A almost hard lock in Ubuntu 12.04.

[irv]

I have Ubuntu 12.04 and use chrome and watch youtube videos, no problems so far (>3 month). Maybe it's an add on ?
You may want to reinstall chrome.

I think I am going to try this. If this problem goes away I will post it here. May have to give it awhile to see.
Thanks

[irv]

In my case I started with doing a clean install of 12.04 Alpha 1 and then kept updating/upgrading until the finial release. And btw I never had one issue during that Alpha/beta testing time. This is the first issue that has come up. btw I did a reinstall of the Chrome Browser, and I can't get it to lockup now. Maybe I am on to something, but time will tell.

Yes I agree that doing an upgrade from an older version does cause problem sometimes. I find it easier to just do a clean install and reinstall all my apps (I keep a list of them in Ubuntuone), and I can be up and running quicker then doing an upgrade,(which take a long time if you have a lot of apps to upgrade).

Sorry I don't have an answer to your question in your post.

[matt_symes]

Hi

Is there anything in /var/log/syslog ?

Kind regards

[irv]

Hi

Is there anything in /var/log/syslog ?

Kind regards

OK, it just lockup. here is the syslog during the time of the lockup.

Jul 18 16:00:01 irv-Inspiron-1521 CRON[9857]: (root) CMD (/usr/lib/prey/prey.sh >/var/log/prey.log)
Jul 18 16:09:01 irv-Inspiron-1521 CRON[10048]: (root) CMD ( [ -x /usr/lib/php5/maxlifetime ] && [ -d /var/lib/php5 ] && find /var/lib/php5/ -depth -mindepth 1 -maxdepth 1 -type f -cmin +$(/usr/lib/php5/maxlifetime) ! -execdir fuser -s {} 2>/dev/null \; -delete)
Jul 18 16:09:01 irv-Inspiron-1521 CRON[10047]: (root) MAIL (mailed 1 byte of output; but got status 0x00ff, #012)
Jul 18 16:14:13 irv-Inspiron-1521 kernel: [18342.470393] CE: hpet increased min_delta_ns to 30169 nsec
Jul 18 16:17:01 irv-Inspiron-1521 CRON[10208]: (root) CMD ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly)
Jul 18 16:20:01 irv-Inspiron-1521 CRON[10268]: (root) CMD (/usr/lib/prey/prey.sh >/var/log/prey.log)
Jul 18 16:35:12 irv-Inspiron-1521 gnome-session[2471]: Gtk-WARNING: Theme file for default has no name#012
Jul 18 16:35:12 irv-Inspiron-1521 gnome-session[2471]: Gtk-WARNING: Theme file for default has no directories#012
Jul 18 16:35:59 irv-Inspiron-1521 kernel: imklog 5.8.6, log source = /proc/kmsg started.
Jul 18 16:35:59 irv-Inspiron-1521 rsyslogd: [origin software="rsyslogd" swVersion="5.8.6" x-pid="617" x-info="http://www.rsyslog.com"] start
Jul 18 16:35:59 irv-Inspiron-1521 rsyslogd: rsyslogd's groupid changed to 103
Jul 18 16:35:59 irv-Inspiron-1521 rsyslogd: rsyslogd's userid changed to 101
Jul 18 16:35:59 irv-Inspiron-1521 mtp-probe: checking bus 3, device 2: "/sys/devices/pci0000:00/0000:00:13.1/usb3/3-2"

EDIT: OK it lockup again. Look at the change in dates. It happen on the 18th so I Powered it off and turn it back on on the 19th. So the last command has some thing to do with it. This is the last thing it did when it locked: CRON[4916]: (root) CMD (/usr/lib/prey/prey.sh >/var/log/prey.log)

Jul 18 18:16:15 irv-Inspiron-1521 NetworkManager[961]: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 4 of 5 (IPv6 Configure Timeout) scheduled...
Jul 18 18:16:15 irv-Inspiron-1521 NetworkManager[961]: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 4 of 5 (IPv6 Configure Timeout) started...
Jul 18 18:16:15 irv-Inspiron-1521 NetworkManager[961]: <info> Activation (wlan0) Stage 4 of 5 (IPv6 Configure Timeout) complete.
Jul 18 18:17:01 irv-Inspiron-1521 CRON[4863]: (root) CMD ( cd / && run-parts --report /etc/cron.hourly)
Jul 18 18:20:02 irv-Inspiron-1521 CRON[4916]: (root) CMD (/usr/lib/prey/prey.sh >/var/log/prey.log)
Jul 19 07:17:40 irv-Inspiron-1521 kernel: imklog 5.8.6, log source = /proc/kmsg started.

