[EN] Freshly installed: Cannot change init level

[jjjrrr3]

On a freshly installed KDE 64 bit, I want to switch to init level 3 to do a dist-upgrade.  When I try to switch, I get a blank screen in text mode, and the computer does not respond to anything but a ctrl-alt-del. What's happening, and what can I do about it?

[ayla]

have you tried ALT+F1 when you're on the blank screen?

[jjjrrr3]

have you tried ALT+F1 when you're on the blank screen?

Yes, and still no response.

[melmarker]

init 3 isn't the best of all ideas, stop the DM help. Make you updates, start the DM again. done.

Or simplify the process a little bit: update in X - i've never understood the reasons why the switch to init 3 is ness. Ok, it is written in the holy manual, so there is no other choice - bad luck.

EDIT: There was reasons to switch to a non-graphical environment for an update - but i'm old and lazy and i never care about. if one fears to break X within the update - start the upgrade in a screen session. it may be false and ignorant, but i don't care for some years now. But i'm new to the linux thing and don't know much about

[ayla]

@melmarker

ok, I know nearly nothing about systemd and what the difference between the old "runlevels" and the new "targets" is and whether it's still necessary to switch to multiuser.target for d-u or not, but I allways thought switching the runlevels eg switching to multi-user.target or -if necessary- rescue.target or emergency.target for maintenance is a good idea and should be possible on a linux system. And of course one should have the possibility to give commands there 

By the way:

Code: [Select]

systemctl stop lightdm.service for stopping the DM here on my system also leads to the necessity to give the ALT+F1 combination for getting a input line, so it may not work on jjjrrr3's system also.

@jjjrrr3

You may also try CTRL+ALT+F1 for getting to tty1 when you're on the blank screen or reboot and start your console session by appending a digit "3" to the kernel command line during the boot menu screen. This is to be done by hitting "e" when the boot choices appear, then look out for the line "linux boot/vmlinuz..." and append it there at the end of the line, separated with a space. Hit CTRL+x after.

You may also provide a

Code: [Select]

journalctl -b -1 with siduction-paste after your command "init 3" failed and you did a reboot then, so someone who knows more about it may see what your problem is.

greets
ayla

[jjjrrr3]

Thanks for all the replies so far, but still every attempt to enter text mode results in a blank, unresponsive screen. I like to use smxi, which is currently impossible because it insists on running without X.

Running the live USB, I can switch to tty 1-4 and 6 (but not 5).  Once installed, the tty screens are blank and unresponsive except to alt-F7 and ctrl-alt-del.  I do not know what makes the difference between  live and installed.  Is there a boot code that will make it more like the live version?

Another strange thing: when KDE starts, there are random blobs of color on the screen, transparency looks terrible, and similar problems.  If I switch to a (unresponsive) tty screen and back, the graphics are just fine.

Booting into run level 3, the computer freezes after "Loading initial ramdisk ...". Installing kdm has the same result. I've attached the journalctl output.

[ayla]

[drm:radeon_pci_probe [radeon]] *ERROR* radeon kernel modesetting for R600 or later requires firmware-linux-nonfree.

I'm just guessing, this is one for one more professional :

Did you have installed firmware-linux / firmware-linux-nonfree? It's necessary to activate debian contrib and/or nonfree repo for this.

[melmarker]

Hi, there are some points i like to mention:
* please don't use smxi - it may work, but we don't do any support for smxi systems, so you are on your own, only h2 may help you
* install non-free firmware, as ayla said
* please don't use kdm, its dead code - we don't support it anymore

thanks piper - freudian slip

[piper]

The only time I change run levels is if the environment I am using is updating (kde, e19, etc) gcc, and some other libraries I can't think of at the moment.

If I didn't change run level, and something were to go wrong, yes, chances are I can fix it, depending on if I have coffee or not, some users can't or have no clue, nothing wrong with that, just be safe than sorry.

I have been burned in the past with major kde updates, I think kde3 days iirc, but other than that I just open yak and du away

[paxmark2]

 

I like to use smxi, which is currently impossible because it insists on running without X.

Above - about smxi not working.  smxi does not work form me with kernel 4.0  I had to back pedal to 3.19 and it worked.  I only use smxi to remove kernels my self when I get above 3 kernels. 

Sorry I don't have any ideas about the inability to init 3

[towo]

Since when is smxi needed for removing kernels?
We have kernel-remover and even with apt is totaly easy to remove installed kernel.
Please do not suggest this useless script to our users.

[jjjrrr3]

Installing firmware-linux* solved the problem.  Thanks again, everyone!

I will need to reconsider kdm and smxi.

[piper]

thanks piper - freudian slip

No problem ,   you help me all the time