[gentoo-user] Peculiar problem: no su - to root

[Harry Putnam]

I've just completed getting gentoo booted as guest in vbox vm.

I'm having a peculiar problem.  I cannot call `su -' or `su root' and
login as root.

I can still get to root by `ssh root@localhost' having set up
/etc/sshd_config while still chrooted during install.

Still no getting to root by way of `su -' or `su root'

I just get the `Permission denied' message.

I've never had this happen before over many installs of various linux
distros.

I did try ssh root@localhost and then resetting root passwd while
logged in as root, but still no getting to root by `su -'.

Any ideas whats might be wrong.

[gentoo-user] Re: kernel choices for booting gentoo as guest in vbox vm

[Harry Putnam]

Alexander Kapshuk  writes:

[...]

>> Can anyone tell me what they used to allow gentoo in vbox to boot?
>>
>>
>>
> Did you enable the recommended kernel config options as suggested here [1]?
> [1] https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/VirtualBox

I did go thru that page and `think' I checked them off but I came to
that URL kind of late in the game... It would have no doubt went
better if I'd caught that earlier on.

It does appear to share some confusion with a couple of other pages.
I don't have them to hand but one said flatly not to use `any' of the
first bunch of framebuffer settings (1st and 2nd is based on how they
are arranged in `menuconfig') and to only use the second set (a few
lines below).

They were saying that the kernel frame buffering will absolutely
not work if one employs any of the settings from the first bunch.

[gentoo-user] Re: kernel choices for booting gentoo as guest in vbox vm

[Harry Putnam]

David Haller  writes:

[...]

>>I've never used genkernel, but from what I understand it builds
>>everything + the kitchen sink.. so should get the right drivers
>>hopefully. 
>
> Actually no, you can quite easily configure it to just the tedious
> work.

First, thanks for the cogent and helpful post.

Now about the statements above.

Its hard to tell what you mean there. I said I figured since genkernel
builds so much stuff, its a good chance I will have the stuff I need
to get booted.

You start by saying `Actually no,' so do you mean there is a pretty good
chance I will NOT get the drivers I need? If so, then I may be wasting
my time with genkernel.

Or were you just saying that if you configure genkernel correctly you
can keep it from creating so much unneded junk?


> Currently I use this:
>
> 1. install new kernel sources (in my case vanilla-sources)
> 2. copy over old config from last source tree, /boot/, /proc/config.gz
>whatever
> 3. run 'make oldconfig'
> 4. optionally note down some new options and then checkup on them using
>'make menuconfig' and searching for the noted options
>it's this step I want to be able to do why I configured genkernel as
>I did (see below)
> 5. run 'genkernel --kerneldir=. all', but note config below!
> 6. check /boot/ and /boot/grub*/ if all went right
> 7. recompile neccessary out-of-tree drivers like e.g.
>x11-drivers/nvidia
> 8. done
>
> If I just reconfigure, I start at step 4, change the localversion too
> in menuconfig. If something breaks, I run 'make clean', save config
> and run 'make mrproper' restore config, etc.

That is a nice walk thru... I can't say I understand all of it, and
currently I have a genkernel compile running... (It seems to take a
really long time to complete) So probably it'll be tomorrow.

Nice to see.  Lots of it is default.

I think I would like to have a look at /usr/src/linux/.confg if that
is not getting too snoopy.  I realize it will not be the same as mine
but what is 

>  delcomments /etc/genkernel.conf [1]
> OLDCONFIG="no"
> MENUCONFIG="no"

[...]

> Of course you must adapt the options for your needs, esp. those for
> the initrd if you boot from e.g. a md-device and some such.
>
> I don't actually use the generated initrd, but having them in /boot
> with less that 3MB in my case is ok and might come in handy when
> something fails.

I have'nt used an initrd for at least 15 yrs.  So all pretty much like
new stuff.

> For me, this has worked nicely the last years. Esp. generating the
> grub1 entries and handling the symlinks to the current and last
> kernel, initrd and System.map works flawlessly[2].

OK, that sounds comforting, and promising

[...]


> [2] ok, if you manually prune versions from the middle, you'll need to
> set the .old symlinks back to an older version (or the current?),
> haven't checked that yet, but setting it to the previous remaining
> version works nicely.
>
> I still haven't checked too, if you could have this setup:

No, not like that... In this case there has been no OS before.  This a
fresh install after a hiatus from gentoo of about a year.  I did run
gentoo for 4-5 yrs awhile back..

I've been running primarily openindiana (x86 solaris-11* ish, powered
by illumos) I like that zfs file system.  But also have kept my home
mail setup on Debian.  I've tinkered fairly extensively with `lubuntu'
(Notice the `el'(l) in front... supposed to indicate a lightish version of
ububtu) It defaults to the lxde desktop which I like a lot too.

>
> title=Gentoo current kernel
>   root (hd0,1)
>   kernel /boot/kernel OPTIONS...
>   [initrd /boot/initramfs]


I also see you are using legacy grub. I moved to grub2 some 5-6 mnths
ago. But not on Openindiana


> and that new versioned entries would be put at the "HERE" or at the top.
>
> I marked the 'initrd' stuff as optional with the [], as I don't use
> an initrd.

I'm not really sure how blend your approach into grub2 but I could
drop back to legacy grub 

> And maybe some other boot options (e.g. for another distro or Winders)
> sprinkled in at some location.
>
> Anyway, generally genkernel is a great help and occasionally
> pruning/reordering entries in the grub1 /boot/grub/menu.lst is easy,
> just delete/move stuff around with $EDITOR :)
>
> I never understood why grub2 chucked out the major advantage grub1 had
> over lilo: not needing to re-install the boot-sector / stage1 of the
> bootloader after every change to the config... Beats me still today.
> Which is why I continue to use grub1, which can do all I need (and
> more) just nicely. Thank you very much.

Some of the debian based OSs' out there do not make that too
easy... (staying with grub1) But it seems easily done in gentoo.

Thanks again for the helpful post.

[gentoo-user] Re: kernel choices for booting gentoo as guest in vbox vm

[Harry Putnam]

80x24 <aleiphoe...@gmail.com> writes:

> On Wed, Jan 31, 2018 at 8:44 PM, Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> wrote:
>> Installing gentoo as guest into vbox vm on solaris-11 (openindiana)
>> HOST
>> gentoo-17
>> VBox 5.2.6
>> Kernel 4.15.0
>>
>> My first boot resulted in resulted in a kernel panic... not able to
>> mount root.
>>
>
> Maybe taking a video record or screenshot and providing a extact log
> message would help.
>
>> In a chroot now I can see lspci -k shows ata_piix in use .. but that
>> would probably be because in vbox I have the gentoo install media on
>> IDE secondary master.  But also shows sata controller ahci
>
> In case device driver is fine, you would want to check the filesystem
> type. I've done something like using btrfs as rootfs but didn't mark
> btrfs as builtin module.
>
> Similar kernel panic.

OK, tried the video capture but the video file never shows up.
That is, I used settings on vbox manager panel to enable video
capture. Start the bootup and I can see the video camera icon in
bottom right of vm window spinning as it should.

But, when the `panic' shows up I click the camera Icon as the
directions say to do to end capture and retrieve the vid file.

At the point of `panic'.. clicking the camera has no effect and it
continues to spin.

Trying to guess when the panic is about to happen and clicking just
ahead of the event does not produce a video file, nor does it stop the
camera spinning.

I did get a screenshot but it is very limited showing only a couple
dozen lines of the boot messages. (attached at the end.)

The log produced by Vbox is useless and I could see nothing useful in
it.  It is some kind of codified account of the VBox actions and has
nothing to say about the OS in the vm.  I'm pretty sure the `panic'
has nothing to do with the VBox controller.

I'm at the point now, after at least 5 reconfigurings and rebuilds
of the kernel, to no avail, that I'm going to try the genkernel
approach.

I've never used genkernel, but from what I understand it builds
everything + the kitchen sink.. so should get the right drivers
hopefully. 

[gentoo-user] New install .. no high res console during boot.

[Harry Putnam]

Setup:
Installing gentoo-17 as guest in Vbox vm on solaris-11 HOST 
   (openindiana (powered by Illumos))

VBox 5.6.2
Kernel-4.15.0
grub2

I'm a litte confused about how to enable a high res framebuffer
console.

At gentoo pages:
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Xorg/Guide#Kernel_modesetting

I've followed the directions there as far as I could.

lspci on a chroot does not show a driver for the:
  Innotek Systemberatung Gmbh VirtualBox Graphics Adapter.

And I find nothing about Innotek searching with '/' in menuconfig.
So could not make any specific settings like those shows on the gentoo
wiki pages for nVidia and AND/ATI

Other pages such as https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Fbsplash seem to
indicate I would need to create an initramfs.

The first page cited near the top of post .. tells you NOT to set some
of the things the citation containing fbsplash (above) tell you to set.

Such as  <*> Userspace VESA VGA
 [*] Vesa VGA

Is something outdate in one of those pages?

Can someone using the kernel framebuffer explain how to do it on
gentoo guest of vm?

[gentoo-user] kernel choices for booting gentoo as guest in vbox vm

[Harry Putnam]

Installing gentoo as guest into vbox vm on solaris-11 (openindiana)
HOST
gentoo-17
VBox 5.2.6
Kernel 4.15.0

My first boot resulted in resulted in a kernel panic... not able to
mount root.

I checked my /etc/fstab trying to make sure I didn't make a stupid
mistake there... it appear to be sound. (Included at the end of post)

I suspect it may be the result of a kernel choice... or rather the
lack of one.  Something that would have been able to mount /

I thought it would be ata_piix and made sure that was selected in
kernel .config

I'm thinking it may be be ata_generic, which I did not have selected.
Which I have now enabled.  But I see now, that is for IDE.

In a chroot now I can see lspci -k shows ata_piix in use .. but that
would probably be because in vbox I have the gentoo install media on
IDE secondary master.  But also shows sata controller ahci

Which I do also have selected in .config.  However there a number of
AHCI choices in the kernel config that were not selected.

Can anyone tell me what they used to allow gentoo in vbox to boot?

[gentoo-user] Re: Which pkg installs /boot/grub?

[Harry Putnam]

Mick <michaelkintz...@gmail.com> writes:

> On Sunday 23 Jul 2017 14:55:29 Harry Putnam wrote:
>> Rasmus Thomsen <rasmus.thom...@protonmail.com> writes:
>> > Hello,
>> > 
>> > grub creates /boot/grub when you run "grub-install"
>> > 
>> > Regards,
>> > Rasmus
>> > 
>> >  Original Message 
>> 
>> > On 23 Jul 2017, 20:46, Harry Putnam wrote:
>> [...]
>> 
>> I guess I should know that... but in other installs I could swear
>> /boot/grub was already there when I got around to running
>> `grub-install'
>> 
>> Err `senior moment' perhaps?
>
>
> I'm sure most of us been there, or worse.  Another idea, the directory may 
> have been installed when you had the partition mounted and now it is for some 
> reason unmounted?

I'd like to buy into that explanation and have done that once or
more.  But on this particular install I was pretty careful about
making sure boot was mounted... and mounted from within chroot too.

No, I think the `Senior Moment' excuse is more forgiving .. hehe.

[gentoo-user] Re: Which pkg installs /boot/grub?

[Harry Putnam]

Rasmus Thomsen <rasmus.thom...@protonmail.com> writes:

> Hello,
>
> grub creates /boot/grub when you run "grub-install"
>
> Regards,
> Rasmus
>
>  Original Message ----
> On 23 Jul 2017, 20:46, Harry Putnam wrote:

[...]

I guess I should know that... but in other installs I could swear
/boot/grub was already there when I got around to running
`grub-install'

Err `senior moment' perhaps?

[gentoo-user] Which pkg installs /boot/grub?

[Harry Putnam]

I was pretty sure that grub2 installed /boot/grub... but I see no such
directory after installing grub.

  qlist grub shows no directory /boot/grub

In other installs I seem to recall seeing /boot/grub in place after
installing grub.

Googling for pkg containing /boot/grub seemd pretty useless as mostly
it turns up all piles of stuff staring grub... but I already know pkg
grub-2.02 does not contain that directory or the files in it.

qfile /boot/grub  
equery b /boot/grub  

Before I continue this hard fought fresh install of gentoo into a vbox
vm,  I'd like to know if I should be seeing a boot grub after these 223
pkgs (which includes grub-2.02) are installed?

 app-admin/eselect-1.4.9
 app-admin/rsyslog-8.28.0
 app-arch/libarchive-3.3.1
 app-arch/tar-1.29-r3
 app-arch/zip-3.0-r3
 app-crypt/rhash-1.3.4
 app-editors/vim-8.0.0386-r1
 app-editors/vim-core-8.0.0386
 app-eselect/eselect-ctags-1.18
 app-eselect/eselect-fontconfig-1.1-r1
 app-eselect/eselect-mesa-0.0.10-r1
 app-eselect/eselect-opengl-1.3.1-r4
 app-eselect/eselect-vi-1.1.9
 app-misc/pax-utils-1.2.2
 app-portage/cfg-update-1.8.9
 app-portage/eix-0.32.9
 app-portage/gentoolkit-0.4.0
 app-portage/portage-utils-0.64
 app-shells/bash-4.4_p12
 app-shells/push-2.0-r1
 app-shells/quoter-3.0_p2-r1
 app-text/build-docbook-catalog-1.21
 app-text/docbook-xml-dtd-4.2-r2
 app-text/docbook-xml-dtd-4.4-r2
 app-text/opensp-1.5.2-r4
 app-vim/gentoo-syntax-20170225
 dev-db/sqlite-3.19.3
 dev-lang/nasm-2.13.01
 dev-lang/perl-5.24.2
 dev-lang/python-exec-2.4.5
 dev-libs/boehm-gc-7.6.0
 dev-libs/expat-2.2.2
 dev-libs/gmp-6.1.2
 dev-libs/gobject-introspection-common-1.50.0
 dev-libs/libatomic_ops-7.6.0
 dev-libs/libbsd-0.8.5
 dev-libs/libcroco-0.6.12-r1
 dev-libs/libestr-0.1.10
 dev-libs/libfastjson-0.99.6
 dev-libs/libgcrypt-1.8.0
 dev-libs/liblogging-1.0.6
 dev-libs/libpcre-8.41
 dev-libs/libpipeline-1.4.1
 dev-libs/libpthread-stubs-0.4
 dev-libs/libtasn1-4.12
 dev-libs/libunistring-0.9.7
 dev-libs/libxml2-2.9.4-r1
 dev-libs/lzo-2.10
 dev-libs/mpc-1.0.3
 dev-libs/mpfr-3.1.5_p2
 dev-libs/nettle-3.3-r1
 dev-libs/nspr-4.15
 dev-libs/openssl-1.1.0f
 dev-libs/vala-common-0.34.9
 dev-perl/Locale-gettext-1.70.0
 dev-perl/Module-Build-0.422.400
 dev-perl/SGMLSpm-1.1-r1
 dev-perl/Text-Unidecode-1.300.0
 dev-python/Babel-2.4.0
 dev-python/PySocks-1.6.7
 dev-python/alabaster-0.7.10
 dev-python/asn1crypto-0.22.0
 dev-python/cffi-1.10.0
 dev-python/chardet-3.0.4
 dev-python/docutils-0.13.1
 dev-python/enum34-1.1.6
 dev-python/idna-2.5
 dev-python/imagesize-0.7.1
 dev-python/ipaddress-1.0.18
 dev-python/jinja-2.9.6
 dev-python/markupsafe-0.23
 dev-python/namespace-sphinxcontrib-1.0
 dev-python/ply-3.10
 dev-python/pycparser-2.17
 dev-python/pygments-2.2.0
 dev-python/pytz-2017.2
 dev-python/pyxattr-0.6.0
 dev-python/setuptools-36.0.1
 dev-python/snowballstemmer-1.2.1
 dev-python/sphinx_rtd_theme-0.1.9
 dev-python/whoosh-2.7.4
 dev-util/ctags-20161028
 dev-util/desktop-file-utils-0.23
 dev-util/gdbus-codegen-2.50.3
 dev-util/gperf-3.1
 dev-util/intltool-0.51.0-r2
 dev-util/ninja-1.7.2
 dev-util/re2c-0.16
 media-fonts/encodings-1.0.4-r1
 media-fonts/font-util-1.3.1
 media-fonts/liberation-fonts-2.00.1-r2
 media-libs/fontconfig-2.12.3-r1
 media-libs/freetype-2.8
 media-libs/libjpeg-turbo-1.5.1
 media-libs/libpng-1.6.30
 media-libs/tiff-4.0.8
 net-dns/libidn2-2.0.2
 net-firewall/iptables-1.6.1-r1
 net-libs/gnutls-3.5.14
 net-misc/curl-7.54.1
 net-misc/iputils-20151218
 net-misc/rsync-3.1.2
 sys-apps/baselayout-2.4.1
 sys-apps/busybox-1.26.2-r1
 sys-apps/coreutils-8.27
 sys-apps/debianutils-4.8.1.1
 sys-apps/diffutils-3.6
 sys-apps/ed-1.14.2
 sys-apps/file-5.31
 sys-apps/gawk-4.1.4
 sys-apps/gentoo-functions-0.12
 sys-apps/grep-3.1
 sys-apps/groff-1.22.3
 sys-apps/help2man-1.47.4
 sys-apps/hwids-20170715
 sys-apps/install-xattr-0.5-r1
 sys-apps/iproute2-4.12.0
 sys-apps/kbd-2.0.4
 sys-apps/kmod-24
 sys-apps/less-497
 sys-apps/man-pages-4.11
 sys-apps/net-tools-1.60_p20161110235919
 sys-apps/openrc-0.28
 sys-apps/pciutils-3.5.5
 sys-apps/sandbox-2.10-r4
 sys-apps/sed-4.4
 sys-apps/util-linux-2.30
 sys-boot/efibootmgr-15
 sys-boot/grub-2.02
 sys-devel/autoconf-2.13
 sys-devel/autoconf-2.69-r3
 sys-devel/autoconf-archive-2017.03.21
 sys-devel/automake-1.13.4-r1
 sys-devel/automake-1.15.1
 sys-devel/bc-1.07.1
 sys-devel/flex-2.6.4
 sys-devel/gcc-6.3.0
 sys-devel/gcc-config-1.8-r1
 sys-devel/gnuconfig-20170101
 sys-devel/libtool-2.4.6-r4
 sys-devel/llvm-common-4.0.1
 sys-devel/m4-1.4.18
 sys-devel/make-4.2.1-r1
 sys-fs/e2fsprogs-1.43.4
 sys-kernel/gentoo-sources-4.12.2
 sys-kernel/linux-headers-4.10
 sys-libs/binutils-libs-2.28-r1
 sys-libs/db-6.0.35-r1
 sys-libs/e2fsprogs-libs-1.43.4
 sys-libs/efivar-31
 sys-libs/gdbm-1.13
 sys-libs/glibc-2.24-r3
 sys-libs/gpm-1.20.7-r2
 sys-libs/libcap-2.25
 sys-libs/ncurses-6.0-r1
 sys-libs/pam-1.3.0
 sys-libs/readline-7.0_p3
 sys-libs/timezone-data-2017b
 sys-process/cronbase-0.3.7-r6
 sys-process/procps-3.3.12-r1
 sys-process/psmisc-23.1
 

[gentoo-user] Re: What to set in kernel for hi-res console terminal

[Harry Putnam]

R0b0t1 <r03...@gmail.com> writes:

> On Sun, Jul 16, 2017 at 3:18 PM, Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> wrote:
>> I'm starting a new vbox install of gentoo using the minimal ISO from
>> 07/13
>>
>> When it gets to the kernel setup... I cannot figure out what to set
>> to make my console terminal high resolution.  Something along the line
>> of 1600x1200.
>>
>> I understand this can all be done in the kernel now.  But cannot
>> really get a good fix googling on what is needed there.
>>
>
> I was unable to figure this out either - can you comment on whether or
> not Mick's suggestions work for you? The documentation I followed
> about a year ago didn't seem to work.

I used to use old grub, of course, and used this on the kernel line:

(from 2010)

  title 2.6.32-r1
  root (hd0,0)
  kernel /vmlinuz  root=/dev/hda5 vga=0x31b video=vesfb:mtrr:3,ywrap


> I assume your goal is to have VTs that look like they do on Ubuntu, etc?

 Don't know dupe about Ubuntu...

My goal is a nice big fat high resolution console mode.
Something on the order of 1600x1200

Didn't dig into kernel docs just now... but long long ago using old
grub I dug up the chart Mick mentions .. It might have changed by now
but probably not.

I kept it in comments on /boot/grub.conf down thru many installs
and several different OS's.  Here is one from 2010 gentoo (On the same
grub.conf as the title, root and kernel line above)

## 640x480 800x600 1024x768 1280x1024
##   256 0x301   0x303   0x3050x307
##   32k 0x310   0x313   0x3160x319
##   64k 0x311   0x314   0x3170x31A
##   16M 0x312   0x315   0x3180x31B

So, I can probably figure out where to put stuff like that using Grub2
but what I wanted to know about is using the Kernel modes KVM alone.

Hence the subject line about what to set `in kernel'.

