MX Linux Forum

Posted: **Sun Jan 14, 2024 1:26 am**

I am a one-month +/- user of MX-Linux. I am running nginx to host my own website. Initially I used systemd and liked it. Following some unknown combination of circumstances including a system lockup that required a power-button restart, systemd no longer works, though sysV still does. I would like to have systemd back, though I realize I don't actually NEED it. My wading around in config files and manuals has not led to a solution.
When I try to boot into systemd, I get 2 failures: Nginx and Samba services fail to start. These failures may be preventing systemd from coming up, however I have disabled both (I think) and though I no longer get the failure messages, systemd still doesn't come up - a cursor in the upper left corner of the screen is the final resting place for the attempt.
My last try to fix things was to reinstall systemd and systemd-shim ... no apparent change.

This is not urgent. My website is a hobby, not a business, and I'm running on antique hardware. This is the Quick System Info:

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Snapshot created on:
System:
  Kernel: 6.1.0-10-amd64 [6.1.38-2] arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 12.2.0
    parameters: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-6.1.0-10-amd64 root=UUID=<filter> ro splash quiet
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.5 wm: kwin_x11 vt: 7 dm: SDDM Distro: MX-23.1_KDE_x64 Libretto
    July 31 2023 base: Debian GNU/Linux 12 (bookworm)
Machine:
  Type: Desktop System: HP Pavilion 061 product: RJ181AA-ABA a1600n v: 0nx1114RE101NODM300
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: ASUSTek model: NODUSM3 v: 1.05 serial: <superuser required> BIOS: Phoenix v: 3.07
    date: 08/02/2006
Battery:
  Device-1: hidpp_battery_1 model: Logitech Wireless Keyboard serial: <filter>
    charge: 50% (should be ignored) rechargeable: yes status: N/A
CPU:
  Info: model: AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ bits: 64 type: MCP arch: K8 level: v1 built: 2004-06
    process: AMD 90nm family: 0xF (15) model-id: 0x4B (75) stepping: 2 microcode: N/A
  Topology: cpus: 1x cores: 2 smt: <unsupported> cache: L1: 256 KiB desc: d-2x64 KiB; i-2x64 KiB
    L2: 1024 KiB desc: 2x512 KiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 1000 min/max: 1000/2000 scaling: driver: powernow-k8 governor: ondemand
    cores: 1: 1000 2: 1000 bogomips: 8016
  Flags: ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 svm
  Vulnerabilities:
  Type: itlb_multihit status: Not affected
  Type: l1tf status: Not affected
  Type: mds status: Not affected
  Type: meltdown status: Not affected
  Type: mmio_stale_data status: Not affected
  Type: retbleed status: Not affected
  Type: spec_store_bypass status: Not affected
  Type: spectre_v1 mitigation: usercopy/swapgs barriers and __user pointer sanitization
  Type: spectre_v2 mitigation: Retpolines, STIBP: disabled, RSB filling, PBRSB-eIBRS: Not
    affected
  Type: srbds status: Not affected
  Type: tsx_async_abort status: Not affected
Graphics:
  Device-1: NVIDIA GK208B [GeForce GT 710] vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: nvidia v: 470.223.02
    non-free: series: 470.xx+ status: legacy-active (EOL~2023/24) arch: Fermi 2 code: GF119/GK208
    process: TSMC 28nm built: 2010-16 pcie: gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 8 bus-ID: 02:00.0
    chip-ID: 10de:128b class-ID: 0300
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 with: Xwayland v: 22.1.9 compositor: kwin_x11 driver: X:
    loaded: nvidia gpu: nvidia display-ID: :0 screens: 1
  Screen-1: 0 s-res: 1280x1024 s-dpi: 85 s-size: 382x302mm (15.04x11.89") s-diag: 487mm (19.17")
  Monitor-1: VGA-0 res: 1280x1024 hz: 60 dpi: 86 size: 376x301mm (14.8x11.85")
    diag: 482mm (18.96") modes: N/A
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6.0 NVIDIA 470.223.02 renderer: NVIDIA GeForce GT 710/PCIe/SSE2
    direct-render: Yes
Audio:
  Device-1: NVIDIA GK208 HDMI/DP Audio vendor: Micro-Star MSI driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel pcie:
    gen: 1 speed: 2.5 GT/s lanes: 8 bus-ID: 02:00.1 chip-ID: 10de:0e0f class-ID: 0403
  API: ALSA v: k6.1.0-10-amd64 status: kernel-api tools: alsamixer,amixer
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 1.0.0 status: active with: 1: pipewire-pulse status: active
    2: wireplumber status: active 3: pipewire-alsa type: plugin 4: pw-jack type: plugin
    tools: pactl,pw-cat,pw-cli,wpctl
Network:
  Device-1: NVIDIA MCP51 Ethernet vendor: Hewlett-Packard Pavilion a1677c type: network bridge
    driver: forcedeth v: kernel port: c800 bus-ID: 00:14.0 chip-ID: 10de:0269 class-ID: 0680
  IF: eth0 state: up speed: 100 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter>
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 298.09 GiB used: 24.61 GiB (8.3%)
  SMART Message: Unable to run smartctl. Root privileges required.
  ID-1: /dev/sda maj-min: 8:0 vendor: Western Digital model: WD3200LPVX-75V0TT0 size: 298.09 GiB
    block-size: physical: 4096 B logical: 512 B speed: 1.5 Gb/s type: HDD rpm: 5400 serial: <filter>
    rev: 1A01 scheme: MBR
Partition:
  ID-1: / raw-size: 223.57 GiB size: 219 GiB (97.96%) used: 14.44 GiB (6.6%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/sda1 maj-min: 8:1
  ID-2: /home raw-size: 74.52 GiB size: 72.8 GiB (97.69%) used: 10.17 GiB (14.0%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/sda2 maj-min: 8:2
Swap:
  Kernel: swappiness: 15 (default 60) cache-pressure: 100 (default)
  ID-1: swap-1 type: file size: 1024 MiB used: 456.3 MiB (44.6%) priority: -2 file: /swap/swap
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 34.0 C mobo: N/A gpu: nvidia temp: 44 C
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A gpu: nvidia fan: 50%
Repos:
  Packages: pm: dpkg pkgs: 2616 libs: 1455 tools: apt,apt-get,aptitude,nala pm: rpm pkgs: 0
    pm: flatpak pkgs: 0
  No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian-stable-updates.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/debian.list
    1: deb http://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
    2: deb http://security.debian.org/debian-security bookworm-security main contrib non-free non-free-firmware
  Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/mx.list
    1: deb http://mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ bookworm main non-free
    2: deb http://mxrepo.com/mx/repo/ bookworm ahs
Info:
  Processes: 209 Uptime: 5d 20m wakeups: 21 Memory: 1.92 GiB used: 1.37 GiB (71.2%) Init: SysVinit
  v: 3.06 runlevel: 5 default: graphical tool: systemctl Compilers: gcc: 12.2.0 alt: 12
  Client: shell wrapper v: 5.2.15-release inxi: 3.3.26
Boot Mode: BIOS (legacy, CSM, MBR)

