turn off the e6400. I had to pull the battery to recover. I found that interesting.

dp · Hardware & System Configuration

While I'm on the subject...
Perhaps someone can help answer my questions concerning the
firmware-iwlwifi firmware package. Apparently, the source code is not available for study as it belongs to Intel. I'm using Refracta. Several years ago I discovered that the software that cycles through the USB ports looking for the non-free device drivers on a usb stick, only looks at USB-a and USB-b ports. It does not look beyond this to, say, USB-c (where I initially had the usb stick plugged in). Once I discovered this, the firmware was installed just fine. In my current search for a solution for my present issue, I discovered that someone else has had the very same problem with this same firmware driver installer, but with a different hardware/software driver. Failure to find a firmware module on USB-a/b, the code simply cycles back around and ask that a usb drive be inserted with the firmware on it, with no clue as to what went wrong or suggesting that another usb port be tried. No error noted. I conclude that the problem resides in the software that cycles through the USB ports. My question that you may be able to help me with is: Does the portion of the code that cycles through the usb ports reside in the iwlwifi-firmware code or at a higher level. If this behavior is within the iwlwifi-firmware module, then I need to find a way to report this back to Intel. If not, I need to discover if the problem lies in Debian/Devuan. Any advice/ideas is appreciated. Thank you.

dp · Hardware & System Configuration

Once I learned that the dd requested the firmware via the kernel, I figured the name of the firmware must be hardcoded into the dd. So I did the following:

xxxx@E6400:~/firmware-temp$ strings iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode | grep 5000
5000 fw v8.83.5.1 build 33692
xxxx@E6400:~/firmware-temp$

xxxx@E6400:/etc$ sudo dmesg | grep firmware
[ 13.589031] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode
[ 13.589474] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: loaded firmware version 8.83.5.1 build 33692 op_mode iwldvm
xxxx@E6400:/etc$

Bingo. Confirmed.

Now I guess its on to refracta2usb.
I may try to learn how to set up a persistent volume. I'll search that out...
Thanks a lot!

dp · Forum Feedback

Excellent. That helps to get off the ground.

dp · Forum Feedback

Where does one go to learn how to post things such as a log into a scroll-able window into the forum. Thank you.

dp · Hardware & System Configuration

I appreciate these instructions very much. However, I'm also trying to understand the design and function of the overall boot process. Back in the day, once the firmware was loaded into the device adapter, there was no need to reinstall it at a later time. The firmware was loaded into the adapter on this machine quite sometime ago. So I'm in a quandary as to why this has to be repeated on this new release of the OS. Its the same hardware. So, in order to understand how this design works: 1) Is the firmware loaded everytime the system boots? 2) If so, who does it? 3) when is it done? 4) Will the above instructions above install the firmware when the only thing loaded is the Refracta.iso. If so, where does the firmware go? Is it installed onto the usb drive which my guess is that its ro? 5) Do I have to install the .iso in order to get the firmware in the right place and then do a refractasnapshot in order to get it onto a usb drive in order to have a functional wifi when booting the .iso from a usb drive? I'm cleary still on the (steep) part of the learning curve in this area but I keep reading and so far the above questions have not been answered. And so I ask the questions to the VUA's. Thank you for your answers and your patience. I really like Devuan and Refracta.

dp · Hardware & System Configuration

I've been out for a while. Decided to get back in. Not sure how to troubleshoot this issue. I've been using this Dell e6400 for several years with Refracta. I've been trying to learn how the firmware gets loaded. I figured it out on the wicd version of Refracta. I'm trying to figure out why I would need a "new" firmware installed since its the same hardware and used to the firmware got loaded and stored in the hardware. I'm trying to learn the boot process as that has changed a lot from lilo, grub1, grub2, etc. I go back to before the MBR so any comments will help. I've heard that the firmware is loaded on every boot. Is that true? Who/When does that happen during the boot process? I'm including some captures from dmesg command from the current Chimaera.iso, an older Refracta (installed on this e6400 hardware) using wicd, and from the latest Refracta.iso using Connman. Seems the Connmanctl loads but no sub-commands produce any output. These are all on the same e6400 hardware. How do I proceed?
----------------------------

