[DONE] Won't enter KDE after crash

[paulcbrennan2001]

Using Mageia 5 64 bit. My system crashed so I restarted. Signed in as usual then got messages saying things had closed unexpectedly (KMix, Run Command Interface, Plasma Desktop Shell). Then a message about HPLIP not starting due to no System Tray on this Device. After closing all the messages it just hangs on the Splash Screen. I tried the installation DVD to see if I could re-install but it just goes to the 'Boot Mageia 5' screen. checked Bios to confirm that CD/DVD was the first boot device. I am not technical so I am completely at a loss.

Please Help. Thanks.

[doktor5000]

Hi there,

could you please be a little more verbose on how your system crashed?

Apart from that, it should be pretty easy to boot to safe/recovery mode in the boot menu.
Then login in the text terminal as your normal user, and please run the following to rename/move away all your KDE settings (so they will not be lost)

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mv ~/.kde4 ~/.kde4-orig

Then reboot and try to login normally - you should get a default KDE desktop. Then afterwards please provide feedback here.

[paulcbrennan2001]

Crash occured during updates (may have hit something I shoudn't have).

Could only login as root in safe mode but still did what you suggested.

Affraid no change.

[doktor5000]

Maybe the /home filesystem is damaged somehow. If you login as root, can you umount /home and run an fsck on it?

Otherwise you should try to create a new user with drakuser and login as that user to see if that still works.
If it doesn't, after you logged in, you should switch to another tty with Ctrl+Alt+F2 and as root run

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journalctl -ab > journal.log

and attach the resulting file journal.log here.

[paulcbrennan2001]

I'm affraid I am just a user, not technical. After going into safe mode I am faced after root login password with "root@localhost". I am at a loss as to what you mean?

Sorry.

[paulcbrennan2001]

Here's what I tried:-

umount /home and fsck appeared to run but rebooted and no change.

drakuser - cannot run in console mode.

Ctrl+Alt+F2 - did nothing.

Hope this helps.

[gohlip]

Try log in to command prompt, and then fix whatever needs fixing.
To go to prompt, at grub menu (hope you're using grub2), press 'e' at Mageia entry,
arrow down to linux line, arrow right past 'splash' and 'quiet', backspace to remove them and add '3' (no apostrophes) and 'Ctl' + 'x' (or F10) to boot.
If it goes to prompt, login with password and then redo your updates or dracut or whatever (we don't know as ... never mind).
Reboot if updates corrected issues.

Good luck.

[edit] -
if problem after logging in and trying to fix, you can also see the journal that doktor asked for, last few lines will do since we don't expect you to copy all.
You can also do the new .kde as doktor suggested (good idea); then reboot (you need to reset your desktop settings again).

[paulcbrennan2001]

Sorry, I don't understand what you mean. When I turn the machine on it goes straight to the boot menu screen. As I say I am not technical so how do I get to the grub menu?

Thanks.

[gohlip]

It's my turn now to not understand you.
Your boot menu screen - does it have an entry that says anything "Mageia"? If yes, that's the grub menu.
If no, then when you turn on computer, keep tapping the 'shift' key. A menu should appear with a few entries. At least with "Mageia" in it and "Memory test" or others.
Take it from there.

[paulcbrennan2001]

The menu I get is the normal "Boot Mageia 5" plus a couple of desktops and safe mode. Shift doesn't seem to do anything.

[gohlip]

Correct, this is my grub menu or your boot menu. Use this.
So at this mageia entry, press 'e' and continue from my previous post.
Also I think yours is grub-legacy, and sorry I am now forgetting much of it now (I use grub2).
It may work differently and not sure if it takes you to login prompt.
If others can jump in and confirm add '3' works or another method, please do so. Thanks.
But you should try anyway. Assure you it won't harm, even if it doesn't work; but I think it does work (boot command may be different though - 'b''? - check at bottom of screen after pressing 'e')


ps:if you fail to get to login prompt but if you can somehow get to tty (see doktor's post above), do the commands to update ("sudo urpmi --auto-update") or replace .kde (mv ~/.kde4 ~/.kde4-orig)

[edit] - "mv ~/.kde4 ~/.kde4-orig" - the "~' is not a 'dash' but the key next to key '1', need 'shift' to type in.
[edit2] - ah, 'safe mode' - if fail to login, use 'safe mode'. arrow down to safe mode entry and press enter.