Posted: **Sun Jan 14, 2024 8:25 pm**

I poked into the system journal and found my most recent attempt to boot systemd (today).
There are many messages saying (in effect) cannot write file, readonly filesystem.
Does this point to any path to a solution?

Also: once systemd has failed to boot and the system is apparently idle, Alt-F2 opens a CLI session. "/" is available, but "/home" is not mounted.
I think it should be, but I am such a novice I'm not sure.

Thanks...

Posted: **Sun Jan 14, 2024 9:11 pm**

Given that your computer is eighteen years old, I think that you should use MXPI to install the Antix 5.10 kernel.Once that is complete, use Boot Options in MX Tools to make it the new default boot choice and then reboot. I'm thinking that the 6.10 kernel you are currently using is just too new for your rig.

Posted: **Sun Jan 14, 2024 10:18 pm**

Switching kernels is a valid possibility, however, I would like to mention that systemd and sysV both worked with the current kernel a few weeks ago.
It was only after a power cycle without proper shutdown that the problem surfaced.
Also, I have discovered that there was bad RAM in the system (previously it had 4GB, but I've since removed 2GB because I was having a lot of problems.)
The bad memory likely caused the system hangup that required the rude restart.
Because systemd worked previously with my setup, I would prefer to get it working with the current kernel.
However, I am so naive when it comes to this system that I really don't know what drawbacks there may be to switching to antiX - which I thought was the underpinnings for MX anyway; I need a diagram... Debian is in there somewhere, I don't know kernels one from another.

