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Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 6:38 pm
by Captain Brillo
Over the last couple of weeks my MX system has been falling apart - first there was VPN issues, then email issues....
So I just did a complete fresh install in a re-formatted partition.
Random programs crash, every program freezes, it's really ugly.
Even "Systemback" from your Test Repo doesn't work any more...and it was working brilliantly.
So I had to back it up with Timeshift, but I wonder if I wasted my time.
I don't know what the hell is going on here, and would appreciate any help.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 6:42 pm
by fehlix
Quick System Info might be a good start point...
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 6:43 pm
by MAYBL8
I'm just going to throw this out there.
Maybe a hardware failure of some kind.
Check RAM and hard drive to start I would say.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 6:55 pm
by BitJam
It sounds like a hardware issue. When something fails, I'd look at the output of "dmesg" for clues/hints like this:
I would also use the gsmartcontrol program (as root) to check the hard drive for signs of it going bad. If you made a live-usb with live-usb-maker then you could enable persistence and see if you have similar problems. If not then that's a sign there is a problem with the hard drive. There should be a memtest program available on the live-media. You can also use the "checkmd5" option to test the integrity of the live media but my guess is it is a problem with the hard drive.
Since you previous system had weird problems and now a fresh install has weird problems it is very likely a hardware problem.
I see I was ninja'ed by MAYBL8.
I also agree with the suggestion from fehlix that you should post the system information here.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 7:03 pm
by Captain Brillo
Code: Select all
[code]
System: Host: mxMainBox Kernel: 4.19.0-1-amd64 x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 6.3.0
Desktop: Xfce 4.12.3 Distro: MX-18.1_x64 Continuum Feb 9 2019
base: Debian GNU/Linux 9 (stretch)
Machine: Type: Desktop System: LENOVO product: 3212AU5 v: ThinkCentre M92p serial: <filter>
Mobo: LENOVO model: MAHOBAY serial: <filter> BIOS: LENOVO v: 9SKT9BAUS
date: 07/17/2018
CPU: Topology: Quad Core model: Intel Core i5-3570 bits: 64 type: MCP arch: Ivy Bridge
rev: 9 L2 cache: 6144 KiB
flags: lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 27139
Speed: 2707 MHz min/max: 1600/3800 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 2791 2: 2689 3: 3120
4: 2738
Graphics: Device-1: Intel Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics vendor: Lenovo
driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.19.2 driver: modesetting unloaded: fbdev,vesa
resolution: 1680x1050~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel Ivybridge Desktop v: 4.2 Mesa 18.2.6
direct render: Yes
Audio: Device-1: Intel 7 Series/C216 Family High Definition Audio vendor: Lenovo
driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0
Sound Server: ALSA v: k4.19.0-1-amd64
Network: Device-1: Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network vendor: Lenovo driver: e1000e v: 3.2.6-k
port: f080 bus ID: 00:19.0
IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
IF-ID-1: tun0 state: unknown speed: 10 Mbps duplex: full mac: N/A
Drives: Local Storage: total: 2.90 TiB used: 191.62 GiB (6.5%)
ID-1: /dev/sda model: 120GB SSD size: 111.79 GiB temp: 40 C
ID-2: /dev/sdb vendor: Seagate model: ST1000VN002-2EY102 size: 931.51 GiB temp: 35 C
ID-3: /dev/sdc vendor: Hitachi model: HUA722020ALA331 size: 1.82 TiB temp: 49 C
ID-4: /dev/sdd type: USB vendor: Generic model: STORAGE size: 59.48 GiB
Partition: ID-1: / size: 73.32 GiB used: 10.30 GiB (14.0%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sdb1
ID-2: swap-1 size: 16.00 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/sdb3
Sensors: System Temperatures: cpu: 38.0 C mobo: N/A
Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Repos: Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/antix.list
1: deb http://mirror.utoronto.ca/mxlinux/antix/stretch/ stretch main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/atom.list
1: deb [arch=amd64] https://packagecloud.io/AtomEditor/atom/any/ any main
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
1: deb http://ftp.ca.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
1: deb http://ftp.ca.debian.org/debian/ stretch main contrib non-free
2: deb http://security.debian.org/ stretch/updates main contrib non-free
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
1: deb http://mirror.utoronto.ca/mxlinux/mx/repo/ stretch main non-free
No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/various.list
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/vivaldi.list
1: deb http://repo.vivaldi.com/stable/deb/ stable main
Info: Processes: 241 Uptime: 11m Memory: 15.55 GiB used: 2.19 GiB (14.1%) Init: SysVinit
runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 6.3.0 Shell: bash v: 4.4.12 inxi: 3.0.29
[/code]
I've used memtest and gsmartcontrols to look at the box; and there appear to be no issues on the rarely-used Windows side. I don't know how to test the hardware more.
