I'll continue the troubleshooting series shortly, I just wanted to mention what I've been up to for the last day or so.
I decided that perhaps Karmic had settled down to the point where it would be usable for me. My laptop is crammed full of hardware bits that enjoy being disagreeable with Linux, and when I initially tried Ubuntu 9.10 near the beginning of November my attempt only lasted a few days. I was plagued with hard locks, kernel panics, program crashes, and nearly anything else that could go wrong. Such was the extent of the problems that rather than try to troubleshoot this rank melange of buginess, I elected to revert to an earlier version. I did Mint7 Gloria for a while, returned to tried and true (at least for me) Ubuntu Intrepid, then shortly upgraded that to Jaunty.
It's worth noting that the only time I have satisfactorily upgraded an Ubuntu system was when I went from Intrepid to Jaunty. Any other time I've tried, the results have been ugly. Broken programs, interface glitches, driver issues, you name it. I partition my hard drive in such a way that it's fairly easy for me to just reinstall, so that's my normal course of action. Upgrading to Karmic was more of an experiment than something I seriously expected to work. The experiment indeed blew up (the list of what wasn't broken was very short), and so I went to plan 1A and set out to reinstall.
I have been dual booting for the last while (I had a Vista partition), but since there is very little I need Windows for (and nothing I couldn't easily do without) I decided that I would rather have that 22GB (this out of an 80GB hard drive) for my Linux installation. So I backed up all my documents, music, video, sources list, encryption keys, anything else I could think of, and popped in the Karmic LiveCD.
I now have a nice fresh Karmic installation, and am happy to report it is running much better than the last time I tried it. I have one bug I'm trying to get looked into, but if it goes well it will make a good example in my "troubleshooting: how to get help" article.
12.17.2009
12.15.2009
Part 2: Troubleshooting Ubuntu - log files
In the first part of this series on troubleshooting Ubuntu I covered some basic steps that apply to most problem solving (not just with Ubuntu, but with any computer system).
In order to cure what ails our computer, it is important that we correctly identify the problem. For example, it is probably not going to do any good to reinstall Rhythmbox if the problem is being cause by an issue with our pulseaudio server. But simply observing the problem behaviour from the standpoint of a person using the computer often wont give us enough information to identify the problem. The key to finding a solution will often lie in your log files.
To get started going to System > Administration > Log File Viewer will open a window that looks something like this one.
The system log (syslog) is usually the first place I look. The information here is collected by a deamon (syslogd) that accepts log entries from many parts of your Ubuntu computer. It can present a great deal of information to you, but a typical line could go something like this:
But lets suppose I had a major problem at that time instead. My computer completely locked up, or crashed, or something like that. I would want to note the approximate time that this happened so that once I had rebooted I knew where to start looking in the log files for a hint of what might have gone wrong. The easiest to spot clue that something is not right is in the severity of the event. In our example it was just reporting information, but if you saw an entry that said warning, error, critical, or even emergency you would know that you may be on to something.
For more detailed information on just what your computer is logging and where to find it, I recommend checking out the Ubuntu documentation on log files.
I included the above log file clip just as an example, but in the next part of this Ubuntu troubleshooting series we will look at what to do with this information, places we can search, and how to zero in on a potential solution.
In order to cure what ails our computer, it is important that we correctly identify the problem. For example, it is probably not going to do any good to reinstall Rhythmbox if the problem is being cause by an issue with our pulseaudio server. But simply observing the problem behaviour from the standpoint of a person using the computer often wont give us enough information to identify the problem. The key to finding a solution will often lie in your log files.
To get started going to System > Administration > Log File Viewer will open a window that looks something like this one.
This graphical interface provides a way for you to look at the data stored in the log files your computer is already generating (many of which are located in /var/log).
Dec 15 22:30:42 stoke-buntu NetworkManager:This is giving you the date and time of the occurrence (Dec 15 22:30:42), the name of the computer on which the event happened (stoke-buntu), the service that reported the event (NetworkManager), the severity of the event (info), and then the event itself (Activation (ath0) successful, device activated). In plain english, this example lets us know that at 10:30pm on December the 15'th my laptop's wifi was successfully activated. Most of the logs are made up primarily of messages like this, there purely for information.Activation (ath0) successful, device activated.
But lets suppose I had a major problem at that time instead. My computer completely locked up, or crashed, or something like that. I would want to note the approximate time that this happened so that once I had rebooted I knew where to start looking in the log files for a hint of what might have gone wrong. The easiest to spot clue that something is not right is in the severity of the event. In our example it was just reporting information, but if you saw an entry that said warning, error, critical, or even emergency you would know that you may be on to something.