So: back to switching kernels, and my ignorance: is it possible to install the antiX kernel and retain the possibility to use the kernel I have now?

The bottom line is: so long as whatever kernel works with nginx I can live with it. This is my web server, and not more.

Thanks.

Posted: **Sun Jan 14, 2024 10:38 pm**

@j2mcgreg i want to say that i recognize and acknowledge your "time in grade" and expect your opinion is as expert as I'm likely to get.

I've just had a look at MXPI for antix related things; everything except keyring is already installed but probably not the 5.1 version you recommended.
I hate to ask ignorant questions but being ignorant requires it: how do I install the version you suggest?

Thanks.

[edit]I have found the antix 5.1 under "Popular" (was looking in Enabled Repos). I would like reassurance that I can switch back if I need to. Can do?[/edit]

Posted: **Sun Jan 14, 2024 11:35 pm**

One thing I always check when systemd misbehaves is whether there are any invalid entries in /etc/fstab.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 6:42 am**

@quackser wrote:

]I have found the antix 5.1 under "Popular" (was looking in Enabled Repos). I would like reassurance that I can switch back if I need to. Can do?

Boot Options and a reboot will take care of that for you.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 7:28 am**

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sudo apt update ; sudo apt reinstall libpam-systemd libsystemd-shared libsystemd0 systemd-shim systemd -y

Reboot

Edit: Ah, you already did that for two, the other three should also be pulled automatically, however still nothing to lose.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 8:36 am**

Well.
I installed antiX 5.10 kernel and tried booting to systemd under it. Behavior is the same as before: Nginx.serv fails to start and that's the end of screen output; Alt-F2 still takes me to a CLI but there is nothing mounted to /home, and everything appears to be readonly.
@j2mcgreg ... Have you another idea? Thanks.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 8:40 am**

quackser wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 8:36 am Well.
I installed antiX 5.10 kernel and tried booting to systemd under it. Behavior is the same as before: Nginx.serv fails to start and that's the end of screen output; Alt-F2 still takes me to a CLI but there is nothing mounted to /home, and everything appears to be readonly.
@j2mcgreg ... Have you another idea? Thanks.

Try @Charlie Brown 's suggestion in post #8.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 8:56 am**

When was the WD HDD purchased? My research shows that the WD3200LPVX-75V0TT0 model came on the market in 2013 and any age over 7 years is archaic for an HDD.

https://www.donordrives.com/wd3200lpvx- ... drive.html

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 10:04 am**

... also see post #6

... or if you like you can post:

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cat /etc/fstab

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 12:38 pm**

I did run @Charlie Brown 's reinstall command line. All that seemed to work fine.

I've attached a copy of /etc/fstab here

fstab.txt

I have been wondering whether nginx.service file might have a problem; not sure how to know about that.
There are at least 3 files with that name; one is zero length. I'm attaching 'ls -l' output for all 3 and also .txt copies ofthe 2 with content.

nginxsvc.txt

etc_nginx_svc.txt

usrlib_nginx_svc.txt

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 12:48 pm**

@j2mcgreg re: HDD, it came from a Dell laptop (replaced by SSD). FSCK says it's ok, and since sysV works with 2 kernels and the only known problem is with systemd startup, is the HDD actually a reasonable suspect?

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 1:11 pm**

quackser wrote: Sun Jan 14, 2024 1:26 am... I have disabled both (I think)...

How did you do that?

Though you say you run fsck: Live session: GParted , right-click on MX partition(s) ( sdb1 , then sdb2 just while you're at it): "Check".

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 1:31 pm**

My concern would be that the code that initialises SystemD is on one or more bad blocks (which can't be reallocated because the reserve blocks have all been used due to the drives age or that weren't enough left in reserve to repair all the damage after your system lock up)). Bad blocks on the HDD would answer why SysV init still works but SystemD doesn't. My advice is to make a snapshot of your system now while you still can.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 1:35 pm**

and

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blkid

if you want to try it you can disable the nginx.service

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sudo systemctl disable nginx.service

should do it. that will work from your sysVinit boot too.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 3:02 pm**

@Charlie Brown I used the same systemctl to disable/re-enable it before, trying systemd while it was disabled. I'll give it another try in case I didn't do it exactly right.

