Incomplete shutdown on some LTSP clients (shutdown hangs/freezes)

Aere Greenway Aere at Dvorak-Keyboards.com
Wed Aug 29 18:34:47 UTC 2012


All:

I have an HP-Vectra (450 megahertz) machine that doesn't power-down as
part of the shut-down process.  

It has been that way for a number of Linux releases (I don't remember
when it started happening). 

 I have it on a power-strip, and when it gets to a certain point in the
shut-down process (there is an audible queue) I turn off the
power-strip.  

This problem is not specific to Lubuntu.  It is the same for
Ubuntu-Studio, and Xubuntu.

I don't know if this is the same problem as is being addressed in this
e-mail thread or not.  

The system boots okay when the power-strip is turned back on.  

- Aere

On Wed, 2012-08-29 at 14:13 -0400, John Hupp wrote:

> I'll add here that when I posted this problem on the LTSP list, here
> was one reply from someone else having the same problem, but noting
> that it worked in 11.10:
> 
> "I second this.  I'm using LTSP on the server version of Ubuntu 12.04.
> With 11.10, the machines shut off, but not now.  They will reboot just
> fine.  It happens at least with HP Z210's.  We recently upgraded and I
> can't recall if it happens on other machines (and hate to interrupt
> anyone to turn them off)."
> 
> 
> On 8/27/2012 2:20 PM, John Hupp wrote:
> 
> > 
> > 
> > In reply to my post about this issue on the LTSP mail list, Alkis
> > Georgopoulos referenced that bug report (which he first reported) in
> > reference to my comment about the inelegant and tedious need to
> > click Shutdown 3 times on an LTSP client (not in reference to the
> > shutdown hang).  Excerpt from that reply:
> > 
> > ME: On the Edubuntu network, all clients have to invoke Shutdown from the desktop and from the login screen.  After choosing Shutdown from the desktop (and then presenting a dialog for Shutdown or Restart), it drops back to the login screen, and there one chooses Preferences: Shutdown.  [Very tedious, but that's not my real interest in this post.  And as a footnote, the server shuts down cleanly after the two clicks on the desktop.]
> > ALKIS: I reported that problem in https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-session/+bug/491940, you can comment there if you want.
> > 
> > So if that bug report does not concern the hung-shutdown problem (I couldn't tell from reading the bug report), then there no patch -- not even a very old one -- to test.
> > 
> > -------------------
> > 
> > But in reference to the shutdown hang, he replied:
> > ME: One other behavior that was of interest to me but that I did not thoroughly document was that even on machines where Shutdown hangs, it
> > seems generally to be the case that Restart does not hang.  The machine proceeds smoothly to POST and reboot.
> > ALKIS: The "machine does not power off" problem is related to acpi/kernel. You can verify that it isn't related to ltsp by booting the client with a CD
> > or usb stick. You can report that upstream to the kernel, see https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/kernel for instructions.
> > 
> > I confirmed that it is not an LTSP issue by booting one of the
> > affected client machines with a Live CD.  Probably due to very
> > low-spec hardware, I didn't have a working pointer to use the
> > Lubuntu Quit button, but Alt-F2: "sudo halt" and Alt-F2: "sudo
> > shutdown -h now" both resulted in the machine shutdown hung at a
> > text screen with the last line being "System halted."
> > 
> > So yes, he regards it as an Ubuntu problem, specifically
> > ACPI-related.  I looked at the link for reporting upstream to the
> > kernel, but the First Step instructions didn't seem to apply very
> > well to me as a non-programmer.  I did, however, send an email
> > reporting my findings to Len Brown, the listed ACPI maintainer.
> > That was this morning and I haven't heard from him yet.
> > 
> > ----------------
> > 
> > I would be happy to play around with the BIOS Power Management
> > settings on the affected clients if I had some good ideas about what
> > to change.
> > 
> > Does it still make sense to go to the trouble of setting up Kubuntu?
> > 
> > 
> > On 8/27/2012 12:06 PM, Nicholas Skaggs wrote:
> > 
> > > Hmm, my first thought was that this appears to be perhaps some
> > > ACPI interaction, specific to the bios of each pc. You might be
> > > able to change some settings in the bios's on the pc to produce
> > > the intended results.
> > > 
> > > Reading the bug, perhaps there is something wrong on the software
> > > side here. Since the bug is marked as being in gnome-session, can
> > > you try and see if it affects you if you don't run gnome session?
> > > For instance, does kubuntu exhibit this behavior? 
> > > 
> > > Short-term you could get a package with the patch in it and test
> > > that. Longer term, helping get a fix in is of course best. I would
> > > likely open a new bug for this after you've narrowed the cause of
> > > what's going on.
> > > 
> > > Nicholas
> > > 
> > > On 08/25/2012 04:11 PM, Phill Whiteside wrote:
> > > 
> > > > 
> > > > Hi John, 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > it was marked as a "will not fix" [1]. This seems completely
> > > > stupid to me, as the ltsp team agreed the fix.
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > @ nicholas, can you chase this up? ltsp [2] have simply wished
> > > > me luck to get the bug fixed..... It appears that people do not
> > > > consider it a task worth doing?.... wtf...
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > Regards,
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > Phill.
> > > > 1. https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-session/+bug/491940
> > > > 2. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuLTSP/
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > On 25 August 2012 20:03, Phill Whiteside <PhillW at ubuntu.com>
> > > > wrote:
> > > > 
> > > >         Hi John, 
> > > >         
> > > >         
> > > >         
> > > >         I've asked on the ltsp team. I do not think it is a
> > > >         lubuntu issue, nor an edubuntu one, but a generic issue.
> > > >         
> > > >         
> > > >         I have cc'd this to the guy who looks after general QA,
> > > >         I'm sure that he will chase it up for you.
> > > >         
> > > >         
> > > >         For your information LTSP are at [1].
> > > >         
> > > >         
> > > >         Regards,
> > > >         
> > > >         
> > > >         Phill.
> > > >         1. https://help.ubuntu.com/community/UbuntuLTSP/
> > > >         
