Terminal flashing and other errors.

poguepotamus · 2016-08-12 05:20:40

So late the day on Tuesday (two days ago) I somehow accedentally changed something on my computer that resulted in my terminal flashing with the flash of the cursor. When I tab out of the window, it turns into a strobe light, blinking seemingly as fast as it can. This is the WHOLE terminal, background and foreground.

This was also accompanied by some other strange errors.
My mousepad stopped working completely. Including both of the mouse buttons. However; a mouse through USB still works fine, except for its right click.
On chrome, I can't click anything on the application. I can click around a website, but I can't click the back button, nor can I click on any of the extentions up at the top. (This includes no spellcheck so I appologise for the bad spelling).

I'm not allowed to hold down buttons to scroll. At all. When I opened htop, to get all the way down to the bottom, I had to click the button 7 million times (maybe a little more if you would have counted correctly).

I'm still finding problems, but those are the few that are the most prevelent. I have no clue what is going on and would like some help.

I installed BunsenLabs about a month ago, and I'm just using the default terminal. When it happened, I was in the process of writing a personal script to mount usb drives fairly easily, but it wasn't using any command that I was unfamiliar with (that I can remember).

I would appreciate any help you can offer, I would be more than happy to provide any more information if I missed something you would need. Thanks!

~Matthew

Horizon_Brave · 2016-08-12 05:52:48

Okay, in all of that, you didn't really tell us, what you changed, or what config you were using. Even if you don't know specifically you gotta atleast provide something. Use the 'history' command to get a list of the last 200 or so commands you ran. Also what hardware are you using? Desktop/laptop? and most importantly...what terminal software are you using?

Head_on_a_Stick · 2016-08-12 07:28:07

Do these problems occur if you load up the BunsenLabs ISO image and select the live session?

This will help eliminate hardware problems.

poguepotamus · 2016-08-12 07:48:28

So the whole reason I couldn't just google it is becuase I have no clue what I did. I know what I was generally doing, and the history might not do much, however; I did include it in pastebin for here - http://pastebin.com/yCgEeFtU . That is what I could get as I can't actually scroll on the terminal.

Actually, I outputted history to a txt file and uploaded it to my google drive here https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B94kt … 0hxeVlaNnM
Sorry for the inconvenience.

I'm using a laptop (running bunsenlabs), its an Acer Aspire R7, with no updated hardware.

And I do apologize for the lack of knoledge when it comes to solving problems horizon, I'm a little new to linux, that being said, I have no clue what terminal software I'm using, nor how to find it. If it does help, I havn't changed any defaults except for chromium, and I changed my text editor to atom.

Also, earlier today, right when I posted, all the errors did just magicly go away. I say this as in I switched from my terminal to a youtube video and almost immediately switched back, and the terminal stopped, I wasn't able to use my mouse pad, but the other errors subsided. However; since then, the errors have returned. sadly.

And headOnAStick, I would try that, I don't have the stick with me, but I can try it tomorrow when I get back up.

Thanks for the help guys, sorry for the complications.

PackRat · 2016-08-12 12:59:59

This is the laptop you're using? Are you using it to post messages here?

Is that the mousepad sitting between the keyboard and screen that is acting up?

Last edited by PackRat (2016-08-12 13:00:51)

Horizon_Brave · 2016-08-12 16:26:39

Whoops, I didn't mean to come off sounding like a jerk, (gotta remember *not* to post at 2am with little sleep ) Anyway, perhaps a synaptic drivers issue?

PackRat · 2016-08-12 17:36:29

^ that's what I think it is, but some more info is needed. I did a quick search for linux on that laptop and some Ubuntu users said the touchpad/touchscreen could be a bit messed up - no solutions offered though.

@poguepotamus - if you use a usb mouse, does the mouse work pretty much as expected?

poguepotamus · 2016-08-13 17:58:08

PackRat, yes, that is the laptop I'm using. Its a little unusual, but I can't express how much I actually enjoy the keyboard being closer to me. And yes, it is just not working pretty much.

Since this is a touch screen, when I don't have the USB mouse attached, I have been having to use the mousepad. And I've actually been able to use left click now, and the flashing stopped again for a few hours. Its back now kinda off and on. I almost think that the computer is fixing itself.

I just got up from working yesterday, I guess I forgot to post this. Another update, I was right, the computer is fixing itself. I still haven't found a solution, nor do I know what the problem is, but the terminal stopped flashing after the 8 or 9th restart from the problem start, but the mousepad is still not working at all.

Pack, like I said, I've been using the touchscreen on the laptop since the mouse hasn't been working, but it has seemed a bit weird, maybe that 'synaptic drivers' is something to role with. Is their some log somewhere to see if in the past something was screwed up with them, or should I even attempt to fix it now that most of the symptoms have subsided?

Horizon_Brave · 2016-08-13 19:47:47

It's up to you, but I think I can say with certainty that the computer doesn't "fix itself". Something up, but if you're cool with it you don't have to dig any deeper, but i wouldn't rely on that for any consistency. If you want to troubleshoot further, can you post the output of your ~/.config/openbox/autostart file?

Also can you confirm what PackRat asked, when you have the USB mouse plugged in and are using that, does the the flashing still happen? And does the USB mouse work with zero issues?

Also can you provide the output of

sudo synclient -l

PackRat · 2016-08-13 19:56:19

Also do what HOAS recomended and try using the live session.

ohnonot · 2016-08-15 07:06:51

so is it working normally with the live session?

if yes, then...

poguepotamus wrote:

becuase I have no clue what I did.

...reinstall and be more alert in the future.
remember: linux puts YOU in the driver seat!

if no, then i concur with previous posters - although these are just theories spun from a lack of hard info.
it is your job to provide that info, since we can't crawl into your machine.

DON'T PANIC

poguepotamus · 2016-08-15 21:17:19

So after posting here a few times and it not showing up, I ended up figuring out what was wrong with my laptop. I had recently purchased a 90 degree USB adapter for a hub that connects my mouse and Ethernet when I'm home. Whenever I'm using it, it causes the problems that I was having. When I start the computer up, it prevents my mousepad and left click from working, hence why it seemed that my computer was fixing itself. (And yes I know computers don't fix themselves... yet). I would like to continue using this adapter, would this be the same process? i.e. output of autostart file, `sudo synclient -l` and starting in a live session? If so, Ill be down to try it.

Sorry for the delay in responses, this is the first response I've typed out, however; neither of the first two posted for some reason.

Thanks for the help again guys!

dolly · 2016-08-15 22:32:02

...and please edit thread title with solved.

#1 2016-08-12 05:20:40

Terminal flashing and other errors.

#2 2016-08-12 05:52:48

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

#3 2016-08-12 07:28:07

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

#4 2016-08-12 07:48:28

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

#5 2016-08-12 12:59:59

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

#6 2016-08-12 16:26:39

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

#7 2016-08-12 17:36:29

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

#8 2016-08-13 17:58:08

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

#9 2016-08-13 19:47:47

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

#10 2016-08-13 19:56:19

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

#11 2016-08-15 07:06:51

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

#12 2016-08-15 21:17:19

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

#13 2016-08-15 22:32:02

Re: Terminal flashing and other errors.

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