And for @j2mcgreg as well:

So far as the HDD is concerned: S.M.A.R.T. says it's ok. I'm currently running the "long" test beneath GSmartControl; maybe it'll show something.
I would have thought fsck would show up whatever errors.
And I can't find gparted on my system - I'm running KDE. I can install it, I suppose, but I don't know exactly what "Live Session" in your post means in terms of "what I need to do".

I have no pressing reason not to change out the HDD. I can get a 500GB SSD for almost nothing these days, and it'd run a LONG time for sure. I hate to start over on the system, but maybe the snapshot / Live USB i created a few days ago would put me back in business on the SSD?

[ADDENDA]
The extended offline test in GSmartControl passed without errors.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 3:28 pm**

@quackser wrote:

I have no pressing reason not to change out the HDD. I can get a 500GB SSD for almost nothing these days, and it'd run a LONG time for sure. I hate to start over on the system, but maybe the snapshot / Live USB i created a few days ago would put me back in business on the SSD?

That's the idea, but how much time you have to spend configuring stuff at the other end will largely depend on how complete you made the snapshot.
If it was my system, I would replace the drive for two reasons:
-- it's age puts it on borrowed time, and
-- replacing it now will take far less time than doing a recovery from a dead drive

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 3:41 pm**

With "live session" I mean when booted with a live media (live usb etc.)

You can simply do this in a terminal (same command that GParted uses, but again, it needs to be a live session):

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sudo e2fsck -fyvC0 /dev/sdb1

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sudo e2fsck -fyvC0 /dev/sdb2

P.S. When on live session you can first check whether they are still sdb etc..

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lsblk -f

... If not, change the sdb1 etc. according to that, say sda1 ...

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 5:40 pm**

j2mcgreg wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 3:28 pm @quackser wrote:
I have no pressing reason not to change out the HDD. I can get a 500GB SSD for almost nothing these days, and it'd run a LONG time for sure. I hate to start over on the system, but maybe the snapshot / Live USB i created a few days ago would put me back in business on the SSD?
That's the idea, but how much time you have to spend configuring stuff at the other end will largely depend on how complete you made the snapshot.

So far as I know the snapshot is absolutely complete. My concern with it is that systemd was not working when I made it.

As I said: I can change out the drive, and should; yet: the drive tests good. This makes me doubt the drive is causing the systemd issue.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 5:48 pm**

quackser wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 5:40 pm
j2mcgreg wrote: Mon Jan 15, 2024 3:28 pm @quackser wrote:
I have no pressing reason not to change out the HDD. I can get a 500GB SSD for almost nothing these days, and it'd run a LONG time for sure. I hate to start over on the system, but maybe the snapshot / Live USB i created a few days ago would put me back in business on the SSD?
That's the idea, but how much time you have to spend configuring stuff at the other end will largely depend on how complete you made the snapshot.

So far as I know the snapshot is absolutely complete. My concern with it is that systemd was not working when I made it.

As I said: I can change out the drive, and should; yet: the drive tests good. This makes me doubt the drive is causing the systemd issue.

MX's Live USB Maker uses SysV init. You would have to enable SystemD after the install is complete.

Edited to add that you could try one of the SystemD based distros temporarily to see if SystemD is the problem.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 7:36 pm**

@Charlie Brown disabling nginx gave me a couple of [OK] messages related to Plymouth, then simply sat there.
Alt-F2 to get a CLI. I can mount /home from there by name, but it's not mounted when I get there.
When I re-enabled nginx I got this:

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$ sudo systemctl enable nginx.service
Synchronizing state of nginx.service with SysV service script with /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install.
Executing: /lib/systemd/systemd-sysv-install enable nginx
insserv: warning: current start runlevel(s) (empty) of script `nginx' overrides LSB defaults (2 3 4 5).
insserv: warning: current stop runlevel(s) (0 1 2 3 4 5 6) of script `nginx' overrides LSB defaults (0 1 6).
Created symlink /etc/systemd/system/multi-user.target.wants/nginx.service → /lib/systemd/system/nginx.service.

