How to Recover Debian of LK backports where runlevel conflict?

Question

I did as root in my Debian 8.5 because wanted to test Matlab's thing but the commands removed some dependencies which affect the runlevel

Run apt-get purge openjdk-7-jdk openjdk-7-doc openjdk-7-jre-lib openjdk-7-jre
Reboot
Output: notification about processing runlevel changes and staying there. All symbols were green and OK. I waited some minutes. Pressed then power off. Now, no such text are coming anymore when power on.
Power on. Just white cursor blinking at the top-left corner in Fig. 1 just blinking symbol (_) on the blank display when normal boot
I press fn+f1/f2 but you see no logs of other TTYs, in contrast to outputs in Recovery mode.

Findings

I can start up the system in Linux kernel 3.16 but not 4.6 which is my default. This seems to be a firmware issue because came suddenly.

How can you you restore the system using Linux kernel 4.6 with Linux kernel 3.16?

Recovery mode in Linux kernel 4.6

I get Debian's boot menu stably now where you can choose Normal boot and Recovery boot. Booting in Recovery mode and studying in Terminal

/var/log/apt/history.log's last entries

Start-Date: 2016-09-07 21:47:23
Commandline: apt-get purge openjdk-7-jdk openjdk-7-doc openjdk-7-jre-lib
Purge: openjdk-7:amd64 (7u111-2.6.7-1'deb8u1), openjdk-7-jre-lib:amd64 (7u111-2.6.7-1'deb8u1), openjdk-7-doc:amd64 (7u111-2.6.7-1'deb8u1), default-jdk:amd64 (1.7-52)   
End-Date: 2016-09-07 21:47:24

Start-Date: 2016-09-07 21:51:15
Commandline: apt-purge openjdk-7-jre
Purge: sat4j:amd64, default-jre:amd64 (1.7-52), eclipse-platform:amd64 (3.8.1-7), eclipse-rcp:amd64(3.8.1-7), eclipse:amd64 3.8.1-7), openjdk-7-jre:amd64 (7u111-2.6.7-1`deb8u1), eclipse-pde:amd64 (3.8.1-7), eclispe-jdt:amd64 (3.8.1-7)
End-Date: 2016-09-07 21:51:17

/var/log/apt/term.log

Log started: 2016-09-07 21:47:23
(Reading database [...])
Removing default-jdk [...]
Removing openjdk-7-doc [...]
Removing openjdk-7-jdk:amd64 [...]
update-alternatives: using /usr/bin/fastjar to provide /usr/bin/jar (jar) in auto mode 
Removing openjdk-7-jre-lib [...] 
Log ended: 2016-09-07 21:47:24

Log started: 2016-09-07 21:51:15
(Reading database [...]) 
Removing eclipse [and other its related eclipse-packages]
Purging configuration files for eclipse-platform (3.8.1-7) ...
Removing sat4j (2.3.3-1) ...
Removing eclipse-rcp (3.8.1-7) ... 
Removing default-jre (2:1.7-52) ...
Removing openjdk-7-jre:amd64 (7u111-2.6.7.1'deb8u1) ...
Processing triggers for [man-db desktop-file utils gnome-menus mime-support hicolor-icon-theme)
Log ended: 2016-09-07 21:51:17

I run in the recovery mode as root apt-get install openjdk-7-jdk openjdk-7-doc openjdk-7-jre-lib and get

Could not resolve 'security.debian.org'
E: Failed to fetch http://security.debian.org/pool/updates/main/o/openjdk-7-jre_[...]

E: Unable to fetch some archives, may run apt-get update or try --fix-missing?

[...]  

W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

I do as root apt-get update but I get

W: Failed to fetch http://ftp.fi.debian.org/debian/dists/jessie/InRelease

[...]

W: Some index files failed to download. They have been ignored, or old ones used instead.

I run as root apt-get upgrade but similar errors and/or warnings.
I changed all Finnish (fi) to US (us) but the same issue persists.

