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How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 27 Dec 2013, 22:28
by Ed_P
When I shutdown the screen is always full of text. How do I view this text prior to shutting down?? The only way I've found is with a camera and as you can see it's not a good option.

http://img845.imageshack.us/img845/7678/xjei.jpg

I can see some kind of a Fatal error msg near the bottom which I would like to know more about also.

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 27 Dec 2013, 22:57
by francois
Hi Ed!

See if the recommandation of fanthom does apply to you:
http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php? ... der#p19616
boot to text mode with 'debug' cheatcode enabled and use shift+PgUp/PgDown to scroll the screen
In my menu.lst I have:

Code: Select all

title porteus v2_64 on sda5 64bit_v21   KDE TEXT MODE DEBUG
root (hd0,4)
kernel /64bit_v21/boot/syslinux/vmlinuz from=/dev/sda5/64bit_v21 debug changes=EXIT:/64bit_v21/kde load=kde.xzm extramod=/mnt/sda5/64bit_v21/porteus/modules-super/ login=root
initrd /64bit_v21/boot/syslinux/initrd.xz 3
boot

À la prochaine. 8)

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 27 Dec 2013, 23:21
by brokenman
The debug cheatcode is only useful for booting. Porteus is so fast at shutting down (a tribute to fanthom) that the error messages spat out don't have time to hit the floor before the screen goes out.

Just a thought.

1) Boot into text mode (with changes= cheatcode functioning).
2) type: startx 2> /home/guest/mylog.log

Now all X errors should be redirected to your new log file. Because you are saving changes this file should persist the next boot and you can read it.

PS: As stated in another thread, these errors are from qxkb and are nothing to worry about. I am familiar with them and recognized them even in your very fuzzy photograph. :ROFL:

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 28 Dec 2013, 00:55
by fanthom
if you want to be able to read messages during shutdown then please edit /mnt/live/cleanup script and add 'read' command somewhere at the end of it but before 'reboot/poweroff' commands. now you will be able to read everything and shutting down wont continue until you press enter.

also - if you want to get a shell then add 'sh' command to the cleanup script and press 'ctrl+D' to continue shutting down.

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 28 Dec 2013, 05:17
by Ed_P
Wow!! Thanks guys for all the suggestions. :good:

While I am somewhat concerned about the Fatal error msg I'm also concerned why there are so many other msgs seemingly related to what I have been doing in GUI mode. All this text msg writing has got to have an impact on performance. I don't recall this volume of text msgs in prior releases. Are they caused by the qxkb problem or is that just related to the Fatal error seen in the fuzzy photograph? And if they are caused by the qxkb problem will there be a fix anytime soon?

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 28 Dec 2013, 14:45
by brokenman
Most of the messages are normal reports from qxkb. The only fatal errors are from qxkb and qlipper upon shutdown.. Probably from having the service terminated during shutdown. There should be no impact on performance or usage during your session. I'll look into how to kill them gracefully.

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 29 Dec 2013, 00:08
by Ed_P
Actually the msgs I'm more concerned about are the ones shown in this blurry photo.

http://img822.imageshack.us/img822/5353/5df8.jpg

It seems that Porteus is erring out constantly.
brokenman wrote:1) Boot into text mode (with changes= cheatcode functioning).
Is there a cheatcode to do that? I'll check myself later if you're busy.

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 29 Dec 2013, 00:29
by brokenman
At the menu screen select the 'textmode' and then hit the TAB button. You can add your changes=/path/to/changes in there. Or edit the porteus.cfg file if you are not botting from an ISO.

These error messages look like they are coming from the gtk theme. I am using the latest oxygen theme for razor but i have noticed other bugs in it. For example, open geany (development program) and then minimize it and then in a terminal enter: top to see the process usage and watch the CPU start to fry! (hit 'q' to exit from top)

This doesn't happen with other themes. I might look at moving from oxygen ... but it looks so nice.

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 29 Dec 2013, 02:00
by Ed_P
brokenman wrote:At the menu screen select the 'textmode' and then hit the TAB button. You can add your changes=/path/to/changes in there. Or edit the porteus.cfg file if you are not botting from an ISO.
I don't have a menu when I boot Porteus, I go directly to startx with 2.1 regardless of which boot option I choose.

