Re: Installed Stretch, but no command line
Ken Heard composed on 2017-07-23 23:20 (UTC-0400): > All your suggestions require that I be able to boot the computer and > log on as root from a tty, but as already explained I cannot do that. > For rescue mode I need access to the original /etc directory. I > looked for a way to do that but could not find one. Have you tried reading the rescue section of the manual? https://www.debian.org/releases/stable/amd64/ch08s07.html.en After booting the rescue media, you must mount the Stretch root filesystem if the rescue startup didn't do that already for you. Figure out which one it must be using 'fdisk -l' or 'gdisk -l'. If it appears to be /dev/sda3, then do: mount -t -o rw auto /dev/sda3 /mnt If successful, the Stretch /etc/ will be found at /mnt/etc/. -- "The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation) Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks! Felix Miata *** http://fm.no-ip.com/
Re: Installed Stretch, but no command line
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 On 2017-07-23 19:08, Felix Miata wrote: > Ken Heard composed on 2017-07-23 18:25 (UTC-0400): > >> Felix Miata wrote: > >>> Ken Heard composed on 2017-07-23 12:21 (UTC-0400): > Ctrl-alt-F1 shows the blank screen which appears at the end of the boot. I think the problem is that what appears on opening tty2 to tty5 should appear in tty1 but for some reason does not -- instead the blank screen. > >>> /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service >>> probably says > >>> TTYVTDisallocate=yes > >>> Changing to > >>> TTYVTDisallocate=no > >>> should on subsequent boots leave init messages on tty1, but >>> plymouth may need to be purged for that to happen. > >> I tried that, but after I entered my /home password the boot >> continued and then stopped. After waiting fifteen minutes or so >> I concluded that the machine hanged. > > All my installations have that set to no, so it's very surprising > to me that this could happen. > >> I tried using the recovery mode from GRUB, but that hahged the >> machine as well. I then tried rescue mode from the installation >> disk. If it is possible to use that to put the Yes back, I could >> not figure it out. > >> What do I do now? > > If you had made a copy before your edit it would be a simple matter > to rename it. :-( > > That said, that file is a plain text file. Any editor available in > rescue mode can put it back once the Stretch / partition is > mounted. Try nano first, which for most people is much more > intuitive than traditional Linux editors like vi. > > Something to try first: append plymouth.enable=0 to the kernel > cmdline for an otherwise normal boot. Also try appending a 3, which > should block startup of the GUI login manager, but also should make > normal ttys 1-6 available. > All your suggestions require that I be able to boot the computer and log on as root from a tty, but as already explained I cannot do that. For rescue mode I need access to the original /etc directory. I looked for a way to do that but could not find one. -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v2 iEYEARECAAYFAll1Z4kACgkQlNlJzOkJmTcEBwCfVxnS23IHBAGapqU101rroo1x kz8An0btbyvXRwRIgG5MM7P9EW6wap5s =mJ6U -END PGP SIGNATURE-
Re: Installed Stretch, but no command line
Ken Heard composed on 2017-07-23 18:25 (UTC-0400): > Felix Miata wrote: >> Ken Heard composed on 2017-07-23 12:21 (UTC-0400): >>> Ctrl-alt-F1 shows the blank screen which appears at the end of >>> the boot. I think the problem is that what appears on opening >>> tty2 to tty5 should appear in tty1 but for some reason does not >>> -- instead the blank screen. >> /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service probably >> says >> TTYVTDisallocate=yes >> Changing to >> TTYVTDisallocate=no >> should on subsequent boots leave init messages on tty1, but >> plymouth may need to be purged for that to happen. > I tried that, but after I entered my /home password the boot continued > and then stopped. After waiting fifteen minutes or so I concluded > that the machine hanged. All my installations have that set to no, so it's very surprising to me that this could happen. > I tried using the recovery mode from GRUB, but that hahged the machine > as well. I then tried rescue mode from the installation disk. If it > is possible to use that to put the Yes