Using GAD3R's proposal in Linux kernel 4.6

I run as root

# open internet in recovery mode by 
ifconfig eth0 up; dhclient eth0

apt-get update
apt-get upgrade
apt-get install openjdk-7-jdk openjdk-7-doc openjdk-7-jre-lib openjdk-7-jre

apt-get install x11-common
# output: 0 upgraded, 0, newly installed, 0 to remove and 0 not upgraded. 

reboot

Output: condition persists, but now the blinking of _ on blank display is visible also in other TTYs.
I also changed sources back to Finnish (fi) but no difference in the output.

Testing derobert's proposal in Linux kernel 4.6

Booting to recovery mode. I do exit or ctrl+d which just leaves the system to the state where the messages but not proceeding

[   26.566...] iwlwifi  0000:01:00.0: L1 Enabled - LTR Enabled
[   29.903871] ax88179_178a_2... eth0: ax88179 - Link status is: 1
[   32.259410] [many wlan0 messages]
[   32.270956] wlan0: associated
[   32.078387] IPv6: wlan0: IPv6 duplicate address [ip address] detected!

Testing

I'd suggest (in grub), pressing "e" on the normal boot entry, and removing any "quiet" on the kernel line, and booting it (possibly, even add "verbose" as well). That should at least get boot messages. (That's just a temporary change.)

X11 packages installed

masi@masi:~$ dpkg --get-selections | grep xserver 
x11-xserver-utils               install
xserver-common                  install
xserver-xephyr                  install
xserver-xorg                    install
xserver-xorg-core               install
xserver-xorg-input-all              install
xserver-xorg-input-evdev            install
xserver-xorg-input-mouse            install
xserver-xorg-input-synaptics            install
xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse          install
xserver-xorg-input-wacom            install
xserver-xorg-video-all              install
xserver-xorg-video-ati              install
xserver-xorg-video-cirrus           install
xserver-xorg-video-fbdev            install
xserver-xorg-video-intel            install
xserver-xorg-video-mach64           install
xserver-xorg-video-mga              install
xserver-xorg-video-modesetting          install
xserver-xorg-video-neomagic         install
xserver-xorg-video-nouveau          install
xserver-xorg-video-openchrome           install
xserver-xorg-video-qxl              install
xserver-xorg-video-r128             install
xserver-xorg-video-radeon           install
xserver-xorg-video-savage           install
xserver-xorg-video-siliconmotion        install
xserver-xorg-video-sisusb           install
xserver-xorg-video-tdfx             install
xserver-xorg-video-trident          install
xserver-xorg-video-vesa             install
xserver-xorg-video-vmware           install

masi@masi:~$ apt-cache policy x11-xserver-utils
x11-xserver-utils:
  Installed: 7.7+3+b1
  Candidate: 7.7+3+b1
  Version table:
 *** 7.7+3+b1 0
        500 http://ftp.fi.debian.org/debian/ jessie/main amd64 Packages
        100 /var/lib/dpkg/status

Note that xserver-xorg-video-intel is the list, while it should not be there so some dependency has installed it automatically. So I purge it getting the list

root@masi:/home/masi# dpkg --get-selections | grep xserver
x11-xserver-utils               install
xserver-common                  install
xserver-xephyr                  install
xserver-xorg                    install
xserver-xorg-core               install
xserver-xorg-input-all              install
xserver-xorg-input-evdev            install
xserver-xorg-input-mouse            install
xserver-xorg-input-synaptics            install
xserver-xorg-input-vmmouse          install
xserver-xorg-input-wacom            install
xserver-xorg-video-ati              install
xserver-xorg-video-cirrus           install
xserver-xorg-video-fbdev            install
xserver-xorg-video-intel            deinstall
xserver-xorg-video-mach64           install
xserver-xorg-video-mga              install
xserver-xorg-video-modesetting          install
xserver-xorg-video-neomagic         install
xserver-xorg-video-nouveau          install
xserver-xorg-video-openchrome           install
xserver-xorg-video-qxl              install
xserver-xorg-video-r128             install
xserver-xorg-video-radeon           install
xserver-xorg-video-savage           install
xserver-xorg-video-siliconmotion        install
xserver-xorg-video-sisusb           install
xserver-xorg-video-tdfx             install
xserver-xorg-video-trident          install
xserver-xorg-video-vesa             install
xserver-xorg-video-vmware           install

How to troubleshoot this?