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 7:54 pm**

That "insserv: warning"s are normal, it just says currently it's not set to default runlevels for that service (which's normal... and then it's done)

Posted: **Mon Jan 15, 2024 9:40 pm**

Well... I read that nvidia drivers could gum up the works, and I had installed one - the 470 one - sometime ... I've lost track of when that happened vs the systemd issue.
Anyway, so I decided to remove the nvidia driver, and now all I get is CLI... startx is telling me No Screens Found... it doesn't seem to matter which GRUB entry I choose; neither systemd nor sysV is coming up to GUI level at this point.
I'm at the point I would reinstall from a snapshot if I knew how. I do have the live usb I created from the snapshot, but don't know how to proceed.
If you guys are tired of me I will try to muddle about on my own... surely there must be a "how to do that" online somewhere.
Thanks for your patience.
Oh, and even with just the CLI, my nginx web server still runs / works. Happy about that...

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 5:32 am**

Just .. how did you remove the Nvidia driver? Manually (apt/apt-get/dpkg remove/purge etc..) or with ddm-mx ?

Cause there may stay blacklist files for Nouveau and that's not being loaded (whereas ddm-mx does them all automatically). Just do this once you login manually:

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sudo ddm-mx -p nvidia

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sudo reboot

Installing from snapshot is the same as the official installation. In case you can't see an "install" icon on desktop, open a terminal:

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minstall-launcher

... Also you can select "preserve home" during installation.

Or, if you don't hurry, you can first save home folder to somewhere via live session, also you can make a list of installed packages "by you" .. (we'll go on if you like)...

P.S. Have you done this when on live session?.
(No, that's not the same thing as GSmart etc.. please just do that, that one is to check (and correct) the filesystem, not the disk. Especially needed after such sudden shutdowns.)

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 11:23 am**

Charlie Brown wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 5:32 am Just .. how did you remove the Nvidia driver? Manually (apt/apt-get/dpkg remove/purge etc..) or with ddm-mx ?

Installing from snapshot is the same as the official installation. In case you can't see an "install" icon on desktop, open a terminal:
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minstall-launcher
... Also you can select "preserve home" during installation.

Or, if you don't hurry, you can first save home folder to somewhere via live session, also you can make a list of installed packages "by you" .. (we'll go on if you like)...

P.S. Have you done this when on live session?.
(No, that's not the same thing as GSmart etc.. please just do that, that one is to check (and correct) the filesystem, not the disk. Especially needed after such sudden shutdowns.)

@Charlie Brown
I used ddm-mx to remove the Nvidia driver, as described in a textfile that was put on the system when I installed it.
The boot-up MX logo is the 2-dimensional old graphic, then it goes to CLI, that's where it stays...

I have not yet booted the live session stick; I've been nervous over losing something important, and don't quite understand how to address the current system drive from the live USB. Perhaps once I boot it, it'll be more obvious.

Happily though, I saved all my website files to a USB stick (in addition to having the live USB on a different stick), and that is all the content that REALLY matters.
I need to go through and see what nginx configuration changes I may have made - all this from CLI, since I have no gui - and save those files as well, though I'm not sure they aren't part of the systemd problem.

Thank you for the advice on the reinstall. I'm considering taking @j2mcgreg 's advice about replacing the HDD and simply starting over with a SATA SSD replacing it, and hoping to use the live USB to install onto it.

I will boot the live USB today and see what happens.

Here's one question: is it worth considering re-installing the NVidia driver in hopes of having a GUI again?

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 11:39 am**

quackser wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 11:23 am... is it worth considering re-installing the NVidia driver in hopes of having a GUI again?..

At least nothing to lose, you can use the same command (assuming it's connected to internet) just with -i instead of -p ... I would do it :)

Nothing to worry and/or hurry , when you boot with your live usb (you don't have to click install) you'll see you can do almost everything, you can copy your files and folders to somewhere, you'll feel at ease ... (Also with the "Chroot Rescue Scan" tool you can make operations on the installed MX as if you booted with that...)

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 12:21 pm**

lost me at Chroot Rescue Scan... I'll see what happens when I boot it.