> > > >         
> > > >         On 25 August 2012 19:31, John Hupp
> > > >         <lubuntu at prpcompany.com> wrote:
> > > >         
> > > >                 On my Lubuntu and Edubuntu 12.04 LTSP test
> > > >                 networks, I find that some clients do not shut
> > > >                 down completely.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 On the Lubuntu network, one eMachine client
> > > >                 stops at a black-and-white text screen that
> > > >                 says:
> > > >                     Ubuntu 12.04
> > > >                     .... * Asking all remaining processes to
> > > >                 terminate ...
> > > >                     [255.161402] SysRq : Power off
> > > >                     [255.173722] Power down.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 [OK]
> > > >                     [255.280060[ SysRq : Power Off
> > > >                     [255.280220] Power down.
> > > >                     * All processes ended within 1 seconds ....
> > > >                 [OK]
> > > >                 A simple press of the power button does not turn
> > > >                 off the machine at that point.  I have to press
> > > >                 and hold it 5 seconds or so.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 Also on the Lubuntu network, an HP stops at the
> > > >                 same screen, but a simple press of the power
> > > >                 button turns it off.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 A Dell on the Lubuntu networks shuts off cleanly
> > > >                 and completely within a few seconds.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 ---------------------
> > > >                 
> > > >                 On the Edubuntu network, all clients have to
> > > >                 invoke Shutdown from the desktop and from the
> > > >                 login screen.  After choosing Shutdown from the
> > > >                 desktop (and then presenting a dialog for
> > > >                 Shutdown or Restart), it drops back to the login
> > > >                 screen, and there one chooses Preferences:
> > > >                 Shutdown.  [Very tedious, but that's not my real
> > > >                 interest in this post.  And as a footnote, the
> > > >                 server shuts down cleanly after the two clicks
> > > >                 on the desktop.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 But regarding specific client machine behavior
> > > >                 on the Edubuntu network, the above eMachine
> > > >                 hangs at a black screen after Preferences:
> > > >                 Shutdown from the login screen.  I forgot to
> > > >                 make a note of whether a simple press of the
> > > >                 power button shuts it off from here, or whether
> > > >                 a press-and-hold was required as it was on the
> > > >                 Lubuntu net.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 The above HP hangs at a white screen after
> > > >                 Preferences: Shutdown from the login screen.  A
> > > >                 simple press of the power button shuts it off
> > > >                 from here.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 The above Dell shuts down cleanly after
> > > >                 Preferences: Shutdown from the login screen.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 ---------------------
> > > >                 
> > > >                 One other behavior that was of interest to me
> > > >                 but that I did not thoroughly document was that
> > > >                 even on machines where Shutdown hangs, it seems
> > > >                 generally to be the case that Restart does not
> > > >                 hang.  The machine proceeds smoothly to POST and
> > > >                 reboot.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 ---------------------
> > > >                 
> > > >                 So I am wondering if I can get all the clients
> > > >                 to shut down cleanly via the interface Shutdown
> > > >                 commands.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 If not, is there a script that will produce a
> > > >                 clean shutdown?
> > > >                 
> > > >                 Or failing that, can I insert a splash screen at
> > > >                 the end of the shutdown process something like
> > > >                 Windows 95/98 used on machines where it could
> > > >                 not execute a complete shutdown automatically?
> > > >                 (The screen said something like "It is now safe
> > > >                 to turn off your computer.")
> > > >                 
> > > >                 Speaking of Windows 95/98's shutdown process, I
> > > >                 recall that the issue had to do with power
> > > >                 management drivers not fully supporting the
> > > >                 hardware on some motherboards, or not finding
> > > >                 the hardware that power management did fully
> > > >                 support.  But beyond that, it was possible to
> > > >                 not-install/uninstall/disable power management
> > > >                 on machines that did support full shutdown, then
> > > >                 install/reinstall/re-enable power management but
> > > >                 not recover the ability to do a full shutdown.
> > > >                 So it wasn't always just a question of supported
> > > >                 hardware.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 Also regarding Win 9x, that splash screen may
> > > >                 have been an integrated part of all shutdowns.
> > > >                 I recall seeing it flash on-screen for a split
> > > >                 second even on machines that were on their way
> > > >                 to a full automatic shutdown.
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 --
> > > >                 Lubuntu-users mailing list
> > > >                 Lubuntu-users at lists.ubuntu.com
> > > >                 Modify settings or unsubscribe at:
> > > >                 https://lists.ubuntu.com/mailman/listinfo/lubuntu-users
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 
> > > >                 -- 
> > > >                 https://wiki.ubuntu.com/phillw
> > > >                 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > 
> > > > -- 
> > > > https://wiki.ubuntu.com/phillw
> > > > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> > 
> 
> 


-- 

Sincerely,
Aere
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