System hangs after update in openSuse 11.3

I installed openSUSE 11.3 today, and I after installing a couple of softwares from Yast, I opened it again and applied the patches/updates it had listed, which included a Kernel one too. After the update and restart, it hangs at the progress bar screen just before it is about to finish, after flashing a black screen.

Here is the xorg log I got by going to terminal before it happens, and logging in. Last few lines:

    23.969] (II) config/udev: Adding input device ImExPS/2 Generic Explorer Mouse (/dev/input/mouse0)
    23.969] (EE) No input driver/identifier specified (ignoring)
    23.969] (II) config/udev: Adding input device PC Speaker (/dev/input/event4)
    23.969] (EE) No input driver/identifier specified (ignoring)
    24.268] (II) intel(0): EDID vendor "SAM", prod id 1433
    24.268] (II) intel(0): Using hsync ranges from config file
    24.268] (II) intel(0): Using vrefresh ranges from config file
    24.268] (II) intel(0): Printing DDC gathered Modelines:
    24.268] (II) intel(0): Modeline "1600x900"x0.0  108.00  1600 1624 1704 1800  900 901 904 1000 +hsync +vsync (60.0 kHz)
    24.268] (II) intel(0): Modeline "800x600"x0.0   40.00  800 840 968 1056  600 601 605 628 +hsync +vsync (37.9 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "800x600"x0.0   36.00  800 824 896 1024  600 601 603 625 +hsync +vsync (35.2 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "640x480"x0.0   31.50  640 656 720 840  480 481 484 500 -hsync -vsync (37.5 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "640x480"x0.0   31.50  640 664 704 832  480 489 492 520 -hsync -vsync (37.9 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "640x480"x0.0   30.24  640 704 768 864  480 483 486 525 -hsync -vsync (35.0 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "640x480"x0.0   25.18  640 656 752 800  480 490 492 525 -hsync -vsync (31.5 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "720x400"x0.0   28.32  720 738 846 900  400 412 414 449 -hsync +vsync (31.5 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "1024x768"x0.0   78.75  1024 1040 1136 1312  768 769 772 800 +hsync +vsync (60.0 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "1024x768"x0.0   75.00  1024 1048 1184 1328  768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync (56.5 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "1024x768"x0.0   65.00  1024 1048 1184 1344  768 771 777 806 -hsync -vsync (48.4 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "832x624"x0.0   57.28  832 864 928 1152  624 625 628 667 -hsync -vsync (49.7 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "800x600"x0.0   49.50  800 816 896 1056  600 601 604 625 +hsync +vsync (46.9 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "800x600"x0.0   50.00  800 856 976 1040  600 637 643 666 +hsync +vsync (48.1 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "1152x864"x0.0  108.00  1152 1216 1344 1600  864 865 868 900 +hsync +vsync (67.5 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "1280x800"x0.0   83.50  1280 1352 1480 1680  800 803 809 831 -hsync +vsync (49.7 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "1440x900"x0.0  106.50  1440 1520 1672 1904  900 903 909 934 -hsync +vsync (55.9 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "1280x800"x0.0  106.50  1280 1360 1488 1696  800 803 809 838 -hsync +vsync (62.8 kHz)
    24.269] (II) intel(0): Modeline "1440x900"x0.0  136.75  1440 1536 1688 1936  900 903 909 942 -hsync +vsync (70.6 kHz)
    28.601] (II) AIGLX: Suspending AIGLX clients for VT switch

I am running 32-bit version, Intel Pentium 4 3.0GHz with HT, Asus P5GL-MX. 1GB RAM.

