Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)]

On Mon, Jul 22, 2019 at 12:35:23AM +0200, Jan wrote:
> Hi, I'm trying to install Guix System on the following computer:Ryzen 5 1600MSI pcmate B350ADATA SX7000NP - it's a NVMe SSDThe problem is installation finishes successfully, but after rebooting and trying to start the system it freezes like on a screenshot attached below. I asked on the IRC and a person told me Guix System often works on almost all machines and I should check /var/log/messages, but then the person disappeared, but I have the log. I don't know if it's a bug or that's my nonfree hardware, so I posted the issue here. --Jan


I suppose this is a common problem with AMD GPUs.  I had more success
on my old AMD GPU after changing /etc/config.scm to use

(service slim-service-type)
(remove (lambda (service)
          (eq? (service-kind service) gdm-service-type))
        %desktop-services)

or similar and then reconfiguring, see `info guix`, section on
slim-service-type.

In order to edit /etc/config.scm using the virtual console, you may
need to when booting in GRUB press e and add modprobe.blacklist=radeon
or modprobe.blacklist=amdgpu to GRUB’s linux line.

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Jovany Leandro G.C]

On 2019-07-21 22:35, Jan wrote:
> Hi, I'm trying to install Guix System on the following computer:Ryzen
> 5 1600MSI pcmate B350ADATA SX7000NP - it's a NVMe SSDThe problem is
> installation finishes successfully, but after rebooting and trying to
> start the system it freezes like on a screenshot attached below. I
> asked on the IRC and a person told me Guix System often works on
> almost all machines and I should check /var/log/messages, but then the
> person disappeared, but I have the log. I don't know if it's a bug or
> that's my nonfree hardware, so I posted the issue here. --Jan
hi, try install without encryption and see if works,
and then again try install with encryption.

-- 
Jovany Leandro G.C
Desarrollador Software Libre
Cel: (57) 3165387562 - (574) 4809000
Git: https://github.com/bit4bit
Fossil: https://efossils.somxslibres.net
E-Sitio: https://www.somxslibres.net

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Jan]

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>I suppose this is a common problem with AMD GPUs.Is this something that could be reported as a bug and fixed or is this issue related to nonfree software and can't be fixed?>I had more success on my old AMD GPU after changing /etc/config.scm to use ...I've just tried this, but 'guix system init' failed I used the exact same code as in the manual, but it threw an error, don't remember what exactly it was, but it complained about 'field' being incorrect. I'll attach the config file below - tried different options there cons*, list append and just service field, but it never worked.
 --Jan> On Mon, Jul 22, 2019 at 12:35:23AM +0200, Jan wrote:
> > Hi, I'm trying to install Guix System on the following computer:Ryzen 5 1600MSI pcmate B350ADATA SX7000NP - it's a NVMe SSDThe problem is installation finishes successfully, but after rebooting and trying to start the system it freezes like on a screenshot attached below. I asked on the IRC and a person told me Guix System often works on almost all machines and I should check /var/log/messages, but then the person disappeared, but I have the log. I don't know if it's a bug or that's my nonfree hardware, so I posted the issue here. --Jan
> 
> 
> I suppose this is a common problem with AMD GPUs.  I had more success
> on my old AMD GPU after changing /etc/config.scm to use
> 
> (service slim-service-type)
> (remove (lambda (service)
>           (eq? (service-kind service) gdm-service-type))
>         %desktop-services)
> 
> or similar and then reconfiguring, see `info guix`, section on
> slim-service-type.
> 
> In order to edit /etc/config.scm using the virtual console, you may
> need to when booting in GRUB press e and add modprobe.blacklist=radeon
> or modprobe.blacklist=amdgpu to GRUB’s linux line.
> 

[-- Attachment #2: config-2.scm --]
[-- Type: application/vnd.lotus-screencam, Size: 2580 bytes --]

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Jan]

Sorry, I sent private messages and for sending the email in
HTML earlier, I didn't completely figure it out how these mailing lists
work, please forgive me. Hope this one will be visible on the list.

>which must be changed to

>(services (cons* (gnome-desktop-service)
>                 (service slim-service-type (slim-configuration
>                                             (display ":0")
>                                             (vt "vt7")))
>                 (service slim-service-type (slim-configuration
>                                             (display ":1")
>                                             (vt "vt8")))
>                 (remove (lambda (service)
>                           (eq? (service-kind service)
>gdm-service-type)) %desktop-services)))

I've actually tried this one too, but it didn't work - it complained
about a bad field, but didn't give me *any* information about where
in the code the error is.

