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fsmithred

- fsmithred
- Posts: 2101
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:13 pm

## Snapshot won't finish booting

Mon Mar 16, 2015 6:37 pm

It gets through most of the live-config scripts, and then it starts throwing errors like:

Code:
  `Authentication failed
  INIT: Id "1" respawning too fast: disabled for 5 minutes`

Google suggested that it might be related to autologin and getty lines in inittab. Adding 'noautologin' or 'nottyautologin' to the boot command does not help. Commenting out the "Configure autologin" section of /lib/live/config/0160-sysvinit and then running 'update-initramfs -u' before making another snapshot fixes it. But you probably don't need to do that.
This seems to only happen if your primary user's name is something other than user. The easier fix is to add the username to the boot command. At the boot menu, press TAB and add something like the following to the append line:

Code:
  `username=phred`

nixer

- nixer
- Posts: 10
- Joined: Sat May 16, 2015 9:58 am

## Re: Snapshot won't finish booting

Sat May 16, 2015 5:34 pm

I am unable to get a livecd to boot correctly. I am using an older motherboard with no UEFI. It is a typical bios boot.
I am using debian jessie with sysv-init (no systemD as PID 1), which is up to date. I have no programs installed from outside of the debian repos. I have tried several refractashapshot versions, base-9.1.5, and base-9.1.6. I get the same results from both. I have also tested this on a Sid version (no sysD) and get the same result. Both of these OS's are fully functional with no other errors noted.
I tried to enter the "username=" in the boot stanza, but it only boots to a console and I am unable to start the Xsession. I keep getting a failure with "no Xserver found" message. I tried using "startx" and the program xinit is installed.
The above was done from fully updated versions and then tried to make snapshots. The below was done to try to go backwards to find the problem. (I have been busy this morning.)
I took the updated physical install of jessie (no sysD as PID 1) and tried to make snapshots of the 9.1.6, 9.1.5, and 9.1.4 versions and got these results. When trying to boot, it got to the message above and just stopped. Then I tried to enter the username="me" line in the boot stanza, with no quotation marks, and it would boot to a prompt but that is all. I was unable to "startx". I could su to root, but the X session would not start. In the 9.1.6 version (only) I tried to uncomment out the livecd config code as mentioned above, then remade the initramfs, and remade the snapshot. It got a similar error, but would not start the X session. Getting frustrated now... but determined. I want to take a fully functioning version of jessie and reinstall, then update to stretch (testing).
I took the last good snapshot taken on Feb. 8 of jessie, which is using refracta snapshot and installer version 9.1.4 base and gui of each. I installed it in a Virtualbox VM successfully, then updated it with a dist-upgrade using jessie sources list, not "testing". After making a snapshot of this using 9.1.4 and then booting the live cd, the same thing happened. I then completely uninstalled refracta snapshot and gui, and installed and tested the latest version 9.1.6 of snapshot in the VM and it still would not boot, same errors.
I did get stretch working by installing the last known good snapshot made on Feb. 8 onto a physical partition, updating it to current with dist-upgrade, then changing the sources to "stretch", and did another "dist-upgrade". It does works fine. But for some unknown reason, I am unable to boot a recently made snapshot.
I read where others are using it as of April and May and are having no problems. So I guess the problem is with me and my install(s). Is there something wrong with my averting systemd? I have it shimmed but there is no pinning involved that I can see.
Any thoughts or ideas will be appreciated.
fsmithred

- fsmithred
- Posts: 2101
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:13 pm

## Re: Snapshot won't finish booting

Sun May 17, 2015 2:35 am

If you can get to a prompt, check some log files for clues. Look in /var/log/live/boot.log and config.log, dmesg, and /var/log/messages, /var/log/Xorg.0.log, ~/.xsession-errors.
Are you booting on hardware with live media or booting the iso in a virtual machine? If hardware, try adding 'nomodeset' to the boot command.
fsmithred

- fsmithred
- Posts: 2101
- Joined: Wed Mar 09, 2011 9:13 pm

## Re: Snapshot won't finish booting

Sun May 17, 2015 3:00 am

Just going by the date and the fact that it's related to the xserver, I looked at my package cache to see if there were any updates around then. Here's what I've got:

Code:
  `-rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3133266 Feb 11 01:29 /var/cache/apt/archives/xserver-xorg-core_2%3a1.16.4-1_i386.deb
  -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1758016 Feb 11 00:59 /var/cache/apt/archives/xserver-common_2%3a1.16.4-1_all.deb
  -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 3125588 Dec 9 22:28 /var/cache/apt/archives/xserver-xorg-core_2%3a1.16.2.901-1_i386.deb
  -rw-r--r-- 1 root root 1755218 Dec 9 21:38 /var/cache/apt/archives/xserver-common_2%3a1.16.2.901-1_all.de`

Might be a long shot, but you could try downgrading to the older versions. See what your logs show first. I've got fully updated jessie making good snapshots, with or without systemd or systemd libs. Oh, and make sure the right xserver for your graphics chip are installed. Maybe that got lost in an upgrade. (xserver-xorg-video-whatever)
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