Results from: sudo dmesg | grep wifi

Devuan Chimaera.iso wifi Network-Manager

[ 15.704932] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: can't disable ASPM; OS doesn't have ASPM control

[ 15.760404] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode
[ 15.760875] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: loaded firmware version 8.83.5.1 build 33692 5000-5.ucode op_mode iwldvm

[ 15.764204] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load iwl-debug-yoyo.bin (-2)
[ 15.958889] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: CONFIG_IWLWIFI_DEBUG disabled
[ 15.959138] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: CONFIG_IWLWIFI_DEBUGFS disabled
[ 15.959725] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: CONFIG_IWLWIFI_DEVICE_TRACING disabled
[ 15.960701] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Detected Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100 AGN, REV=0x54
[ 20.932109] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0
[ 21.060138] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0
[ 21.119026] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0
[ 21.246105] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0
[ 434.140132] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0
[ 434.266793] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0
[ 849.143047] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0
[ 849.266722] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0

Devuan Refracta (installed) wifi wicd

[ 12.789743] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: can't disable ASPM; OS doesn't have ASPM control

[ 13.502354] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: firmware: direct-loading firmware iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode
[ 13.502968] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: loaded firmware version 8.83.5.1 build 33692 op_mode iwldvm

[ 13.932413] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: CONFIG_IWLWIFI_DEBUG disabled
[ 13.932414] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: CONFIG_IWLWIFI_DEBUGFS disabled
[ 13.932416] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: CONFIG_IWLWIFI_DEVICE_TRACING disabled
[ 13.932417] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Detected Intel(R) WiFi Link 5100 AGN, REV=0x54
[ 32.581771] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0
[ 32.707619] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Radio type=0x1-0x2-0x0

Devuan latest Refracta.iso wifi Connman

[ 21.476833] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: can't disable ASPM; OS doesn't have ASPM control

[ 21.515439] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode (-2)
[ 21.516476] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-5000-5.ucode failed with error -2

[ 21.518691] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-5000-4.ucode (-2)
[ 21.518980] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-5000-4.ucode failed with error -2
[ 21.519849] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-5000-3.ucode (-2)
[ 21.520910] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-5000-3.ucode failed with error -2
[ 21.522024] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-5000-2.ucode (-2)
[ 21.523079] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-5000-2.ucode failed with error -2
[ 21.524156] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: firmware: failed to load iwlwifi-5000-1.ucode (-2)
[ 21.525200] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: Direct firmware load for iwlwifi-5000-1.ucode failed with error -2
[ 21.526286] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: minimum version required: iwlwifi-5000-1
[ 21.527317] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: maximum version supported: iwlwifi-5000-5
[ 21.528370] iwlwifi 0000:0c:00.0: check git://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/firmware/linux-firmware.git

The officially official Devuan Forum!

#1 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » Loss of on-hover response » 2023-07-17 18:27:11

#2 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » Loss of on-hover response » 2023-07-14 17:37:33

#3 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » Loss of on-hover response » 2023-07-12 16:14:05

#4 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » Loss of on-hover response » 2023-06-26 16:31:37

#5 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » Loss of on-hover response » 2023-04-25 17:21:47

#6 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » Loss of on-hover response » 2023-04-07 23:42:53

#7 Re: Desktop and Multimedia » Loss of on-hover response » 2023-04-06 20:14:00

#8 Desktop and Multimedia » Loss of on-hover response » 2023-04-04 17:12:14

#9 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » No wifi when moving to the latest Refracta. » 2022-12-09 01:41:45

#10 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » No wifi when moving to the latest Refracta. » 2022-12-04 00:22:33

#11 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » No wifi when moving to the latest Refracta. » 2022-11-27 00:19:49

#12 Re: Forum Feedback » Elementary my dear Watson... » 2022-11-27 00:03:36

#13 Forum Feedback » Elementary my dear Watson... » 2022-11-26 16:51:33

#14 Re: Hardware & System Configuration » No wifi when moving to the latest Refracta. » 2022-11-26 16:31:05

#15 Hardware & System Configuration » No wifi when moving to the latest Refracta. » 2022-11-26 01:00:17

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