This is what is in the prey.log

### PREY 0.5.3 spreads its wings!
### Linux irv-Inspiron-1521 3.2.0-26-generic #41-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jun 14 17:49:24 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

-- Looking for connection...
-- Got network connection!
-- Checking URL...
!! You need to enter your Device Key for querying the Control Panel!
-- Cleaning up!

Any idea how to fix this?

[matt_symes]

Hi

TBH, I'm not sure what prey is. It may not even be this causing the lock up.

Maybe looking at the script file would be the way to go.

Can you post the output of.

cat /usr/lib/prey/prey.sh

As it is run via cron, stop cron as a service.

sudo service cron stop

This will stop cron until a reboot and after a reboot you will need to stop cron again. Does it still freeze ?

Kind regards

[irv]

This scrip: prey.sh

irv@irv-Inspiron-1521:~$ cat /usr/lib/prey/prey.sh
#!/bin/bash
################################################## ##################
# Prey Client - by Tomas Pollak (bootlog.org)
# URL: http://preyproject.com
# License: GPLv3
################################################## ##################

PATH=/bin:/sbin:/usr/bin:/usr/sbin:$PATH
readonly base_path=`dirname "$0"`
readonly modules_path='/var/lib/prey/modules'

################################################## ##################
# base files inclusion
################################################## ##################

. "$base_path/version"
. "/etc/prey/config"
[ ! -f "lang/$lang" ] && lang='en' # fallback to english in case the lang is missing
. "$base_path/lang/$lang"
. "$base_path/core/base"
. "$base_path/platform/$os/functions"

# if [ `number_of_instances_of prey.sh` -gt 1 ]; then
# log ' -- Prey is already running!'
# exit 1
# fi

log "${cyan}$STRING_START ### $(uname -a)${color_end}\n"

################################################## ##################
# lets check if we're actually connected
# if we're not, lets try to connect to a wifi access point
################################################## ##################

check_net_status
if [ $connected == 0 ]; then

if [ "$auto_connect" == "y" ]; then
log "$STRING_TRY_TO_CONNECT"
try_to_connect
fi

# ok, lets check again, after waiting a bit
sleep 5
check_net_status
if [ $connected == 0 ]; then
log "$STRING_NO_CONNECT_TO_WIFI"
if [ -f "$last_response" ]; then # offline actions were enabled
log ' -- Offline actions enabled!'
offline_mode=1
get_last_response
else
exit 1
fi
fi
fi

################################################## ##################
# check API key and perform stuff accordingly
################################################## ##################

if [ $connected == 1 ]; then

log ' -- Got network connection!'

# we do have an API key but no device key, so let's try to add this device under the account
if [[ -n "$api_key" && -z "$device_key" ]]; then

log "\n${bold} >> Registering device under account!${bold_end}\n"
self_setup

fi

fi

################################################## ##################
# verify if installation and keys are correct, if requested
################################################## ##################

if [ -n "$check_mode" ]; then

log "\n${bold} >> Verifying Prey installation...${bold_end}\n"
verify_installation

if [ "$post_method" == "http" ]; then
log "\n${bold} >> Verifying API and Device keys...${bold_end}\n"
verify_keys
elif [ "$post_method" == "email" ]; then
log "\n${bold} >> Verifying SMTP settings...${bold_end}\n"
verify_smtp_settings
fi

exit $?

fi

################################################## ##################
# if there's a URL in the config, lets see if it actually exists
# if it doesn't, the program will shut down gracefully
################################################## ##################

# create tmpdir for downloading stuff, storing files, etc
create_tmpdir

if [[ $connected == 1 && -n "$check_url" ]]; then
log "$STRING_CHECK_URL"

check_device_status

process_config
process_module_config

log "\n${bold} >> Verifying status...${bold_end}\n"
log " -- Got status code $response_status!"

if [ "$response_status" == "$missing_status_code" ]; then

log "$STRING_PROBLEM"

