BL closing programs by itself!

Kino · 2017-01-26 14:06:59

Hi,

For some time now I've noticed that there are occasions when BL will close all my open programs.

I've not really been able to pin this down properly but it happened today when I had office calc, file manager, gedit and transmission all running happily and when I left the computer and returned some time later all these programs had closed (luckily they did not have unsaved data associated). However, my conky's were all still showing normally.

I usually have my pc running all the time and it has been switched on for 14 days.

Is something being triggered after 14 days which will close all my open programs in this way?

martix · 2017-01-26 14:37:21

Do you have a cat?

Sorry, just could not help. Otherwise it's a strange behaviour, cannot remember experiencing the same.

damo · 2017-01-26 14:40:28

Sounds more like the openbox session has restarted. Do you need to login?

Do you have some kind of auto-update feature running?

Sector11 · 2017-01-26 15:18:41

martix wrote:

Do you have a cat?
Sorry, just could not help. Otherwise it's a strange behaviour, cannot remember experiencing the same.

Funny - but not a totally out of place question.

damo wrote:

Sounds more like the openbox session has restarted. Do you need to login?
Do you have some kind of auto-update feature running?

I'd say: No, to Restart/Reconfigure OpenBox - doing that doesn't shut down apps.
The conkys were still running so I'd place a bet on no login required either..

However - Session. That a different story. But that would require a logout and signing in.

@ Kino

You say this has happened before - is it always two week apart?

Kino · 2017-01-26 15:33:22

No, I don't have a cat (although people have claimed poltergeist phenomena - but let's not go there!).

If I leave the pc for any length of time I usually do have to log in but the programs are still running ok.

I've never really been able to pin it down but today I noticed that the machine has been running non-stop for exactly 14 days so I thought maybe something scheduled was taking place.

Sector11 · 2017-01-26 15:53:58

OK, cats and poltergeists are out. {phew!}

And no, there is no known 14 day schedule to the best of my knowledge.

'screensaver' would cause logins if there is no keyboard activity after a while.
- I'm on a desktop and removed the screensaver since I shutdown every night.
- I have also stopped the screen from going blank after a while as well.
- - OpenBox autostart file:

# Stop screen from going black ###
(xset -dpms && xset s off) &

But none of this explains programs being shut down.

- Do you have a laptop that has an energy save function maybe?
- Have you checked the cron jobs?
- - Linux: List / Display All Cron Jobs

Kino · 2017-01-26 17:38:14

I'm not using a laptop - this is a desktop pc running BL only (no dual boot).

The only cron job I have does a backup of my docs every day after midnight.

I don't have any antivirus software installed - is there any chance of malware being the cause?

Sector11 · 2017-01-26 17:55:18

If you don't have anything weird in your sources list(s), or you haven't installed anything from another 'unknown' (as in unknown to Debian) source I'd say the chance of malware is pretty slim to zero.

For you own ease of mind you might want to check out "chkrootkit" though

Description: rootkit detector
The chkrootkit security scanner searches the local system for signs that it is infected with a 'rootkit'. Rootkits are set of programs and
hacks designed to take control of a target machine by using known security flaws.
Types that chkrootkit can identify are listed on the project's home page.
Please note that where chkrootkit detects no intrusions, this does not guarantee that the system is uncompromised. In addition to running
chkrootkit, more specific tests should always be performed.
Homepage: http://www.chkrootkit.org/

Just a thought.

Kino · 2017-01-26 19:31:02

I agree, malware is extremely unlikely - I've installed nothing "unusual" (AFAIK)

I'll try and keep the pc running uninterupted and see if the problem re-occurs after another 14 days.

martix · 2017-01-26 19:55:58

Just a tip: In conky it's very easy to show the running processes (at least the top ten regarding CPU% or MEM%). You could check if there is something strange.

As a sidenote: Once I was watching Star Wars VII on a train with earphones and the battery was almost empty. While the movie was running, the machine went to "suspend"-mode and I put the notebook in my bag. Later on that day I went to the library. I took my notebook with me and carelessly just plugged in and started it in a room where everyone was working silently. The login screen appeared BUT: Star Wars was running with full volume in the background - Everyone turned his/her head to me, because the volume-buttons did not work and I had to type my password. To be secure I always have looooong passwords. So, yeah, I looked like an idiot, some girls just could not stop laughing. But long story short, even suspend did not close any programs.