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Ricardo Wurmus]

Jan <tona_kosmicznego_smiecia@interia.pl> writes:

> Sorry, I sent private messages and for sending the email in
> HTML earlier, I didn't completely figure it out how these mailing lists
> work, please forgive me. Hope this one will be visible on the list.
>
>>which must be changed to
>
>>(services (cons* (gnome-desktop-service)
>>                 (service slim-service-type (slim-configuration
>>                                             (display ":0")
>>                                             (vt "vt7")))
>>                 (service slim-service-type (slim-configuration
>>                                             (display ":1")
>>                                             (vt "vt8")))
>>                 (remove (lambda (service)
>>                           (eq? (service-kind service)
>>gdm-service-type)) %desktop-services)))
>
> I've actually tried this one too, but it didn't work - it complained
> about a bad field, but didn't give me *any* information about where
> in the code the error is.

Can you show us the actual error message please?

You have *two* instances of the slim-service-type, but this is not
supported.

--
Ricardo

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Jan]

>Can you show us the actual error message please?

Yes, but I have to try to install it again, will take some time.

> You have *two* instances of the slim-service-type, but this is not
> supported.

The example in the manual has two instances. Is it not supported yet,
or is the manual wrong?

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Ricardo Wurmus]

Jan <tona_kosmicznego_smiecia@interia.pl> writes:

>>Can you show us the actual error message please?
>
> Yes, but I have to try to install it again, will take some time.
>
>> You have *two* instances of the slim-service-type, but this is not
>> supported.
>
> The example in the manual has two instances. Is it not supported yet,
> or is the manual wrong?

Oh, looks like I was wrong.  The manual is probably right.  Sorry for
the noise.

-- 
Ricardo

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Jan]

[-- Attachment #1: Type: text/plain, Size: 313 bytes --]

I've tried two things - graphical installation without any DE/WM with 
the DHCP client - same effect (the system fails to boot) and manual
installation using slim-service-type, where running 'guix system init /mnt/etc'
throws '/mnt/etc/config.scm:40:1 error: invalid field specifier'.
I attached the file below.


[-- Attachment #2: config-with-slim.scm --]
[-- Type: application/octet-stream, Size: 2034 bytes --]

(use-modules (gnu)
	     (gnu services)
             (srfi srfi-1))
(use-service-modules desktop networking ssh xorg)

(operating-system
 (host-name "computer")
 (timezone "Europe/Warsaw")
 (locale "pl_PL.utf8")
 (keyboard-layout (keyboard-layout "pl" "legacy"))
 (bootloader (bootloader-configuration
              (bootloader grub-efi-bootloader)
              (target "/boot/efi")
	      (keyboard-layout keyboard-layout)))
 (swap-devices (list "/dev/nvme0n1p2"))
 (file-systems (append
                (list (file-system
                       (mount-point "/boot/efi")
                       (device (uuid "C9C5-9923" 'fat32))
                       (type "vfat"))
		      (file-system
		       (mount-point "/")
		       (device (uuid "f585970b-dabc-458b-baa5-24bc9f192490"
				     'ext4))
		       (type "ext4")))
                %base-file-systems))
 (users (cons (user-account
               (name "testuser")
               (comment "")
               (group "users")
	       (home-directory "/home/testuser")
               (supplementary-groups '("wheel" "netdev"
                                       "audio" "video")))
              %base-user-accounts))

 (packages (append
	    (list (specification->package "nss-certs"))
            %base-packages))

 (services (append
	    (list (service dhcp-client-service-type)
		  (service slim-service-type (slim-configuration
                                              (display ":0")
                                              (vt "vt7")))
                  (service slim-service-type (slim-configuration
                                              (display ":1")
                                              (vt "vt8")))
                  (remove (lambda (service)
                            (eq? (service-kind service) gdm-service-type))
                          %desktop-services)))
	   %base-services))

 ;; Allow resolution of '.local' host names with mDNS.
 (name-service-switch %mdns-host-lookup-nss))

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Ricardo Wurmus]

Hi,

> throws '/mnt/etc/config.scm:40:1 error: invalid field specifier'.