I ran dmesg | less > dmesg.txt and attached it, if that helps.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 7:31 pm
by fehlix
Captain Brillo wrote: Thu Feb 28, 2019 7:03 pm
Code: Select all
[code]
1: deb http://ftp.ca.debian.org/debian/ stretch-updates main contrib non-free
1: deb http://repo.vivaldi.com/stable/deb/ stable main
[/code]
A fresh install - means with a snapshot or a release iso?
Would those behavior also show if not having installed any 3rd party tools installed like indicated through the external repos within the apt-sorces list ( atom / vivaldi ). Any thing else "not" like fresh installed? fstab mount points?
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:37 pm
by Captain Brillo
I installed Vivaldi and Atom right away - I don't know where anything else might have come from.
It's just that compared to my first install on this same box I am not impressed.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:42 pm
by Adrian
Captain Brillo wrote: Thu Feb 28, 2019 10:37 pm
It's just that compared to my first install on this same box I am not impressed.
OSes are not like cakes that sometime come out right sometime not, if you use the same ISO to install it you should get the same results, unless there's a hardware problem and your hardware changed. Do a RAM and HDD test to see if any of these components are failing.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Thu Feb 28, 2019 11:50 pm
by figueroa
Lock-ups and crashes can often be attributed to failing video cards and power supplies, or weakening or blown capacitors on the motherboard, as well as other components that will give no sign of failure in the logs. MX (all of Linux in fact) isn't like an MS Windows install that just starts to go bad from accumulating cruft.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 1:27 am
by Artim
The same thing was happening on my Dell before the power supply finally failed completely and the 'puter wouldn't even turn on. Definitely a hardware issue!
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 1:32 am
by JayM
Try reseating your memory modules, hard drive cables, power cables, plus any expansion cards that you may have installed if any. While the case is open check for dead cooling fans including the power supply's fan and for excessive dust inside the case. Overheating may be causing your crashes and lock-ups.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 4:15 am
by Eadwine Rose
Back to basics software wise. Hardware tips are good tips!
Did you check the md5sum of the media that you reinstalled with?
If you start out installing with non md5sum matching media you are bound to run into trouble on each install.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Fri Mar 01, 2019 8:48 am
by Adrian
Eadwine Rose wrote: Fri Mar 01, 2019 4:15 am
Back to basics software wise. Hardware tips are good tips!
Did you check the md5sum of the media that you reinstalled with?
If you start out installing with non md5sum matching media you are bound to run into trouble on each install.
That's a good point, there's a md5sum check that you can call when you boot, press F4 and select checkmd5
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Sat Mar 02, 2019 9:22 pm
by Captain Brillo
So I pulled everything apart - did a full dust, clean and re-seat.
Then in Windows, ran Intel CPU checker - all good
ran memtest overnight - all good
disk manuf software - all good
gsmartcontrols - all good
chkrootkit - all good
Can't find any hardware issues.
wrote zeroes to disk just because
re-partitioned, formatted, etc,
no errors showing anywhere through whole process I went through
Re-installed, checking for bad blocks anyway,
install my choices of software piece by piece,looking for glitches
everything works fine
until
connect to VPN through network-manager and openvpn - the same as always...
right away first issue is can't send any emails with Thunderbird, Evolution,or several other clients
error is - can't connect to SMTP server
try multiple vpn servers - not much difference
disconnect vpn, everything just dandy again
my issues started 2 -3 weeks ago with vpn connection stability and speed issues
then I started having (imap)email issues, and blockage/error messages at ordinary websites
it seems to me that my vpn's ip addresses are being blacklisted?
or, could it be that my recent spat with this vpn - told them "not renewing cuz they're trying to rip me off" - could mean they're really petty and are messing with me?....Nah...no way?
So, is anybody having issues with PIA VPN?
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 4:26 am
by JayM
Try openvpn with any free server from
https://www.vpngate.net/en/ as a troubleshooting step. It's been a long time since I used openvpn but I think the command-line syntax is
where config-file.ovpn is the individual server's config file that you downloaded from vpngate.net. Once you're connected go back to the vpngate website and refresh the page and see if your IP address and country have changed, and try using your apps again. If this works the trouble is with your VPN host, PIA. Maybe they've blacklisted your IP address? Maybe your SMTP server has blacklisted PIA's IP block?