Here is one way to fix a bad kernel install if you can get to run level 3:

Picasa Web Albums - carl fletcher - kernel fix ya…

If you can’t get to run level 3, here is how to fix a bad kernel update if you have the right version boot disk of openSUSE:

Picasa Web Albums - carl fletcher - DVD Kernel Fix

In the future, it is possible to setup YaST to maintain more than one kernel version by doing this:

edit the file /etc/zypp/zypp.conf to say:


    ##
    ## Packages which can be installed in different versions at the same time.
    ##
    ## Packages are selected either by name, or by provides. In the later case
    ## the string must start with "provides:" immediately followed by the capability.
    ##
    ## Example:
    ##    kernel                - just packages whith name 'kernel'
    ##    provides:multiversion(kernel)   - all packages providing 'multiversion(kernel)'
    ##                      (kenel and kmp packages should do this)
    ## Valid values:
    ##    Comma separated list of packages.
    ##
    ## Default value:
    ##    empty
    ##
    ## multiversion = provides:multiversion(kernel)

    multiversion = kernel-desktop

This above change modifies YaST for Kernel-Desktop so that instead of bullets, where you select just one version, you get check blocks to keep more than one version (this is on the versions tab in Yast / Software Management). In the above example you would only maintain multiple copies of kernel-desktop. If you use the example setting that is commented out, ALL kernels you load will be multiple version. This works with openSUSE 11.3, but not with openSUSE.11.2, where you must specify each kernel type individually. Using the setting as I show for only kernel-desktop works on many openSUSE versions.

Let us know if any of this helps.

Thank You,

looking at this, you probably already realise that reverting to your earlier kernel is likely to be your best option!

I am reluctant to try any Kernel related recovery, unless I am sure that the problem is caused by the updated kernel. As I mentioned the kernel was one of the updates. In zypp/history, I see updates from libkde4 and xorg among a lot of others.

Is there a way to first know if the hang is caused by Kernel or either kde or X? . BTW I was suggested on the forum to rename .kde folder, but that didn’t fix it.

If you think it is KDE4, the folder would be .kde4. But you can also just create a new user and see if you can log in then. If so, the delete of .kde4 may fix the problem. If you have loaded any other desktops, use the session selection on the bottom left to switch. If a different desktop works, then indeed the problem is with kde. You could go into YaST and reload kde for instance.

Thank You,

I am reluctant to try any Kernel related recovery,

Install your old kernel alongside your new one, your system only uses one at a time !

Sorry, I meant .kde4 . And it was actually suggested on the irc channel.

I will try the kernel fix. BTW I am using Grub2 not legacy, as I am Multibooting with Ubuntu, and in the setup it didn’t detect the ubuntu installations if I selected to install bootloader. I have added the entry for Suse via probe-os and update-grub in ubuntu. But as I can get to terminal if I press Ctrl + alt + F1 before the system hangs, I guess I can try that first fix. Hopefully it has the image in cache, because I am not on an ethernet based internet connection so it won’t be able to download anything.

It appears that yast needed to download the files after all, but as I had set up my provider and modem broadband modem settings during install and I was using ifup to use internet (Wanted to use Network Manager, but it failed to connect), yast was able to download the older kernel, and I am back on Suse.

Also I noticed before log in prompt in terminal that there was an error reported, which most probably was the time when GUI used to hang up:

Failed Services in userlevel 5 … rng-(something) [in red]
Skipped services in userlevel 5 … something else [in yellow]

It appears that yast needed to download the files after all, but as I had set up my provider and modem broadband modem settings during install and I was using ifup to use internet (Wanted to use Network Manager, but it failed to connect), yast was able to download the older kernel, and I am back on Suse.

Also I noticed before log in prompt in terminal that there was an error reported, which most probably was the time when GUI used to hang up:

Failed Services in userlevel 5 … rng-(something) [in red]
Skipped services in userlevel 5 … something else [in yellow]
So sosaited, what is your status right now? Can you get your GUI to run for any desktop? Does any kernel version load and at least get you to run level 3? When you select a kernel to load, you can add a three at the end of the options (at least for Grub1), where the desktop is not loaded and you could fix the desktop, by running YaST in terminal or reload a video driver, if you have decided to use one of them for ATI or nVidia.

Thank You,

I have up to date 11.3 with “intel” graphics driver. I can see NO xorg updates after 5th Oct 2010. Did you check dates?