Your config file at line 40 contains this form:

 (services (append (list … … some-list))
           %base-services)

The format is wrong.  What I called “some-list” is this:

  (remove (lambda (service)
           (eq? (service-kind service) gdm-service-type))
          %desktop-services)

This is a list of services.  You are nesting lists and that’s not what
“services” accepts.  The field only accepts a single list of services.

Another problem is “%base-services”, which is another list.  You are
providing two values for the “services” field: one nested list and a
plain list of services (%base-services).

This will work:

 (services (append
            ;; This is a simple list of services.  It’s the first
            ;; argument to “append”.
	        (list (service dhcp-client-service-type)
		          (service slim-service-type (slim-configuration
                                              (display ":0")
                                              (vt "vt7")))
                  (service slim-service-type (slim-configuration
                                              (display ":1")
                                              (vt "vt8"))))
            ;; This is the second argument to “append”.  It’s just a
            ;; simple list of services, same as %desktop-services but
            ;; without the gdm-service-type.
            (remove (lambda (service)
                      (eq? (service-kind service) gdm-service-type))
                    %desktop-services)))


-- 
Ricardo

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Jan]

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Great, my mail client probably fooled me again... Sorry again for
sending a private message, this is my first real discussion on a mailing
list. Is there a way to keep messages on the list, I'm using "respond
to a mailing list" option, but it somehow doesn't do what I want.

Reposting the message here:

Ricardo Wurmus <rekado@elephly.net> writes(a):

> 
> Hi,
>   
> > throws '/mnt/etc/config.scm:40:1 error: invalid field specifier'.  
> 
> Your config file at line 40 contains this form:
> 
>  (services (append (list … … some-list))
>            %base-services)
> 
> The format is wrong.  What I called “some-list” is this:
> 
>   (remove (lambda (service)
>            (eq? (service-kind service) gdm-service-type))
>           %desktop-services)
> 
> This is a list of services.  You are nesting lists and that’s not what
> “services” accepts.  The field only accepts a single list of services.
> 
> Another problem is “%base-services”, which is another list.  You are
> providing two values for the “services” field: one nested list and a
> plain list of services (%base-services).
> 
> This will work:
> 
>  (services (append
>             ;; This is a simple list of services.  It’s the first
>             ;; argument to “append”.
> 	        (list (service dhcp-client-service-type)
> 		          (service slim-service-type
> (slim-configuration (display ":0")
>                                               (vt "vt7")))
>                   (service slim-service-type (slim-configuration
>                                               (display ":1")
>                                               (vt "vt8"))))
>             ;; This is the second argument to “append”.  It’s just a
>             ;; simple list of services, same as %desktop-services but
>             ;; without the gdm-service-type.
>             (remove (lambda (service)
>                       (eq? (service-kind service) gdm-service-type))
>                     %desktop-services)))
> 
>

I wasn't familiar with this remove procedure from srfi-1, I've been
learning Guile only for 3 month, thank you for explaining. The system
initialized correctly, but the same thing happens while trying to boot
into the recently installed system (removing gdm didn't help). I copied
the whole /var/log folder so I'm attaching zip-compressed folder below.
And also a strange thing happened - don't know if it's related, but
after switching my system to "UEFI mode" screen resolution using
linux-libre, which was really low, now changed normal (as on systems
with blobs loaded).

[-- Attachment #2: log.zip --]
[-- Type: application/x-zip-compressed, Size: 54788 bytes --]

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)]

On Wed, Jul 24, 2019 at 02:11:17AM +0200, Jan wrote:
> The system
> initialized correctly, but the same thing happens while trying to boot
> into the recently installed system (removing gdm didn't help).

Hmm I am sorry that it did not help.  You could try pressing e in GRUB
and adding “modprobe.blacklist=radeon modprobe.blacklist=amdgpu” to
the end of the linux line.


> I copied
> the whole /var/log folder so I'm attaching zip-compressed folder below.

/var/log/messages looks normal to me.

/var/log/messages shows xorg-server-vt8 started at
> Jul 24 03:28:56 localhost shepherd[1]: Service xorg-server-vt8 has
> been started.
so you waited for 90 seconds until you pressed Sysrq+E or Sysrq+I or
something at:
> Jul 24 03:30:26 localhost vmunix: [   97.542387] sysrq: Terminate All Tasks

If everything had worked, you should have seen SLIM.