back, I could not figure it out. > What do I do now? If you had made a copy before your edit it would be a simple matter to rename it. :-( That said, that file is a plain text file. Any editor available in rescue mode can put it back once the Stretch / partition is mounted. Try nano first, which for most people is much more intuitive than traditional Linux editors like vi. Something to try first: append plymouth.enable=0 to the kernel cmdline for an otherwise normal boot. Also try appending a 3, which should block startup of the GUI login manager, but also should make normal ttys 1-6 available. -- "The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation) Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks! Felix Miata *** http://fm.no-ip.com/
Re: Installed Stretch, but no command line
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 On 2017-07-23 16:12, Felix Miata wrote: > Ken Heard composed on 2017-07-23 12:21 (UTC-0400): > >> Ctrl-alt-F1 shows the blank screen which appears at the end of >> the boot. I think the problem is that what appears on opening >> tty2 to tty5 should appear in tty1 but for some reason does not >> -- instead the blank screen. > /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service probably > says > > TTYVTDisallocate=yes > > Changing to > > TTYVTDisallocate=no > > should on subsequent boots leave init messages on tty1, but > plymouth may need to be purged for that to happen. I tried that, but after I entered my /home password the boot continued and then stopped. After waiting fifteen minutes or so I concluded that the machine hanged. I tried using the recovery mode from GRUB, but that hahged the machine as well. I then tried rescue mode from the installation disk. If it is possible to use that to put the Yes back, I could not figure it out. What do I do now? Ken -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v2 iEUEARECAAYFAll1IkwACgkQlNlJzOkJmTdyUACfR77Krz5cbuUvDQVRsr1wosfR 9H8AmMfXIjk7JFrg2i8J6TrSM4xNkik= =HXHr -END PGP SIGNATURE-
Re: Installed Stretch, but no command line
Ken Heard composed on 2017-07-23 12:21 (UTC-0400): > Ctrl-alt-F1 shows the blank screen which appears at the end of the > boot. I think the problem is that what appears on opening tty2 to > tty5 should appear in tty1 but for some reason does not -- instead the > blank screen. /etc/systemd/system/getty.target.wants/getty@tty1.service probably says TTYVTDisallocate=yes Changing to TTYVTDisallocate=no should on subsequent boots leave init messages on tty1, but plymouth may need to be purged for that to happen. -- "The wise are known for their understanding, and pleasant words are persuasive." Proverbs 16:21 (New Living Translation) Team OS/2 ** Reg. Linux User #211409 ** a11y rocks! Felix Miata *** http://fm.no-ip.com/
Re: Installed Stretch, but no command line
-BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 On 2017-07-23 07:43, songbird wrote: > Ken Heard wrote: >> >> Just finished installing Stretch, using a RAID1, LVM and >> encryption for home (passkey) and swap (random key). It is at >> the moment a basic installation with X-server-Xorg, but no DE >> yet. > > if you use the control-alt F1 - F? sequence do you get a login > prompt? (check F7 and F8 too) I should have thought of that, but when I wrote my original post I was tired and frustrated. Thanks for the reminder. This morning I did as you suggested. Yes, ctrl-alt-F2 to F6 does open a console where I can log in one of them as my user and in another as root. So far I seem to be able to execute all the commands I need to or want to in both. For example, in my user I was able to run startx, which prodices a bluish hue screen with the Debian swirl. I can't go any further because I do not have a desktop environment yet. My next step is to install one and see what happens. Ctrl-alt-F7 and F8 open nothing, not surprising as F7 and above are normally reserved for graphical user interfaces (GUI), which I have not yet installed. Ctrl-alt-F1 shows the blank screen which appears at the end of the boot. I think the problem is that what appears on opening tty2 to tty5 should appear in tty1 but for some reason does not -- instead the blank screen. > >> As part of the boot it accepts my /home password, but I do not >> get the command line. I end up with a blue-grey screen. No input >> from mouse or keyboard is accepted. To close the