Code: Select all

With changes= cheatcode
kernel /boot/syslinux/vmlinuz    from=/ISOs/Porteus-RazorQT-v2.1-x86_64.iso changes=EXIT:/porteussave.dat    
initrd /boot/syslinux/initrd.xz

With extramod= cheatcode
kernel /boot/syslinux/vmlinuz    from=/ISOs/Porteus-RazorQT-v2.1-x86_64.iso extramod=/mnt/sda6/porteusmodules
initrd /boot/syslinux/initrd.xz

Fresh mode
kernel /boot/syslinux/vmlinuz    from=/ISOs/Porteus-RazorQT-v2.1-x86_64.iso   
initrd /boot/syslinux/initrd.xz
With the prior release I used the cheatcode autoexec to run startx when booting.

BTW Is the password for guest guest?
I might look at moving from oxygen ... but it looks so nice.
I like RazorQT's oxygen also.

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 29 Dec 2013, 06:54
by Ed_P
brokenman wrote:1) Boot into text mode (with changes= cheatcode functioning).
Ok. I suspect the noauto cheatcode will do that for me.
brokenman wrote:2) type: startx 2> /home/guest/mylog.log
And I have found that once booted ctrl+alt+F2 will allow me to resignon as guest and issue the startx command you showed. My next terminal msgs posting should be considerably clearer. :wink:

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 29 Dec 2013, 14:47
by Ed_P
Ok, some clear msgs from mylog.log.

Code: Select all

** Message: applet now embedded in the notification area
Current selection:  "" 
Current selection:  "" 
Current selection:  "" 
Current selection:  "" 
QXKB::layoutChange : reconfig 
QXKB::layoutChange : done 
QXKB::layoutChange : reconfig 
QXKB::layoutChange : done 
Current selection:  "he debug cheatcode is only useful for booting. Porteus is so fast at shutting down (a tribute to fanthom) that the error messages spat out don't have time to hit the floor before the screen goes out.

Just a thought.
" 
Current selection:  "he debug cheatcode is only useful for booting. Porteus is so fast at shutting down (a tribute to fanthom) that the error messages spat out don't have time to hit the floor before the screen goes out.

Just a thought.
" 
Current selection:  "

Now all X errors should be redirected to your new log file. Because you are saving changes this file should persist the next boot and you can read it.

PS: As stated in another thread, these errors are from qxkb and are nothing to worry about. I am familiar with them and recognized them even in your very fuzzy photograph.    :ROFL:[/quote]
" 
Current selection:  "

Now all X errors should be redirected to your new log file. Because you are saving changes this file should persist the next boot and you can read it.

PS: As stated in another thread, these errors are from qxkb and are nothing to worry about. I am familiar with them and recognized them even in your very fuzzy photograph.    :ROFL:[/quote]
" 
Current selection:  "2) type: [b]startx 2> /home/guest/mylog.log[/b]" 
Current selection:  "2) type: [b]startx 2> /home/guest/mylog.log[/b]" 
Current selection:  "billie" 
Current selection:  "billie" 
Current selection:  "rose tyler dr who" 
Current selection:  "rose tyler dr who" 
Current selection:  "billie piper" 
Current selection:  "billie piper" 
Current selection:  "" 
Current selection:  "" 
xinit: connection to X server lost
This period covers part of my being on the web with FireFox. But WHY is this stuff being written to the terminal log??

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 30 Dec 2013, 02:11
by Ed_P
phhpro wrote:CTRL-ALT-F2 simply opens a virtual console, You close it via CTRL-ALT-F7.
Just following the advice given here: http://forum.porteus.org/viewtopic.php? ... =15#p18076

And startx closes it also. :)

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 30 Dec 2013, 06:01
by Ed_P
@phhpro

While I am sure you know much more about Linux than I do, I do know what works, or not, on my system.

I boot to the RazorQT desktop.
I press ctrl+alt+f7 and nothing happens.
I press ctrl+alt+f2 and I exit the desktop and enter a terminal window.
I enter root, toor and startx and I am back at the desktop.
I press ctrl+alt+f7 and nothing happens.

That to me indicates that startx ends the terminal mode since ctrl+alt+f7 doesn't return me to the terminal window.

Things may work differently for you with your desktop system.

ctrl+alt+backspace is an interesting option. It signs me off without closing the desktop window. Thanks.

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 30 Dec 2013, 11:43
by beny
but if you start the system at init3 way and not 4,that mean in text mode, with ctrl+alt+backspace you can relog in and change your desktop environment without reboot the computer.see the porteus.config into the boot directory.

Re: How to see terminal screen msgs

Posted: 30 Dec 2013, 19:21
by beny
well ed_P can read the log located into the /var/log directory,for searching the issue,but if he change some line into the porteus.config can start the system with the text mode,init3 and if something goes wrong he can read why.