Guess I should have specified using KVM and made it a bit clearer.
Since there are kernel settings related to using the stuff above too.

I may need to post again with a better subject line.

[gentoo-user] What to set in kernel for hi-res console terminal

[Harry Putnam]

I'm starting a new vbox install of gentoo using the minimal ISO from
07/13

When it gets to the kernel setup... I cannot figure out what to set
to make my console terminal high resolution.  Something along the line
of 1600x1200.

I understand this can all be done in the kernel now.  But cannot
really get a good fix googling on what is needed there.

[gentoo-user] Re: grub error I've never seen in many installs

[Harry Putnam]

Hinnerk van Bruinehsen  writes:

>> Has something changed regarding using that kind of technique?
>> 
>> I can't figure out why grub would be looking for a GRUB drive on
>> /dev/sda1 as the error says:
>> 
>>   grub-install: error: cannot find a GRUB drive for /dev/sda1
>
>
> Did you mount /boot from inside the chroot environment? IIRC I got a
> similar failure when mounting /boot from outside the chroot...

Egad, that is almost certainly what is going on.

However, before seeing your post I came up with what I thought might
be a way to get around the whole problem presented in the errors.

I preserved my install on the initial disk created in vbox for the
install.

Shutdown the vbox vm, created a set of new disks but this time using
whole disks rather than carving up partitions.

So instead of 1 disk carved up... I now had 4 disks in the same sizes
as the original partitions.

Booted the install media.. copied the installed OS over to the new
disks.  But this time I was asking grub to intall itself on a disk
with a single whole disk partition.

It all worked, ... but I think now, after your comment, I probably
mounted boot in the proscribed way this time around.  That is, from
inside a chrooted terminal.

Probably didn't need all the disk switching and copying at all.

Thanks for your input...

I'll know not to think I remember all about how to do this and pay
more attention to the install instructions. Even though I have done
this quite a few times... its usually been separated by along enough
time period that I might will have forgotten some of the necessary
steps.

Thanks again for taking time to post your thoughts.

[gentoo-user] Re: grub error I've never seen in many installs

[Harry Putnam]

Arve Barsnes <arve.bars...@gmail.com> writes:

> On 10 July 2017 at 22:06, Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> wrote:
>
>>  grub-install /dev/sda Installing for i386-pc platform.
>> grub-install: error: cannot find a GRUB drive for /dev/sda1.  Check
>> your device.map.
>>
>> Where might I find `device.map'... it isn't part of grub2.  At least
>> grep doesn't find it with `qlist grub'
>>
>
> As far as I understand it, grub2 will dynamically create the device.map
> when it needs it, so it doesn't actually exist as a file. On my grub legacy
> system it is installed as /boot/grub/device.map, with the only contents
> being "(hd0)   /dev/sda".
>
> How you would feed grub this information *before* it is installed I'm not
> sure, but maybe look into the USE=device-mapper flag, maybe it installs the
> grub-mkdevicemap executable.

Yeah, I tried that before posting.. setting USE=device-mapper then
reinstalled grub2... same result as without the flag.  Same error
message.

I've always .. on many installs (over time) and mostly into a vbox vm,
created a disk, then when booting the install media I carve it up with
fdisk.
/dev/sda1=boot
/dev/sda2=swap
/dev/sda3=home
/dev/sda4=/

Has something changed regarding using that kind of technique?

I can't figure out why grub would be looking for a GRUB drive on
/dev/sda1 as the error says:

  grub-install: error: cannot find a GRUB drive for /dev/sda1

[gentoo-user] grub error I've never seen in many installs

[Harry Putnam]

Installing from install-amd64-minimal-20170706.iso into vbox vm

I've done this many times and never saw this grub error:

Attempting to run grub-install /dev/sda  I get:

 grub-install /dev/sda Installing for i386-pc platform.
grub-install: error: cannot find a GRUB drive for /dev/sda1.  Check
your device.map.

When I started googling I find hits all of which are involved with efi
drives.

I don't really even know for sure what an `efi' drive is and certainly
never had any dealings with it when installing gentoo in a vbox vm.

(Even after googling efi ... still didn't really understand what it
is. Other than what it stands for.  wikipaedia talks about a fat file
system being involved... .. all news to me)

I found something even more curious... I tried unmounting boot
(dev/sda1) and recreating the ext2 file system.

I left the computer for a bit, and when I came back I forgot I had
not remounted boot, and ran `grub-install /dev/sda' again with /dev/sda1
unmounted.

It ran with no errors and created a grub directory on / (/dev/sda4)

I don't understand why grub is looking for a GRUB drive on /dev/sda1
when I asked it to install on /dev/sda

The error tells me to check `device.map'.  But gives no clue where it
might be found.

Where might I find `device.map'... it isn't part of grub2.  At least
grep doesn't find it with `qlist grub'

Near as I can tell I've done things ... so far in the same way I have
before several times... probably within 4 to 6 mnths.  So I may be
forgetting something important... but I know I have never run across
this error before.

And I have followed the handbook at least mostly.

[gentoo-user] Uninstalling vbox guest addtions

[Harry Putnam]

Setup: OS: Openindian/hipster (A branch of Solaris 11)
 Hardware: HP xw8600 workstation: 
   2x Intel(R) Xeon(R) CPU X5470 @ 3.33GHz - 32 GB Ram
---   ---   ---=---   ---  --- 

I notice in attempts to re-install vbox guest-additions that the
process shows `!!' at certain lines during the process.

So, it is apparently failing to uninstall some parts of existing
guest-additions.

I suspect that may be why the install fails.

Anyone know how I might go about uninstalling all the bits and pieces
of a prior vbox guest-additions install manually?

[gentoo-user] Re: install of vbox guest-additions failing

[Harry Putnam]

Peter Humphrey  writes:

>> Yes, or at least I have been using modules.. not sure where I would
>> determine if it were enabled or not.
>
> Make menuconfig; it's on the first page:
>   [*] Enable loadable module support  --->
>

Ahh, at the kernel level... then yes I do.

[gentoo-user] Re: install of vbox guest-additions failing

[Harry Putnam]

"J. Roeleveld"  writes:


[...]


> Do you have module support enabled?

Yes, or at least I have been using modules.. not sure where I would
determine if it were enabled or not.

I guess I'm not sure what you mean... it sounds as if you expect there
to be a conf file that says `enable modules = yes' or something.

/etc/conf.d/modules does not seem to have any info about `enabling
modules.

Just now to insert specific modules

lsmod shows:

Module  Size  Used by
vboxsf 40960  0
vboxguest 208896  6 vboxsf



> Is the /usr/src/linux symlink pointing to the correct kernel version?

Yes.

> In a VBOX VM, you would normally need to compile a kernel,

And I have done so many times.

> the commands given are only needed when the sources are not used to
> compile the kernel.

What commands are you talking about?

How else would I compile a kernel but with the source?

[gentoo-user] install of vbox guest-additions failing

[Harry Putnam]

Setup: Running gentoo updated as vbox vm on a
   Solaris x86 host

Having a problem installing vbox guest additions.

Hard for me to tell if the problem is with vbox-guestadditions or if
the newest kernel (4.12.0) really has shortcomings.

Like always with guest-additions... I ran:

 `bash /media/VBoxLinuxAdditions.run'

It went thru the process... and failed to announce that it failed as
I've seen in the past when something went wrong.

It just tells you to look at "/var/log/vboxadd-install.log' 'to see
what happened".  I've included it below.

The log suggests two things to do, to keep this from happening.
"Run make oldconfig && make prepare"

I did that but installing guest-additions ended as below again.

Have I just failed to include something in the kernel build? Or is it
likely to be a problem with guest-additions"

I had these same guest additions installed successfully prior to
building the new kernel.  And built the new kernel by inserting the
`.config' from my prior kernel (4.9.10) and running make oldconfig.
And finally checking things with make menuconfig.

It seems likely I failed to include something that was included in
prior kernel build... but not sure what it might be.

Below is the vboxadd-install.log ... I've included the main error
message inline... but attached the full content of the massive pile of
mess output from actual build of guest-additions to try to make this
post a bit easier to read.

---   ---   ---=---   ---   --- 

grep: /lib/modules/4.12.0-gentoo/build/include/linux/version.h: No such file or 
directory
make KBUILD_VERBOSE=1 CONFIG_MODULE_SIG= -C /lib/modules/4.12.0-gentoo/build 
SUBDIRS=/tmp/vbox.0 SRCROOT=/tmp/vbox.0 modules
test -e include/generated/autoconf.h -a -e include/config/auto.conf || (
\
echo >&2;   \
echo >&2 "  ERROR: Kernel configuration is invalid.";   \
echo >&2 " include/generated/autoconf.h or include/config/auto.conf are 
missing.";\
echo >&2 " Run 'make oldconfig && make prepare' on kernel src to fix 
it.";  \
echo >&2 ;  \
/bin/false)

---   ---   ---=---   ---   --- 

Full output of attempted build of vbox guest-additions:

grep: /lib/modules/4.12.0-gentoo/build/include/linux/version.h: No such file or 
directory
make KBUILD_VERBOSE=1 CONFIG_MODULE_SIG= -C /lib/modules/4.12.0-gentoo/build 
SUBDIRS=/tmp/vbox.0 SRCROOT=/tmp/vbox.0 modules
test -e include/generated/autoconf.h -a -e include/config/auto.conf || (
\
echo >&2;   \
echo >&2 "  ERROR: Kernel configuration is invalid.";   \
echo >&2 " include/generated/autoconf.h or include/config/auto.conf are 
missing.";\
echo >&2 " Run 'make oldconfig && make prepare' on kernel src to fix 
it.";  \
echo >&2 ;  \
/bin/false)
mkdir -p /tmp/vbox.0/.tmp_versions ; rm -f /tmp/vbox.0/.tmp_versions/*
make -f ./scripts/Makefile.build obj=/tmp/vbox.0
  gcc -Wp,-MD,/tmp/vbox.0/.VBoxGuest-linux.o.d  -nostdinc -isystem 
/usr/lib/gcc/x86_64-pc-linux-gnu/6.3.0/include -I./arch/x86/include 
-I./arch/x86/include/generated/uapi -I./arch/x86/include/generated  -I./include 
-I./arch/x86/include/uapi -I./include/uapi -I./include/generated/uapi -include 
./include/linux/kconfig.h -D__KERNEL__ -Wall -Wundef -Wstrict-prototypes 
-Wno-trigraphs -fno-strict-aliasing -fno-common 
-Werror-implicit-function-declaration -Wno-format-security -std=gnu89 -fno-PIE 
-mno-sse -mno-mmx -mno-sse2 -mno-3dnow -mno-avx -m64 -falign-jumps=1 
-falign-loops=1 -mno-80387 -mno-fp-ret-in-387 -mpreferred-stack-boundary=3 
-mskip-rax-setup -mtune=generic -mno-red-zone -mcmodel=kernel -funit-at-a-time 
-DCONFIG_AS_CFI=1 -DCONFIG_AS_CFI_SIGNAL_FRAME=1 -DCONFIG_AS_CFI_SECTIONS=1 
-DCONFIG_AS_FXSAVEQ=1 -DCONFIG_AS_SSSE3=1 -DCONFIG_AS_CRC32=1 -DCONFIG_AS_AVX=1 
-DCONFIG_AS_AVX2=1 -DCONFIG_AS_AVX512=1 -DCONFIG_AS_SHA1_NI=1 
-DCONFIG_AS_SHA256_NI=1 -pipe -Wno-sign-compare -fno-asynchronous-unwind-tables 
-fno-delete-null-pointer-checks -Wno-frame-address -O2 
--param=allow-store-data-races=0 -DCC_HAVE_ASM_GOTO -Wframe-larger-than=2048 
-fno-stack-protector -Wno-unused-but-set-variable -Wno-unused-const-variable 
-fno-omit-frame-pointer -fno-optimize-sibling-calls 
-fno-var-tracking-assignments -Wdeclaration-after-statement -Wno-pointer-sign 
-fno-strict-overflow -fconserve-stack -Werror=implicit-int 
-Werror=strict-prototypes -Werror=date-time -Werror=incompatible-pointer-types 
-Werror=designated-init -Wno-declaration-after-statement -include 
/tmp/vbox.0/include/VBox/VBoxGuestMangling.h -fno-pie 
-I/lib/modules/4.12.0-gentoo/build/include -I/tmp/vbox.0/ -I/tmp/vbox.0/include 
-I/tmp/vbox.0/r0drv/linux -I/tmp/vbox.0/vboxguest/ 
-I/tmp/vbox.0/vboxguest/include -I/tmp/vbox.0/vboxguest/r0drv/linux 

[gentoo-user] Re: redoing grub-2 after emerge updates it

[Harry Putnam]

Mike Gilbert  writes:


[...]

Mick wrote:

>> As has already stated you could stay put with your old version, provided you
>> have no specific reason to stop using it.  GRUB2 can be installed and left
>> unused.  I guess from a usability perspective as long as you have no need to
>> employ GRUB2's new functionality/features, main difference between GRUB 
>> legacy
>> and GRUB2 can be boiled down to what you need to do each time you install a
>> new kernel.
>>
>> With GRUB legacy you edit on your own your /boot/grub/grub.conf to add the
>> name and version of your newly installed kernel and initrd (if you use one of
>> these).
>>
>> With GRUB2 you run a single command line and leave it to GRUB2's scripts to
>> scan your boot and other drives, discover their contents and auto-complete
>> /boot/grub/grub.cfg.

Mike wrote:

> Harry made no mention of GRUB Legacy in his original email. I assume
> he was upgrading from grub-2.02~beta3 to grub-2.02.

You are correct.. `emerge world' made some kind of upgrade/update to
grub2 which I've been using a fair good while.  The install process
ended with some kind of heads up.  I didn't keep the wording emerge
used but it made me think I might aught to redo actually installing
into /dev/sda and grub/grub.cfg... hence my question

You mentioned the version change.. but I didn't bother to investigate
what the change really was.

I spent a good bit of time, about 7/8 mnths ago, fearing the switch
just when I had become at least sort of competent with legacy grub
after years of use, and knew squat about grub 2.  Finally braved up
and discovered it was really very easy to get thru.

[gentoo-user] Re: redoing grub-2 after emerge updates it

[Harry Putnam]

Mike Gilbert  writes:

[...]

> If you want to use the new version to boot your system, you should
> re-run grub-install, which will copy the modules to /boot/grub and
> will install the core image to your MBR or EFI system partition.

Thanks for the info.

I don't know what the update was but since its easy enough to run
`grub-install /dev/sda' and I guess also run
grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg

Anyway, I did those two things... just being on the safe side.

[gentoo-user] redoing grub-2 after emerge updates it

[Harry Putnam]

Googling to find out if it is necessary to reinstall the bootloader
and update grub.cfg afer update world installed grub2 update.

I was buried in directions to install grub2, or move from old grub to
grub2.  But not what I wanted to know short of reading all hits word
for word.

So, (sniveling over), do I need to reinstall the boot loader and
update grub.cfg like when it was newly installed?

[gentoo-user] Re: About using only precompiled pkgs

[Harry Putnam]

Rich Freeman  writes:

> I would tell you to search the list archives, but I really struggle to
> get Google to find anything there.

Well said.  Thank you for the script.  They are giving me some ideas.

[gentoo-user] Re: About using only precompiled pkgs

[Harry Putnam]

Rich Freeman  writes:

[...] snipped informative input

> For a single system there isn't much benefit in general, though for
> reinstalls you can certainly save binary packages of everything you do
> build.  I do this for everything I build.  I also have Gentoo
> pre-build binary packages where it can overnight so that I can do
> quick installs during the day after reviewing the list of new packages
> to install.

This is something of a change of subject ... I'd be interested in
hearing more about what you are talking about when you say:

"I also have gentoo pre-build binary packages where it can
overnight..."

Not so much interested in binary... now that I see its really sort of
a non-starter for someone looking to avoid `emerge world' where
posssible, but I am interested in how your overnight runs are done,
the details, as they might apply to getting parts or all of an update
done unattended. Perhaps parts of your system can be adapted for use
where emerging all or parts of an update are the goal.

Can you flesh out some of the details? Especially the `where it can'
part.  How do you know what can or or can't be done unattended?

[gentoo-user] About using only precompiled pkgs

[Harry Putnam]

I skimmed thru some of the documentation about using binary pkgs
online, but it kind of indicated it might not be possible to get
everything in that format.

Wondering if using mostly binary pkgs is a biggish hassle or if it can
be done... and done without the time-sink always involved in `emerge
world'..(over time)?

As a longish time gentoo user (more than 12 yrs at a guess)... I can
only guess at the enormous amount of time I've spent getting thru
various aspects of `emerge world'.  I am sure it would be quite an
astounding figure.

Due to an unusual thickness of skull... I may have spent more time
than the average bear.

So, can someone be a gentoo user and NOT subscribe to one of the
main tenets of the gentoo view of things.

[gentoo-user] Re: Peculiar problem with root login

[Harry Putnam]

Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> writes:

> Running debian jesse in a vbox vm on a Solaris host
>

Sorry folks, my question was sent to the wrong group... intended for
debian.users

[gentoo-user] Peculiar problem with root login

[Harry Putnam]

Running debian jesse in a vbox vm on a Solaris host

I have what seems like an unusual problem with root login on this
host.

I've done the normal things one does to allow root login; that is, add

   PermitRootLogin yes

to /etc/ssh/sshd_config

Restart ssh, and in fact this host has been rebooted a few times since
adding that Permit line.

I set sudo up to work with no passwd for a certain user long ago and
so I was able to redo root passwd just to make sure there wasn't some
error there.

Still, I cannot login as root user  I don't mean at the main login
screen one gets on bootup, but from an xterm in a running session.

Of course, checked to see if Caps lock was on... 

I'm fresh out of ideas as to what else to do here.

The log shows:

  Jun 11 14:50:55 d2 sshd[2830]: pam_unix(sshd:auth): authentication
  failure; logname= uid=0 euid=0 tty=ssh ruser= rhost=d.local.lan
  user=root

  Jun 11 14:50:57 d2 sshd[2830]: Failed password for root from
  127.0.0.1 port 54522 ssh2

[gentoo-user] how to get started with automated update world

[Harry Putnam]

I imagine automating updates  has come up a few times here... I
personally never have noticed it.. but haven't followed the group as
close as I once did, and never really considered automating updates.

Is that something better left to experts?  Or are there some tried and
true tools available that mean a semi-dense gentoo practitioner like
myself might be able to get it going?

Maybe some of you can steer me toward some documentation or tools etc
that help a gentoo user to do automated updates.

[gentoo-user] Re: [OT] Tools for putting HDD back to new state

[Harry Putnam]

Mike Gilbert  writes:

[...]

> If you are not worried about securely removing all data and simply
> want to fool fdisk into thinking your drive is empty, use the wipefs
> utility. This will zero-out key bytes like the MBR, partition table,
> filesystem magic numbers, etc.
>
> You'll want to run it once for each partition, and then once for the
> whole device.
>
> wipefs -a /dev/sdx1
> wipefs -a /dev/sdx2
> wipefs -a /dev/sdx

This sounds like more what I had in mind... there is no worry about
making data irrecoverable.  I'll check this out... booting the
hardware with a liveCD of some sort that I know has that tool on it.
SystemrescueCD probabably has it.

Nikos Chantziaras  writes:

[...]

> You can use cfdisk (or another partitioning tool) and delete all partitions.
>
> Then, delete the MBR (Master Boot Record), which is where boot
> managers put themselves. You do that with:
>
>   dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/your_hard_disk bs=446 count=1

[...]

This may be all I really need. I had considered it to start but had
the notion that it might not be that hard to return a disk to its new
condition ... apparently that is not really all that easy or in this
case ... even necessary.

I've googled fairly extensively on the subject and did not find a way
described anywhere to return a disk to what is called its raw state.
Or, put another way, the state a disk is in why you buy one new.

There may even be legal ramifications I suppose along the line of
selling used discs as new after some kind of processing.

[gentoo-user] [OT] Tools for putting HDD back to new state

[Harry Putnam]

I probably should know this, but off the top of my head I don't
remember ever running into anything like this.

I'd like to do what ever is done to set a used  disk back to the
state it was in when new... Not sure what that state is, but at least
no evidence of boot manager or fs having been installed.

This if for something I'm doing on OS openindiana (a solaris offshoot)
and the disks are for that OS.

The solaris milieu is somewhat behind linux in development of tools at
least in my opinion.  That is why I'm asking here.

I am a gentoo user as well, but expect I may have to boot the solaris
host with one or another linux boot ISO in order to have the tools
required. 

[gentoo-user] Re: Online hosting recommendation - VMs?

[Harry Putnam]

John Runyon <m...@jfr.im> writes:

> On Mon, Mar 27, 2017 at 10:08:41PM -0400, Harry Putnam wrote:
>> In the course of about 2 hrs my connections were dropped at least 15
>> times and I think probably more.  At some points I have more than one
>> login going, and I noticed if I left one idle for a few minutes it
>> would b dropped when I next attemtpted to use it... I mean really a
>> few minutes like 3 or so.
>> 
> No issues that you've observed with other providers? Which location were
> you in? I've used Linode for years and never had issues (other than on
> certain connections where I need to enable keepalives due to my end
> closing it). But I've mostly stuck to their DFW location.