################################################## ##################
# initialize and fire off active modules
################################################## ##################

set +e # error mode off, just continue if a module fails
log " -- Running active report modules..."
run_active_modules # on http mode this will only be report modules

################################################## ##################
# lets send whatever we've gathered
################################################## ##################

log "\n${bold} >> Sending report!${bold_end}\n"
send_report

log "\n$STRING_DONE"

else
log "$STRING_NO_PROBLEM"
fi
fi

################################################## ##################
# if we have any pending actions, run them
################################################## ##################

if [ -n "$offline_mode" ]; then
process_module_config
fi

check_running_actions

if [ "${#actions[*]}" -gt 0 ]; then
run_pending_actions & disown -h
else
cleanup
fi

# if on demand mode was activated, and we're not being by on demand mode itself
if [[ -z "$on_demand_call" && "$on_demand_mode" == "true" ]]; then
enable_on_demand_mode
fi

# exit 0

[irv]

I ran the

sudo service cron stop

and stopped the cron and then I tried to get it to lock up. So far I can't get it too.
I am not sure why cron is running as a service, I don't remember starting it. It must have started after I installed something. I will try to shut it off when I restart and see if this works, and if it does I will stop this service all together.

[bobsan]

Don't know if this addresses your problem. There seems to be some changes in Youtube in the last few days so that when you watch a Youtube video some script will try to load the html5 player and that somehow freezes Firefox. That affects not just Linux but Firefox in WIndows as well. The temporary work around is to go to http://www.youtube.com/html5/ and check "leave html5 trial". I use the flashvideoreplacer addon for Firefox and always disable html5 on Youtube. I have experienced no problem with this change as long as flash is still installed (if flash is not installed then I think the script will attempt to load the html5 player even if you check the box to opt out, and freezing Firefox as a result, Flashvideoreplacer used to work even without flash installed)

See this
http://support.mozilla.org/en-US/questions/932553

As someone said, there is no problem if you watch Youtube in Chrome. I am sure google would have tested their script in Chrome and made sure that it worked.

[matt_symes]

Hi

### PREY 0.5.3 spreads its wings!
### Linux irv-Inspiron-1521 3.2.0-26-generic #41-Ubuntu SMP Thu Jun 14 17:49:24 UTC 2012 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

-- Looking for connection...
-- Got network connection!
-- Checking URL...
!! You need to enter your Device Key for querying the Control Panel!
-- Cleaning up!

Looks like quite a nifty program.

You are missing device keys for prey and you need to add them. This may help with that.

https://groups.google.com/forum/?fro...ty/r4Wer-IXM9U

I am not sure why cron is running as a service, I don't remember starting it.

cron is a standard service that runs at start up and is used to run and schedule commands. This is normal and nothing to be worried about.

I've had a look at the script you posted and it looks alright to me so i would not be worried about disabling the script as opposed to cron so you have a couple of choices now.....

1. You can either eliminate prey (almost) completely as the cause by disabling it (and re-enabling cron to run its usual tasks) for a period of time and seeing if you get the lockups
2. You can try to configure prey straight away if you do think that is the cause of the lockups.

For option 1.

sudo chmod 000 /usr/lib/prey/prey.sh

sudo service cron start

Wait a period of time and see if you get the lockups.

If you don't get any then you will need to re-enable prey and configure it. If you do continue to get lockups then the problem is not prey.

For option 2.

Configure it correctly.

I believe you can use

/usr/lib/prey/platform/linux/prey-config.py

but that link above may shed more light.

The config files (again from the above link) seem to be these two...

/etc/prey/config
/usr/share/prey/config

Post back what you intend to do.

I am not entirely sure that prey is the problem though and that is why i would, personally, use option 1 first.

Kind regards

[thatguruguy]

As an aside, have you tried ways of shutting down your computer other than simply holding the power button?

For instance, have you tried getting to a terminal by holding down the Alt+Ctrl+F1 keys? If you can get to a terminal, you can:

• run the "top" command, to see what is burning up cycles or memory, and kill that process through the "sudo killall -9 [whatever_the_process_is]" command, or
• restart the system by typing "sudo shutdown -r now"

If you can't get to a terminal, have you tried the "REISUB" method? That had a MUCH lower chance of breaking something than simply killing the computer by holding down the power button.