Dec 10 18:16:49 stoke-buntu kernel: [ 3063.740377] BUG: unable to handle kernel paging request at ff0e0300Just a quick glance at those entries above tells us that something is truly not right. You never want to hear "Oops" from your barber, and you don't want to hear it from your computer either.
Dec 10 18:16:49 stoke-buntu kernel: [ 3063.740394] IP: [] __ticket_
spin_lock+ 0x8/0x20
Dec 10 18:16:49 stoke-buntu kernel: [ 3063.740414] *pde = 00000000
Dec 10 18:16:49 stoke-buntu kernel: [ 3063.740420] Oops: 0002 [#1] SMP
For more detailed information on just what your computer is logging and where to find it, I recommend checking out the Ubuntu documentation on log files.
I included the above log file clip just as an example, but in the next part of this Ubuntu troubleshooting series we will look at what to do with this information, places we can search, and how to zero in on a potential solution.
12.14.2009
Part 1: Troubleshooting Ubuntu
A couple years ago a Windows-only friend of mine ended up being party to a lengthy exchange between another Linux user (who was on Mandriva at the time, though he now runs Ubuntu) and me. It had started out as a three-party conversation in which we were trying to solve a problem with his Windows computer, but inevitably had a bit of FOSS-evangelism in there, and a discussion going on the side between us Linux users discussing various tweaks, problems, and solutions.
The solution to the Microsoft problem ended up being "you can't get there from here", but over the course of the weeks this thread occured my Linux friend (lets call him "Vlad", not his real name) and I both broke and fixed our systems multiple times. My Windows friend (henceforth to be called "Pennybags", also not his real name) took this as meaning that Linux was in fact more problematic and less stable than his Windows XP. I then tried to explain that Linux was actually very stable, but that I tended to "pick at it" and change things constantly. It was these changes that caused my problems, as when left in an out-of-the-box format problems were very infrequent.
If you change things on your Ubuntu system (and that really is a major part of the fun), you will sooner and later create problems. Once things go bad you need to know how to fix them. This article is first of a few on troubleshooting Ubuntu. I'm going to try to show you where to look when things go wrong, and where, how, and when to ask for help. While most of us don't go looking for trouble, we all need to know what to do when trouble finds us.
Generally speaking, there are a few steps I go through for every problem.
You can keep this program handy by installing the applet to your gnome panel. Simply right-click the panel, choose "Add to panel", scroll down to "Tomboy Notes", and drag it to your panel. Now it's always handy for you. Tomboy provides a quick and easy way to make small notes while you work on a problem. It works in a wiki-like way, you can highlight text, click the "Link" button (or use Ctrl-L), and a new note will be created linked directly to that text. The links between your notes don't break even when renaming them. It is also possible to sync Tomboy across multiple machines. I strongly encourage you to try it out, it's a gem of a program.
Back to the issue at hand. the reason you want to keep track of the problem-solving process is that you need to be able to undo any changes you make in case they make it worse. Also, if you need to ask for help later, having a record of what you've tried will make it much easier for someone else to help you (additionally, if you post the whole process you've gone through, it may help someone else in fixing their problem).
Coming up...some .log file basics, searching for solutions, and asking for help
The solution to the Microsoft problem ended up being "you can't get there from here", but over the course of the weeks this thread occured my Linux friend (lets call him "Vlad", not his real name) and I both broke and fixed our systems multiple times. My Windows friend (henceforth to be called "Pennybags", also not his real name) took this as meaning that Linux was in fact more problematic and less stable than his Windows XP. I then tried to explain that Linux was actually very stable, but that I tended to "pick at it" and change things constantly. It was these changes that caused my problems, as when left in an out-of-the-box format problems were very infrequent.
"Results are what you expect, consequences are what you get."
-unknown, possibly an Ubuntu user
If you change things on your Ubuntu system (and that really is a major part of the fun), you will sooner and later create problems. Once things go bad you need to know how to fix them. This article is first of a few on troubleshooting Ubuntu. I'm going to try to show you where to look when things go wrong, and where, how, and when to ask for help. While most of us don't go looking for trouble, we all need to know what to do when trouble finds us.
Generally speaking, there are a few steps I go through for every problem.
- Identify the problem
- Ask myself what may have changed that could create the problem (new installations, program/OS updates, changed settings...)
- Try to undo a change, and see if this fixes it
- Repeat any/all steps as needed
You can keep this program handy by installing the applet to your gnome panel. Simply right-click the panel, choose "Add to panel", scroll down to "Tomboy Notes", and drag it to your panel. Now it's always handy for you. Tomboy provides a quick and easy way to make small notes while you work on a problem. It works in a wiki-like way, you can highlight text, click the "Link" button (or use Ctrl-L), and a new note will be created linked directly to that text. The links between your notes don't break even when renaming them. It is also possible to sync Tomboy across multiple machines. I strongly encourage you to try it out, it's a gem of a program.
