can't boot after updating :(

duckie · 2017-07-08 16:13:21

I have BunsenLabs with Debian Testing. So, I ran dist-upgrade yesterday, and noticed there was a problem, but decided to look at it in the morning. My computer suspended, and this morning it wouldn't wake up. I restarted it, and when it tried to boot, everything was [OK] until:

[FAILED] Failed to start Login Service.

So I tried to boot into recovery console, and got:

Cannot open access to console, the root account is locked.
See sulogin(8) man page for more details.
Press Enter to continue.

When I press Enter, nothing happens. I don't think I ever set a root password, and have just been using sudo whenever I needed root privileges. Any idea how to get to a console?

Sector11 · 2017-07-08 16:54:29

[Ctrl]+[Alt]+[F1] or [F2]
log in and then:

sudo su -

don't forget the dash.

That should get you to root.

 08 Jul 17 @ 13:52:55 ~
   $ sudo su -
[sudo] password for sector11: 
root@s12:~#

duckie · 2017-07-08 17:21:33

Nothing happens when I do ctrl-alt-f1. When I do ctrl-alt-f2, I get a black screen with a blinking cursor and nothing else.

Sector11 · 2017-07-08 17:32:48

try: ctrl-alt-f7

duckie · 2017-07-08 17:48:01

Another blinking cursor.

damo · 2017-07-08 18:09:16

Do you have a manually installed nvidia driver?

Sector11 · 2017-07-08 18:32:03

Ahh expert help.

duckie · 2017-07-08 20:19:06

Nope, I haven't installed any video drivers.

damo · 2017-07-08 20:48:39

Have you searched for Debian bugs with that last error message ("[FAILED] Failed to start Login Service")?

EDIT: Can you boot into single-user mode? At the boot screen, press "e" to edit the grub menu; then add "s" to the end of the line starting with "linux..."; "Ctrl-x" to boot.

You may then be able to inspect logs. Check if dbus is installed.

Last edited by damo (2017-07-08 20:57:01)

duckie · 2017-07-09 00:04:22

Trying to boot into single user mode gets me to the "Cannot open access to console, the root account is locked." message.

I think I need to boot from a live USB and use chroot to set a root password, maybe?

damo · 2017-07-09 10:05:05

Some useful info about how to get into a linux box in this thread: How to Break Into Linux and How to Stop It

EDIT: a quick search came up with the notion that a messed up fstab can produce the same symptoms. So chroot from a live session and check the fstab

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-07-09 10:53:48

duckie wrote:

"Cannot open access to console, the root account is locked."

Looks like you have hit the same problem as KrunchTime with his sid system:

https://forums.bunsenlabs.org/viewtopic … 927#p54927

I think the problem here is that you are both using Debian testing/unstable in the month or so immediately after a stable release (stretch in this case) and this is traditionally a time when all of the new package versions that have been held back during the six month freeze start making their way through the system in a massive flood of upgrades.

These upgrades may not be co-ordinated enough for the user to enjoy a consistently reliable experience and so the general use of testing/unstable is discouraged for this time.

It is worth noting that while Debian is happy to offer support for people running the stable release, it is expected that the users of testing/unstable provide support to Debian in the form of bugs reports and (preferably) patches. If you are unable to do this then you probably shouldn't be using the development branches at all.

KrunchTime · 2017-07-11 04:54:35

damo wrote:

EDIT: a quick search came up with the notion that a messed up fstab can produce the same symptoms. So chroot from a live session and check the fstab

Thank you!

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

...it is expected that the users of testing/unstable provide support to Debian in the form of bugs reports and (preferably) patches. If you are unable to do this then you probably shouldn't be using the development branches at all.

Well, since neither duckie or I know exactly what is wrong, how would we go about filing a bug report?

Last edited by KrunchTime (2017-07-11 04:56:55)

Head_on_a_Stick · 2017-07-11 06:20:31

KrunchTime wrote:

since neither duckie or I know exactly what is wrong, how would we go about filing a bug report?

You probably shouldn't, a bad bug report can be counter-productive.

Have you considered trying Arch instead?

Debian testing/unstable is designed to break, that is the purpose of those branches.

I don't have much experience with sid but have you tried `apt-get dist-upgrade` again (from a chroot)?

A full upgrade usually fixes things in Arch 8)

Debian testing will stay broken for longer, of course.

KrunchTime · 2017-07-11 21:27:04

damo wrote:

EDIT: a quick search came up with the notion that a messed up fstab can produce the same symptoms. So chroot from a live session and check the fstab

fstab looks fine and there have been no changes to the file since I last updated it.

KrunchTime · 2017-07-11 21:33:56

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Have you considered trying Arch instead?

I tried Antergos, an Arch derivative, awhile back. I prefer sticking to Debian, though.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

Debian testing/unstable is designed to break, that is the purpose of those branches.

To be fair, Arch breaks as well. Additionally, other than a couple of times over the last 6 months or so when WiFi was broke, I've not encountered any show stoppers under Unstable until 06/30/2017. What's additionally frustrating is I've not seen similar issues reported over in the Debian or Siduction forums.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

I don't have much experience with sid but have you tried `apt-get dist-upgrade` again (from a chroot)?

No, I haven't yet figured out a way to boot as root.

Head_on_a_Stick wrote:

A full upgrade usually fixes things in Arch 8)

As it does under Debian.

Last edited by KrunchTime (2017-07-11 21:34:42)

beaker · 2017-07-11 21:44:13

how to chroot - should still be pretty relevant I should think.

https://crunchbang.org/forums/viewtopic.php?id=15351

I have a sid system which I dist-upgraded on 1st July and again on 11th July after reading this post ( to see if it would break) but it all worked.

KrunchTime · 2017-07-11 21:46:10

^ Yeah, I have an ASUS Zenbook that I apt full-upgraded a day or two after and it is still running fine. Must have something to do with one or more package upgrades and one of the hardware components on my desktop. Thank you for the link to the post over in the #! forums.

Could the procedure outlined in that link be performed from my BL-Hydrogen instance (different partition)? I'm able to mount the BL-Unstable partition under BL-Hydrogen.

Last edited by KrunchTime (2017-07-11 22:00:50)

damo · 2017-07-11 22:53:09

You can chroot from another partition - just mount it somewhere and chroot into it.

KrunchTime · 2017-07-11 23:19:29

^ Thank you. I assume the sudo su is the chroot part.

Edit: My assumption was correct.

Last edited by KrunchTime (2017-07-12 01:34:21)

#1 2017-07-08 16:13:21

can't boot after updating :(

#2 2017-07-08 16:54:29

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#3 2017-07-08 17:21:33

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#4 2017-07-08 17:32:48

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#5 2017-07-08 17:48:01

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#6 2017-07-08 18:09:16

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#7 2017-07-08 18:32:03

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#8 2017-07-08 20:19:06

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#9 2017-07-08 20:48:39

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#10 2017-07-09 00:04:22

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#11 2017-07-09 10:05:05

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#12 2017-07-09 10:53:48

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#13 2017-07-11 04:54:35

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#14 2017-07-11 06:20:31

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#15 2017-07-11 21:27:04

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#16 2017-07-11 21:33:56

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#17 2017-07-11 21:44:13

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#18 2017-07-11 21:46:10

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#19 2017-07-11 22:53:09

Re: can't boot after updating :(

#20 2017-07-11 23:19:29

Re: can't boot after updating :(

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