I do have a shell account on a server in Pittsburg area (jtan.com) that
I've had for yrs... Not my own vm.  Just an account on actual
hardware.  I've stayed connected to them for a week at a time a few
times. I do experience the odd drop now and then with them.

I've since closed out the linode account etc, but I was connecting
from the Atlanta GA area if that tells you anthing about where there
operation was.  Come to think of it, I did see something about Fremont
Calif.

It would not suprise me to learn that it was all happening on my end.
I'm on a Comcast Cable modem/router connection.

>
>> Remains to be seen how they respond.  I only turned my trouble ticket
>> 7 minutes ago.
>> 
> Their support is usually pretty quick and pretty customer-service-y. I'd
> be surprised if they didn't refund you in full (or at least pro-rated).

Yes, it is quick and all taken care of shortly after I posted the
note.

So they get an A rating from me for customer support.

But whatever the reason for getting dropped like that... just not worth
the hassle.

[gentoo-user] Re: About the MATE desktop applications menu

[Harry Putnam]

Mick <michaelkintz...@gmail.com> writes:

> On Sunday 26 Mar 2017 11:46:52 Harry Putnam wrote:
>> Mick <michaelkintz...@gmail.com> writes:
>> > On Sunday 26 Mar 2017 02:51:50 Harry Putnam wrote:
>> >> Just curious is anyone else running the mate desktop has this same
>> >> shortfall.
>> >> 
>> >> Usually in the Applications menu top right the last item on the menu
>> >> is a `run' command item where you can type in a command to be run.
>> >> 
>> >> My fairly recently installed mate dt does not have that.  Wondered if
>> >> others have that item in their `applications' menu.
>> >> 
>> >> Or maybe there is some other bit of MATE I have yet to install.
>> > 
>> > From what I recall I could click on the desktop and type a
>> > command/application.  Plasma also has something similar.
>> 
>> I don't use the desktop click much ... not for any good reason just
>> didn't ever creep into how I operate a desktop.
>> 
>> Oddly I had not noticed that in this install ... clicking the DT
>> produces nothing whatsoever.
>> 
>> Must be something a litte messed up here somewhere
>
>
> I don't have mate installed any more to test, but did you try pressing Alt+F2 
> to see if a Run dialog pops up?

No I didn't and yes it does ... thanks

[gentoo-user] Re: Online hosting recommendation - VMs?

[Harry Putnam]

Stroller, just a note on my experience this evening.  I liked what I
saw about linode in this thread..  Decided to try them out.

Got started with them... I was working from the command line in my new
gentoo vm provided by linode.  Getting things setup the way I like
them.

In the course of about 2 hrs my connections were dropped at least 15
times and I think probably more.  At some points I have more than one
login going, and I noticed if I left one idle for a few minutes it
would b dropped when I next attemtpted to use it... I mean really a
few minutes like 3 or so.

Sometimes connections would drop while the login instance was
working... for example in the middle of a kernel compile.

I decided I'd seen enough and was not interested in spending time
trying to determine what this was happening... so backed out and asked
for my account to be cancelled and charges to my Credit card canceled.

Remains to be seen how they respond.  I only turned my trouble ticket
7 minutes ago.

[gentoo-user] Re: About the MATE desktop applications menu

[Harry Putnam]

Mick <michaelkintz...@gmail.com> writes:

> On Sunday 26 Mar 2017 02:51:50 Harry Putnam wrote:
>> Just curious is anyone else running the mate desktop has this same
>> shortfall.
>> 
>> Usually in the Applications menu top right the last item on the menu
>> is a `run' command item where you can type in a command to be run.
>> 
>> My fairly recently installed mate dt does not have that.  Wondered if
>> others have that item in their `applications' menu.
>> 
>> Or maybe there is some other bit of MATE I have yet to install.
>
> From what I recall I could click on the desktop and type a 
> command/application.  Plasma also has something similar.

I don't use the desktop click much ... not for any good reason just
didn't ever creep into how I operate a desktop.

Oddly I had not noticed that in this install ... clicking the DT
produces nothing whatsoever.

Must be something a litte messed up here somewhere

[gentoo-user] About the MATE desktop applications menu

[Harry Putnam]

Just curious is anyone else running the mate desktop has this same
shortfall.

Usually in the Applications menu top right the last item on the menu
is a `run' command item where you can type in a command to be run.

My fairly recently installed mate dt does not have that.  Wondered if
others have that item in their `applications' menu.

Or maybe there is some other bit of MATE I have yet to install.

[gentoo-user] Something is blocking an addition of fonts

[Harry Putnam]

Setup: VBox vm running gentoo(amd64) guest on a win-10 (64bit) host
 Hardware: HP xw8600 - 2x Xeon  CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz - 32 GB ram

I've added some fonts from outside portage this way:

 (Sorry that what follows is a bit of a confusing mess)

mkdir /usr/share/fonts/terminus
loaded the fonts into termininus

Ran:
   mkfontdir /usr/share/fonts/terminus
Ran:
 xset fp rehash

Which is supposed to tell the X fonts tools about the new
set of fonts with out having to restart X.

I thought a bit and wondered if I might should have added the new
directory to the font path.. I don't really think so since the default
path covers the new one but stillso:

Ran:
  xset +fp  /usr/share/fonts/terminus

That is supposed to prepend that path to the existing path.

Checked with:

  xset q

And I see the new directory

  Font Path:
/usr/share/fonts/terminus_hp3-170310/,/usr/share/fonts/misc/,built-ins


The new fonts show up with `fc-list'

OK, all seems to be working... 

Until I actually try to use them.

xterm -fa ter-u14b_iso-8859-1.pcf
(output wrapped for mail)

Warning: Cannot convert string
"-adobe-helvetica-bold-r-normal--*-120-*-*-*-*-iso8859-*" to type
FontStruct

Warning: Missing charsets in String to FontSet conversion

It appears the xterm is trying to load a font from somewhere else even
though I asked for  `ter-u14b_iso-8859-1.pcf'

I'm not at all sure where the -adobe-helvetica if being called.

  sudo grep -r 'adobe-helvetica'  /usr/share/fonts
   

However there are piles of fonts with `adobe' in the name:

  sudo grep -r adobe /usr/share/fonts|wc-l
173

They appear to be mostly like this:

   /usr/share/fonts/corefonts/fonts.scale:verdanaz.ttf
   -microsoft-verdana-bold-i-normal--0-0-0-0-p-0-adobe-standard

Thought it might be from .Xresoures but there are no fonts there with
adobe in the name

   `grep adobe .Xresources' 

Anybody here recognize what the problem might be?

There are a few helvetica in the .. only one is english:

   /usr/share/fonts/misc/fonts.alias:variable \
 -*-helvetica-bold-r-normal-*-*-120-*-*-*-*-iso8859-1

And two japanese helveticas

So I can't even tell where that adobe font is coming from
  

[gentoo-user] Re: fonts mostly inaccessable to xterm

[Harry Putnam]

Corbin Bird  writes:

>
> Have you tried : xterm -fa "9x15B-ISO8859-1"?

I mentioned that the -fa switch was not working at all.

I've since discovered that the xterms I had were compiled with useflag
truetype disabled .. so `-truetype' Which meant xterm was compiled
without support for -fa

> Note : that works on XTerm v325 ( tested ).

I've recompiled xterm with useflag truetype enabled and now I have the
-fa flag so I can run the command you mentioned above now.

That is a nice looking font... a little big on my view but

I see something a bit off here... trying to get a smaller font of the
same type I went clear down to 4x6... but those all look just like
the "9x15B-ISO8859-1"

  xterm -fa 4x6-ISO8859-1

Does not say anything by way of error or explanation just shows a
terminal with the same font displayed as "9x15B-ISO8859-1"

That can't be a desirable outcome.

It must just be displaying the same size from 9x 8x 7x 6x 5x 4x. and
doing so silently.

I'm not running a font server.

> The Xorg Xft font server docs specifically show how to set the "default"
> font in Xterm. Look for the section 'Configuring applications'
>
> Reference Link :
>
>> https://www.x.org/releases/X11R7.7/doc/xorg-docs/fonts/fonts.html

Thanks for the link... much as I been googling I'm surprised I did not
see that one already... it looks quite thorough.

[gentoo-user] Re: fonts mostly inaccessable to xterm

[Harry Putnam]

Corbin Bird <corbinb...@charter.net> writes:

[...]

Harry wrote:


[...]

>> googling for hours on this I find xterm can understand a different
>> switch  `xterm -fa bla-bla'
>> 
>> However, xterm as installed from portage does not understand that
>> switch at all.
>> 
>> Some of the googling mentioned that xterm has to have that ability
>> compiled in, so I wondered if our xterm is compiled for that option?

A very feeble light almost came on above...

[...]


Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> writes:

> Corbin Bird <corbinb...@charter.net> writes:
>
> [...]
>
>> Please clarify ...
>> ... if this is a console only boot ( in vm ),
>> ... if this is a GUI Desktop ( in vm ),
>> and/or specific xterm ( i.e "x11-terms/xterm" ).

Harry responds:
> This is a full X host running lxde for desktop
> The xterm I speak of is the real McCoy .. the one Thomas Dickey has
> maintained since mid to late 90s.
>
> In this case: x11-terms/xterm version 327 But I just noticed when
> pretend emerge just now to see what the use flags were... I see it
> defaults to -truetype use flag... which may be significant.
>
> I'm re-emerging with USE=truetype might make some difference.
>
> But still would not explain the fonts that are not true type failing
> to load.
>
> Do you know if some EXTRA_ECONF or something is needed to make xterm
> recognize its -fa switch?
>
> I've seen in several places that -fa font-name is used instead of -fn
> font-name

Hitting all around it ... finally I noticed that xterm compiles with
Use flag `-truetype'

That feeble light finally took on some strength,

I set [...] package.use/xterm
With contents: `x11-terms/xterm truetype'

re-emerged xterm.

And now I'm happily loading fonts with the -fa switch.

xterm -fa Inconsolata-Regular.ttf [...] and away it goes .. and a fine
looking font it is too.

[gentoo-user] Re: fonts mostly inaccessable to xterm

[Harry Putnam]

Corbin Bird  writes:

[...]

> Please clarify ...
> ... if this is a console only boot ( in vm ),
> ... if this is a GUI Desktop ( in vm ),
> and/or specific xterm ( i.e "x11-terms/xterm" ).

This is a full X host running lxde for desktop
The xterm I speak of is the real McCoy .. the one Thomas Dickey has
maintained since mid to late 90s.

In this case: x11-terms/xterm version 327 But I just noticed when
pretend emerge just now to see what the use flags were... I see it
defaults to -truetype use flag... which may be significant.

I'm re-emerging with USE=truetype might make some difference.

But still would not explain the fonts that are not true type failing
to load.

Do you know if some EXTRA_ECONF or something is needed to make xterm
recognize its -fa switch?

I've seen in several places that -fa font-name is used instead of -fn
font-name

Here xterm calls it a bad switch or something like and fails to load
the font.

   xterm -fa "9x15B-ISO8859-1.pcf"
xterm: bad command line option "-fa"

 xterm -fn "9x15B-ISO8859-1.pcf"
xterm: cannot load font '9x15B-ISO8859-1.pcf'

And without the quotes:

   xterm -fn 9x15B-ISO8859-1.pcf
 xterm: cannot load font '9x15B-ISO8859-1.pcf'

[gentoo-user] fonts mostly inaccessable to xterm

[Harry Putnam]

Setup: VBox vm running gentoo(amd64) guest on a win-10 (64bit) host
 Hardware: HP xw8600 - 2x Xeon  CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz - 32 GB ram

I've been trying to get fonts to load into xterm most of the day.

I'm not getting anywhere.

for example:
/usr/share/fonts shows all these:

100dpi  corefonts  encodingsinconsolata-hellenic  misc   util
75dpi   cyrillic   inconsolata  liberation-fonts  urw-fonts

Probably going at this ass backwards but it seems just about none of
thes are accessabel to an xterm

xlsfonts shows many `misc fixed' fonts that can be loaded into xterm.

But I have not found how to load any of the others.

For example: fc-list shows a whole different list of fonts.
I tried several and none of those were loadable into xterm.

Trying by there names inside the directories above I have found none
are recognized by xterm

Looking at the fonts.dir files .. at least most of those names look
familiar in the format I'm used to such as this:

   -misc-fixed-bold-r-normal--15-120-100-100-c-90-iso8859-1
That one is found with xlsfonts.

Something like this from inconsolata fonts.dir file:

   -misc-inconsolata-medium-r-normal--0-0-0-0-m-0-iso8859-1

  xterm -fn -misc-inconsolata-medium-r-normal--0-0-0-0-m-0-iso8859-1
xterm: cannot load font 
'-misc-inconsolata-medium-r-normal--0-0-0-0-m-0-iso8859-1'
xterm: cannot load font 
'-misc-inconsolata-medium-r-normal--0-0-0-0-m-0-iso8859-1'

trying the other kind of names there:

   xterm -fn Inconsolata-Regular.ttf
 xterm: cannot load font 'Inconsolata-Regular.ttf'
 xterm: cannot load font 'Inconsolata-Regular.ttf'

Leave it at that for the moment...

googling for hours on this I find xterm can understand a different
switch  `xterm -fa bla-bla'

However, xterm as installed from portage does not understand that
switch at all.

Some of the googling mentioned that xterm has to have that ability
compiled in, so I wondered if our xterm is compiled for that option?

And further if anyone knows what that compile option might be?

Can anyone offer some guidance here...

How to get a few of those fonts to be loadable into an xterm?

[gentoo-user] -dec-terminal- fonts

[Harry Putnam]

Some time back a standard part of an X install were fonts with names
like:
-dec-terminal-bold-r-normal--14-140-75-75-c-80-iso8859-1
-dec-terminal-medium-r-normal--0-0-75-75-c-0-dec-dectech

The list is about 10 lines longer.

I have them on a debian install but not sure where they came from.
I do believe they once part of gentoo installs too, but are not now.

asided: I have asked on debian list too, and searched their pkg repos.

I want them on my gentoo installs but can't google up a source

I see these fonts in /usr/share/fonts/

 find /usr/share/fonts -iname '*dec*'
/usr/share/fonts/encodings/dec-special.enc.gz
/usr/share/fonts/misc/decsess.pcf.gz
/usr/share/fonts/misc/deccurs.pcf.gz

I don't think those are the ones.  But that is all I turned up on
google too.

[gentoo-user] Re: lxde no Desktop Preferences can be set

[Harry Putnam]

Neil Bothwick  writes:

>> Also ran into a wall trying to use the regular tools like qlist to
>> determine what is in there.  I found the list after search a while on
>> google but I'm curious why `qlist' doesn't list off
>> what is in there, like it does in all other cases.
>
> Meta packages don't install files, they just have a list of dependencies.
> Your previous post implied you hadn't installed lxde-meta, just the lxde
> packages it depends on, which may exclude other requirements.
>
> A simple "emerge -a lxde-meta" should ensure that all deps are installed

OK thanks.  But then that leaves the issue that brought this up
without a resolution:

>From OP
>> LXDE on the menu item Preferences ===> Desktop Preferences
>> Nothing can be set there and it does not even show a dialog
>> box... just an error messages that says:

>> Desktop manager is not active

Any other ideas what might be going on there?

[gentoo-user] Re: lxde no Desktop Preferences can be set

[Harry Putnam]

Neil Bothwick <n...@digimed.co.uk> writes:

> On Thu, 02 Mar 2017 00:27:47 -0500, Harry Putnam wrote:
>
>> LXDE on the menu item Preferences ===> Desktop Preferences
>> Nothing can be set there and it does not even show a dialog
>> box... just an error messages that says:
>> 
>> Desktop manager is not active
>> 
>> All the lxde-base pkgs contained in lxde-meta are installed.
>> 
>> Openbox wm is installed.
>> 
>> Anyone know what that error message means or how to get around or fix
>> it?
>
> You're missing an essential package. Install lxde-meta to make sure you
> get it. Once working, you can remove unnecessary packages later.

That sounded like a plan until I actually tried to re-install
lxde-meta.

I found no way to make emerge do that.  I thought by adding such
things as --deep --newuse --changed-use it would cause a reinstall

But emerge just closes and tells me nothing is outated in lxde-meta

Example:
   # emerge --deep --newuse --changed-use -v lxde-meta

   These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

   Calculating dependencies... done!

   Total: 0 packages, Size of downloads: 0 KiB

And that is also with bdeps=y from my make.conf

  EMERGE_DEFAULT_OPTS="--with-bdeps=y"

After browsing thru `man emerge' a couple of times It appears there is
not some kind of `force' flag.

Is there some combination of switches that will cause emerge to
re-install lxde-meta? Or baring that I thought I'd try emerging
individual pkgs... but there not exactly easy to find ebuilds of.. I
still haven't

Also ran into a wall trying to use the regular tools like qlist to
determine what is in there.  I found the list after search a while on
google but I'm curious why `qlist' doesn't list off
what is in there, like it does in all other cases.

[gentoo-user] lxde no Desktop Preferences can be set

[Harry Putnam]

Setup: VBox vm running gentoo(amd64) guest on a win-10 (64bit) host
 Hardware: HP xw8600 - 2x Xeon  CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz - 32 GB ram

LXDE on the menu item Preferences ===> Desktop Preferences
Nothing can be set there and it does not even show a dialog
box... just an error messages that says:

Desktop manager is not active

All the lxde-base pkgs contained in lxde-meta are installed.

Openbox wm is installed.

Anyone know what that error message means or how to get around or fix
it?

[gentoo-user] VIDEO_CARDS= apparently ignored and new pkgs assigned

[Harry Putnam]

Setup: VBox vm running gentoo(amd64) guest on a win-10 (64bit) host
 Hardware: HP xw8600 - 2x Xeon  CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz - 32 GB ram

I'm having a situation where way too many packages are coming up
needing rebuilt during emerge world.

Decided to see what `emerge @preserved-rebuild would bring me.

ran `emerge -va @preserved-rebuild' and I notice that it appears my
setting in /etc/portage/make.conf for VIDEO_CARDS="virtualbox" is
being ignored... the output of above command shows:

  Calculating dependencies... done!
  
  [ebuild R ] x11-libs/libdrm-2.4.75::gentoo USE="-libkms -static-libs
 -valgrind" ABI_X86="(64) -32 (-x32)" VIDEO_CARDS="amdgpu* nouveau*
   radeon* (-exynos) (-freedreno) -intel (-omap) (-tegra) (-vc4)
 (-vivante) -vmware" 0 KiB
  
  [ebuild   R] mail-mta/sendmail-8.14.9-r1::gentoo  USE="mbox ssl
  tcpd -ipv6 -ldap -libressl -nis -sasl -sockets" 0 KiB
  
  [ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-video-amdgpu-1.2.0::gentoo  USE="-glamor" 0 
KiB
  [ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-video-ati-7.8.0::gentoo  USE="glamor -udev" 
0 KiB
  [ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-video-nouveau-1.0.13::gentoo  0 KiB

Note how VIDEO_CARDS="amdgpu* nouveau* radeon* [...]"
is being assigned.

And the already installed (probably unneeded pkgs are being
reinstalled)

I considered ummerging those pkgs but checked `qdepends' on them and
that swears they are required by xorg-server not to mention this whole
string of other pkgs:

 qdepends x11-drivers/xf86-video-nouveau

x11-drivers/xf86-video-nouveau-1.0.13:
>=x11-libs/libdrm-2.4.60[video_cards_nouveau]
>=x11-libs/libpciaccess-0.10 !=sys-devel/automake-1.15:1.15 >=sys-devel/autoconf-2.69
>=sys-devel/libtool-2.4 virtual/pkgconfig x11-proto/xf86driproto
x11-proto/glproto x11-proto/dri2proto x11-proto/fontsproto
x11-proto/randrproto x11-proto/renderproto x11-proto/videoproto
x11-proto/xextproto x11-proto/xineramaproto x11-proto/xproto
x11-base/xorg-server[-minimal] x11-libs/libdrm
x11-base/xorg-server[xorg] x11-libs/libpciaccess

The other pkgs get similar output

This was not the first time I checked qdepends on this.

I did notice back when some of those driver pkgs were initially
installed and wondered then why I needed them... I checked then with
qdepends too and found that they are required by xorg-server and a
similar string of other pkgs as shown above for each.

Can anyone say what is going on here...?  Is this normal?
Should I really be needing drivers for ati, nouveau etc?
Any ideas about what needs to be done if anything?

[gentoo-user] Its ground hog day... how to escape the syndrome?

[Harry Putnam]

Setup: VBox vm running gentoo(amd64) guest on a win-10 (64bit) host
 Hardware: HP xw8600 - 2x Xeon  CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz - 32 GB ram

I've seen a few other mentions of the phenomena I'm about to describe.
It is not clear to me why something like this would happen. Or what is
to be done to prevent it.

After going thru install and bulding of X based lxde desktop gentoo
OS, I'm at the stage where I would do another emerge world followed by
--depclean  or something similar.