And I'll try reinstalling NVidia ...

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 1:14 pm**

reinstall is complaining of missing Debconf::FrontEnd::Qt module, I'll install that when the reinstall finishes, it's also complaining about something related to KDE desktop (my preference, and how I installed the MX-Linux Libretto system to begin with). Not sure what needs done about KDE, or whether the Nvidia reinstall is dependent on the Qt module... anyway, those together probably explain why all I have is CLI.

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 1:44 pm**

NVidia driver reinstall fixed KDE and I have a gui again! debconf-kde-helper was apparently installed during the driver install; may be no reason to worry about Debconf::FrontEnd::Qt.

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 2:52 pm**

quackser wrote: Tue Jan 16, 2024 1:44 pm... NVidia driver reinstall fixed KDE and I have a gui again!..

So nice to hear that :)

Posted: **Tue Jan 16, 2024 9:27 pm**

installed gparted on the main system, took another snapshot and made a new live USB (since the old one didn't have gparted).
Two things booting from the USB:
1) tlp lacks permission to run (message is: "tlp: permission denied")
2) nginx fails to start (eventual message: "startpar: service(s) returned failure: tlp nginx ... failed")

As a result it boots to CLI.
I go into /etc/X11, rename xorg.conf to xorg.conf.bak, run startx, voila! it comes up.

OOOPS! spoke too soon - it did come up, most of the way, and then locked up.

Posted: **Wed Jan 17, 2024 12:54 am**

so... I booted from the original live USB, the one I used to install the first time round.
I installed gparted on that, and ran "check" on the "production" partitions.
It had free block and free inode count errors on both; it corrected them. I ran it again, and they came up clean.

I also ordered a 500GB SATA SSD to replace that drive. When it comes in, I'll have to decide whether to start over completely with a fresh install of MX, or to clone the existing system with its warts and see what I've got.
I'm not crazy about either idea.

Posted: **Wed Jan 17, 2024 8:34 pm**

on the TLP issue:
i installed TLP and TLPUI from MXPI and used TLPUI to disable it, set the defaults to no-battery system. This is a desktop.
Now sysV boots without complaining of TLP issues, not so systemd, which still doesn't boot ...
I'm ready to put this on hold until the new SSD comes in.
When it does, I'm going to try the Live USB i created from a snapshot of the current system; if I can't get any satisfaction from that I'll start over from the distro ISO.

@Charlie Brown and @j2mcgreg, I will post here again in a few days when all that's done. Thank you for your help thus far.

Posted: **Wed Jan 17, 2024 10:19 pm**

still would like to see the

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blkid

for the system.

Posted: **Fri Jan 19, 2024 6:00 pm**

@dolphin_oracle sorry, I hadn't noted that request.
here it is:
/dev/sda2: LABEL="homeMX" UUID="818c3e6a-3a9f-488e-90c3-42703effa9b4" BLOCK_SIZE="4096" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="71fe454e-02"
/dev/sda1: LABEL="rootMX23" UUID="842e9019-1296-4d64-89df-cb9db81f819f" BLOCK_SIZE="4096" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="71fe454e-01"

all good?
Thanks.

btw, what does that info do for you/me?

Posted: **Fri Jan 19, 2024 6:18 pm**

quackser wrote: Fri Jan 19, 2024 6:00 pm @dolphin_oracle sorry, I hadn't noted that request.
here it is:
/dev/sda2: LABEL="homeMX" UUID="818c3e6a-3a9f-488e-90c3-42703effa9b4" BLOCK_SIZE="4096" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="71fe454e-02"
/dev/sda1: LABEL="rootMX23" UUID="842e9019-1296-4d64-89df-cb9db81f819f" BLOCK_SIZE="4096" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="71fe454e-01"

all good?
Thanks.

btw, what does that info do for you/me?

I was going to check it against the /etc/fstab posted to make sure everything was valid, but you said you did that already so all good.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 9:34 am**

@dolphin_oracle I hadn't checked blkid directly against fstab; if i said i did that, I misspoke. what I should have said is that the fstab entries looked ok to me.

Right now, that is not the case: here's the current fstab, with the system running...

