[SOLVED] gdm does not find dbus

ClalC · 2019-05-29 10:14:27

Hello everyone,

I have been reading every now and then this forum and almost every time, it was enough to solve any issues I may encountered. However, after trying and google everything for 2+ hours, I have been unable to solve my problem.

After having forcefully installed a packet (I know... I know... I should not have had forced it, and trust me, I have learned a lesson) that attempted to override /var/run (I thought it would simpley regenerate after reboot) , I was unable to properly log into my session. The classic following message is shown:

 A start job is running for GNOME Display Manager

Logging in another tty, I could run

systemctl status gdm

and read the following:

Couldn't connect to system bus: Could not connect: No such file or directory

Even though dbus is UP and running (The service says "Active: active running").

As expected, other services like NetworkManager (that attempted to use Gnome?) does not work either.

I apologize for the lack of complete logs, since I cannot log in into my Linux machine, I am writing from other computer (and typing everything by hand)

PS: I have posted this in Newbie Corner because a similar message that dataes back to 2011 was posted in this subforum. Move it to Applications if necessary.

Last edited by ClalC (2019-05-29 12:13:28)

seth · 2019-05-29 11:11:19

stat /var/run
pacman -Qkk filesystem

Also pacman log and the package you force-installed.

ClalC · 2019-05-29 11:34:46

Thanks for your quick reply and for your time.
Find below the information requested (first command, then output)

-----------------------------------------------------------------

stat /var/run

  File: /var/run
  Size: 4096      	Blocks: 8          IO Block: 4096   directory
Device: 10304h/66308d	Inode: 22094359    Links: 6
Access: (0755/drwxr-xr-x)  Uid: (    0/    root)   Gid: (    0/    root)
Access: 2019-05-29 11:53:28.111523839 +0200
Modify: 2019-05-29 13:15:03.546666757 +0200
Change: 2019-05-29 13:15:03.546666757 +0200
 Birth: 2019-05-29 10:37:00.704784896 +0200

-----------------------------------------------------------------

pacman -Qkk filesystem

backup file: filesystem: /etc/fstab (Modification time mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/fstab (Size mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/group (Modification time mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/group (Size mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/gshadow (Modification time mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/gshadow (Size mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/hosts (Modification time mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/hosts (Size mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/ld.so.conf (Modification time mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/ld.so.conf (Size mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/passwd (Modification time mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/passwd (Size mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/resolv.conf (Modification time mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/resolv.conf (Size mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/shadow (Modification time mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/shadow (Size mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/shells (Modification time mismatch)
backup file: filesystem: /etc/shells (Size mismatch)
warning: filesystem: /root (Permissions mismatch)
warning: filesystem: /srv/http (UID mismatch)
warning: filesystem: /srv/http (GID mismatch)
warning: filesystem: /srv/http (Permissions mismatch)
warning: filesystem: /var/run (File type mismatch)
filesystem: 113 total files, 3 altered files

(File type mismatch? )

-----------------------------------------------------------------

I have trimmed the pacman log to contain only the process that surely messed everything

[2019-05-29 10:27] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -U --noconfirm --config /etc/pacman.conf -- /home/ruben/.cache/yay/debtap/debtap-3.2.2-1-any.pkg.tar.xz'
[2019-05-29 10:27] [ALPM] transaction started
[2019-05-29 10:27] [ALPM] installed debtap (3.2.2-1)
[2019-05-29 10:27] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> You must run at least once "debtap -u"
[2019-05-29 10:27] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] with root privileges (preferably recently),
[2019-05-29 10:27] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] before running this script
[2019-05-29 10:27] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] 
[2019-05-29 10:27] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Syntax: debtap [option] package_filename
[2019-05-29 10:27] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] 
[2019-05-29 10:27] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Run "debtap -h" for help
[2019-05-29 10:27] [ALPM] transaction completed
[2019-05-29 10:27] [ALPM] running 'systemd-update.hook'...
[2019-05-29 10:32] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -U amazon-cloudwatch-agent-1.210825.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz'
[2019-05-29 10:36] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -U amazon-cloudwatch-agent-1.210825.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz'
[2019-05-29 10:36] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman --force -U amazon-cloudwatch-agent-1.210825.0-1-x86_64.pkg.tar.xz'
[2019-05-29 10:36] [ALPM] transaction started
[2019-05-29 10:36] [ALPM] installed aarch64-linux-gnu-binutils (2.32-1)
[2019-05-29 10:36] [ALPM] installed aarch64-linux-gnu-gcc (8.3.0-1)
[2019-05-29 10:36] [ALPM] installed aarch64-linux-gnu-linux-api-headers (4.20-1)
[2019-05-29 10:36] [ALPM] installed aarch64-linux-gnu-glibc (2.28-3)
[2019-05-29 10:37] [ALPM] installed amazon-cloudwatch-agent (1.210825.0-1)
[2019-05-29 10:37] [ALPM] transaction completed
[2019-05-29 10:37] [ALPM] running 'systemd-update.hook'...

Note that I used debtap to install a .deb package (clearly with nefastous consequences)
I am well aware that I should first try to find it in the AUR but I was unable to find a similar package.

The package itself is the CloudWatch Agent (Amazon Web service) found at: https://s3.amazonaws.com/amazoncloudwat … -agent.deb
After converting it to "an installable" .tar.xz file: (uploaded to dropbox as it is not available online): https://www.dropbox.com/s/3rwnyks1aomov … ar.xz?dl=0

seth · 2019-05-29 11:41:13

/var/run is supposed to be a symlink to /run, also check /root (though unrelated)
/run is a tmpfs, so whatever amazon-cloudwatch-agent is will have to be placed there w/ every boot if it's indeed required.

ClalC · 2019-05-29 12:12:37

Very big facepalm for me...
The moment I run

sudo mv /var/run /var/run_backup
sudo ln -s /run /var/run

It all magically worked (and when I say magically I mean, that gdm started automatically)
Thank you so much for your help. Will change the topic to [Solved] to reflect it.

Last edited by ClalC (2019-05-29 12:14:04)

Arch Linux

#1 2019-05-29 10:14:27

[SOLVED] gdm does not find dbus

#2 2019-05-29 11:11:19

Re: [SOLVED] gdm does not find dbus

#3 2019-05-29 11:34:46

Re: [SOLVED] gdm does not find dbus

#4 2019-05-29 11:41:13

Re: [SOLVED] gdm does not find dbus

#5 2019-05-29 12:12:37

Re: [SOLVED] gdm does not find dbus

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