Decided to take the @world in the two available bites; @system then
@world

My cmdline was `emerge -vaDt @system'

Showed 44 pkgs only 2 were updates and 42 were reinstalls.

Already it seemed like something might be off to have that many
reinstalls with no --newuse or --changed-use involved.

I let it run thinking it might have to do with a small list of
packages causing reinstalls.

Once that finished I ran `emerge -vaDt @world'

It showed 76 packages 2 updates 1 N in new slot and 73 reinstalls.

Further, very many of the reinstalls were packages that had just been
reinstalled during @system  Same versions, same use flags.

At a glance I could see that nearly all or all of the packages rebuilt
during During the @system run were to be done over again under a @world
run,

Surely there can be no reason for this absent some other factor like
new or changed use flags.

So what causes this Groundhog day syndrome and how does one break out
of it?

[gentoo-user] Re: Need coaching with emerge failure logs (Understanting the problem)

[Harry Putnam]

Peter Humphrey <pe...@prh.myzen.co.uk> writes:

> On Monday 27 Feb 2017 10:09:34 Harry Putnam wrote:

Harry wrote:
>> I guess I'll try this once more... Its still a big log but I cleaned
>> up the escapes ... it is a fresh try at building
>>   xf86-video-virtualbox-5.1.14

[...]

Peter replied:
> /lib/modules/4.9.10-gentoo/build/include/linux/compiler.h:305:42: error: 
> uninitialized const member in ‘union atomic_read(const 
> atomic_t*)::’
>   union { typeof(x) __val; char __c[1]; } __u;   \
>
> That's similar to what Stroller found the first time, just not quite the 
> same. It looks like a code error in VirtualBox, but it can't be because I've 
> compiled that version here with no trouble. That means something is awry in 
> your setup.
>
> Have you tried setting -j1? I ask because it looks as though components are 
> being compiled in a different order from the last time.
>
> If I have a useful suggestion after some time for thought, I'll offer it 
> then.

I just posted a response to Stroller's comments you may want to look at
it.  In summary I found a bug about it
( https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=603472 ) 

aside: Just curious; what kernel was in play when you succeeded? 

I see now that I should have read more of the comments.. apparantly
someone wrote a patch... but as of the end of the commentary on Feb
23,  They still say there is not much to be done until upstream works
on it.

(And since I've found my own workaround...(also in reply to Stroller))

>From bug report comments
.
,
| Joakim Tjernlund 2017-02-23 14:54:20 UTC
| 
| (In reply to Lars Wendler (Polynomial-C) from comment #31)
| > Wow, I'm really impressed you guys found a working solution. 
| 
| 
| Thanks :)
| 
| > 
| > Unfortunately patching the kernel cannot be added to the
| > virtualbox-guest-additions ebuilds. So we either need to wait till upstream
| > found a sloution, or you guys find a solution that does not involve patching
| > non-virtualbox software.
| 
| 
| Kernel folks are so far reluctant to include C++ fixes in private kernel
| headers. I think gentoo-sources could carry these until a official fix
| is available but not something I am going push forward.
| 
| You could add the vbox ebuild part now, it wont hurt anything.
| 
| Anyone know what Vbox. people are doing? I haven't found anything.
`

 

[gentoo-user] Re: Need coaching with emerge failure logs (Understanting the problem)

[Harry Putnam]

Miroslav Rovis <miro.ro...@croatiafidelis.hr> writes:

> On 170226-09:42-0500, Harry Putnam wrote:
>> Stroller <strol...@stellar.eclipse.co.uk> writes:
> ...
>> 
>> > Example at the beginning:  [32;01m * 
>> > Example from the end:   * 
>> >
>> > Output to the terminal these would show the text in different colours,
>> > but the output was redirected to a textfile or mishandled in a
>> > copy-paste operation (not sure if screen or tmux does this?).
>> >
>> > Running emerge with `--color n` would have made this log much more
>> > readable. Its size already makes it hard to search.
>> 
>> Yes, and I am sorry about that, its just that I could not discern what
>> parts were important.  Still I should have posted only the last
>> 400-500 lines.
>> 
>> Just so you know... I did try that. [--color n] The resulting log
>> looked exactly the same.  ...
>
> This is hard to believe. I just tried, and either:
>
> --color n
>
> or:
>
> --color=n
>
> added to the emerge line, worked.
>

Are you looking at the Terminal output?  If so that is not what I
posted. 

I did mention that yes `--color n' kills the color in terminal output.

Read the whole paragraph you quote 1 sentence from above. 

This is the end of that para:

". . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . I don't expect
anyone would have noticed the comment... but it does seem a bit off
that I see no differernce here.  That is, no difference in the actual
log emerge creates. I do see the difference in the terminal output."

But as I mentioned what I posted was not the terminal output but the
actual log that emerge creates for you.. and points you to when a
failure occurs.

I just checked it again and I know that is what happens.  That is,
setting `--color n' kills the color ouput at the terminal however the
`build.log' still contains all the color sequences.

I'm already viewed dimly for posting so much junk so rather than post
samples of both ... I'll leave it for you to try yourself.

[gentoo-user] Re: Need coaching with emerge failure logs (Understanting the problem)

[Harry Putnam]

Stroller  writes:

[...]

> I would be looking primarily at the next point the word "error" comes up 
> properly, which is here: 
>
> from 
> /var/tmp/portage/app-emulation/virtualbox-guest-additions-5.1.14/work/VirtualBox-5.1.14/src/VBox/Runtime/common/alloc/alloc.cpp:34:
> /lib/modules/4.9.10-gentoo/build/arch/x86/include/asm/atomic.h: In 
> function ‘int atomic_read(const atomic_t*)’:
> /lib/modules/4.9.10-gentoo/build/include/linux/compiler.h:305:42: error: 
> uninitialized const member in ‘union atomic_read(const 
> atomic_t*)::’
>   union { typeof(x) __val; char __c[1]; } __u;   \


First off, thanks for the leg work on this.

Using search terms from your finding:
I did find something that might make some difference on the error you
found (above).

https://bugs.gentoo.org/show_bug.cgi?id=603472

It is a bug already on the bug setup... and one of the heavy hitters
there has this to say:

"Lars Wendler (Polynomial-C)  gentoo-dev 2017-02-08 15:44:54 UTC
This is an issue that - according to upstream - will not be fixed anytime soon.
So I suggest to use 4.4 LTS kernel for Gentoo guests VMs for the time being."

Maybe if I backed up to a 4.4 kernel I'd have better luck.

However, I can report that if USER reinstalls the standard vbox
guest-additions that come with each release of vbox (It can be
initiated by the `Devices' menu on the vbox interface (last item =
Insert Guest additions into cdrom )). (And does it enough times) It
seems to work thereafter, (the needed module is present) assuming that
installation finishes with no errors.

After wards I saw the glad tidings:

reader > sudo lsmod
Module  Size  Used by
vboxvideo  36795  2
vboxguest 201560  4 vboxvideo
ttm69735  1 vboxvideo

It seems to matter when you install the vbox [not from portage]
guest-additions because I did so several times during my efforts to
get X working.  Finally it made a difference.

You are expected to re-install them after any kernel build but I did
that as well and still it only worked after a certain point... maybe
once I managed to get enough stuff installed from emerge.

So, to summarize  It appears you are not likely to get things working
with too new a kernel but can possibly fall back on repeated
reinstalls of the vbox guest-additions.

In my case I've succesfully built a 4.9.10 kernel and managed to get X
working even though two virtual-box packages from portage failed to
build
   x11-drivers/xf86-video-virtualbox-5.1.14
   app-emulations/virtualbox-guest-additionsvirtualbox-guest-additions

So, I've got X up and successfully installed my desktop of choice
lxde.  Things are looking up.

[gentoo-user] Re: Need coaching with emerge failure logs (Understanting the problem)

[Harry Putnam]

Stroller <strol...@stellar.eclipse.co.uk> writes:

>> On 25 Feb 2017, at 14:19, Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> wrote:
>> 
>> I've attached a hefty log of some 4000 lines and hope someone will be
>> patient enough to try to identify what is causing the problem. 
>
> I took a look at this, but the broken colour codes throughout the log make it 
> quite hard to read.
>
> Example at the beginning:  [32;01m * 
> Example from the end:   * 
>
> Output to the terminal these would show the text in different colours,
> but the output was redirected to a textfile or mishandled in a
> copy-paste operation (not sure if screen or tmux does this?).
>
> Running emerge with `--color n` would have made this log much more readable. 
> Its size already makes it hard to search.

I guess I'll try this once more... Its still a big log but I cleaned
up the escapes ... it is a fresh try at building
  xf86-video-virtualbox-5.1.14

Still failing in the same way and still not seeing clues in the
log... probably my own fault.



xf86-video-virtualbox-5.1.14_emerge-170227_094550.log.gz
Description: Failed emerge of  xf86-video-virtualbox-5.1.14

[gentoo-user] Re: Need coaching with emerge failure logs (Understanting the problem)

[Harry Putnam]

Dale <rdalek1...@gmail.com> writes:

> Harry Putnam wrote:
>>
>> Just so you know... I did try that. [--color n] The resulting log
>> looked exactly the same.  I posted that fact in an earlier request for
>> help a week or so ago in which I remarked how using the no-color
>> emerge option didn't seem to make a bit of difference. I don't expect
>> anyone would have noticed the comment... but it does seem a bit off
>> that I see no differernce here.  That is, no difference in the actual
>> log emerge creates. I do see the difference in the terminal output.
>>
>>
>>
>
> I think it may be your PS1 variable that is broken.  That is here for me
> at least:
>
> /etc/bash/bashrc
>
> I think it can be in other places as well.  If you recall changing the
> setting, it should look something like this:
>
> PS1+='\[\033[01;31m\]\u@\h \[\033[01;34m\]\w \$ \[\033[00m\]'
>
> It may be that you are missing the ' on the end or some other character
> is missing.  If you copy mine, it will look like this:
>
> root@fireball / #
>
> Either way, you likely just have something missing or out of place and
> it is throwing it off.  Maybe this will help you fix it, maybe. 
>
> Dale
>

I'm a bit lost here.  What makes you think something is broken?

I mean other than than a failed compile of some pkgs?

I guess you mean the fact that there are escapes in the log I
posted...  as I've said that was the log as emerge created it.  The
`build.log' from /var/tmp [...]

my PS1 looks similar with a few diffeneces from yours but the quoting
is intact: See below from the machine where the log was created:


,
| [Intended to pass muster for either USER or ROOT]
| 
| if [ ${UID} -gt 0 ];then
|sign='>'
| else
|sign='#'
| fi
| PS1='\[\033[01;31m\]HOST:\h \[\033[01;32m\]\w\n\u ${sign} 
\[\033[00m\]';export PS1
| 
| PS4='$LINENO: ';export PS4
`

[gentoo-user] Re: Need coaching with emerge failure logs (Understanting the problem)

[Harry Putnam]

Miroslav Rovis <miro.ro...@croatiafidelis.hr> writes:

> On 170225-09:19-0500, Harry Putnam wrote:
>> Setup: VBox vm running gentoo(amd64) guest on a win-10 (64bit) host
>>  Hardware: HP xw8600 - 2x Xeon  CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz - 32 GB ram
>> 
>  [ some cca. 80k text cut here ]
>
> Go for the guides, in which you will find that sending 5.5M log in an
> email is plain wrong.

Pretty dim not to have thought of that... thanks.

So do you recommend posting something like that online?  I wasn't
kidding when I said I could not determine what the log might mean,

Do you think there is really any chance a prospective helpful reader
will follow a hyperlink to these massive logs and actually try to see
what is going on?

I've decided to first work out a regex that will allow me to clean the
darn things up... get all those escape sequences out and then post
them on my web pages.

> Read e.g. how to post bugs on Bugzilla. shouldn't be hard to find.

Now, I've often wondered about the question of when to go to the bug
lists.

At my very low skill level chances are good that my problem is
actually some kind of pilot error. So, I think it makes sense to first
try to determine if there is really a bug at all.

Those folks that work on bugs can't be very tickled to get piles of
data that is really about some simple minded pilot error.

Seems to me, something should go thru the list a bit first before
hitting the bug setup... No? Many folks here will know a bug when they
see it, I'm not one of them.

[gentoo-user] Re: Need coaching with emerge failure logs (Understanting the problem)

[Harry Putnam]

Stroller <strol...@stellar.eclipse.co.uk> writes:

>> On 25 Feb 2017, at 14:19, Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> wrote:
>> 
>> I've attached a hefty log of some 4000 lines and hope someone will be
>> patient enough to try to identify what is causing the problem. 
>
> I took a look at this, but the broken colour codes throughout the
> log make it quite hard to read.

Thanks for taking the time ... It was asking quite a lot. 

> Example at the beginning:  [32;01m * 
> Example from the end:   * 
>
> Output to the terminal these would show the text in different colours,
> but the output was redirected to a textfile or mishandled in a
> copy-paste operation (not sure if screen or tmux does this?).
>
> Running emerge with `--color n` would have made this log much more
> readable. Its size already makes it hard to search.

Yes, and I am sorry about that, its just that I could not discern what
parts were important.  Still I should have posted only the last
400-500 lines.

Just so you know... I did try that. [--color n] The resulting log
looked exactly the same.  I posted that fact in an earlier request for
help a week or so ago in which I remarked how using the no-color
emerge option didn't seem to make a bit of difference. I don't expect
anyone would have noticed the comment... but it does seem a bit off
that I see no differernce here.  That is, no difference in the actual
log emerge creates. I do see the difference in the terminal output.

You mentioned `screen' and I am working in a screen terminal.

What you see is the actual log emerge left behind, when the emerge
failed.  Not something copy/pasted. I'm working on something to remove
all that bunk.  When I get to it, I will post a much reduced version
with no escapes. And only including the last 400 lines or so.

My biggest trouble is that I just don't see anything looking like a
clue that I recognize as such in those logs.

I'm not really up on how terminals decode that stuff, But when I do a
`cat' on those logs... into my screen terminal... I see the
highlighted text... no escapes.

Makes it a bit hard to see what my perl script is trying to remove... hehe.

[gentoo-user] create network by hand with devices are not present

[Harry Putnam]

Setup: VBox vm running gentoo(amd64) guest on a win-10 (64bit) host
 Hardware: HP xw8600 - 2x Xeon  CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz - 32 GB ram

Having a problem getting a network up... I know the rudimentaries of
ifconfig and route enough to use them to create one.

However the error I get with trying that seems to preclude that
method.

SIOCSIFADDR no such device
enp0s3 error while getting interface flags: no such device

Does it mean the tools for creating such a device are absent or what?

I've hit this before a good while ago and don't remember any more how
to get around it.

The link in /etc/init.d/ like: `ln -sf net.lo net.enp0s3' is present

[gentoo-user] make boot console maintain a hi-res thru-out boot

[Harry Putnam]

One of my vbox gentoo vms, on boot, comes up on the grub screen
in a nice hi-res console.  Very early in the boot procedure that
hi-res console collapses into a standard console resoltion and stays
there from then on.

It is possible to set things so that one maintains a hi-res console
all the time... Correct?

If so, I'd like to know what needs to be set.  I have followed up
reading about this subject in gentoo documents, one source says you cannot
make any driver selections in kernel setup at:

Device drivers ->
   Graphics support ->
  Framebuffer Devices ->
Make no selections of drivers here


There are choices within the address above that look like the kind
of thing you'd check but the guide I was reading said any choices
there would block KMS which could get settings at:.

Device drivers ->
   Graphics support ->
   Console display driver support --->
   Frame buffer console sup. is default selected an
 [*]Frame Buffer console sup is default selected
cannot be changed (on kernel-4.9.10)
   ditto for:
 [*]map the conosle tor primary disp device

   There are several more there but these two may be
   the place:
   []initial number of console screen columns
   []initial number of console screen rows
   
   There isn't much else there... things like scrollback
   size  [...] and initil console size

So are these settings what control KMS console sizing?

For example if you weree to set something like 140 and 60 for columns
and rows... would then have a console that size

Or is it the settings in /etc/defalt/grub where their are a couple of
options about geometry?

Both maybe?

[gentoo-user] Re: How to dump kde gracefully in favor of lxde

[Harry Putnam]

"Walter Dnes"  writes:

[...]

> 1) "eselect profile list" and switch to a basic non-KDE profile of your
> choice.

Moved from:

   default/linux/amd64/13.0/desktop *

to

   default/linux/amd64/13.0 *

>
> 2) "emerge gentoolkit" if not already present.
>
> 3) "cat /var/lib/portage/world" and see what KDE stuff you have.

No kde  in there

> 4) Unmerge (i.e. "emerge --unmerge) obvious KDE-related stuff that you
> find in world.

got that accomplished and and several more pkgs that were causing blocks


> 5) "emerge --depclean" (May not help if you've done "emerge --sync" and
> not fully updated).
>

Nothing gets listed there

>The next 3 steps are going to be repeated several times
>
> 6) "emerge -pv --changed-use --deep --update @world"
>
> 7) You'll probably see portage try to pull KDE back in.  For each lib
> "fu-bar/foobar" that portage tries to pull in do "equery d fu-bar/foobar"
> and manually unmerge whatever it finds.  (Note: gentoolkit provides the
> equery tool).
> 8) GOTO 6 (until portage stops trying to pull in KDE stuff).

I'm still working on this, but wanted to thank you for your input.
I like help that has an outline of how to go at something.

Very helpful.. and I seem to be close to getting this cleaned up.

[gentoo-user] puzzling behavior of USE flags with sys-apps/man-db

[Harry Putnam]

Setup: VBox vm running gentoo(amd64) guest on a win-10 (64bit) host
 Hardware: HP xw8600 - 2x Xeon  CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz - 32 GB ram

On first attempt at emerging sys-apps/man-db (in came up in a world
update (including -N [--newuse])

emerge's output indicated that one could not have both berkdb and gmdb
so I put this in /etc/portage/package.use/man-db
sys-app/man-db berkdb -gmdb

That seemed to resolve that part of the problem

On next attempted emerge -va sys-apps/man-db

I started getting this:

root # emerge -vaDN sys-apps/man-db

  These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

  Calculating dependencies... done!

  !!! The ebuild selected to satisfy "x11-libs/gtk+:3" has unmet requirements.

  - x11-libs/gtk+-3.22.5::gentoo USE="introspection -X (-aqua) -broadway
  -cloudprint -colord -cups -examples -test -vim-syntax -wayland
  -xinerama" ABI_X86="64 -32 -x32"

  The following REQUIRED_USE flag constraints are unsatisfied: any-of
( aqua wayland X )

  The above constraints are a subset of the following complete
expression: any-of ( aqua wayland X ) xinerama? ( X )

Note the part: any-of (aqua wayland X)

Ok so I did echo "xll-libs/gtk+ X" >  /etc/portage/package.use/gtk+

Adding the X useflag to xll-libs/gtk+

 # cat /etc/portage/package.use/gtk+
  xll-libs/gtk+ X

But emerge appears not to go by its own stipulation

Same output and next attempt:

  These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

  Calculating dependencies... done!

  !!! The ebuild selected to satisfy "x11-libs/gtk+:3" has unmet
requirements.

  - x11-libs/gtk+-3.22.5::gentoo USE="introspection -X (-aqua) -broadway
  -cloudprint -colord -cups -examples -test -vim-syntax -wayland
  -xinerama" ABI_X86="64 -32 -x32"

  The following REQUIRED_USE flag constraints are unsatisfied: any-of
( aqua wayland X )

  The above constraints are a subset of the following complete
expression: any-of ( aqua wayland X ) xinerama? ( X )

No change..

if I insert `waylan' as use flag instead of X, same result and same
output.

I'm guessing I must be interpreting the emerge output wrong.  Can
anyone offer a clue here?

[gentoo-user] How to dump kde gracefully in favor of lxde

[Harry Putnam]

I've had so much trouble installing gentoo into a vbox vm and then
setting up X that I got really sick of it and found a premade vm
(vmware) and installed... unfortunately I really do not like kde
plazma or really just about anything about kde.  Plus the version is
old enough that its giving plenty of problems with updating... finding
piles and piles of masked pkgs .. masked by EAPI.

I tried just updateing portage to get started but even there its a
herd of headaches.

I don't like kde and really don't want to go thru a bunch of humping
and bumping with it in the middle of things.

Any advice about slick ways of getting fully updated but dumping kde
on the way.

