Reinstall questions

English Install/Boot/Login
1

Hi all, one of my tumbleweed installations is increasingly showing signs of corruption, so I’m thinking about reinstalling.
My question is: what would you save of the old installation?

Obviously I would save my home directory (easy: it’s on a separate partition and I already have backups). I would save the /etc directory. Would you save something else?
Also, since my desktop (KDE 5) is showing some erratic behavior, I think I’d have to delete some of the preferences saved in my home directory. What would you delete?

I’m especially hoping to hear from someone who had to do the same thing and got good results (i.e. not too much to rebuild but also no corruption carried over).

Thank you in advance!!
Cris

2

Creating a new user do you have the same problems?
If you do not have them … the problem is the plasma5 configuration files, just remove them

3

As the post of @V_idocq suggests, you should try to find out what is wrong. Re-installation does not give any insight in the problems and like everything you repeat, you will probably end up in the same situation without knowing what is wrong (I once was told that re-installation on the slightest problem is a typical MS Windows attitude, but it is certainly not professional).

Thus please tell us the symptoms od the “signs of corruption” and when they are in the experience of the end-user’s GUI/DE, then @V_idocqs advice may come handy.

4

Thank you both Henk and V_idocq.
I’m going to try with a new user and then I’ll report back (I would’ve done that already if I was not so short on free time now).

Cris

5

So, yesterday I took some time to try to login with a new user.
Unfortunately, the new user has the same problem as the old one, at least for the main problem.

The main problem is that, after login, the desktop doesn’t come up. I get conky, I get Latte Dock, I get Yakuake and the ALT-F2 pop-up, but the rest of the desktop doesn’t come up (no start menu, no desktop background, no desktop panels).

Then, usually after about 19 minutes, the desktop suddenly comes up. If - after the desktop has come up - I kill plasmashell and restart it, sometimes it comes up immediately while sometimes I have to wait again.

If I kill and restart plasmashell before the 19 minutes, it still doesn’t come up.

I haven’t been able to track the problem down to some error… even starting plasmashell from the command line I don’t see any obvious error that blocks it from showing completely. To me, it seems some kind of timeout problem… but 19 minutes seems quite long as a timeout.

Another symptom is that some of the popup windows (usually asking for passwords) come up completely black. If I let them alone, after a few minutes they eventually decide to let me see their contents. If I remember correctly this is not directly linked to the time it takes to show the desktop.

As you see there are various problems that I’ve not been able to correct till now… I have these problems since about a month, and no amount of updating has corrected them.

I would gladly avoid reinstalling. I have never been a Windows user and I hate the idea of resolving problems by reinstalling, but sometimes it seems there’s no other way.
I exposed my main problem on another thread in the application area of this forum, but got no reply.

If someone comes up with a suggestion about something to try before reinstalling, I would be very interested in trying it out.

Thank you in advance!!

Cris

6

In terminal

systemd-analyze blame
7

Mmmm, isn’t that used to determine the time taken by programs/daemons during boot?

My problem is not at boot, it is after login.
Well, I do have a slow boot, but that’s entirely another matter (and not so annoying).

Anyway, here it is:

         27.174s NetworkManager-wait-online.service
         25.195s tpdaemon.service
          1.114s SuSEfirewall2.service
           678ms tmp.mount
           666ms run-media-cris-nasvol1.mount
           626ms apparmor.service
           580ms webmin.service
           553ms display-manager.service
           445ms srv.mount
           440ms var-lib-pgsql.mount
           439ms usr-local.mount
           439ms var-opt.mount
           439ms boot-grub2-x86_64\x2defi.mount
           439ms \x2esnapshots.mount
           438ms var-lib-mariadb.mount
           437ms var-log.mount
           437ms var-cache.mount
           436ms var-lib-libvirt-images.mount
           435ms var-lib-machines.mount
           434ms var-spool.mount
           432ms var-lib-named.mount
           431ms initrd-switch-root.service
           428ms boot-grub2-i386\x2dpc.mount
           426ms var-lib-mailman.mount
           426ms var-lib-mysql.mount
           421ms vboxdrv.service
           412ms dev-sdb3.device
           396ms udisks2.service
           386ms postfix.service
           377ms systemd-journal-flush.service
           350ms SuSEfirewall2_init.service
           321ms home-cris-.VirtualBox.mount
           311ms systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-ae5d4ca9\x2d4475\x2d4ee9\x2dba8e\x2de5cab4d008c8.service
           302ms var-crash.mount
           272ms sav-protect.service
           254ms systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service
           233ms ModemManager.service
           224ms systemd-hostnamed.service
           223ms home.mount
           197ms systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-30dd56a8\x2ddb96\x2d48cb\x2daaa9\x2dd0c477998275.service
           173ms teamviewerd.service
           164ms systemd-vconsole-setup.service
           156ms upower.service
           140ms systemd-udevd.service
           112ms dev-loop0.device
           111ms vmware-view-USBD.service
           109ms dev-disk-by\x2duuid-ec5f6b8c\x2dff2e\x2d4af2\x2d9428\x2d7d71645cb7ca.swap
           108ms ntpd.service
           101ms user@1000.service
            94ms vmware-USBArbitrator.service
            94ms sysroot.mount
            93ms snap-core-1577.mount
            89ms polkit.service
            79ms avahi-daemon.service
            71ms bluetooth.service
            70ms systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-052d0d1b\x2dad2a\x2d4e3e\x2da31a\x2de8ff11c433ea.service
            67ms NetworkManager.service
            66ms issue-generator.service
            65ms systemd-udev-trigger.service
            55ms initrd-parse-etc.service
            47ms nscd.service
            45ms dracut-cmdline.service
            39ms auditd.service
            36ms systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-56ad5e05\x2d8964\x2d4b6a\x2d8c71\x2d366a8e80ad8e.service
            34ms systemd-tmpfiles-clean.service
            34ms btrfsmaintenance-refresh.service
            28ms apache2.service
            27ms systemd-rfkill.service
            25ms rtkit-daemon.service
            23ms systemd-tmpfiles-setup-dev.service
            21ms dev-hugepages.mount
            21ms plymouth-start.service
            21ms systemd-logind.service
            20ms dev-mqueue.mount
            20ms iscsi.service
            19ms systemd-sysctl.service
            19ms rc-local.service
            17ms systemd-journald.service
            17ms opt.mount
            16ms systemd-remount-fs.service
            15ms plymouth-switch-root.service
            15ms plymouth-read-write.service
            14ms vboxes.service
            14ms systemd-fsck-root.service
            12ms sshd.service
            11ms systemd-random-seed.service
            11ms sys-fs-fuse-connections.mount
            10ms sys-kernel-debug.mount
            10ms dracut-pre-trigger.service
             8ms systemd-modules-load.service
             8ms systemd-update-utmp.service
             8ms initrd-cleanup.service
             6ms systemd-update-utmp-runlevel.service
             6ms mcelog.service
             5ms alsa-restore.service
             5ms systemd-user-sessions.service
             5ms apcupsd.service
             3ms dracut-shutdown.service
             3ms kmod-static-nodes.service
             3ms var-run.mount
             2ms initrd-udevadm-cleanup-db.service
           849us systemd-timesyncd.service
           788us snapd.socket

TIA
Cris

8

I think that

27.174s NetworkManager-wait-online.service
25.195s tpdaemon.service

They are already a problem
Try changing the login manager only for curiosity

sudo zypper in lightdm-slick-greeter

And then yast> editor / etc / sysconfig> Desktop> Display-manager> displaymanager> put lightdm> ok
Restart

9

Hi V_idocq!

Did it, just out of curiosity, but it didn’t change a thing (as expected, unfortunately). I’m going back to sddm.

Here is the output of systemd-analyze blame after changing to lightdm and rebooting:

cris@PolariSuse ~]**$** sudo systemd-analyze blame
[sudo] password for root:  
         27.215s NetworkManager-wait-online.service
         25.093s tpdaemon.service
           762ms webmin.service
           595ms display-manager.service
           565ms var-opt.mount
           523ms var-lib-machines.mount
           522ms var-lib-mysql.mount
           505ms SuSEfirewall2.service
           493ms apparmor.service
           450ms boot-grub2-i386\x2dpc.mount
           412ms var-lib-libvirt-images.mount
           412ms vboxdrv.service
           409ms var-cache.mount
           371ms var-log.mount
           361ms postfix.service
           349ms var-spool.mount
           311ms \x2esnapshots.mount
           300ms tmp.mount
           299ms SuSEfirewall2_init.service
           281ms systemd-journal-flush.service
           270ms systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-30dd56a8\x2ddb96\x2d48cb\x2daaa9\x2dd0c477998275.service
           264ms var-lib-mariadb.mount
           262ms systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-ae5d4ca9\x2d4475\x2d4ee9\x2dba8e\x2de5cab4d008c8.service
           261ms dev-sdb3.device
           260ms initrd-switch-root.service
           252ms systemd-tmpfiles-setup.service
           248ms ModemManager.service
           244ms srv.mount
           244ms usr-local.mount
           236ms home.mount
           216ms sav-protect.service
           183ms systemd-hostnamed.service
           179ms run-media-cris-nasvol1.mount
           178ms upower.service
           175ms ntpd.service
           171ms boot-grub2-x86_64\x2defi.mount
           169ms teamviewerd.service
           141ms var-lib-mailman.mount
           139ms systemd-vconsole-setup.service
           122ms dev-disk-by\x2duuid-ec5f6b8c\x2dff2e\x2d4af2\x2d9428\x2d7d71645cb7ca.swap
           118ms var-lib-pgsql.mount
           105ms polkit.service
            96ms user@1000.service
            89ms var-crash.mount
            85ms rc-local.service
            84ms udisks2.service
            84ms vmware-view-USBD.service
            83ms issue-generator.service
            79ms vmware-USBArbitrator.service
            75ms bluetooth.service
            70ms avahi-daemon.service
            70ms initrd-parse-etc.service
            69ms NetworkManager.service
            64ms systemd-udevd.service
            63ms snap-core-1577.mount
            59ms nscd.service
            58ms var-lib-named.mount
            57ms systemd-udev-trigger.service
            53ms sysroot.mount
            45ms dev-loop0.device
           44ms auditd.service
            42ms dracut-cmdline.service
            36ms apache2.service
            34ms systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-052d0d1b\x2dad2a\x2d4e3e\x2da31a\x2de8ff11c433ea.service
            32ms sshd.service
            26ms rtkit-daemon.service
            26ms systemd-fsck@dev-disk-by\x2duuid-56ad5e05\x2d8964\x2d4b6a\x2d8c71\x2d366a8e80ad8e.service
            24ms btrfsmaintenance-refresh.service
            24ms opt.mount
            24ms home-cris-.VirtualBox.mount
            20ms accounts-daemon.service
            16ms systemd-logind.service
            15ms plymouth-start.service
            15ms plymouth-read-write.service
            14ms mcelog.service
            13ms systemd-fsck-root.service
            12ms plymouth-switch-root.service
            12ms systemd-tmpfiles-setup-dev.service
            11ms sys-fs-fuse-connections.mount
            10ms systemd-journald.service
             9ms dracut-pre-trigger.service
             9ms systemd-modules-load.service
             9ms vboxes.service
             8ms systemd-sysctl.service
             8ms apcupsd.service
             8ms iscsi.service
             8ms systemd-remount-fs.service
             7ms initrd-cleanup.service
             7ms systemd-update-utmp.service
             6ms sys-kernel-debug.mount
            6ms systemd-update-utmp-runlevel.service
             5ms dev-hugepages.mount
             5ms systemd-user-sessions.service
             5ms systemd-rfkill.service
             5ms alsa-restore.service
             5ms kmod-static-nodes.service
             5ms dev-mqueue.mount
             4ms systemd-random-seed.service
             3ms snapd.socket
             3ms dracut-shutdown.service
             3ms initrd-udevadm-cleanup-db.service
             1ms var-run.mount
           855us systemd-timesyncd.service

Thank you for trying, though.
Cris

10

You can disable the first service

systemctl disable NetworkManager-wait-online.service

There is something that does not come back

595ms display-manager.service

This is the time it indicates for loading

11

Hi V_idocq!

lol! are you italian? “There is something that does not come back” seems like a literal translation of “c’è qualcosa che non torna”… I doubt this is something that an english mother-tongue would understand, but I found it nice and funny!! (I’m italian) lol!

Anyway, thank you for your suggestions, but this is all just something that is lengthening my boot time of a few seconds.
My problem is a 19-minute (!!) pause before the desktop comes up after I login.

If nobody has any clue on this problem, maybe we could get back to my original question?

Thank you
Cris

12

After months of trying to solve this problem, I finally found the solution, and I found it by chance.
I was reading some articles regarding another problem with plymouth and someone on the Ubuntu forums said that he had various problems because he symlinked /var/tmp to /tmp. So I checked my /var/tmp and turned out that I had the same symlink!!
Funny thing is that I don’t remember having done that symlink, but - given the problems it spawns - I highly doubt that this is something that’s in a normal openSUSE installation.
Anyway, though I do not understand why, removing that symlink and creating a normal directory in his place fixed the whole problem (and a few more little problems).

Hope this will help someone having the same symptoms… (though the subject of this thread will probably mislead readers, but I cannot change it).

Cris

13

Wow! What an amazing thing to discover. Why was that errant symlink causing such crazy symptoms i wonder & of course, how / why was the symlink created?]?

14

Hi GooeyGirl!

Well, those questions are my questions, too! Especially the first!
About the second one, I suspect I followed some (obviously wrong) hint I found somewhere and then I forgot about it.

Cris