System Update froze - UbuntuMATE 16-04

Thu Jun 21 19:30:13 UTC 2018

On 22/06/2018, Gene Heskett <gheskett at shentel.net> wrote:
> On Thursday 21 June 2018 11:46:16 Bret Busby wrote:
>
>> On 21/06/2018, Bret Busby <bret.busby at gmail.com> wrote:
>> > On 21/06/2018, Colin Watson <cjwatson at ubuntu.com> wrote:
>> >> On Thu, Jun 21, 2018 at 09:43:16AM +0100, Colin Law wrote:
>> >>> On 21 June 2018 at 09:32, Bret Busby <bret.busby at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>> > On 21/06/2018, Colin Law <clanlaw at gmail.com> wrote:
>> >>> >> sync
>> >>> >
>> >>> > After about fifteen minutes, no displayed response - cursor goes
>> >>> > onto next line after the line in which the command is entered,
>> >>> > an the cursor sits there flashing at me, in an otherwise blank
>> >>> > line.
>> >>> >
>> >>> > So, the command "sync" also appears to have been hanged (and,
>> >>> > yes, I do know the difference between hanged and hung :) ).
>> >>>
>> >>> So it is that bug that you are hitting.  The update runs sync to
>> >>> flush data to disc and that cannot complete for some reason.
>> >>
>> >> Well.  Yes, Bret is hitting the initramfs-tools bug you linked to
>> >> above. However, that only happens when the system is already in a
>> >> bad way (in that sync never completes), and *that* is not caused by
>> >> initramfs-tools.
>> >>
>> >> Investigating what's causing the sync hang would involve poking
>> >> through system logs.  /var/log/syslog is the first place I'd look
>> >> if I saw this on one of my systems, as there are multiple possible
>> >> causes: as well as things like stuck remote filesystem mounts or
>> >> whatever, it could also be due to incipient disk failures that
>> >> would cause the kernel to produce alarming log messages.
>> >
>> > Okay.
>> >
>> > In running less on that file in that path, I fing lots of errors
>> > relating to sdb1, which, from memory, is the HP USB external HDD. I
>> > note that I can not even check to what, sdb1 points.
>> >
>> > Now, given the state (unstable, I think, and, apparently, unlikely
>> > to be able to be rebooted, and, with no file management available)
>> > of the system, apart from waiting a few days, to find whether the
>> > file management will recover, during the current boot session, and,
>> > as no fix for the bug, appears to be available, what can I do, to
>> > fix this, before a bug fix becomes available, if a bug fix does
>> > become available?
>> >
>> > I can post a copy of an excerpt (possibly, tail) of the file syslog,
>> > if that helps.
>>
>> "
>> root at bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE:/home/bret# tail -30 /var/log/syslog
>> Jun 21 23:23:08 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718469.945845]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_OK
>> driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE
>> Jun 21 23:23:08 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718469.945852]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 Sense Key : Hardware Error [current]
>> Jun 21 23:23:08 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718469.945859]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 Add. Sense: Internal target failure
>> Jun 21 23:23:08 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718469.945866]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 CDB: Write(10) 2a 00 09 db 04 a0 00 00 f0 00
>> Jun 21 23:23:08 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718469.945871]
>> blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 165348512
>> Jun 21 23:23:43 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718504.654655]
>> [UFW BLOCK] IN=enp3s0 OUT=
>> MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:f8:ab:05:8e:34:fa:08:00 SRC=192.168.0.1
>> DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=36 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=0 DF PROTO=2
>> Jun 21 23:25:48 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718629.650233]
>> [UFW BLOCK] IN=enp3s0 OUT=
>> MAC=01:00:5e:00:00:01:f8:ab:05:8e:34:fa:08:00 SRC=192.168.0.1
>> DST=224.0.0.1 LEN=36 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=1 ID=0 DF PROTO=2
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068124]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: timing out command, waited 180s
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068145]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_OK
>> driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068152]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 Sense Key : Hardware Error [current]
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068159]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 Add. Sense: Internal target failure
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068166]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 CDB: Write(10) 2a 00 09 db 05 90 00 00 f0 00
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068171]
>> blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 165348752
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068176]
>> buffer_io_error: 50 callbacks suppressed
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068180]
>> Buffer I/O error on dev sdb1, logical block 20668338, lost async page
>> write
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068193]
>> Buffer I/O error on dev sdb1, logical block 20668339, lost async page
>> write
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068198]
>> Buffer I/O error on dev sdb1, logical block 20668340, lost async page
>> write
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068203]
>> Buffer I/O error on dev sdb1, logical block 20668341, lost async page
>> write
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068208]
>> Buffer I/O error on dev sdb1, logical block 20668342, lost async page
