Troubleshooting

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Troubleshooting

The wiki page covers troubleshooting tips for installation issues, general issues, network issues and hardware problems.

ISO

ISO to USB Image Writer Tools

functional, bootable image:

  • Flashing using a Qubes Kicksecure VM with hide hardware information enabled using cp
  • Flashing using a Qubes Kicksecure VM using KDE ISO Image Writer from Flathub
  • Flashing using a Debian VM balanaEtcher AppImage.
  • Flashing using a Windows OS with balanaEtcher installer version.
  • Flashing using a Windows OS with UNetbootin (portable).

broken:

  • Flashing using a Qubes Kicksecure VM with hide hardware information enabled using balanaEtcher, which shows an error message due to hide hardware information.

Tips

  • Exercise on separate notebook.
  • Use a VM to flash for security against data loss.

Live ISO Known Issues

balenaEtcher

Platform specific.

  • A) Non-Windows host operating systems such as macOS or Linux: No special notice.
  • B) Windows: See below.

If you have Controlled Folder Accessarchive.org iconarchive.today icon enabled, you need to allow changes by Etcher:

Figure: Windows Protection History

If you have User Account Controlarchive.org iconarchive.today icon enabled, allow Etcher to make changes to your device by pressing "Yes" when a popup similar to the following appears:

Figure: Windows User Account Control

KDE ISO Image Writer

The last block was not fully written (-1 of 1,048,576 bytes)!KDE ISO Image Writer Error Message

KDE ISO Image Writer Error Message

[1]

In this case,

  • A) try to unmount the USB device first or
  • B) use a different ISO Image Writer tool.

DVD Support

Untested. Should work in theory. Tested inside QEMU and VirtualBox with an emulated CD-ROM drive. So chances are good that it would work with a real DVD drive as well.

Dual Boot

It is recommended to physically disconnect any other physical disks while installing Kicksecure (or any other operating system) to mitigate the risk of the installer overwriting the wrong drive due to user error or software bugs.

Fastboot

Fastboot is a BIOS setting which skips attempting to boot from USB on some computers. In this case, the user must disable Fastboot in order to be able to boot from USB.

Encryption Settings

Minor Issues

This might be an issue while installing additional packages while running the live ISO. This will not be an issue after installing to hard drive.

Failed to mount sysroot.mount - /sysroot.

The message Failed to mount sysroot.mount - /sysroot. during the boot ISO process is only a cosmetic issue. It can be safely ignored.

This issue will be fixed in Kicksecure 18 and above (Debian trixie based).

Details here: https://forums.kicksecure.com/t/iso-error-message-during-boot-mount-sysroot-special-device-liveos-rootfs-does-not-exist/418archive.org iconarchive.today icon

update-grub

Note: There is most likely no need to run the following command. This is only documentation "what if". If running the following command, 

sudo update-grub

then the following error message would be shown. 

/usr/sbin/grub-probe: error: failed to get canonical path of `LiveOS_rootfs'.
zsh: exit 1     sudo update-grub

Please report a bug if this breaks something for you. Adding a workaround for this would not be difficult.

This command is also unrelated to fixing installation issues. Users executing update-grub from an ISO is not very useful because an ISO is a read-only filesystem. Running update-grub can be useful during the installation from ISO to hard drive, but this is something that needs to happen inside a chroot, which is a specifically prepared environment. This is very difficult for most users and unnecessary because this is part of the tasks of the installer.

Calamares ISO Installer

Connectivity Troubleshooting

ICMP Fix

info Note: Kicksecure firewall does not exist yet at time of writing.

Therefore no such fix required yet.

Qubes-specific Connectivity Issue

Complete the following steps:

  1. Shut down kicksecure.
  2. Change the kicksecure NetVM setting from sys-firewall to sys-net.
  3. Restart kicksecure.

This procedure might help, but should not be considered a final solution. [2]

Why can't I Ping the Kicksecure?

info Note: Kicksecure firewall does not exist yet at time of writing.

The Kicksecure does not respond to ping or similar commands because it is firewalled for security reasons; see /usr/bin/kicksecure_firewall or refer to the Kicksecure source code. In most cases it is unnecessary to ping the Kicksecure anyhow.