[paulcbrennan2001]

Still no go. Tried tty which came back as tty1 then did the urpmi update - came back with lots of errors, ie. cannot open Packages database in /var/lib/rpm & unable to open rpmdb (all done in safe mode).

The only solution I can think of is to re-install Mageia 5 but, even though the bios says that the DVD is the first one to be read before the harddrive, it won't access it (going straight to the normal boot menu). Is there a way of formatting the system partition (in the current state of my computer) that will force the DVD to be read?

[gohlip]

Sorry to hear that you have to reinstall. A real bummer.
As to the dvd not being selected, why not first check if dvd is functional at all. Then if working, try other live dvd or cd first and see if that boots first?

Other than that, if bios sets dvd to first boot, I see no other way round it. You may have to take it to the computer shop.
Well Paul, hope you fix this real soon. Good luck and regards.

[paulcbrennan2001]

Thanks anyway. I told my wife I need a new computer so wish me luck!!

[gohlip]

She keeps your money?
Just kidding. Just as well. They have better money sense.
Cheers. Take care.

[benmc]

came back with lots of errors, ie. cannot open Packages database in /var/lib/rpm & unable to open rpmdb (all done in safe mode).

looks like you need to repair your rpm database

try

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rm -f /var/lib/rpm/__db*
rpm --rebuilddb

Boot Mageia 5" plus a couple of desktops and safe mode

choose safe mode - use up / down keys, then login as root.

you should then be able to complete your

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urpmi --auto-update

[paulcbrennan2001]

I've given up. My system is totally borked. I'm going to put an unused HD in and re-install.

Thanks anyway.

[doktor5000]

You could still try to do an "upgrade" installation which would basically go over your currently installed system and fixes a few things. Simply start the installation, but select Upgrade instead of Installation.

[jiml8]

Upgrade installation will only work if there are no underlying problems in the system. OP describes multiple problems that would superficially appear to be unrelated, but which all describe corruption of data (as opposed to a simple misconfiguration or software error). He then describes his system as "totally borked", and based on what he has said, I would be inclined to agree.

[paulcbrennan2001]

Even though the CD/DVD is the first bootable device in the BIOS it wouldn't read it as I wanted to re-install. Obviously there is a major problem with the computer. I am very close to convincing my wife that I need a new one. Here's hoping!!

Many thanks for all the attempts at trying to help.

[doktor5000]

Upgrade installation will only work if there are no underlying problems in the system. OP describes multiple problems that would superficially appear to be unrelated, but which all describe corruption of data (as opposed to a simple misconfiguration or software error). He then describes his system as "totally borked", and based on what he has said, I would be inclined to agree.

Granted, but the upgrade install would fix at least the RPM database corruption and my point was that it would only take a few minutes to try.
Probably much less then waiting for a new computer, but if it's really corrupted then that might be the only way to fix this.

@Paul: You might try installing from USB if CD/DVD doesn't work currently.

[paulcbrennan2001]

The computer is several years old and I have been given the go-ahead to order a new one (covinced my wife that I have important programs that need Mageia to run). I assume the new computer (I'm purchasing one without an operating system installed) will be UEFI. Are there any tips I need to know before installing Mageia on it?

Thanks.

[doktor5000]

You can read up on https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Installing_o ... I_firmware
Since Mageia 5 UEFI is fully supported.

[paulcbrennan2001]

Thanks doktor. Will consider this closed now.