>> write
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068213]
>> Buffer I/O error on dev sdb1, logical block 20668343, lost async page
>> write
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068217]
>> Buffer I/O error on dev sdb1, logical block 20668344, lost async page
>> write
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068222]
>> Buffer I/O error on dev sdb1, logical block 20668345, lost async page
>> write
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068227]
>> Buffer I/O error on dev sdb1, logical block 20668346, lost async page
>> write
>> Jun 21 23:26:07 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718648.068232]
>> Buffer I/O error on dev sdb1, logical block 20668347, lost async page
>> write
>> Jun 21 23:26:08 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718649.958811]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: timing out command, waited 180s
>> Jun 21 23:26:08 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718649.958829]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 FAILED Result: hostbyte=DID_OK
>> driverbyte=DRIVER_SENSE
>> Jun 21 23:26:08 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718649.958836]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 Sense Key : Hardware Error [current]
>> Jun 21 23:26:08 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718649.958843]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 Add. Sense: Internal target failure
>> Jun 21 23:26:08 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718649.958850]
>> sd 3:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 CDB: Write(10) 2a 00 09 db 06 80 00 00 f0 00
>> Jun 21 23:26:08 bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE kernel: [1718649.958854]
>> blk_update_request: I/O error, dev sdb, sector 165348992
>> root at bret-Inspiron-580-UbuntuMATE:/home/bret#
>> "
>>
>> Oh, and, this computer has a weirdness in both moving (using cut and
>> paste) and copying (using copy and paste) multiple files; it starts in
>> 10's of MB/s, and, slows down to 10's of kB/s and slower (10s of B/s),
>> after about a GB or so.
>>
>> And, that happens, whether I try to move or copy files in either a
>> single block, or, in multiple sequential blocks ( a couple of hundred
>> MB at a time) - after about 2 or 3 GB, file transfer operations fail.
>>
>> And, that applies to both moving files from one partition to another,
>> on the same internal HDD, and, moving files from one partition on the
>> internal HDD, to the external HDD.
>>
>> On this computer I gave up, years ago, trying to download or move a
>> DVD (like an iso), as it would often hang. After a few hours, starting
>> at around a GB/s, and, slowing down to less than 10B/s, and, then, not
>> progressing for a few hours, it became untenable.
>>
>> It has an i3CPU, and 16GB of RAM, and runs 64-bit Ubuntu Linux 16.04
>> (well, it kind of runs it, in the same way that a car with three
>> wheels, can kind of be driven).
>>
>> And, sometimes, I have to terminate copying or moving files, when
>> progress stops.
>>
>> So, this "feature" that was apparently included in 16.04.2, in all of
>> the circumstances, probably, instead of changing Ubuntu 16.04 to the
>> status of Debian sid, appears to have turned Ubuntu 16.04 and 18.04,
>> into the nature of Debian experimental, with all data at risk.
>>
> Your real problem looks like drive firmware, or possibly a flaky cable if
> its red, which if you have time to play, might be fixable if there is a
> firmware update available from the makers site.
>
> I am currently using a 1T seagate drive, quite elderly now, that was
> giving me symptoms of a bad drive, when it was nearly new so I installed
> smartctl, abd a fresh orange cable and found that drive had 25
> re-allocated sectors already at about 5000 spinning hours. I installed
> newer firmware from seagates site, didn't lose a byte doing it. But it
> nearly doubled the speed of that drive, and at 73,398 spinning hours
> now, it is still showing that same 25 re-allocated sectors.  Pretty good
> for a geriatric 1T drive that gets 30+ GB rewritten every night by
> amanda.
>
> From smartctl today:
>
>   5 Reallocated_Sector_Ct   0x0033   100   100   036    Pre-fail
> Always       -       25
>   9 Power_On_Hours          0x0032   017   017   000    Old_age
> Always       -       73389
>
> Good luck at finding that. First thing I'd do if its a sata drive, is
> replace the cable, with any color of cable than red. The red ones are a
> time bomb for many times prior stated reasons by this poster. Then
> upgrade its firmware if there is an upgrade available.
>

The external USB HDD connected to the problem computer, is an HP drive
(as previosuly mentioned, of about 460GB capacity, and, it has a black
cable, as supplied with the HDD.

I have just looked at its box. It appears to be a 500GB "Simple Save" HDD;
HPBAAC5000ABKPHSN

> A repeat lockup after all that, would then have me going to the spares
> shelf for a fresh drive & binning that one, getting the data off first
> if possible.
>
> I trust you've been watching the incoming spam dir to see similar drives
> on sale and by then will have a spare on the shelf. I believe that at
> some point you are going to need it. So you may as well get to it.
>
> Can you post this ones seriel number if its a seagate, that would make
> looking up firmware a bunch easier. That disks label should also show
> the firmware version.
>

-- 

Bret Busby
Armadale
West Australia

..............

"So once you do know what the question actually is,
 you'll know what the answer means."
- Deep Thought,
 Chapter 28 of Book 1 of
 "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy:
 A Trilogy In Four Parts",
 written by Douglas Adams,
 published by Pan Books, 1992

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