OS: Debian 8.5 64 bit
Linux kernel: 4.6 (backports)
Window manager: Gnome 3.14
Internet: ethernet via USB (used in Recovery mode in an attempt to fix the system)
Hardware: Asus Zenbook UX303UA
Graphic firmwares: modesetting, firmware-misc-nonfree done as described here
Xserver: x11-xserver-utils 7.7+3+b1, (dpkg --get-selections | grep xserevr, apt-cache policy x11-xserver-utils)

Removing/installing java doesn't affect the boot process at all. You've removed something else than java packages. — Ipor Sircer, Sep 07 '16 at 21:24
nothing essential. The error is somewhere else than java packages. You may run other commands before removing java. — Ipor Sircer, Sep 07 '16 at 21:43
Look at `/var/log/apt*` and you can see exactly what else might have been removed. That may help you understand what went wrong. — , Sep 07 '16 at 21:48
Run `ifconfig eth0 up ` then `dhclient eth0` to get the internet working into recovery mode — GAD3R, Sep 08 '16 at 11:52
If you're rarely getting the Debian boot menu, there's something wrong with your computer that has nothing to do with Debian. As to your `apt-get update` warnings, they're normal, we don't use `InRelease` yet. — Stephen Kitt, Sep 08 '16 at 11:52
I'd suggest (in grub), pressing "e" on the normal boot entry, and removing any "quiet" on the kernel line, and booting it (possibly, even add "verbose" as well). That should at least get boot messages. (That's just a temporary change.) You could also try "exit" or control-D from the recovery prompt, to proceed with normal boot. — derobert, Sep 08 '16 at 16:46

derobert · Accepted Answer · 2016-09-09T06:10:06.047

1

You're trying to use the generic modesetting driver, but you somehow got xserver-xorg-video-intel installed again. Removing it should force Xorg to default back to the modesetting driver.

Creating an /etc/X11/xorg.conf with the following should keep it working, even if -video-intel gets installed again:

Section "Device"
        Identifier "Intel"
        Driver "modesetting"   # on new enough Xorg, this might be "modeset" instead
EndSection

This will be the default in Debian Stretch according to a post on Timo Aaltonen's blog. So once you upgrade to Stretch, you should be able to remove that config.

edited Sep 09 '16 at 06:10

answered Sep 08 '16 at 18:03

derobert

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Hi, I found a bug in the proposal. If you use the default LK, your system fail go to the condition described in the thread (blinking `_` on blank display). - - How can you apply your proposal in `/etc/X11/xorg.conf` only in LK backports, not 3.16. – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Sep 09 '16 at 09:01
@Masi I don't think there is a way to do that... Probably modesetting doesn't work on the older kernel, does it work without that file and without - video-intel installed on 3.16? – derobert Sep 09 '16 at 09:06
The older kernel does not work with the file in `modesetting`. It works without the file in `modesetting`. Can you use any scripting in `xorg.conf`? Etc if older kernel, do not apply the part. – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Sep 09 '16 at 10:03
1

@Masi No, xorg.conf doesn't support scripting. You'd have to do something like have a boot script change the file, depending on which kernel version is running. But—unless you're planning on switching back and forth between 3.16 and 4.6 (which I'd guess not), doesn't seem worth the effort. – derobert Sep 09 '16 at 14:16
I have to be switching back and forth the kernels because there are bugs in Matlab, which I need to always test in the release kernel. – Léo Léopold Hertz 준영 Sep 09 '16 at 19:12