Code: Select all

# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# <file system> <mount point>   <type>  <options>       <dump>  <pass>

#Entry for /dev/sdb1 :
UUID=842e9019-1296-4d64-89df-cb9db81f819f	/	ext4	noatime	1	1
#Entry for /dev/sda1 :
#UUID=A8D09F2AD09EFDAE	/media/1TB1P1	ntfs-3g	defaults,uid=1000,gid=100,dmask=0002,fmask=0113,utf8,x-gvfs-show	0	0
#Entry for /dev/sda2 :
#UUID=18A4C7E1E9F18119	/media/1TB1P2	ntfs-3g	defaults,uid=1000,gid=100,dmask=0002,fmask=0113,utf8,x-gvfs-show	0	0
#Entry for /dev/sda4 :
#UUID=000000004F6DD9BD	/media/1TB1P3	ntfs-3g	defaults,uid=1000,gid=100,dmask=0002,fmask=0113,utf8,x-gvfs-show	0	0
#Entry for /dev/sda5 :
#UUID=000000009EDC07E6	/media/1TB1P4	ntfs-3g	defaults,uid=1000,gid=100,dmask=0002,fmask=0113,utf8,x-gvfs-show	0	0
#Entry for /dev/sdb2 :
UUID=818c3e6a-3a9f-488e-90c3-42703effa9b4	/home	ext4	noatime	1	0
/swap/swap	swap	swap	defaults	0	0

I don't know how to interpret what I see.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 9:37 am**

looks ok now. didn't you say elsewhere you removed an old entry? I may have two threads confused.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 10:19 am**

dolphin_oracle wrote: Sat Jan 20, 2024 9:37 am... I may have two threads confused...

Yep :)

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 10:47 am**

dolphin_oracle wrote: Sat Jan 20, 2024 9:37 am looks ok now. didn't you say elsewhere you removed an old entry? I may have two threads confused.

I don't think I said I edited fstab, and at any rate don't remember doing so.

I don't understand what I'm seeing in there bec sda1 is ext4 root and sda2 is ext4 home, and what I see looks like sda1 and sda2 are both ntfs.
How should I be seeing this?

Thanks.

[EDIT] and sdb1 and sdb2 are shown in fstab as sda1 and sda2 are shown in blkid... ?

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 10:52 am**

the sdXY designations can change, which is why fstab uses UUID, which are unique identifiers.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 10:53 am**

dolphin_oracle wrote: Sat Jan 20, 2024 10:52 am the sdXY designations can change, which is why fstab uses UUID, which are unique identifiers.

oh ok thanks.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 11:03 am**

@dolphin_oracle is there any issue with the ntfs entries in fstab? I see no way to mount those; they're probably obsolete but I don't want to eliminate them arbitrarily. I think they might be left over from the creation of the live USB I used to install this system; that USB was generated on a Windows box.
I do see that they are commented out.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 11:09 am**

commented out means they will be ignored.

Posted: **Sat Jan 20, 2024 1:08 pm**

Ok.
Well, systemd still won't start, I have a new SSD coming in today I think, will see if installation from a snapshot/live USB of this system works any better on it - though I don't see why it would improve anything to install an image of a broken system. I'll post an update when I have one.

Posted: **Tue Jan 23, 2024 9:30 am**

I'm going to close this.
I don't think it had anything to do with the HDD. I took a snapshot of the system, make a Live USB, booted from that and used it to install on a brand new SSD. Same issues, exactly the same.
I started over, installed from the MX-Linux / KDE live stick that I'd used for the original install.
When it was done installing I used the KDE updater to install 311 updates, and I had some problems.
Started over again, and used MXPI to do the updates; no problems. 295 updates later I had a working system.
Another 33 updates and I still had a working system.
I installed nginx, got it going, got my website going, and everything is working - WITH systemd.
It still bugs me that I didn't discover a culprit. I have not yet installed the nvidia driver and I may not, but if I do, I'll snapshot and make a new live USB immediately ahead of that.
Thanks very much to @j2mcgreg , @Charlie Brown , and @dolphin_oracle for your patience and assistance.
The moral support was nice to have, and I learned a fair number of things in the process.

MX Linux Forum

systemd no longer starts; sysV still ok

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Re: systemd no longer starts; sysV still ok [Solved]