[gentoo-user] Re: virtualbox-guest-additions

[Harry Putnam]

Alan McKinnon <alan.mckin...@gmail.com> writes:

> On 18/02/2017 00:08, Harry Putnam wrote:
>> Are the virtualbox-guest-additions on portage for folks who are
>> running VirtualBox vms on there gentoo OS?
>> 
>> Or are they for a Vbox vm where gentoo is being installed, and the
>> host is something else.
>
>
>
> * app-emulation/virtualbox-guest-additions
>  Available versions:  4.3.38 (~)4.3.40 (~)5.0.16 (~)5.0.30 5.0.32
> (~)5.1.12 (~)5.1.14 {X KERNEL="linux"}
>  Homepage:http://www.virtualbox.org/
>  Description: VirtualBox kernel modules and user-space tools
> for Gentoo guests
>
>
> So it is the latter
>
>> 
>> I ask, because I'm installing gentoo into a vm on a windows host.
>> I've done this quite a few times.
>> 
>> And the vbox pkg that gets installed on windows always has the
>> guest-additions supplied internally.
>> 
>> That is I've installed the virtualbox-guest-additions from the vbox
>> package installed on the win10 host.
>> 
>> Or is it expected that for gentoo, one is to install the
>> guest-additions thru portage (when the host is not gentoo)
>
> Err no, that would be impossible (for all practical intent)
>
>> 
>> Jesus, that sounds complicated.
>> 
>> All I'm trying to ask is if you are installing a vbox vm with gentoo
>> os in a non-gentoo host are you expected to install the
>> guest-additions thru portage.
>
> You install virtualbox-guest-additions on a Gentoo guest VM.
> What is running on the host is irrelevant

Still not my question... sorry for the unduly doopy forumutation.

I know guest-additions gets installed into a vbox vm once installed.

Until this go around and I've done quite a few installs of gentoo into
vbox vms ... but always installed the guest addtions that are already
present in the vbox package.  Not from portage as my host is win-10.

That is, click the devices menu at the top of the vbox screen and
click `install guest addtions'.  Go  to /media/cdrom and install them
with ./NAME_addtions.run.

I never installed them from portage... and had no idea they were even
available on portage.

Now if you are using the portage VBox package and installing vms on a
gentoo host, then it makes sense to get the guest-additions on
portage.

[gentoo-user] virtualbox-guest-additions

[Harry Putnam]

Are the virtualbox-guest-additions on portage for folks who are
running VirtualBox vms on there gentoo OS?

Or are they for a Vbox vm where gentoo is being installed, and the
host is something else.

I ask, because I'm installing gentoo into a vm on a windows host.
I've done this quite a few times.

And the vbox pkg that gets installed on windows always has the
guest-additions supplied internally.

That is I've installed the virtualbox-guest-additions from the vbox
package installed on the win10 host.

Or is it expected that for gentoo, one is to install the
guest-additions thru portage (when the host is not gentoo)

Jesus, that sounds complicated.

All I'm trying to ask is if you are installing a vbox vm with gentoo
os in a non-gentoo host are you expected to install the
guest-additions thru portage.

[gentoo-user] kernel config setting for console scroll back

[Harry Putnam]

In make menuconfig, under:
 Device Drivers → Graphics support → Console display driver support
(700)   Scrollback Buffer Size (in KB)

I think the default was 64 but I like a big scrollback buffer.

As you see I set 700 but really didn't have much of an idea what that
would be in lines.

Can any one offer a close guestimate what 700 kb would be in lines.

That is pretty close to 1 mb isn't it?... but still what is that in
lines?  I'm guessing 1 MB might be around 10,000 lines.  Is that even
roughly close... if so I probably should have went higher.

[gentoo-user] Re: grub:2 first experience with it

[Harry Putnam]

Neil Bothwick  writes:

> You're supposed to use a video= parameter but I find the old school
> vga=794 works for me. The thing you have to learn with using GRUB, or at
> least when using grub-mkconfig, is that you don't edit grub.cfg
> but /etc/default/grub when you want to add kernel parameters.

What does vga=794 get you?

I've used `vga=0x31b video=vesfb:mtrr:3,ywrap' with grub:0 a few yrs
and get a nice size (1280x1024x32 [I think]) console but that requires
kernel settings Graphic drivers -> Frame buffer Devices ->

│ │<*> VGA 16-color graphics support
│ │[*] VESA VGA graphics support

I'm not sure if you need the VGA one but definitely the vesa and from
what I read digging around about KMS, you cannot select drivers
under Frame buffer devices if you want to use KMS .. only the ones
under Console Display Driver Support (a bit further down in make
menuconfig)

[gentoo-user] Re: grub:2 first experience with it

[Harry Putnam]

Neil Bothwick  writes:

>> But no update-grub
>
> update-grub is an Ubuntuism, not part of standard GRUB. It's only a one
> line shell script that runs
>
> grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg
>
> Even a large proportion of Ubuntu users would be able to manage without
> it.

yeah, I saw once I looked at the script that it was just little
wrapper.

But I'm pretty sure that somewhere in all the gentoo stuff I was using
there is a little bit that says to run update-grub.

So not knowing anything about what it might do it seemed like
something was wrong.

But you are dead right that it ain't much... and certainly not a deal
breaker.

What can you tell me about how to get an initial hi-res frame buffer
during boot and after when in console mode?

I know how to do it in grub:0.  But I see my first feeble attempt in
grub:2 was total non-starter.

[gentoo-user] grub:2 first experience with it

[Harry Putnam]

Setup:INSTALLING gentoo(amd64) in VBox vm guest - win-10 (64bit) host
 Hardware: HP xw8600 - 2x Xeon CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz - 32 GB ram

Installing grub:0 was my first attempt, since I kind of know my way
around that and have never used grub:2. But, ran into several problems
concerning ncurses and gpm and somehow involving competing versions of
perl.

Seemed like enough of a mess to just break down and take the plunge,
going with the flow toward grub:2

The amd64 hand book offered this for emerge --backtrack=30
But apparently that was enough or not the right thing for the
mess I was making.

After going through the pages https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/GRUB2
I tried a couple of edits that seemed to be suggested there and some
USE flag changes (didn't record what I did so quickly lost track of
the things and the sequence)

I did have this set GRUB_PLATFORMS="emu" which is suggested in the
help pages.

But in the initial grub commands there was a complaint about not
understanding emu or something to that effect.

So emerge -vC grub:2 and started over.

Got grub:2 installed (Note that I removed the
(GRUB_PLATFORMS="emu") this time and allowed the system to
handle that on its own. Ok, so got it installed alright.

USE flags and GRUB_PLATFORMS came up like this:

  USE="doc fonts nls sdl themes truetype -debug -device-mapper -efiemu
  -libzfs -mount -multislot -static {-test}"
  GRUB_PLATFORMS="(efi-64 pc) -coreboot -efi-32 -emu -ieee1275
  -loongson -multiboot -qemu -qemu-mips -uboot -xen -xen-32

I quit trying to mess with anything except two variables I changed
from the defaults in /etc/default/grub.

/etc/default/grub:
  # Boot the default entry this many seconds after the menu is displayed
 GRUB_TIMEOUT=8
  Changed from 5 to 8 seconds

  # The resolution used on graphical terminal.
  # Note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE.
  # You can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'.
  #GRUB_GFXMODE=640x480
  GRUB_GFXMODE=1280x1024x32

So I took a stab hoping the vbox screen would allow such a setting.

(Now after the inital boot and  reboot I'm currently installing that
tool to make sure of the graphic setting [sys-apps/vbe-tool])

Back to the way I got here:

Ran install-grub
  (completed successfully)

Attempted to run update-grub, but that script was nowhere to be found.

qlist grub:2 |grep update  shows its not part of grub:2 pkg.

Just to make sure I re-installed grub:2 once more.
Completed successfully.

But no update-grub

Googled up a page that shows what the script is supposed to do; all
pretty basic stuff. 
Ended up writing my own:  I did put a little bloat in it but still
does the same stuff:

  cat update-grub

  #!/bin/sh
  cmd='/usr/sbin/update-grub'
  set -e
  if mount |grep /boot;then
echo "   /boot is mounted .. running 
 exec grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg \"\$\@\""
exec grub-mkconfig -o /boot/grub/grub.cfg "$@" && 
if [[ "$?" < 1 ]];then
  echo "$cmd ran successfully"
fi
  else
echo "   /boot is not currently mounted, please mount /boot
 and rerun this command:
  
  /usr/sbin/update-grub"
  fi
  
Maybe that is where I've messed things up.

On boot instead of getting a grub menu, I got a grub command line.
in one of those really small consoles inside a vbox vm.. . the default
console I guess.

I bumbled my way thru and managed to boot the OS, so at least my
kernel config worked straight away for a change.

I'm really not sure at all where to begin trying to debug this.

I can see my self trying different things until "Maybe" something
works

I could really use some more of this lists generous patience and some
kind of scheme to get this working like I want.

[gentoo-user] Pentoo... is it still being developed

[Harry Putnam]

Can any say if pentoo is still under developement?

[gentoo-user] Re: not understanding failed build log

[Harry Putnam]

Setup: VBox vm running gentoo(amd64) guest on a win-10 (64bit) host
 Hardware: HP xw8600 - 2x Xeon  CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz - 32 GB ram

Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> writes:

[...]

> Sorry to post the raw pile of output but last time a used a http link
> to a long log someone here told me that many of you would not bother
> to follow it or help.
>
> So here it is inlined:
>
> xf86-video-virtualbox-5.1.14
>
> /var/tmp/portage/x11-drivers/xf86-video-virtualbox-5.1.14/temp/build.log

[...]

Please disregard that massive post.  Once I noticed that the package
it refers too:

   xf86-video-virtualbox

Was something that comes from inside
app-emulation/virtualbox-guest-additions

And since I've already declared that in package.provided as something
I've supplied.  Then I realized I should be able to do the same thing
with that package since it is already installed when I installed the
guest additions from the vbox version that is housing this gentoo
intall.

Seems to be working ok so far.

[gentoo-user] Re: package.provided?

[Harry Putnam]

Johannes Rosenberger  writes:

>> Can anyone offer suggestions about this... is it even the right way to
>> proceed?
>>
>>
>
> Hello!
>
> I have portage-2.3.3 installed and in my portage manpage it is mentioned:
>
> The file shall reside in etc/(make.profile|portage/(make.)?profile) and
> the syntax is
> /- without the '=' in the front.

Thanks for that.  I'm not at all sure what that line means.

something like /etc/  (then either make a directory named `profile' or
one named `portage' if necessary) / (then make `profile' if
necessary.)

So, /etc/portage/profile/package.provided

I followed a newish dictum of using the package part as a directory
name. So /etc/portage/profle/package.provided/FnameAndContentHere
It worked... thanks again.

It worked.. still not getting everything installed but that
part worked...

Something else about this entry in `man portage':

[...]
SYNOPSIS
   /etc/portage/make.profile/ or /etc/make.profile/
  site-specific overrides go in /etc/portage/profile/
  deprecated
  [...]

So is the plan to do away with package.provided or just relocate it?

[gentoo-user] package.provided?

[Harry Putnam]

Setup:

   Installing X on Vbox vm runnning gentoo (amd64 not strict).  Host
   is win10 (64bit)

Installing the xorg-server is calling for the installation of
app-emulation/virtualbox-guest-additions-5.0.32

However, my version of vbox is for a windows host (5.1.14).  And
actually has the guest additions for that version already installed.

Also before I noticed what was getting installed emerge had tried and
failed to install the cited above package.

I noticed the version that matches my vbox version (5.1.14) is
available but masked unless setting ~amd64.  I'm trying for a stable
setup so, put this in /etc/portage/package.accept_keywords:

  =app-emulation/virtualbox-guest-additions-5.1.14 ~amd64

I tried to emerge it directly with:
   emerge app-emulation/virtualbox-guest-additions

And sure enough emerge selected the right version but again the
install failed.  I did not understand the failure from the build log.

But since I have the proper version and am able to install it with the
regular method vbox expects (mount the additions and install with

 sh VBoxLinuxAdditions.run

And since that method uses the currently installed kernel for its
installation. Seems I can just reinstall the addtions using that
method and tell gentoo about it with package.provided.

Ok, `man portage' does not appear to mention where that file should
reside.  Googling about it I find /etc/portage/profile is mentioned.
Is that still correct?

I ask because I put /etc/portage/profile/package.provided:

 =app-emulation/virtualbox-guest-additions-5.0.32

(removed the prior /etc/portage/package.accept_keywords/
 virtualbox-guest-additions:
=app-emulation/virtualbox-guest-additions-5.1.14 ~amd64)

in place, but emerge still tries to install it so, either the syntax
if faulty or the location is, I guess.

I moved package.provided to /etc/portage/package.provided but still
emerge trys to install the guest-additions.

Can anyone offer suggestions about this... is it even the right way to
proceed?

[gentoo-user] Re: xorg wiki and graphics drivers

[Harry Putnam]

Willie Mattthews  writes:

> If I am not mistaken you would need to install,
>
> * app-emulation/virtualbox-guest-additions
>  Available versions:  4.3.38 ~4.3.40 ~5.0.16 ~5.0.30 5.0.32 ~5.1.12
> ~5.1.14 {X KERNEL="linux"}
>  Homepage:http://www.virtualbox.org/
>  Description: VirtualBox kernel modules and user-space tools
> for Gentoo guests
>
> I think you would have to install it in the VM itself. I don't know
> about the rest of it.

Not sure I'm following you here.  THe guest addtions come with the
Vbox and I've already installed them.

This is a windows 10 host and the vbox is the one installable on
windows. This is version 5.1.14

Guest additinos have nothing to do with gentoo kernel config.

What I'm asking about it setting up a kernel for gentoo os preparatory
to installing X.  As described in the Xorg gentoo wiki. Vbox vm's need
drivers like any other os.

I'm asking which driver works with the vbox graphics adapter.
And how to get a hi-res frame buffer using kernel KMS.

[gentoo-user] xorg wiki and graphics drivers

[Harry Putnam]

Setup:
   gentoo (no-X) installed into vbox vm on win 10 (64bit) host.

I've gotten a solid base going but now want to setup LXDE.  Gentoo LXDE
wiki starts after you've already setup the X server so I went to Gentoo
Xorg wiki

Following the gentoo Xorg setup pages.  I'm having some confusion
regarding which graphics driver is needed.

The pages at https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Xorg/Guide say to turn off
any drivers you have selected in your kernel conifg at
`Device Drvrs
  -> Graphics support
   -> Frame buffer devices':

   Here it says to deselect any drivers in there.

Move on down to `Console display driver support' and select
`Frame buffer console support'

So far easy enough, but I guess I'd still need a driver for whatever
graphics adaptier vbox has on offer.  In my case it is (from lspci):

  VGA compatible controller: InnoTek Systemberatun GmbH virtualBox
  Graphics adaptor

Back at the wiki:

The the discussion goes on to a few common graphics adapters and tells
you what to do about them.  So I'm kind of lost as to what to do about
the vbox setup.

The wiki tells you to use KMS as its an improvement over other
approaches.

I like to boot with a hi-res framebuffer and do some of my chores in
console mode where I like that framebuffer.  I'm wondering if with KMS
one still can have that large or hi-res framebuffer when in console
mode.  I'm pretty sure the things I had selected in the Framebuffer
Kernel area were what makes the hi-res frame buffer possible (When not
using KMS).

So, following the Xorg pages I've deselected what settings I had there.

Haven't rebooted as yet.

Anyway, cutting to the chase:
So I'm hoping someone here is familiar with the requirements of a vbox vm
graphics adaptier and can recommend a driver, but I'd also like to hear
about how a frame buffer works in KMS.

[gentoo-user] Re: Need help interpreting kernel panic

[Harry Putnam]

Johannes Rosenberger  writes:

> I found something interesting:
>>  request_module: runaway loop modprobe binfmt-464c
>> Short answer: If you are getting this error right after linux kernel
>> initialization, you are likely booting a 32-bit kernel with a 64-bit OS.
>>
>> Long answer: If you boot a 32-bit kernel with a 64-bit OS, when the
>> kernel tries to start /sbin/init (a 64-bit binary), it won't recognize
>> the binary format, and it'll try to load the binfmt-464c kernel
>> module, which is ELF support. (ELF support is generally compiled into
>> the kernel, not built as a module, by the way.)
>>
>> The reason for the loop error is that the kernel is trying to invoke
>> modprobe to load the module, and modprobe is itself an ELF binary,
>> resulting in a recursion loop... 

Just a bit ago I had one of those slap myself in the head moments.
Just realized that the host I took the .config to do oldconfig from
is a 32 bit host.

Now, I did set the switch when menuconfig rolled around for a 64 bit
kernel but still the whole thing is based on an a .config from a 32
bit host running a 32 bit kernel.

So no telling what all might get jimmied up in that mess.
I'd already trashed all disks from the test vm and am starting from
scratch again but this time I won't get tricky with the .config file.

Had I not done so (trashed the disks from my first go around), I
probably could have just reconfigged the kernel from scratch and been
ok...

[gentoo-user] Re: Need help interpreting kernel panic

[Harry Putnam]

Johannes Rosenberger  writes:

> I found something interesting:
>>  request_module: runaway loop modprobe binfmt-464c
>> Short answer: If you are getting this error right after linux kernel
>> initialization, you are likely booting a 32-bit kernel with a 64-bit OS.
>>
>> Long answer: If you boot a 32-bit kernel with a 64-bit OS, when the
>> kernel tries to start /sbin/init (a 64-bit binary), it won't recognize
>> the binary format, and it'll try to load the binfmt-464c kernel
>> module, which is ELF support. (ELF support is generally compiled into
>> the kernel, not built as a module, by the way.)
>>
>> The reason for the loop error is that the kernel is trying to invoke
>> modprobe to load the module, and modprobe is itself an ELF binary,
>> resulting in a recursion loop... 
> --
> http://saalwaechter-notes.blogspot.de/2008/10/requestmodule-runaway-loop-modprobe.html
>
> I hope it helps.

Sounds promising, but a couple of things makes it seem unlikely. 1)
I'm installing from a 64 bit ISO on a a 64 bit host.
2) one of the very earlier things on menuconfig one is asked if they
want a 64 bit kernel... I checked that.

At least this is true of kernel 4.9.6-r1

I'm going to verify that again in a bit.

[gentoo-user] Re: Need help interpreting kernel panic

[Harry Putnam]

Johannes Rosenberger <gen...@jorsn.eu> writes:

> On 11.02.2017 20:47, Rich Freeman wrote:
>> On Sat, Feb 11, 2017 at 2:12 PM, Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> wrote:
>>> Again I get a kernel panic but this time its different.  It seems to
>>> mount the disks ok but then fails to find a working `init' command.
>>>
>>> Checking that with sysrescueCD I see /sbin/init does exist on that new vm.
>>> and is executable.
>>>
>>> The disk setup is sda1=/boot sda2=swap sda3=/home sda4=/
>>>
>> My guess is that it is mounting the wrong filesystem as root.  It
>> might be detecting /dev/sdb as /dev/sda.  Also, the root device might
>> be named /dev/xda4 depending on the kernel/etc.  Systemrescuecd isn't
>> using the same kernel/etc so it might not see the disks the same way.
>>
>> An initramfs with root=UUID="505f850e-b26a-4d0f-a02f-6ba573a48ad8" (or
>> a label) would be a more reliable way to handle this, or you can
>> probably just fiddle with the device names until you stumble on the
>> right one.
>>
>>
> Well, if you look at the kernel messages you see that the init is found
> but not executable (error -8). I don't know what the error number means, but
> have you set CONFIG_BINFMT_ELF and CONFIG_BINFMT_SCRIPT in your .config?
> Is /bin/sh executable?

Error means ENOEXEC I think from browsing a bit on google

About BINFMT

Yes. (grepping from chroot at /usr/src/linux/)
  grep BINFMT .config

  CONFIG_BINFMT_ELF=y
  CONFIG_BINFMT_SCRIPT=y
  # CONFIG_BINFMT_AOUT is not set
  # CONFIG_BINFMT_MISC is not set


I just chrooted and re-emerged sysvinit but no help.  From chroot, I
ran /sbin/init 3 and it did try to go to runlevel 3 (just brought me
out of chroot), so it appears to be working.

The stuff about `runaway loop' at modprobe (in the kernel messages)
seems like it might mean something. 

I think I'll test about modprobe for that module binfmt-46-4c

[gentoo-user] Need help interpreting kernel panic

[Harry Putnam]

I didn't want any typos in this kernel output so took a small screen
shot.

I'm working on a new vm (vbox) install of gentoo but having trouble
getting a kernel that boots.

Architecture=amd64 (not strict)

I started out by copying a .config from a running gentoo vm and using
it to do `make oldconfig' then fumbled my way thru the questions,
followed by a `make menuconfig' to look things over.

That kernel panicked and it seems to say it could not mount an ATA
disk.

Ok, went back to make oldconfig with that copied .config and and just
yessed my way thru the questions.  I mean accepting the default on
them all.

Again I get a kernel panic but this time its different.  It seems to
mount the disks ok but then fails to find a working `init' command.

Checking that with sysrescueCD I see /sbin/init does exist on that new vm.
and is executable.

The disk setup is sda1=/boot sda2=swap sda3=/home sda4=/

 root and kernel lines from grub.conf:
 
  root   (hd0,0)
  kernel /vmlinuz root=/dev/sda4 vga=0x31b video=vesfb:mtrr:3,ywrap

(see fstab below:)


/etc/fstab:

#   


# NOTE: If your BOOT partition is ReiserFS, add the notail option to opts.
#
# NOTE: Even though we list ext4 as the type here, it will work with ext2/ext3
#   filesystems.  This just tells the kernel to use the ext4 driver.
#
# NOTE: You can use full paths to devices like /dev/sda3, but it is often
#   more reliable to use filesystem labels or UUIDs. See your filesystem
#   documentation for details on setting a label. To obtain the UUID, use
#   the blkid(8) command.