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 7:08 am
by richb
Captain Brillo So, is anybody having issues with PIA VPN?
No works fine. But I am using their legacy desktop application v82 not configuring it through Network Manager. Although in the past I have configured it that way without a problem.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 10:10 am
by Captain Brillo
Thank you, JayM
I did that and yes, it's my VPN that's the issue. Tried it right before and right after VPNGate - can't connect.
So that VPN is no good to me - it's NordVPN
As I said, I coincidentally had a spat with tem just before the issues started. Don't know if that means anything, but, unlikely as it is...
I was asking about PIA cuz I've seen it mentioned a lot on here. Which of their "app set-ups" would I use for MX?
Other than that this system is back, it looks like. Thakns, all.
Re: [ SOLVED ]Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 10:20 am
by richb
As I said their legacy version v82 from their download page, (halfway down "View Older Versions (Checksums and Changelogs)".
It is 64 bit only. Their latest version requires systemd while the legacy version will run on default sysvinit MX.
Re: [ SOLVED ]Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 10:32 am
by MAYBL8
Captain Brillo wrote: Thu Feb 28, 2019 6:38 pm
Over the last couple of weeks my MX system has been falling apart - first there was VPN issues, then email issues....
So I just did a complete fresh install in a re-formatted partition.
Random programs crash, every program freezes, it's really ugly.
Even "Systemback" from your Test Repo doesn't work any more...and it
was working brilliantly.
So I had to back it up with Timeshift, but I wonder if I wasted my time.
I don't know what the hell is going on here, and would appreciate any help.
So i want to just recap from the first post.
Did the VPN cause other programs to crash other than email?
Did the "every program freezes" stop after this latest reinstall? Or was that related to VPN also?
Did you try "systemback" again?
Re: [ SOLVED ]Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 11:16 am
by Captain Brillo
I suspect the dust, clean and re-seat fixed whatever was wrong. I didn't find anything, but I'm not a hardware guru, and everything else is now fie, so far.
Thanks, JayM - that demonstrated quite clearly that nordVPN's addresses are getting blacklisted - I tried half-a-dozen in various locations. That's why I was asking about PIA
The VPN is getting blocked intermittently, some sites are blocked one minute and not the next.
Changing VPNs seems the simplest solution....
Now, Systemback. This is odd. I installed it from the test repo back in January; it looked the same as in Mint. Worked great.
After all this, install again from the test repo.
It looks completely different and no longer works. How could that be? Has the ppa repackaging or whatever it is gone "off" or something weird like that?
This program when I was using it before was way more reliable than Timeshift. Would really like it back somehow.
Re: [ SOLVED ]Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Sun Mar 03, 2019 2:43 pm
by Captain Brillo
A final (?) note:
nordVPN replaced with PIA v82
email works again
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 7:49 pm
by Captain Brillo
Final note, my as*.
24 hours later PIA (Private Internet Access) has quit.
Dead as dirt.
Won't run, won't re-install.
Everything seemed fine, shut down. Started up later, no VPN.
And with this post, I'm about done.
viewtopic.php?f=104&p=488825#p488825
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 9:40 pm
by JayM
So to recap, your miscellaneous odd behavior you mentioned in your original post was resolved by reseating hardware components, correct? And now, other than the partition mounting questions in your other topic, the only remaining issue is with two different VPN providers, NordVPN and PIA, both of which require using their own software apps to connect to them, but openvpn from the repository works fine using it with a free VPN server from vpngate, right?
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 9:43 pm
by richb
PIA does not require it own software app. It can be configured with Network manager.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Mon Mar 04, 2019 10:17 pm
by JayM
You're right, richb. I just skimmed their website and saw a downloads page for their VPN client apps so I ASS+U+MEd that their own app was required to connect to them.
OP can also use openvpn to connect to PIA:
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/h ... connection
Just download and unzip their file
https://www.privateinternetaccess.com/o ... envpn.zip
and connect to PIA the same way as to a vpngate server.
Code: Select all
sudo openvpn 'config-filename-goes-here.ovpn'
Using openvpn may be best for him as he's already tested it and knows that it works.
He could make a shell script that uses gksu so he's get a GUI password prompt and put the script in his .config/autostart directory so he'd connect to PIA when he logs in to MX rather than having to manually run that command in a terminal each time, or create a .desktop file that invokes the script or runs the command directly and put it on his desktop or in his menu to double-click on when he wants to use his VPN, or use zenity to make a GUI out of it. Lots of possibilities.
Re: Complete re-install and nothing but problems
Posted: Wed Mar 06, 2019 12:01 pm
by spanizdogs
sorry :)