/var/log/Xorg.0.log shows that no working graphics driver was found.
However, since /var/log/messages looks normal, I suppose this is an
old log file (?).

Has booting (not necessarily installing) an official Debian USB
installer (i.e. without nonfree firmware) or another libre distro
worked previously?



> And also a strange thing happened - don't know if it's related, but
> after switching my system to "UEFI mode" screen resolution using
> linux-libre, which was really low, now changed normal (as on systems
> with blobs loaded).

I see this wrong resolution too when running the installer in old BIOS
mode.  Your config shows grub-efi-bootloader, so I suppose it can only
boot in UEFI mode (?).  Maybe not booting in UEFI mode runs a wrong
bootloader (?).

Regards,
Florian

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Jan]

>You could try pressing e in GRUB
>and adding “modprobe.blacklist=radeon modprobe.blacklist=amdgpu” to
>the end of the linux line.
This one works, but without GUI, probably because I forgot to install
any WM/DE, but something seems to be running on tty7 and tty8, so I'm
assuming it's slim-service.

>/var/log/messages looks normal to me.
No way, even if it looks on this partition I tried only installing Guix
System and it never worked.

>so you waited for 90 seconds until you pressed Sysrq+E or Sysrq+I or
>something at:
>> Jul 24 03:30:26 localhost vmunix: [   97.542387] sysrq: Terminate All
>> Tasks
Yes, the system didn't respond at all - i couldn't even switch to
another tty, so Alt+SysRq+B was the only thing working, but sometimes i
had to hard reset the computer, because even this didn't work.

>If everything had worked, you should have seen SLIM.
Everything I saw was a frozen console, even the cursor wasn't blinking.

>However, since /var/log/messages looks normal, I suppose this is an
>old log file (?).
The partition was formatted once, but as I said before, only Guix
System ran on this partition and it never worked, so that's how the log
looks like, when I can't do anything.

>Has booting (not necessarily installing) an official Debian USB
>installer (i.e. without nonfree firmware) or another libre distro
>worked previously?
I tried installing Trisquel 8.0 to check if this is a bug in the
linux-libre kernel, but it even stopped working during installation
time. On the other hand installing Devuan works and it boots from the
SSD (if Devuan's installer is the same as Debian's, then it works).
But I can try installing Debian if it is necessary.

>Maybe not booting in UEFI mode runs a wrong
>bootloader (?).
Anyway, even if UEFI mode is enabled, the system works only with the
GPU disabled in grub.

For me, personally this sounds like an issue with Linux and Linux-libre
generally. Once about two months my system (even when using blobs)
freezes just like during early boot of Guix System. Maybe everything
is okay with the system, except the GPU driver - the screen freezes,
but the system continues to work. It's probably a problem with Linux,
because Windows 10, on the same computer, rarely crashes (by this I
mean it rarely freezes in this particular way, because it crashes a
lot, but with a sad smile ':(').

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)]

On Wed, Jul 24, 2019 at 12:53:34PM +0200, Jan wrote:
> 
> >You could try pressing e in GRUB
> >and adding “modprobe.blacklist=radeon modprobe.blacklist=amdgpu” to
> >the end of the linux line.
> This one works, but without GUI, probably because I forgot to install
> any WM/DE, but something seems to be running on tty7 and tty8, so I'm
> assuming it's slim-service.
>

Yes, maybe you may need to add (service gnome-desktop-service-type) or
another DE/WM for SLIM to work.

You probably should use UEFI mode.

The virtual console without graphics only is visible and not frozen
with “modprobe.blacklist=radeon modprobe.blacklist=amdgpu” (I do not
know which of the two modprobe.blacklist is necessary for you, one of
them should be enough).  Maybe you do not need the virtual console
though, if Xorg worked.  Note that only the display output is frozen,
but the keyboard works.

I suppose no graphics driver matches what the Xorg server expects,
therefore Xorg graphics do not work and the system remains on the
invisible virtual console.  But maybe Xorg graphics do work a little
and you just need to press some keys or log in blindly with username
and password?  Note that for me I initially had garbled graphics on my
non-Ryzen AMD GPU.

It is strange that xorg-server appears started in the log even though
it fails.  Perhaps just to be sure you need to remove
/var/log/Xorg.0.log from a previous Guix System boot and after
removing reboot and then look if there are fatal (EE) lines in
/var/log/Xorg.0.log, but maybe xorg-server being logged as running is
also a quirk of xorg-server.