Back to the issue at hand. the reason you want to keep track of the problem-solving process is that you need to be able to undo any changes you make in case they make it worse. Also, if you need to ask for help later, having a record of what you've tried will make it much easier for someone else to help you (additionally, if you post the whole process you've gone through, it may help someone else in fixing their problem).
Coming up...some .log file basics, searching for solutions, and asking for help
12.13.2009
Liferea: A Feedreader for Ubuntu
When it comes to feed readers for Ubuntu you have many choices. For my purposes, simple is better. My reader of choice is Liferea. I try to stick with Gtk/Gnome apps whenever I can.
Installation in Ubuntu is a breeze.
sudo apt-get install liferea
In order to add links from Firefox you'll need to use the liferea-add-feed script. To do this click on a subscription link in the Firefox address bar. At the page which comes up select "Subscribe to this feed using: Choose other application..." and enter /usr/bin/liferea-add-feed as the location. That's it, you're all set up to use Liferea as your feedreader now. Practice adding feeds using my blog. ;)
One last thing. If you would like Liferea to start minimised to the tray at login, go to System > Preferences > Startup Applications and add a new one with the following command:
liferea --mainwindow-state=hidden
Installation in Ubuntu is a breeze.
sudo apt-get install liferea
In order to add links from Firefox you'll need to use the liferea-add-feed script. To do this click on a subscription link in the Firefox address bar. At the page which comes up select "Subscribe to this feed using: Choose other application..." and enter /usr/bin/liferea-add-feed as the location. That's it, you're all set up to use Liferea as your feedreader now. Practice adding feeds using my blog. ;)
One last thing. If you would like Liferea to start minimised to the tray at login, go to System > Preferences > Startup Applications and add a new one with the following command:
liferea --mainwindow-state=hidden
12.12.2009
Ubuntu Dust
Being able to extensively customise the look and feel of Ubuntu has to rank as one my favourite things about using open source software. Having been with Windows for many years, I had become resigned to being unable to change very much about the overall look of my operating system. Changing more than a colour scheme typically caused problems and performance issues. Microsoft knows that people like to be able to tweak the look of their system, that is why they have "extras" packages that add features or allow users to change their system more than the basic version allows. A classic example of this was Microsoft Plus!, which added more themes, sounds, and screensavers (in addition to a few other things) to Windows 95.
Well, in the world of Linux you can change anything, and you wont have to pay for the privileged. I'm sure I'll write in more depth about interface customisation in the future sometime, but today I just wanted to showcase a look for Ubuntu that has really grabbed me lately.
I've always liked dark looks, but there is always an issue with trying to get enough of the right contrast to keep it usable. Ubuntu Dust is my favourite among the darker themes. I like the neutral tones it uses. The style is clean and modern, it even makes Nautilus look good!
I'm using the Buff Deuce icon set. It's a very complete set, with a distinctive look that I believe fits in well with the Dust colours. I also recommend you install the arc-colors wallpapers and GDMs, as there is a Dust GDM in there that works very nicely. If you're in Karmic this is as easy as running
In a future post I'll share the repositories I'm using for Jaunty.
Well, in the world of Linux you can change anything, and you wont have to pay for the privileged. I'm sure I'll write in more depth about interface customisation in the future sometime, but today I just wanted to showcase a look for Ubuntu that has really grabbed me lately.
I've always liked dark looks, but there is always an issue with trying to get enough of the right contrast to keep it usable. Ubuntu Dust is my favourite among the darker themes. I like the neutral tones it uses. The style is clean and modern, it even makes Nautilus look good!
You can see that a couple programs (Firefox in the example below) use a lighter set of toolbars.
I'm using the Buff Deuce icon set. It's a very complete set, with a distinctive look that I believe fits in well with the Dust colours. I also recommend you install the arc-colors wallpapers and GDMs, as there is a Dust GDM in there that works very nicely. If you're in Karmic this is as easy as running
sudo apt-get install arc-colors
In a future post I'll share the repositories I'm using for Jaunty.
Stoked on Ubuntu
I've been using Ubuntu since Gutsy (7.10). Right now my laptop is running Jaunty (9.04), though I intend to upgrade to Karmic (9.10) once it seems a bit more stable.
In this blog I plan to share some of the cooler things I find regarding Ubuntu and Linux. We'll see what ends up here as it goes along.
In this blog I plan to share some of the cooler things I find regarding Ubuntu and Linux. We'll see what ends up here as it goes along.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