## /dev/sda1/boot   ext2noauto,noatime  1   
2
UUID=1e323735-c111-48de-bd04-d255a07cc2b5   /boot   ext2noauto,noatime  
1   2
## /dev/sda2noneswapsw  0   0
UUID=5af8156e-3ea7-467e-9bbd-e015dfb25493   noneswapsw  0   0
## /dev/sda3/home   ext4noatime 0   1
UUID=e2a40d27-fdcf-4413-99d5-e01a73ea68f1   /home   ext4defaults
0   1
## /dev/sda4/   ext4noatime 0   1
UUID=505f850e-b26a-4d0f-a02f-6ba573a48ad8   /   ext4defaults
0   1

##

## From blkid:

## /dev/loop0: TYPE="squashfs"
## /dev/sda1: UUID="1e323735-c111-48de-bd04-d255a07cc2b5" TYPE="ext2" 
PARTUUID="29b3e776-01"
## /dev/sda2: UUID="5af8156e-3ea7-467e-9bbd-e015dfb25493" TYPE="swap" 
PARTUUID="29b3e776-02"
## /dev/sda3: UUID="e2a40d27-fdcf-4413-99d5-e01a73ea68f1" TYPE="ext4" 
PARTUUID="29b3e776-03"
## /dev/sda4: UUID="505f850e-b26a-4d0f-a02f-6ba573a48ad8" TYPE="ext4" 
PARTUUID="29b3e776-04"
## /dev/sdb1: UUID="87d69626-8798-4d1d-8ac9-64e6f8b47f42" TYPE="ext4" 
PARTUUID="ead06e45-01"
## /dev/sr0: UUID="2017-01-26-18-16-11-00" LABEL="sysrcd-4.9.2" TYPE="iso9660"

[gentoo-user] Re: Working on fresh install, question about handbook statement

[Harry Putnam]

John Covici  writes:

[...]

>>root #ls /usr/share/zoneinfo
>> 
>>root #echo "Europe/Brussels" > /etc/timezone
>> 
>> And there is a little part following that says:
>> 
>>Next, reconfigure the sys-libs/timezone-data package, which will
>>update the /etc/localtime file for us, based on the /etc/timezone
>>entry. The /etc/localtime file is used by the system C library to
>>know the timezone the system is in.
>> 

[...]

>
> I just copied  /usr/share/zoneinfo to /etc/localtime and
> have never had any problems.  I also put the name in /etc/timezone and
> all seems to have worked for a number of years.

Rich Freeman  writes:

[...]

> emerge --config sys-libs/timezone-data
>
> All it does is copy the timezone data to /etc/localtime.
>
> Setting /etc/timezone is still important, because it ensures that
> anytime the package is updated the new data is copied over (a symlink
> would also accomplish this).
>
> Using emerge --config is a bit more elegant since it will tell you if
> you made any mistakes in /etc/timezone, and perhaps at some point in
> the future it might do other things.  But, you are correct that the
> instructions used to just say to copy the file and be done with it,
> and there is no real harm in doing it that way.  Just introducing
> users to emerge --config probably has a little value in it.

Thank you both for even bothering to answer.  Somehow seeing emerge
blinded me to the `--config' ... just saw some emerge args I guess.

Don't think I've had occassion to use emerge --config before.

I did try to cancel my post within a minute or less of posting it and it
did cancel on my newsfeed.  But apparently not the larger
readerships'.

[gentoo-user] Working on fresh install, question about handbook statement

[Harry Putnam]

I'm part way thru a fresh gentoo install and ran up on something in
the handbook guide to installing that is puzzling.

This URL:
https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Handbook:AMD64/Installation/Base#Distribution_files

>From the section of install during the chroot and start of putting
together the OS.

Under heading Timezone I find these sub headings showing examples of
what to do:

   root #ls /usr/share/zoneinfo

   root #echo "Europe/Brussels" > /etc/timezone

And there is a little part following that says:

   Next, reconfigure the sys-libs/timezone-data package, which will
   update the /etc/localtime file for us, based on the /etc/timezone
   entry. The /etc/localtime file is used by the system C library to
   know the timezone the system is in.

And sys-libs/timezone-data package is a hyperlink to a page about that
package.

What is really puzzling is the the words `reconfigure' that package.
But then there is nothing said about what this `reconfiguring'
consists of.

It used to be we just either copied the appropriate zimezone section
to /etc/localtime... or symlinked it there.

Can anyone explain what is meant by `reconfiguring' in this context or
how it is done?

The hyperlink leads to some info about the package but there is no mention
there of reconfiguring either.

[gentoo-user] Re: autofs config

[Harry Putnam]

Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> writes:

> I've never used autofs and am trying to get it setup.
>
> Following the debian wiki and an Ubuntu howto.
>
> I've installed the pkg:
>
>   aptitude search ^autofs|grep ^i
>   i   autofs  - kernel-based automounter for  Linux

Egad, I posted the message posted above to the wrong newsgroup... it
was supposed to got to a debian list sorry

However I suspect the process is the same on gentoo so maybe someone
can help?

[gentoo-user] autofs config

[Harry Putnam]

I've never used autofs and am trying to get it setup.

Following the debian wiki and an Ubuntu howto.

I've installed the pkg:

  aptitude search ^autofs|grep ^i
  i   autofs  - kernel-based automounter for  Linux


  created mount point: mkdir /projects-nfs

I've edited /etc/auto.master by adding this line:

  /projects-nfs /etc/auto.master.d/prj-nfs.autofs --timeout=180

Created the directory `mkdir /etc/auto.master.d' and spec'ed in
`/etc/auto.master'.

created /etc/auto.master.d/prj-nfs.autofs like so (as spec'ed in auto.master):

  d0 --fstype=nfs4,rw,soft,intr191.168.1.42:/projects/d0
  dv --fstype=nfs4,rw,soft,intr191.168.1.42:/projects/dv

Those directories on that host are available.

They reside a solaris (x86) host and set to be available by nfs.

They can be mounted manually{to different dir than above}:
  mount -t nfs 2x:/projects/dv /nfs/dv

Checking /nfs/dv... I find it is mounted.

[gentoo-user] A little help on receiving mail

[Harry Putnam]

I'm having an issue when retreiving mail with fetchmail.  It fails at
the handoff to local sendmail.

It happens with the default sendmail config sendmail.mc that is
shipped with sendmail when emerged.

It is a very abbreviated config that is desinged only for local mail I
think.

  divert(-1)
  divert(0)dnl
  include(`/usr/share/sendmail-cf/m4/cf.m4')dnl
  VERSIONID(`$Id$')dnl
  OSTYPE(linux)dnl
  DOMAIN(generic)dnl
  FEATURE(`smrsh',`/usr/sbin/smrsh')dnl
  FEATURE(`local_lmtp',`/usr/sbin/mail.local')dnl
  define(`confTRUSTED_USER', `smmsp')dnl
  MAILER(local)dnl
  MAILER(smtp)dnl

And since this is a sort of one off situation where I only want to
receive mail on this host temporarily while repairing another host
where mail is normally retrieved.

I don't care at all about sending out mail... only receiving.

I'm pretty sure this line:

  FEATURE(`local_lmtp',`/usr/sbin/mail.local')dnl

Is the culprit but wondered if anyone here can offer a bit of
sendmail.mc config that will allow this host to receive mail from my
pop servers thru fetchmail.

Before folks start with the `Egad what are you doing with sendmail
when "your favorite MTA" is so much better.

Really not helpful in this case... I just need the most minimal
correction to sendmail.mc that will allow mail to be retreived.

Sorry I don't have the actual output from fetchmail on hand ... until
I can get chrooted into that host currently being worked on with
systemrescueCD.

Any suggestions for lines to add to sendmail.mc?  And I assume
removing the quoted line is necessary as well.

[gentoo-user] Re: go to a no-x console from failed X + lxde install

[Harry Putnam]

Neil Bothwick <n...@digimed.co.uk> writes:

> On Sat, 10 Dec 2016 00:17:13 -0500, Harry Putnam wrote:
>
>> > Instead of setting USE=-gtk in your `/etc/portage/make.conf` try
>> > setting `sys-auth/consolekit-1.1.0-r1 -gtk` in
>> > `/etc/portage/package.use/polkit`  
>> 
>> I guessed you meant to say polkit  so:
>> root # cat /etc/portage/package.use/polkit
>>   sys-auth/polkit-0.113-r -gtk
>> 
>> And boy did those changes you've been posting really make a difference
>
> Stop messing arund with package.use, trying to turn the flag off one
> package at a time. Either use the default/linux/x86/13.0 profile, which
> has a bare minimum set of USE flags set, or set -gtk in make.conf.
>
> The developer profiles are for Gentoo developers and set options for
> those creating ebuilds, you don't need that, use the base profile only.

Made that change soon as Andre and Dale spoke up.

Thanks for the tips and commentary about profiles... good to know.

Maybe you missed this from back up the thread:

Harry wrote:
> Also, I thought it might help to stick a use flag of `-gtk' in
> make.conf. But when I did that just now as an experiment instead of
> the output below I got a huge list of x11- pkgs to be installed.
> Now changed back I get the output below.

But that was before setting the profile to:
[...]/default/linux/x86/13.0
as suggested by several posters now.

Now under the new profile what you suggest... removing the polkit -gtk
from /etc/portage/package.use and putting `-gtk' in make.conf had a
good effect on emerge -vuNDp world.

Thanks for bringing it backup... made difference under the proper
profile.

[gentoo-user] Re: go to a no-x console from failed X + lxde install

[Harry Putnam]

Andrej Rode  writes:

> Hi,
>
>> (dependency required by "gnome-extra/polkit-gnome-0.105-r1::gentoo" 
>> [installed])
>> (dependency required by "sys-auth/polkit-0.113-r1::gentoo[gtk]" [installed])
>> (dependency required by "sys-auth/consolekit-1.1.0-r1::gentoo[policykit]" 
>> [installed])
>> (dependency required by "sys-auth/pambase-20150213::gentoo[consolekit]" 
>> [installed])
>> (dependency required by "net-misc/openssh-7.3_p1-r8::gentoo[pam]" [ebuild])
>> (dependency required by "virtual/ssh-0::gentoo[-minimal]" [installed])
>> (dependency required by "@system" [set])
>> (dependency required by "@world" [argument])
>> These are the packages that would be merged, in order:
>
> This output now shows us that `> (dependency required by
> "sys-auth/polkit-0.113-r1::gentoo[gtk]" [installed])` polkit has the gtk
> useflag and therefore it tries to build `polkit-gnome` which in fact
> requires gtk.
>
> Instead of setting USE=-gtk in your `/etc/portage/make.conf` try setting
> `sys-auth/consolekit-1.1.0-r1 -gtk` in `/etc/portage/package.use/polkit`

I guessed you meant to say polkit  so:
root # cat /etc/portage/package.use/polkit
  sys-auth/polkit-0.113-r -gtk

And boy did those changes you've been posting really make a difference

I have a nice hefty list of nearly all non-x stuff ...

One item puzzles me a bit:

  [ebuild  N ] x11-misc/shared-mime-info-1.7::gentoo  USE="{-test}" 0 KiB

Using Dales suggestion of --tree I see a whole list of stuff pulling
that in.  The closest culprit seems to be:
  dev-libs/glib-2.50.2:[...] USE+"mime [...]"
  
  But maybe `shared-mime-info' is something one might use reading mail
  or such?
  
I guess the `nomerge' part means its already installed?

Its a bit confusing seeing what is actually doing the pulling:
Is it `virtual/ssh-0'

[ebuild   R] virtual/ssh-0::gentoo  USE="minimal*" 0 KiB
[nomerge   ] sys-apps/pciutils-3.5.2::gentoo  USE="kmod [...]
[nomerge   ]  virtual/libudev-232:0/1::gentoo  USE="-static-libs[...]
[ebuild   R]   sys-fs/eudev-3.2::gentoo  USE="hwdb kmod [...]
[nomerge   ] sys-fs/udev-init-scripts-32::gentoo
[nomerge   ]  virtual/udev-217::gentoo  USE="-systemd"
[nomerge   ]   sys-fs/eudev-3.2::gentoo  USE="hwdb kmod [...]
[nomerge   ]virtual/pkgconfig-0-r1::gentoo
[nomerge   ] dev-util/pkgconfig-0.29.1::gentoo  USE="-hardened [...]
[nomerge   ]  dev-libs/glib-2.50.2:2::gentoo  USE="mime xattr [...]
[ebuild  N ]   x11-misc/shared-mime-info-1.7::gentoo  USE="{-test}"[...]


Thanks for the help and the url pointers I snipped.

[gentoo-user] Re: go to a no-x console from failed X + lxde install

[Harry Putnam]

Andrej Rode <m...@andrejro.de> writes:

> Hi Harry,
>
> On 09/12/16 18:23, Harry Putnam wrote:
>> # required by x11-libs/gtk+-2.24.31-r1::gentoo
>> # required by x11-libs/gtksourceview-2.10.5-r3::gentoo
>> # required by dev-python/pygtksourceview-2.10.1-r1::gentoo
>> # required by dev-vcs/git-2.11.0::gentoo[python,gtk]
>
> This tells me that you may have the gtk use flag for git set. Try to
> unset it and rerun emerge.

Yup, there was and must still be for some other things because the
changes after both the moves you suggested, running
emerge -vuDNp world was a few lines less output... but otherwise
pretty much the same. (posted at the end) 

cat /etc/portage/package.use/git
dev-vcs/git -gtk -webdav

> Also set your profile `eselect profile {set,list}` to a non-desktop
> version. This should configure your base system not to use X.
> Keep track if anything else in your package.use contains gtk.

I did look at doing that very thing before posting OP but I had a hard
time figuring out what to pick.

I went ahead and set [...]/defauilt/linux/x86/13.0/developer

Even though I am a very far cry from that lofty status.  Am I creating
more problems with that?  Does that setting also hark of X

There aren't that many that aren't desktop related or selenix or
hardened or something else like uclibc or musl.. that I don't know
anything about.

Maybe the very first choice would be better:
  [1]   default/linux/x86/13.0
  
Seems like that might expect X as well
I expected to find a choice of `server' but don't see that.


Even with the leg up you gave me, I'm still not real sure what the output
is telling me:

Like where it says something is required by an x11- pkg .. well those
are all unmerged.

Or the chunk at the bottom listing quite a few non-X pkgs but saying:

(dependency required by "net-misc/openssh-7.3_p1-r8::gentoo[pam]" [ebuild])

   What dependancy.. use use flag of X?

Also, I thought it might help to stick a use flag of `-gtk' in
make.conf. But when I did that just now as an experiment instead of
the output below I got a huge list of x11- pkgs to be installed.
Now changed back I get the output below.

---   ---   ---=---   ---   --- 
emerge -vuNDp

These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

Calculating dependencies... done!

The following USE changes are necessary to proceed:
 (see "package.use" in the portage(5) man page for more details)
# required by x11-libs/gtk+-2.24.31-r1::gentoo
# required by x11-themes/gtk-engines-adwaita-3.20.2::gentoo
>=x11-libs/cairo-1.14.6 X
# required by x11-libs/gtk+-2.24.31-r1::gentoo
# required by x11-themes/gtk-engines-adwaita-3.20.2::gentoo
>=x11-libs/gdk-pixbuf-2.36.0 X

!!! The ebuild selected to satisfy "x11-libs/gtk+:3" has unmet requirements.
- x11-libs/gtk+-3.22.4::gentoo USE="introspection -X (-aqua) -broadway 
-cloudprint -colord -cups -examples -test -vim-syntax -wayland -xinerama"

  The following REQUIRED_USE flag constraints are unsatisfied:
any-of ( aqua wayland X )

  The above constraints are a subset of the following complete expression:
any-of ( aqua wayland X ) xinerama? ( X )

(dependency required by "gnome-extra/polkit-gnome-0.105-r1::gentoo" [installed])
(dependency required by "sys-auth/polkit-0.113-r1::gentoo[gtk]" [installed])
(dependency required by "sys-auth/consolekit-1.1.0-r1::gentoo[policykit]" 
[installed])
(dependency required by "sys-auth/pambase-20150213::gentoo[consolekit]" 
[installed])
(dependency required by "net-misc/openssh-7.3_p1-r8::gentoo[pam]" [ebuild])
(dependency required by "virtual/ssh-0::gentoo[-minimal]" [installed])
(dependency required by "@system" [set])
(dependency required by "@world" [argument])
These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

Calculating dependencies... done!

The following USE changes are necessary to proceed:
 (see "package.use" in the portage(5) man page for more details)
# required by x11-libs/gtk+-2.24.31-r1::gentoo
# required by x11-themes/gtk-engines-adwaita-3.20.2::gentoo
>=x11-libs/cairo-1.14.6 X
# required by x11-libs/gtk+-2.24.31-r1::gentoo
# required by x11-themes/gtk-engines-adwaita-3.20.2::gentoo
>=x11-libs/gdk-pixbuf-2.36.0 X

!!! The ebuild selected to satisfy "x11-libs/gtk+:3" has unmet requirements.
- x11-libs/gtk+-3.22.4::gentoo USE="introspection -X (-aqua) -broadway 
-cloudprint -colord -cups -examples -test -vim-syntax -wayland -xinerama"

  The following REQUIRED_USE flag constraints are unsatisfied:
any-of ( aqua wayland X )

  The above constraints are a subset of the following complete expression:
any-of ( aqua wayland X ) xinerama? ( X )

(dependency required by "gnome-extra/polkit-gnome-0.105-r1::gentoo" [installed])
(dependency required by "sys-auth/polkit-0.113-r1:

[gentoo-user] go to a no-x console from failed X + lxde install

[Harry Putnam]

Since I've found no way to make the machine run X and grown tired of
the chase... I'm going to keep this vm as console only and it has
functioning sendmail install working on it.

How to return to a console only setup?  Although, I may have already
screwed things up.

I took a bright notion to uninstall everything with x11- in its name.

Unmerged all lxde stuff too.

Following that move, I ran revdep-rebuild... it said I had a
consistent machine.

I changed my make.conf USE= flags from X to -X so they look like this:

USE="bindist gpm mbox -X -acl -alsa -cups -eds
 -fortran -ipv6 -kde -ldap"

Removed 3 lxce pkgs from world file and made sure no other X items
were in it.

ran emerge -vuDNp world... and it appears emerge is wanting to start
re-installing some X pkgs:

How can I clean this up?

(list of uninstalled pkgs posted at the end)

---   ---   ---=---   ---   ---
# emerge -vuDNp world

These are the packages that would be merged, in order:

Calculating dependencies... done!

The following USE changes are necessary to proceed:
 (see "package.use" in the portage(5) man page for more details)
# required by x11-libs/gtk+-2.24.31-r1::gentoo
# required by x11-libs/gtksourceview-2.10.5-r3::gentoo
# required by dev-python/pygtksourceview-2.10.1-r1::gentoo
# required by dev-vcs/git-2.11.0::gentoo[python,gtk]
# required by @selected
# required by @world (argument)
>=x11-libs/cairo-1.14.6 X
# required by x11-libs/gtk+-2.24.31-r1::gentoo
# required by x11-libs/gtksourceview-2.10.5-r3::gentoo
# required by dev-python/pygtksourceview-2.10.1-r1::gentoo
# required by dev-vcs/git-2.11.0::gentoo[python,gtk]
# required by @selected
# required by @world (argument)
>=x11-libs/gdk-pixbuf-2.36.0 X

!!! The ebuild selected to satisfy "x11-libs/gtk+:3" has unmet requirements.
- x11-libs/gtk+-3.22.4::gentoo USE="introspection -X (-aqua) -broadway 
-cloudprint -colord -cups -examples -test -vim-syntax -wayland -xinerama"

  The following REQUIRED_USE flag constraints are unsatisfied:
any-of ( aqua wayland X )

  The above constraints are a subset of the following complete expression:
any-of ( aqua wayland X ) xinerama? ( X )

(dependency required by "gnome-extra/polkit-gnome-0.105-r1::gentoo" [installed])
(dependency required by "sys-auth/polkit-0.113-r1::gentoo[gtk]" [installed])
(dependency required by "sys-auth/consolekit-1.1.0-r1::gentoo[policykit]" 
[installed])
(dependency required by "sys-auth/pambase-20150213::gentoo[consolekit]" 
[installed])
(dependency required by "net-misc/openssh-7.3_p1-r8::gentoo[pam]" [ebuild])
(dependency required by "virtual/ssh-0::gentoo[-minimal]" [installed])
(dependency required by "@system" [set])
(dependency required by "@world" [argument])

---   ---   ---=---   ---   ---
List of unmerged pkgs... (may have a few dups in there)
---   ---   ---=---   ---   ---

1481323166: === Unmerging... (x11-themes/adwaita-icon-theme-3.22.0)
1481323199: === Unmerging... (x11-themes/gnome-themes-standard-3.22.2)
1481323231: === Unmerging... (x11-themes/gtk-engines-adwaita-3.20.2)
1481323250: === Unmerging... (x11-themes/hicolor-icon-theme-0.15)
1481323270: === Unmerging... (x11-wm/openbox-3.6.1)
1481323562: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/bigreqsproto-1.1.2)
1481323583: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/compositeproto-0.4.2-r1)
1481323604: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/damageproto-1.2.1-r1)
1481323626: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/dri2proto-2.8-r1)
1481323647: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/dri3proto-1.0)
1481323669: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/fixesproto-5.0-r1)
1481323690: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/fontsproto-2.1.3)
1481323710: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/glproto-1.4.17-r1)
1481323732: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/inputproto-2.3.2)
1481323753: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/kbproto-1.0.7)
1481323775: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/presentproto-1.0)
1481323840: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/randrproto-1.5.0)
1481323861: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/recordproto-1.14.2-r1)
1481323883: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/renderproto-0.11.1-r1)
1481323904: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/resourceproto-1.2.0)
1481323924: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/scrnsaverproto-1.2.2-r1)
1481324028: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/trapproto-3.4.3)
1481324048: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/videoproto-2.3.3)
1481324069: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/xcb-proto-1.12-r2)
1481324093: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/xcmiscproto-1.2.2)
1481324114: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/xextproto-7.3.0)
1481324135: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/xf86bigfontproto-1.2.0-r1)
1481324157: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/xf86dgaproto-2.1-r2)
1481324178: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/xf86driproto-2.1.1-r1)
1481324199: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/xf86rushproto-1.1.2-r1)
1481324219: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/xf86vidmodeproto-2.3.1-r1)
1481324241: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/xineramaproto-1.2.1-r1)
1481324262: === Unmerging... (x11-proto/xproto-7.0.31)
1481324519: === Unmerging... 