computer I have >> to use the power switch. > > oh, this doesn't sound good, but since you don't describe your > keyboard or mouse type i'm not sure if you need to change something > in the bios or what for them to show up. check the bios if you > have settings that might help. use a different keyboard and/or > mouse to check that something shows up. Keyboard is fine; it has worked on another computer, I have nothing yet installed which uses the mouse. > your X setup may need adjusting. check /var/log/Xorg.0.log and > X*.log.old if you have no log files install rsyslog. Probably not necessary, but I shall see after the DE is installed. >> I can open it in recovery mode, and after I enter the root >> password I can get the command line as root. But I don't know >> what to do next to effect a rescue. From the root command line I >> can however close the computer properly with "shutdown -h now". >> >> I did notice when the computer was booting normally -- not in >> rescue mode -- the following lines loop many times until the >> computer gives up: >> >> Running /scripts/local-block Failed to connect to lvmetad Failed >> to find logical volume SOL1/swap_crypt >> >> According to several posts on line, this behaviour is a nuisance >> but not fatal. As some people suggested on line I tried to get >> rid of this nuisance by changing in /etc/lvm/lvm.conf >> use_lvmetad=1 to =0, but to no effect. >> >> If I have to I can live with the nuisance, but I cannot live >> without the command line. >> > i do know that at times some partitions are set up but may not be > found due to various issues. i make life simpler by using volume > labels and adjusting /etc/fstab to use those instead of UUIDs. Probably a good idea; I shall try it. > the problem i had was that the reformat of the swap partition got > rid of my label. so now if i do anything that touches the swap > partition i reset the label. Regards, Ken -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v2 iEYEARECAAYFAll0zREACgkQlNlJzOkJmTekcgCfeFjlPRPXaxhhJq4TPwvLfl6K 0WwAmwb+xo26JnNg0/j4m40IL+ZJe7Hn =2QF1 -END PGP SIGNATURE-
Re: Installed Stretch, but no command line
Ken Heard wrote: > > Just finished installing Stretch, using a RAID1, LVM and encryotion > for home (passkey) and . It is ant the moment a basic installation > with X-server-Xorg, but no DE yet. if you use the control-alt F1 - F? sequence do you get a login prompt? (check F7 and F8 too) > As part of the boot it accepts my > /home password, but I do not get the command line. I end up with a > blue-grey screen. No input from mouse or keyboard is accepted. To > close the computer I have to use the power switch. oh, this doesn't sound good, but since you don't describe your keyboard or mouse type i'm not sure if you need to change something in the bios or what for them to show up. check the bios if you have settings that might help. use a different keyboard and/or mouse to check that something shows up. your X setup may need adjusting. check /var/log/Xorg.0.log and X*.log.old if you have no log files install rsyslog. > I can open it in recovery mode, and after I enter the root password I > can get the command line as root. But I don't know what to do next to > effect a rescue. From the root command line I can however close the > computer properly with "shutdown -h now". > > I did notice when the computer was booting normally -- not in rescue > mode -- the following lines loop many times until the computer gives up: > > Running /scripts/local-block > Failed to connect to lvmetad > Failed to find logical volume SOL1/swap_crypt > > According to several posts on line, this behaviour is a nuisance but > not fatal. As some people suggested on line I tried to get rid of > this nuisance by changing in /etc/lvm/lvm.conf use_lvmetad=1 to =0, > but to no effect. > > If I have to I can live with the nuisance, but I cannot live without > the command line. > > Help please, anyone. > > Regards, Ken those are what i can think of. i'm not familiar with LVM at all. i do know that at times some partitions are set up but may not be found due to various issues. i make life simpler by using volume labels and adjusting /etc/fstab to use those instead of UUIDs. the problem i had was that the reformat of the swap partition got rid of my label. so now if i do anything that touches the swap partition i reset the label. songbird