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-01-26 20:54:51

@OP: was there anything in ~/.xsession-errors after the programs were found to have closed?

Sector11 · 2017-01-26 22:05:22

@martix - why do I keep wanting to type 'matrix'? Anyway - as soon as I read 'went to the library' I knew what was coming. Thanks for the chuckle.

@HoaS - ahhhh the wise one ... OUCH! Just checked mine .. I has errores! Of to work things out.

ohnonot · 2017-01-27 07:50:18

Kino, if you have autologin enabled it is possible that the session logged itself out - and straight back in again.

i could think of a few situations that could trigger that - X crashing (maybe even openbox crashing? no, i don't think so. the most reliable, feature-complete and stable window manager in the world...).
i think i once had or read about a graphic driver that would cause X to crash. just an example.

the best you can do is try to reproduce and troubleshoot.

damo · 2017-01-27 07:59:47

ohnonot wrote:

Kino, if you have autologin enabled it is possible that the session logged itself out - and straight back in again.
....

That was my thought as well, but @Kino hasn't answered the question about autologin yet.

Kino · 2017-01-27 09:52:28

I don't have autologin enabled:

/usr/sbin/lightdm --show-config
   [SeatDefaults]
A  greeter-session=lightdm-greeter
B  greeter-hide-users=true
A  session-wrapper=/etc/X11/Xsession
B  session-setup-script=/usr/lib/bunsen/configs/bl-user-setup

Sources:
A  /usr/share/lightdm/lightdm.conf.d/01_debian.conf
B  /etc/lightdm/lightdm.conf

Although I do have to login after the screen saver kicks in - but this has never resulted in open programs closing.

o9000 · 2017-01-27 18:59:36

This may be stupid, but are you sure you have not switched to a different workspace (virtual desktop) accidentally?

Another question would be, which applications are closing? Different ones or just the same every time?

Sector11 · 2017-01-27 19:05:36

o9000 wrote:

This may be stupid, but are you sure you have not switched to a different workspace (virtual desktop) accidentally?

Or maybe not. If you knew the number of times I've "Huh! Where's medit/thunar/etc?"

"centre.click" with the mouse button on the desktop - "Oh, there it is!"

Kino · 2017-01-27 19:29:50

This may be stupid, but are you sure you have not switched to a different workspace (virtual desktop) accidentally?
Another question would be, which applications are closing? Different ones or just the same every time?

As to your first question - no, I'm familiar with my workspaces. They're not all exactly the same so I'm sure that's not an issue.

All open programs, in whichever workspace they happen to be, all close.

My file manager is always open but others include spreadsheets, text editors and whatever I'm working with. It's different every time but they all have closed and only my conky's are still running.

One conky displays uptime and this is continuous before and after the problem occurs i.e. the system has not rebooted itself in my absence - which is why I noticed it was exactly 14 days when it occurred.

o9000 · 2017-01-27 19:34:27

I'd follow HoaS' advice to look in ~/.xsession-errors or even dmesg (the kernel starts killing willy-nilly when RAM is full) to see any signs of applications crashing.

damo · 2017-01-27 20:36:57

Perhaps there may be problems with the theme in use? May explain why windows are closed, but conky isn't.

#1 2017-01-26 14:06:59

BL closing programs by itself!

#2 2017-01-26 14:37:21

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#3 2017-01-26 14:40:28

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#4 2017-01-26 15:18:41

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#5 2017-01-26 15:33:22

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#6 2017-01-26 15:53:58

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#7 2017-01-26 17:38:14

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#8 2017-01-26 17:55:18

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#9 2017-01-26 19:31:02

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#10 2017-01-26 19:55:58

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#11 2017-01-26 20:54:51

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#12 2017-01-26 22:05:22

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#13 2017-01-27 07:50:18

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#14 2017-01-27 07:59:47

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#15 2017-01-27 09:52:28

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#16 2017-01-27 18:59:36

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#17 2017-01-27 19:05:36

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#18 2017-01-27 19:29:50

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#19 2017-01-27 19:34:27

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

#20 2017-01-27 20:36:57

Re: BL closing programs by itself!

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