[gentoo-user] Re: newish vbox gentoo guest crashes from startx

[Harry Putnam]

Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> writes:

> [ebuild R ] x11-base/xorg-server-1.18.4:0/1.18.4::gentoo USE="doc
> glamor suid udev xorg -dmx -ipv6 -kdrive -libressl -minimal (-selinux)
> -static-libs -systemd -tslib -unwind -wayland -xephyr -xnest -xvfb" 0
> KiB
> [ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-input-mouse-1.9.2::gentoo  0 KiB
> [ebuild R ] x11-drivers/xf86-video-virtualbox-5.1.10::gentoo USE="dri"
> PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7" 0 KiB
> [ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-input-evdev-2.10.4::gentoo  0 KiB
> [ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.9.0::gentoo  0 KiB
>
> I'm proceeding with those rebuilds now.

As posted previously there was no change in behavior following above
activity still `startlxde' gets no response, just a returned prompt
after a very brief pause (maybe 1.5 sec).

startx still causes a full bodied crash.

Further... sometimes a feeze happens when none of the logins are
active.  Can't tell what activity brings it about.

So, I'm guessing there is some underlying problem that has yet to be
uncovered.  I'm mostly out of ideas.

Still hoping someone will have some notions about how to further
diagnose this install.  I'm checking logs and watching behavior.  I'll
keep the install as command line only for mail for now...

[gentoo-user] Re: newish vbox gentoo guest crashes from startx

[Harry Putnam]

Harry Putnam <rea...@newsguy.com> writes:

[...]

>> The only thing I can think of left to check is
>> emerge @x11-module-rebuild
>> and see what it will install
>
>
> [ebuild R ] x11-base/xorg-server-1.18.4:0/1.18.4::gentoo USE="doc
> glamor suid udev xorg -dmx -ipv6 -kdrive -libressl -minimal (-selinux)
> -static-libs -systemd -tslib -unwind -wayland -xephyr -xnest -xvfb" 0
> KiB
> [ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-input-mouse-1.9.2::gentoo  0 KiB
> [ebuild R ] x11-drivers/xf86-video-virtualbox-5.1.10::gentoo USE="dri"
> PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7" 0 KiB
> [ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-input-evdev-2.10.4::gentoo  0 KiB
> [ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.9.0::gentoo  0 KiB
>
> I'm proceeding with those rebuilds now.

Rebuilds finished... still:
  startlxde has no effect whatever

  startx causes a full on crash

Just a point of interest and possible diagnostic data.

The lists below show a group of x11 pkgs that are uniq on a previous
gentoo install that is successfully running lxde. That is, the listed
pkgs are on the successful host but not on the problem host.

I did not think any of them looked like possible causes of my problem.

The second list (of one) below shows a pkg on the problem host that is
not on the succesfull host.  Again does not appear to be a possible
cause of my problem


 uniq on successful lxde running host gv

  x11-apps/bdftopcf
  x11-apps/luit
  x11-apps/xcursorgen
  x11-apps/xkill
  x11-apps/xlsfonts
  x11-apps/xmessage
  x11-apps/xmodmap
  x11-apps/xpr
  x11-apps/xsetroot
  x11-apps/xwd
  x11-libs/libXScrnSaver
  x11-libs/libXaw3d
  x11-libs/pangox-compat
  x11-misc/xbindkeys
  x11-terms/xterm
  x11-themes/sound-theme-freedesktop
  

Uniq on problem host g0

  x11-apps/xrefresh

[gentoo-user] Re: newish vbox gentoo guest crashes from startx

[Harry Putnam]

Alan McKinnon <alan.mckin...@gmail.com> writes:

> On 08/12/2016 02:26, Harry Putnam wrote:
>> Alan McKinnon <alan.mckin...@gmail.com> writes:
>> 

[...]

>>>> Theoretically the install should be ready now to run X and lxde.
>>>> However, when I run `startlxde' nothing whatsoever happens.  At least
>>>> not at the command line or visibly.  Prompt just returns lamely.
>>>>
>>>> However, if I run startx.  The vm crashes clear to power off or
>>>> sometimes just becomes inoperable with these error messages showing.
>>>> (Note: nothing can be clicked moved or etc at this point)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Your first problem seems to be you don't have any input or output
>>> devices. Please post
>>>
>>> - eix xorg-server
>>> - values of INPUT_DEVICES and VIDEO_CARDS from make.conf
>> 
>>> - confirm that you built the kernel with evdev and the kernel module is
>>> loaded
>> 
>> harry > eix xorg-server
>> [I] x11-base/xorg-server

[...]

>> harry > grep VIDEO /etc/portage/make.conf
>> VIDEO_CARDS="virtualbox"
>> 
>> I don't have anthing in make.conf about Input devices nor have I had
>> on 2 other gentoo installs that successfully ran lxde.
>> 
>> I've used the same make.conf with little variation on all three
>> 
>> ---   ---   ---=---   ---   --- 
>> 
>> harry > cd /lib/modules
>> 
>> harry > grep -r evdev.ko *
>> Binary file 4.8.8-gentoo/modules.dep.bin matches
>> 4.8.8-gentoo/modules.order:kernel/drivers/input/evdev.ko
>> 4.8.8-gentoo/modules.dep:kernel/drivers/input/evdev.ko:
>> 
>> ---   ---   ---=---   ---   ---
>> 
>> harry > sudo lsmod
>> Module  Size  Used by
>> vboxguest 171071  0
>> evdev   8704  0
>
>
>
> All that looks OK.
> AFAIR xorg uses evdev as the default, so if you don't specify it
> explicitly, it's what you get.

Is there something I should be specify explicitly?

I guess you mean in make.conf with INPUT_DEVICES=

> Just for fun, do you have x11-drivers/xf86-input-evdev emerged?

harry > eix x11-drivers/xf86-input-evdev
[I] x11-drivers/xf86-input-evdev
 Available versions:  2.9.1 2.9.2 2.10.3 (~)2.10.4
 Installed versions:  2.10.4(22:57:23 11/18/16)
 Homepage:https://www.x.org/wiki/
 Description: Generic Linux input driver


I'm currently trying to compare what is installed on another gentoo
guest on a solaris host with what I have on this one in the x11
department, using qlop -l but it gets a bit difficult with updates
showing the same base-names repeatedly on that host since its been in
business quite a bit longer.

Thought about using uniq and sort in someway to ascertain things but
have totally forgotten how to use it, I even wrote an awk script once
to uniqify lists, but of course it appears to have gone the way of the
doodoo bird.

AAR, it appears so far to have the same stuff on each.  So there still
must be something basic different.


> The only thing I can think of left to check is
> emerge @x11-module-rebuild
> and see what it will install


[ebuild   R] x11-base/xorg-server-1.18.4:0/1.18.4::gentoo  USE="doc glamor 
suid udev xorg -dmx -ipv6 -kdrive -libressl -minimal (-selinux) -static-libs 
-systemd -tslib -unwind -wayland -xephyr -xnest -xvfb" 0 KiB
[ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-input-mouse-1.9.2::gentoo  0 KiB
[ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-video-virtualbox-5.1.10::gentoo  USE="dri" 
PYTHON_TARGETS="python2_7" 0 KiB
[ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-input-evdev-2.10.4::gentoo  0 KiB
[ebuild   R] x11-drivers/xf86-input-keyboard-1.9.0::gentoo  0 KiB

I'm proceeding with those rebuilds now.

[gentoo-user] Re: newish vbox gentoo guest crashes from startx

[Harry Putnam]

Alan McKinnon <alan.mckin...@gmail.com> writes:

> On 07/12/2016 17:34, Harry Putnam wrote:
>> Setup:
>> 
>>gentoo 32bit vbox guest on win 10 64bit host
>>Installed xorg-server, lxde Meta pkgs and deps
>>(along with many other pkgs ... to many to list
>>here but included at the end)
>> 
>> uname -a:
>>   Linux g0 4.8.8-gentoo #2 Fri Nov 18 20:16:14 EST 2016 i686 Intel(R)
>>   Xeon(R) CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux
>> 
>> Theoretically the install should be ready now to run X and lxde.
>> However, when I run `startlxde' nothing whatsoever happens.  At least
>> not at the command line or visibly.  Prompt just returns lamely.
>> 
>> However, if I run startx.  The vm crashes clear to power off or
>> sometimes just becomes inoperable with these error messages showing.
>> (Note: nothing can be clicked moved or etc at this point)
>
>
>
> Your first problem seems to be you don't have any input or output
> devices. Please post
>
> - eix xorg-server
> - values of INPUT_DEVICES and VIDEO_CARDS from make.conf

> - confirm that you built the kernel with evdev and the kernel module is
> loaded

harry > eix xorg-server
[I] x11-base/xorg-server
 Available versions:  1.12.4-r5(0/1.12.4) 1.12.4-r7(0/1.12.4) 
1.15.2-r2(0/1.15.2) 1.15.2-r4(0/1.15.2) 1.16.4(0/1.16.1) 1.16.4-r5(0/1.16.1) 
1.17.4(0/1.17.4) (~)1.18.0(0/1.18.0) (~)1.18.1(0/1.18.1) (~)1.18.2(0/1.18.2) 
(~)1.18.3(0/1.18.3) 1.18.4(0/1.18.4) [M](~)1.19.0(0/1.19.0) **(0/) {dmx 
doc glamor ipv6 kdrive libressl minimal nptl selinux static-libs +suid systemd 
tslib +udev unwind wayland xephyr xnest xorg xvfb}
 Installed versions:  1.18.4(21:29:32 12/06/16)(doc glamor suid udev xorg 
-dmx -ipv6 -kdrive -libressl -minimal -selinux -static-libs -systemd -tslib 
-unwind -wayland -xephyr -xnest -xvfb)
 Homepage:https://www.x.org/wiki/
 Description: X.Org X servers

----   ---=---   -  

harry > grep VIDEO /etc/portage/make.conf
VIDEO_CARDS="virtualbox"

I don't have anthing in make.conf about Input devices nor have I had
on 2 other gentoo installs that successfully ran lxde.

I've used the same make.conf with little variation on all three

---   ---   ---=---   ---   --- 

harry > cd /lib/modules

harry > grep -r evdev.ko *
Binary file 4.8.8-gentoo/modules.dep.bin matches
4.8.8-gentoo/modules.order:kernel/drivers/input/evdev.ko
4.8.8-gentoo/modules.dep:kernel/drivers/input/evdev.ko:

---   ---   ---=---   ---   ---

harry > sudo lsmod
Module  Size  Used by
vboxguest 171071  0
evdev   8704  0


> There's a decent X11 install page on the gentoo wiki, did you follow it?
> Installing on vbox is not too different from installing on metal except
> you don't use the video driver for the physical card, you use the vbox
> one (it's virtualized).

I used the gentoo lxde wiki, which basically says that once you've got
a basic gentoo install AND the xorg-server is installed you are ready
to install lxde.  It recommends using the meta package which I did.

I assumed emerge would take care of dependants.

> Lastly, why a 32 bit guest on a 64 bit host? There's little benefit from
> doing that, and amd64 is far better supported in general than x86_64.
> Plus you just create more work for the host.

Does that have bearing on my problem?

There were two reasons:
1) I hadn't yet found the BIOS switch to turn on Virtualization and
   the newer VBox since late 4.XX  I think, do not even offer 64 bit
   if it is not set in bios.  So the vbox version I used didn't have
   that on offer.

2) I found the discussions about the new approach with 2 sets of
   libraries and so forth to be pretty confusing... don't recall now
   exactly what things confused me... so I went straight 32 bit with the
   idea it would be less confusing.  And for 2 gentoo installs that
   seemed to be born out.

Since I had no trouble with those, thought I would stay with the tried
and true approach.  But apparently I missed something important or
some such.

[gentoo-user] newish vbox gentoo guest crashes from startx

[Harry Putnam]

Setup:

   gentoo 32bit vbox guest on win 10 64bit host
   Installed xorg-server, lxde Meta pkgs and deps
   (along with many other pkgs ... to many to list
   here but included at the end)

uname -a:
  Linux g0 4.8.8-gentoo #2 Fri Nov 18 20:16:14 EST 2016 i686 Intel(R)
  Xeon(R) CPU X5450 @ 3.00GHz GenuineIntel GNU/Linux

Theoretically the install should be ready now to run X and lxde.
However, when I run `startlxde' nothing whatsoever happens.  At least
not at the command line or visibly.  Prompt just returns lamely.

However, if I run startx.  The vm crashes clear to power off or
sometimes just becomes inoperable with these error messages showing.
(Note: nothing can be clicked moved or etc at this point)


I'm having trouble figuring out where to start to get a handle on
this.

This is not my first time installing gentoo in a vbox vm... I've done
several over time and two just of late.  Although the installs were
not trouble free, I had none of this sort of trouble.

Posting /var/log/Xorg.0.log which shows several modules not loading.
vesa and fbdev... but checking my kernel compile I see both were
selected for.  Other parts I'm not sure what they might mean.

Also included below is last 175 lines of a debug.log I have setup in
rsyslog.

I can't tell how many lines to include so just a shot in the dark.
There are a number of lines about Vbox not recognizing symbols

And finally a full listing of everthing that has been installed. Which
runs to 650+ lines. So massive amount of data... which seems
.. unavoidable.   I've labeled each between these:
---   ---   ---=---   ---   ---
LABEL
---   ---   ---=---   ---   ---

Labels are:

   Xorg.0.log
   tail_of_debug.log
   installed_pkgs_list.txt

Hopefull will make jumping around a bit easier if anyone even gets
that far.

---   ---   ---=---   ---   ---
Xorg.0.log
---   ---   ---=---   ---   --- 
[  1215.250] 
X.Org X Server 1.18.4
Release Date: 2016-07-19
[  1215.262] X Protocol Version 11, Revision 0
[  1215.266] Build Operating System: Linux 4.8.8-gentoo i686 Gentoo
[  1215.268] Current Operating System: Linux g0 4.8.8-gentoo #2 Fri Nov 18 
20:16:14 EST 2016 i686
[  1215.268] Kernel command line: root=/dev/sda3 vga=0x31b 
video=vesfb:mtrr:3,ywrap
[  1215.272] Build Date: 06 December 2016  09:05:57PM
[  1215.274]  
[  1215.277] Current version of pixman: 0.34.0
[  1215.287]Before reporting problems, check http://wiki.x.org
to make sure that you have the latest version.
[  1215.287] Markers: (--) probed, (**) from config file, (==) default setting,
(++) from command line, (!!) notice, (II) informational,
(WW) warning, (EE) error, (NI) not implemented, (??) unknown.
[  1215.295] (==) Log file: "/var/log/Xorg.0.log", Time: Wed Dec  7 10:07:52 
2016
[  1215.348] (==) Using config directory: "/etc/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[  1215.350] (==) Using system config directory "/usr/share/X11/xorg.conf.d"
[  1215.371] (==) No Layout section.  Using the first Screen section.
[  1215.371] (==) No screen section available. Using defaults.
[  1215.371] (**) |-->Screen "Default Screen Section" (0)
[  1215.371] (**) |   |-->Monitor ""
[  1215.372] (==) No monitor specified for screen "Default Screen Section".
Using a default monitor configuration.
[  1215.372] (==) Automatically adding devices
[  1215.372] (==) Automatically enabling devices
[  1215.372] (==) Automatically adding GPU devices
[  1215.373] (==) Max clients allowed: 256, resource mask: 0x1f
[  1215.385] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/misc/" does not exist.
[  1215.385]Entry deleted from font path.
[  1215.385] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/TTF/" does not exist.
[  1215.385]Entry deleted from font path.
[  1215.385] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/OTF/" does not exist.
[  1215.385]Entry deleted from font path.
[  1215.385] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/Type1/" does not exist.
[  1215.385]Entry deleted from font path.
[  1215.385] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/100dpi/" does not exist.
[  1215.385]Entry deleted from font path.
[  1215.385] (WW) The directory "/usr/share/fonts/75dpi/" does not exist.
[  1215.385]Entry deleted from font path.
[  1215.385] (==) FontPath set to:

[  1215.385] (==) ModulePath set to "/usr/lib/xorg/modules"
[  1215.385] (II) The server relies on udev to provide the list of input 
devices.
If no devices become available, reconfigure udev or disable 
AutoAddDevices.
[  1215.386] (II) Loader magic: 0x8282620
[  1215.386] (II) Module ABI versions:
[  1215.386]X.Org ANSI C Emulation: 0.4
[  1215.386]X.Org Video Driver: 20.0
[  1215.386]X.Org XInput driver : 22.1
[  1215.386]X.Org Server Extension : 9.0
[  1215.390] (--) PCI:*(0:0:2:0) 80ee:beef:: rev 0, Mem @ 
0xe000/33554432, BIOS @ 0x/131072
[  1215.390] (II) LoadModule: "glx"

[gentoo-user] Re: basic trouble with sendmail config

[Harry Putnam]

John Covici  writes:

> Well, you have several issues, looks like procmail executable does not
> have correct permissions, should be
> -rwsr-s--x 1 root root
> or at least this is the way I have it.

The issue with procmail was that it was not even installed... Suprised
me at first but this is a rather new install and hadn't gotten that
done yet.

Anyway, once emerged /usr/bin/procmail has the same permissions as you posted.

> If you need to send out on port 587, you need to enable starttls by
> generating a cert, or getting one from somewhere, defining the
> mechanisms and other things.  I think once you get that done things
> will work, or you will be able to figure it out easily.

For anyone stumbling on this thread looking for sendmail info I post
the following, and to conclude our thread.

I see the sendmail sources do have CACerts file in top level of the
unpacked sources.  Maybe that is what folks use.  Also there is some
explanation in one of the READMEs as well but still was not at all
clear what really needed doing but actually:

I dodged the issue altogether and swiched my smart host from
smtp.gmail.com (which demands STARTTLS) to smtp.newsguy.com.  So when
sending to a gmail address now newsguy takes care of whatever it is
with Certs.

Should have tried that sooner... but there was enough other stuff
wrong that probably wouldn't have worked yet anyway.

All working for now. Sending works, even to gmail addresses.  And
others work.  Logs show no problems.

Thanks for the help.

[gentoo-user] Re: basic trouble with sendmail config

[Harry Putnam]

John Covici <cov...@ccs.covici.com> writes:

> On Sun, 04 Dec 2016 21:23:34 -0500,
> Harry Putnam wrote:
>> 
>> Volker Armin Hemmann <volkerar...@googlemail.com> writes:
>> 
>> > Am 04.12.2016 um 20:09 schrieb Harry Putnam:
>> >
>> > is there a good reason you chose sendmail over postfix? Do you hate
>> > yourself? You are a masochist?
>> >
>> > I found sendmail the worst piece of software I ever had to deal with.
>> > Windows XP user management in a mixed environment with shares is
>> > delightful, writing bind config files or XFree86 configs by hand was
>> > nice, easy and a joy compared to sendmail.
>> 
>> All the above.  If you are really into pain... where pulled
>> fingernails are the lowest starter level ... sendmail is something
>> I'd only dreamed about  till now.
>> 
>> OK, is there really nobody here that uses sendmail?  
>> 
>> I'm pretty sure the kind of immediate and complete failure I'm seeing
>> is something horribly missconfigured and might not be that much to
>> fix. If I could understand what is causing the fuss.
>
> I use it all the time with no problems.  Did you do the -X or increase
> the loglevel?

I increaded log level.. still researching about -X.

  define(`confLOG_LEVEL', `14')dnl

Now in sendmail.mc and the m4'ed product sendmail.cf

First off, I went to sendmail site downloaded the latest and compiled
from scratch. Now some of the advice in the README's about compiling
and m4 procedure actually work since stuff is in place where sendmail
expects it.  The gentoo install lacks some of the expected files and
tools. And has things in different places than un-touched sources
expect.