> >Has booting (not necessarily installing) an official Debian USB
> >installer (i.e. without nonfree firmware) or another libre distro
> >worked previously?
> I tried installing Trisquel 8.0 to check if this is a bug in the
> linux-libre kernel, but it even stopped working during installation
> time. On the other hand installing Devuan works and it boots from the
> SSD (if Devuan's installer is the same as Debian's, then it works).
> But I can try installing Debian if it is necessary.
>

You do not need to install, it is enough to use a live image or a
GTK-based install image.

Devuan apparently ships non-free firmware with its installer.

Trisquel not working makes it seem like linux-libre does not support a
graphics driver for your GPU.  Maybe Debian works because it uses a
different kernel configuration, you could try.  If Debian works, then
Guix System could be made to work.


> >Maybe not booting in UEFI mode runs a wrong
> >bootloader (?).
> Anyway, even if UEFI mode is enabled, the system works only with the
> GPU disabled in grub.
>

You will certainly never have 3d-accelerated GPU output when using
linux-libre anyway.  You should have unaccelerated output though.


> For me, personally this sounds like an issue with Linux and Linux-libre
> generally. Once about two months my system (even when using blobs)
> freezes just like during early boot of Guix System. Maybe everything
> is okay with the system, except the GPU driver - the screen freezes,
> but the system continues to work. It's probably a problem with Linux,
> because Windows 10, on the same computer, rarely crashes (by this I
> mean it rarely freezes in this particular way, because it crashes a
> lot, but with a sad smile ':(').
> 

I find various news reports on Duckduckgo about Ryzen systems having
problems with the Linux kernel.  The Linux-libre kernel on some AMD
systems cannot run the open-source AMD driver because it requires
non-free firmware.

Regards,
Florian

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Jan]

>Maybe Debian works because it uses a
>different kernel configuration, you could try.  If Debian works, then
>Guix System could be made to work.
Tried installing Debian 10 with GNOME and it doesn't look good either -
instead of gdm, there's a cursor blinking, I could switch to a different
tty, but after switching a few times from one tty to tty with gdm it
froze. Guess that's the moment I sell this machine and buy a machine
able to run free software :)

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)]

On Wed, Jul 24, 2019 at 03:31:44PM +0200, Jan wrote:
> >Maybe Debian works because it uses a
> >different kernel configuration, you could try.  If Debian works, then
> >Guix System could be made to work.
> Tried installing Debian 10 with GNOME and it doesn't look good either -
> instead of gdm, there's a cursor blinking, I could switch to a different
> tty, but after switching a few times from one tty to tty with gdm it
> froze.

Debian not working is not a good sign.  Note that without 3d
acceleration, Xorg should work on linux-libre and that it does not
work at all is a bug.  I do not know if someone knowledgeable with
enough time cares enough to fix it though, because it works with
nonfree firmware.

I believe the Guix manual and Guix website should warn about AMD.  I
have opened a bug:

https://issues.guix.gnu.org/issue/36786

Regards,
Florian

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[Jan]

>Debian not working is not a good sign.  Note that without 3d
>acceleration, Xorg should work on linux-libre and that it does not
>work at all is a bug.  I do not know if someone knowledgeable with
>enough time cares enough to fix it though, because it works with
>nonfree firmware.
>
>I believe the Guix manual and Guix website should warn about AMD.  I
>have opened a bug:
>
>https://issues.guix.gnu.org/issue/36786
>
>Regards,
>Florian

Don't remember if I mentioned it, but my GPU is Radeon R9 280X 3G. If
it is possibly a bug of Xorg, could using Wayland instead help? Is
support for Wayland in Guix good enough to try it?

Re: Trying to install Guix System on a nonfree computer, the system frezees at booting, bug?

[pelzflorian (Florian Pelz)]

On Wed, Jul 24, 2019 at 05:29:18PM +0200, Jan wrote:
> Don't remember if I mentioned it, but my GPU is Radeon R9 280X 3G.

That is interesting, I had assumed it was a newer GPU.  I will add
that info to the bug.


> If
> it is possibly a bug of Xorg, could using Wayland instead help? Is
> support for Wayland in Guix good enough to try it?
> 

I do not know.  Note that GNOME starts and possibly requires Xwayland
to start.