Need Help Figuring Out An Error Message

[dharvell]

One thing about Ubuntu/Kubuntu that appealed to me was the fact that even the error messages were easy to understand. The errors were helpful, pointing you to what you need to do to fix whatever issue you ran into.

With each release, I'm finding that these helpful errors are disappearing and are being replaced with error messages that are more worthless and useless than those Windows offers.

An example is an error message that I ran into, just now, when attempting to do a system update [via the update manager]. I had 4 bug fixes that needed to be applied, so I tried to do so, as I so faithfully do. The error I received in return was:

p, li { white-space: pre-wrap; }

The backend took too much time to process the synchronous request - you need to fork!

That means absolutely nothing to a user, such as myself. I know a good deal about the hardware aspect of computers, but know absolutely nothing about programming, forking, threads, etc, ad nauseum. To me, the only thing I'm going to fork, tonight, is my salad I'm having for dinner.

So, my question is... what does one do to "fork"? How do I overcome this forking issue of mine and successfully apply these bug fixes? And the most burning question... how do we get these helpful error messages of the past to come back, so Ubuntu/Kubuntu can, once again, shine?

Thank you for any help that can be provided.

[blueridgedog]

What version are you running?

I suspect that it is related to not being able to reach a server. I would give it a day and try again.

There is a great deal of information on the error:

http://www.google.com/search?q=The+b...ient=firefox-a

[dharvell]

Sounds like I've got a good deal of reading ahead of me. I'm sure I'll answer these questions when I read the site, but [other than waiting, as you said], when it tells me that I "need to fork", is there something that I really need to do? Was the guy who wrote that error attempting humour?

I've had a bad day of cryptic errors, such as this. It all began this morning when I was told by an error dialogue that I needed to "...check my configuration.", but it failed to direct me as to which configuration to check. It just seems that the error messages are getting more and more vague.

By the way... I'm running "Jaunty".

Thanks for the info!

What version are you running?

I suspect that it is related to not being able to reach a server. I would give it a day and try again.

There is a great deal of information on the error:

http://www.google.com/search?q=The+b...ient=firefox-a

[aesis05401]

I can sympathize with the way you feel about the direction of error reporting in general.

Just thought I would post to let you know you are not alone on that

[dharvell]

I can sympathize with the way you feel about the direction of error reporting in general.

Just thought I would post to let you know you are not alone on that

Thanks! I appreciate that! My goal was not to offend people by hinting that the error reporting structures of Linux have become more worthless than Microsoft's. Just hoping that somebody would notice that, hey... these error messages are, indeed, less humorous as they are frustrating. When I get an error message, I want it to tell me [to the best of the ability of an error message, anyway], just what failed and if there is something specific that can be done, give me a hint as to what to do. Telling me that I need to fork just makes me want to start eating my cereal with a fork, rather than my spoon that I've used all these years.

So, cheers! *looks around for a beer mug smiley to post... settles for popcorn, instead*

[drifter2502]

I had the same message this morning. I was eating breakfast at the time with a fork. I nearly drove it into my computer screen. This kind of notification is totally useless,bordering on pathetic and needs to be corrected. Some practical advice in the message on how to fix the problem would help.

[cliff01]

I've had this error message twice. I'm running 9.04 w/kubuntu desktop and it happened when/right after I was doing updates. Maybe it's telling us to stick a fork in it.... we're DONE! Could this be a virus?

[jimbog]

I get this error message every single time I do an update. I just ignore it.

Maybe it has something to do with the blocked update issue that I've also given up trying to fix.

Edit: I just found this bug: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+s...it/+bug/272410 It seems that the problem is fixed for Karmic, but it is "too big a change" to sort it for Jaunty.