It appears my choice of smtp SMART HOST (smtp.gmail.com) may be
requiring STARTTLS I'm not sure how that is supposed to work my
googling seems to show a complicated process of creating certs etc etc

Anyone know how that is done for a linux box.

latest SMTP conversation and log output, followed by sendmail.mc:
---   ---   ---=---   ---   ---
  SMTP output
---   ---   ---=---   ---   --- 

harry > tmail hputn...@gmail.com
sending like this:
mailx -v -s "TEST 161205_221704 g0" hputn...@gmail.com < /tmp/msg-161205_221704
hputn...@gmail.com... Connecting to [127.0.0.1] via relay...
220 g0.local.lan ESMTP Sendmail 8.15.2/8.15.2; Mon, 5 Dec 2016 22:17:12 -0500
>>> EHLO g0.local.lan
250-g0.local.lan Hello g0.local.lan [127.0.0.1], pleased to meet you
250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
250-PIPELINING
250-EXPN
250-VERB
250-8BITMIME
250-SIZE
250-DSN
250-ETRN
250-DELIVERBY
250 HELP
>>> VERB
250 2.0.0 Verbose mode
>>> MAIL From:<ha...@g0.local.lan> SIZE=6970
250 2.1.0 <ha...@g0.local.lan>... Sender ok
>>> RCPT To:<hputn...@gmail.com>
>>> DATA
250 2.1.5 <hputn...@gmail.com>... Recipient ok
354 Enter mail, end with "." on a line by itself
>>> .
050 <hputn...@gmail.com>... Connecting to gmail-smtp-msa.l.google.com. port 587 
via relay...
050 220 smtp.gmail.com ESMTP m136sm7913890ywd.19 - gsmtp
050 >>> EHLO g0.local.lan
050 250-smtp.gmail.com at your service, [76.97.132.53]
050 250-SIZE 35882577
050 250-8BITMIME
050 250-STARTTLS
050 250-ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
050 250-PIPELINING
050 250-CHUNKING
050 250 SMTPUTF8
050 >>> MAIL From:<ha...@newsguy.com> SIZE=7234
050 530 5.7.0 Must issue a STARTTLS command first. m136sm7913890ywd.19 - gsmtp
050 <ha...@g0.local.lan>... Connecting to local...
250 2.0.0 uB63HCsI003822 Message accepted for delivery
hputn...@gmail.com... Sent (uB63HCsI003822 Message accepted for delivery)
Closing connection to [127.0.0.1]
>>> QUIT
221 2.0.0 g0.local.lan closing connection

---   ---   ---=---   ---   ---
/var/log/mail.log output (formatted for email):
---   ---   ---=---   ---   ---

Dec  5 22:17:12 g0 sendmail[3821]: uB63H7Ew003821: from=harry,
size=6970, class=0, nrcpts=1,
msgid=<201612060317.ub63h7ew003...@g0.local.lan>,
relay=harry@localhost

Dec 5 22:17:12 g0 sm-mta[3822]: NOQUEUE: connect from g0.local.lan
[127.0.0.1]

Dec 5 22:17:12 g0 sm-mta[3822]: uB63HCsI003822: Milter: no active
filter

Dec 5 22:17:13 g0 sm-mta[3822]: uB63HCsI003822:
from=<ha...@g0.local.lan>, size=7234, class=0, nrcpts=1,
msgid=<201612060317.ub63h7ew003...@g0.local.lan>, proto=ESMTP,
daemon=MTA-v4, relay=g0.local.lan [127.0.0.1]

Dec 5 22:17:13 g0 sm-mta[3822]: uB63HCsI003822: SMTP outgoing connect
on g0.local.lan

Dec 5 22:17:13 g0 sm-mta[3822]: uB63HCsI003822:
to=<hputn...@gmail.com>, ctladdr=<ha...@g0.local.lan> (1000/1050),
delay=00:00:00, xdelay=00:00:00, mailer=relay, pri=37234,
relay=gmail-smtp-msa.l.google.com. [74.125.21.109], dsn

[gentoo-user] Re: basic trouble with sendmail config

[Harry Putnam]

Volker Armin Hemmann <volkerar...@googlemail.com> writes:

> Am 04.12.2016 um 20:09 schrieb Harry Putnam:
>
> is there a good reason you chose sendmail over postfix? Do you hate
> yourself? You are a masochist?
>
> I found sendmail the worst piece of software I ever had to deal with.
> Windows XP user management in a mixed environment with shares is
> delightful, writing bind config files or XFree86 configs by hand was
> nice, easy and a joy compared to sendmail.

All the above.  If you are really into pain... where pulled
fingernails are the lowest starter level ... sendmail is something
I'd only dreamed about  till now.

OK, is there really nobody here that uses sendmail?  

I'm pretty sure the kind of immediate and complete failure I'm seeing
is something horribly missconfigured and might not be that much to
fix. If I could understand what is causing the fuss.

[gentoo-user] Re: basic trouble with sendmail config

[Harry Putnam]

"J. Roeleveld"  writes:

[...]

> I stopped using sendmail when easier to configure alternatives came along. 
> Currently using Postfix.
>
> As such, I can't help in checking your config. But I do remember you
> had to compile the config files into a format sendmail actually can
> read. Did you do that part?

Yes
I m4'ed as explained in /usr/share/sendmail-cf/README

I didn't post the *.cf files because the sendmail.cf if very long and
not all that readable... and anyway what is in it is a direct result
of what is in sendmail.mc

I'm adding another piece of the output puzzle from /var/log/mail.log

  Dec 4 15:44:58 g0 sm-cm[8151]: uB4J3YBB003855:
  to=hputn...@gmail.com, ctladdr=harry (1000/1050), delay=01:41:24,
  xdelay=00:00:00, mailer=relay, pri=936804, relay=[127.0.0.1],
  dsn=4.0.0, stat=Deferred: 451 4.3.0 Temporary system failure. Please
  try again later.

[gentoo-user] basic trouble with sendmail config

[Harry Putnam]

After setting up the files for sendmail on my first attempt at
sending a msg I get this error as reported in the smtp conversation:

   Temporary system failure

That is a new one to me, and doesn't give much to start on.

It appears not to even get past the submit agent.

(Running a little script that uses mailx in verbose mode to capture
the action .. Runs the mailx command as shown below:

  harry > tmail hputn...@gmail.com
  sending like this:
  mailx -v -s "TEST 161204_134640 g0" hputn...@gmail.com < 
/tmp/msg-161204_134640
  hputn...@gmail.com... Connecting to [127.0.0.1] via relay...
  220 g0.local.lan ESMTP Sendmail 8.14.9/8.14.9; Sun, 4 Dec 2016 13:46:43 -0500
  >>> EHLO g0.local.lan
  250-g0.local.lan Hello g0.local.lan [127.0.0.1], pleased to meet you
  250 ENHANCEDSTATUSCODES
  >>> MAIL From:
  451 4.3.0 Temporary system failure. Please try again later.
  hputn...@gmail.com... Deferred: 451 4.3.0 Temporary system failure. Please 
try again later.
  Closing connection to [127.0.0.1]
  >>> QUIT
  221 2.0.0 g0.local.lan closing connection
  
sendmail.mc and submit.mc posted below:

(Sorry about excessive data but seems necessary for this)
---   ---   ---=---   ---   --- 

sendmail.mc:

divert(-1)dnl
#-
# $Sendmail: debproto.mc,v 8.14.4 2010-11-03 22:42:40 cowboy Exp $
#
# Copyright (c) 1998-2010 Richard Nelson.  All Rights Reserved.
#
# cf/debian/sendmail.mc.  Generated from sendmail.mc.in by configure.
#
# sendmail.mc prototype config file for building Sendmail 8.14.4
#
# Note: the .in file supports 8.7.6 - 9.0.0, but the generated
#   file is customized to the version noted above.
#
# This file is used to configure Sendmail for use with Debian systems.
#
# If you modify this file, you will have to regenerate /etc/mail/sendmail.cf
# by running this file through the m4 preprocessor via one of the following:
#   * make   (or make -C /etc/mail)
#   * sendmailconfig 
#   * m4 /etc/mail/sendmail.mc > /etc/mail/sendmail.cf
# The first two options are preferred as they will also update other files
# that depend upon the contents of this file.
#
# The best documentation for this .mc file is:
# /usr/share/doc/sendmail-doc/cf.README.gz
#
#-
divert(0)dnl
#
#   Copyright (c) 1998-2005 Richard Nelson.  All Rights Reserved.
#
#  This file is used to configure Sendmail for use with Debian systems.
#
dnl define(`_USE_ETC_MAIL_')dnl
include(`/usr/share/sendmail-cf/m4/cf.m4')dnl

VERSIONID(`$Id: hp1.mc,v 1.20 2016/12/04 11:17:08 g0 Exp $')
dnl # [HP 161204_101845  OSTYPE(`debian')dnl
dnl # changed to gentoo
OSTYPE(`linux')dnl
dnl # ]
DOMAIN(`generic')dnl
dnl # Items controlled by /etc/mail/sendmail.conf - DO NOT TOUCH HERE
dnl undefine(`confHOST_STATUS_DIRECTORY')dnl#DAEMON_HOSTSTATS=
dnl # Items controlled by /etc/mail/sendmail.conf - DO NOT TOUCH HERE
dnl #
dnl # General defines
dnl #
dnl # SAFE_FILE_ENV: [undefined] If set, sendmail will do a chroot()
dnl #   into this directory before writing files.
dnl #   If *all* your user accounts are under /home then use that
dnl #   instead - it will prevent any writes outside of /home !
dnl #   define(`confSAFE_FILE_ENV', `')dnl
dnl #
dnl # Daemon options - restrict to servicing LOCALHOST ONLY !!!
dnl # Remove `, Addr=' clauses to receive from any interface
dnl # If you want to support IPv6, switch the commented/uncommentd lines
dnl #
define(`PROCMAIL_MAILER_PATH',`/usr/bin/procmail')dnl
dnl the next one doesn't need to be present for client auth
define(`confAUTH_MECHANISMS',`LOGIN PLAIN')dnl
FEATURE(`access_db',`hash -T /etc/mail/access.db')dnl

FEATURE(`no_default_msa')dnl
dnl DAEMON_OPTIONS(`Family=inet6, Name=MTA-v6, Port=smtp, Addr=::1')dnl
DAEMON_OPTIONS(`Family=inet,  Name=MTA-v4, Port=smtp')dnl
dnl DAEMON_OPTIONS(`Family=inet6, Name=MSP-v6, Port=submission, M=Ea, 
Addr=::1')dnl
DAEMON_OPTIONS(`Family=inet,  Name=MSP-v4, Port=submission, M=Ea')dnl
dnl LOCAL_DOMAIN('g0.local.lan')dnl
dnl #
dnl # Be somewhat anal in what we allow
dnl CK define(`confPRIVACY_FLAGS', 
`needmailhelo,needexpnhelo,needvrfyhelo,restrictqrun,restrictexpand,nobodyreturn,authwarnings')dnl
dnl #
dnl # Define connection throttling and window length
define(`confCONNECTION_RATE_THROTTLE', `15')dnl
define(`confCONNECTION_RATE_WINDOW_SIZE',`10m')dnl
dnl #
dnl # Features
dnl #
dnl # use /etc/mail/local-host-names
dnl # [HP 161204_101724  FEATURE(`use_cw_file')dnl
dnl # Stopped using cw until further notice ]
dnl #
dnl # The greet_pause feature stops some automail bots - but check the
dnl # provided access db for details on excluding localhosts...
FEATURE(`greet_pause', `1000')dnl 1 seconds
dnl #
dnl # Delay_checks allows sender<->recipient checking
FEATURE(`delay_checks', `friend', `n')dnl
dnl #
dnl # If we get too many bad recipients, slow things down...
dnl CK 

[gentoo-user] Re: elog default lifespan

[Harry Putnam]

Daniel Campbell <z...@gentoo.org> writes:

> On 11/19/2016 04:21 PM, Harry Putnam wrote:
>> Mick <michaelkintz...@gmail.com> writes:
>> 
>>> On Saturday 19 Nov 2016 08:54:53 Harry Putnam wrote:
>>>> After looking thru the portage man pages, the make.conf.example in
>>>> /usr/share/portage/config, and the `Portage log wiki' it still is not
>>>> clear to me how long elogs are kept if you use the `save' flag in
>>>> make.conf or not.
>>>>
>>>> I did see something about '7 days' but it was not clear if that is the
>>>> default and `save' over-rides it or what.  Or if there is another flag
>>>> that controls there duration...
>>>>
>>>> Can anyone throw light on that?
>>>
>>> If you have logrotate then its configuration and associated cron jobs will 
>>> take 
>>> care of that.
>> 
>> What I want to know is if the elog program will do something on its
>> own... I'm wanting to hang on to the logs a good while... I saw
>> something in my readings about the elog system about 7 days... was not
>> clear if that is a defalult or what.
>> 
>> So my fear was losing them even if I am logrotate at them in some
>> capacity. So I'm asking about inside the elog program... what happens
>> to the logs and when.
>> 
>> 
> According to make.conf.example, PORTAGE_ELOG_SYSTEM="save" creates one
> log per package under $PORT_LOGDIR/elog (/var/log/portage/elog if unset).
>
> What this means is Portage will continue to use whatever path you have
> specified, and it's up to your syslogd or logrotate to determine whether
> those particular logs get deleted.
>
> I suggest looking through /etc/logrotate{.conf,.d/} and grokking things
> to determine how long your elogs will last. On my system, I noticed I
> have /etc/logrotate.d/elog-save-summary, so if you find a file like
> that, it's a good place to start. Without logrotate handling it, I see
> no reason to believe Portage will nix elog output after 7 days.
>

> In case I've missed something, could you link to the page that mentions
> 7 days? I searched through manpages and the wiki but haven't found any
> other "save" option or anything to do with elog and 7 days.

https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Portage_log

[About mid page ... But this may not be considered `elogs'... ]  

Next, a number of FEATURES settings influence how Portage handles build logs.

 With binpkg-logs set, even binary package deployments will have their
 logs saved

 When clean-logs is set, regular log file clean operations are
 executed. The command that is executed is defined by PORT_LOGDIR_CLEAN
 and defaults to a retention of the files of 7 days.

 With split-log set, build logs are stored in category-named
 subdirectories of ${PORT_LOGDIR}/build

  When clean-logs is set, Portage will execute the command defined by
  PORT_LOGDIR_CLEAN after every build or unmerge operation. By
  default, the following command is used:

[gentoo-user] Re: vm still grinding away at compiling webkitgtk-2.14.2

[Harry Putnam]

Rich Freeman  writes:

> Are you building in a tmpfs?  That would perform better than an ssd
> and would be much less wear on your flash besides.  Of course, some
> packages do take a while to build.  I don't notice as much now that I
> do most of my building from cron, but it can be painful when you have
> dependency chains or soname changes.

I hope this isn't more low grade density on my part but you do mean a
tmpfs on the vm right?

[gentoo-user] Re: `sets' & sets.conf

[Harry Putnam]

Neil Bothwick <n...@digimed.co.uk> writes:

> On Sat, 19 Nov 2016 19:43:56 -0500, Harry Putnam wrote:
>
>> > % cat /etc/portage/sets.conf
>> > [kernels]
>> > class = portage.sets.dbapi.OwnerSet
>> > world-candidate = False
>> > files = /usr/src
>> >
>> > then emerge -n @kernels  
>> 
>> This one kind of sails right over my head... not seeing what is
>> supposed to happen.
>
> It's in the part of my post you didn't quote, it stops older kernels
> being depcleaned. Basically it is saying that any package with files
> in /usr/src is a member of the kernels set. As emerge -n @kernels adds
> that to world_sets, nothing with files in /usr/src will even get
> depcleaned. It means I can keep as many or as few kernels as I want
> without having to fudge it in world.

Got it thanks again... can't really apologize for the densness factor
but I guess my punishment is ... I live with it...

[gentoo-user] Re: vm still grinding away at compiling webkitgtk-2.14.2

[Harry Putnam]

Rich Freeman  writes:

> IMO over-committing CPU isn't actually THAT bad.  The CPU obviously
> gets divided n ways, but that's as far as it goes.  There isn't that
> much overhead switching between VMs (though there certainly is some).

[...]

Thanks for the fuller picture and putting in the time to write it.

[gentoo-user] Re: vm still grinding away at compiling webkitgtk-2.14.2

[Harry Putnam]

"J. Roeleveld" <jo...@antarean.org> writes:

> On November 20, 2016 6:21:40 AM GMT+01:00, Alan McKinnon 
> <alan.mckin...@gmail.com> wrote:
>>On 20/11/2016 02:59, Harry Putnam wrote:
>>> An emerge of webkitgtk-2.14.2 has been running for over 2hrs.  I
>>> wonder if I am starving my vbox vm of gentoo with 3GB or ram.
>>> 
>>> Top's cpu usage is fluxuating between 45% and 99% during this compile
>>> 
>>> Portage pulling 99% by itself at times.
>>> 
>>> I thought 3GB was a bit high for a vm compared to what I've given
>>debian
>>> vms... can anyone give some guidance about how much ram to allow a
>>> gentoo vm in Vbox?
>>> 
>>> I'm on a windows 10 host with 32 GB ram but running a number of vms.
>>> 
>>> 
>>
>>Depends on what you are compiling. webkitgtk is a brute, so is
>>thunderbird, libreoffice and other usual culprits. Those sorts of build
>>systems need as much ram as you can spare whereas the rest of the time
>>vm itself needs as much as it needs to do whatever it is you want it to
>>do.
>>
>>What hypervisor are you using, and can you use memory ballooning?
>
> MS Windows desktop OSes are not the best platforms to run multiple VMs on.

I'm just experimenting with several OS's ... The Vbox vms I run for
actual work are hosted on Solaris x86 (openindiana)

> Also, overcommitting CPUs has a bad influence on performance,
> especially if the host wants to use all cores as well.

That is what I asked advice about.  What do you call
`overcommitting'.  For example with only 1 Vbox vm started and no
serious work being done by the windwos-10 os.  On an HP xw8600 with
older 2x Xeon 5.60 3.00Ghz with 32 GB ram

[gentoo-user] Re: vm still grinding away at compiling webkitgtk-2.14.2

[Harry Putnam]

Alan McKinnon <alan.mckin...@gmail.com> writes:

> On 20/11/2016 02:59, Harry Putnam wrote:
>> An emerge of webkitgtk-2.14.2 has been running for over 2hrs.  I
>> wonder if I am starving my vbox vm of gentoo with 3GB or ram.
>> 
>> Top's cpu usage is fluxuating between 45% and 99% during this compile
>> 
>> Portage pulling 99% by itself at times.
>> 
>> I thought 3GB was a bit high for a vm compared to what I've given debian
>> vms... can anyone give some guidance about how much ram to allow a
>> gentoo vm in Vbox?
>> 
>> I'm on a windows 10 host with 32 GB ram but running a number of vms.
>> 
>> 
>
> Depends on what you are compiling. webkitgtk is a brute, so is
> thunderbird, libreoffice and other usual culprits. Those sorts of build
> systems need as much ram as you can spare whereas the rest of the time
> vm itself needs as much as it needs to do whatever it is you want it to do.
>
> What hypervisor are you using, and can you use memory ballooning?

Sorry I meant to include that info... virtualbox-5.1.8

[gentoo-user] vm still grinding away at compiling webkitgtk-2.14.2

[Harry Putnam]

An emerge of webkitgtk-2.14.2 has been running for over 2hrs.  I
wonder if I am starving my vbox vm of gentoo with 3GB or ram.

Top's cpu usage is fluxuating between 45% and 99% during this compile

Portage pulling 99% by itself at times.

I thought 3GB was a bit high for a vm compared to what I've given debian
vms... can anyone give some guidance about how much ram to allow a
gentoo vm in Vbox?

I'm on a windows 10 host with 32 GB ram but running a number of vms.

[gentoo-user] Re: `sets' & sets.conf

[Harry Putnam]

[...]

Neil Bothwick  writes:

> You can create a set containing a list of packages. I do this for
> dependencies of packages that are not from portage, so they don't get
> depcleaned and don't end up in @world. Something like

[...]
Thanks for the nifty examples... ... missing entirely in the pile of
documenation at /usr/share/doc/portage-2.3.2/html/index.html
(if you have USE=doc set)

> % cat /etc/portage/sets.conf
> [kernels]
> class = portage.sets.dbapi.OwnerSet
> world-candidate = False
> files = /usr/src
>
> then emerge -n @kernels

This one kind of sails right over my head... not seeing what is
supposed to happen.

[...]

Alan McKinnon  writes:

[...]

> Think of it as sort of like a magic meta-package that you define - a set
> gets merged as a unit and where you unmerge it, the sets is out of world
> and depclean will take care of removing the members.
>
> Simple as that.  I'm not aware of anything in FEATURES related to sets,
> you just use them out the box.

Gack, I was following along OK until the part about `out of the box'

Do you mean those toxic looking definitions or other stuff in the docs
at /usr/share/doc/portage-2.3.2/html/index.html? ...