If you insist on pinging the Kicksecure or have a unique setup that requires it, then this can be tested by clearing all firewall rules with the dev_clearnetarchive.org iconarchive.today icon script. Alternatively, a script can be run to try and unload / remove every iptables rule, or the Kicksecure firewall can be hacked to not load at all. The latter method is only for experts and it is necessary to comment out exit 0 at the beginning.

General Troubleshooting

Introduction

Troubleshooting issues can be time intensive and success cannot be guaranteed. Some users expect Kicksecure to provide an easy experience. While the Kicksecure developers make every effort to meet user expectations, limited funding and human resources makes meeting these expectations impossible.

Even though problems emerge when using Kicksecure, the cause is most often unrelated to Kicksecure code. For example, users often report the same Kicksecure release worked on different hardware and/or with a different host operating system. Most software such as the host operating system or the virtualizer is developed by independent entities; this is the norm in Linux distributions. See Linux User Experience versus Commercial Operating Systems to learn more about these relationships, as well as organizational and funding issues in the Open Source ecosystem.

Essential General Troubleshooting Steps

info The following recommended steps will fix many startup, freezing or other unusual issues in Kicksecure. Skips steps that are no longer possible if a virtual machine is not bootable.

1. "Forget" about Kicksecure for a moment and imagine you had never heard of the platform. Test your host computer first.

2. Exclude basic hardware issues.

3. Ensure the virtual machine (VM) images have been imported into a supported virtualizer listed on the Download page.

4. Debian (based) Linux host operating system users only: The following command should not show any errors. [3]

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo dpkg-reconfigure -a

5. Debian (based) Linux host operating system users only: The following command should be silent and not show any errors or output at all. [3]

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo dpkg --configure -a

6. Debian (based) Linux host operating system users only: Next attempt to retrieve all available updates.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo apt update

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo apt full-upgrade

7. Check for possible Low RAM Issues.

8. Virtualizer-specific troubleshooting.

9. Check if other VMs are functional, such as newly created ones or those from a different vendor.

  1. "Forget" about Kicksecure for a moment and imagine you had never heard of the platform. Test the virtualizer host software first.
  2. Try a VM other than Kicksecure such as Debian bookworm.
  3. If the issue persists, this means the root issue is not caused by Kicksecure, see: unspecific to Kicksecure. In this case, attempt to resolve the issue as per Self Support First Policy.

10. Check System Logs.

11. If a graphical environment (where one can use a computer mouse) is unavailable after booting, utilize a virtual console to acquire system logs.

  1. Recovery, Virtual Consoles.
  2. Check system logs of the previous boot (step 10).

12. Use recovery mode to acquire system logs.

  1. Boot in recovery mode.
  2. Check system logs of previous boot (step 10).

13. Use a chroot to acquire system logs.

If a virtual console is inaccessible and recovery mode is also broken, try using a chroot for recovery.

Low RAM Issues

If insufficient RAM is available for Kicksecure VM they might become unusable. Low RAM issues in Kicksecure are commonly caused by:

  • Unnecessary processes running and/or multi-tasking on the host OS.
  • Multiple, open browser tabs.
  • Unnecessary processes running in the Kicksecure VM.
  • Allocating more RAM to the Kicksecure VM than is available; this prevents the VM from booting.
  • Insufficient RAM allocated to the Kicksecure VM.
  • Other non-Kicksecure VM running in parallel.

Insufficient RAM can cause multiple issues, but the most common effects include:

  • Slow or unresponsive applications.
  • The VM, mouse and/or keyboard freeze.
  • Scrolling causes window staggers or jumps.
  • Issues become worse when additional browser tabs or processes are spawned.
  • Overall performance is poor.

See also: Advice for Systems with Low RAM.

Free up Additional Memory Resources

If a VM needs additional memory, then free up resources and/or add more RAM to the VM:

  • Terminate any non-essential processes on the host.
  • Shut down any non-essential VM.
  • Shut down and/or close non-essential processes and browser tabs in Kicksecure VM.

To add additional RAM to the Kicksecure VM, follow the platform-specific advice below.

KVM

1. Shutdown the virtual machine(s).

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! virsh -c qemu:///system shutdown <vm_name>

2. Increase the maximum memory.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! virsh setmaxmem <vm_name> <memsize> --config

3. Set the actual memory.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! virsh setmem <vm_name> <memsize> --config

4. Restart the virtual machine(s).

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! virsh -c qemu:///system start <vm_name>

Kicksecure-Qubes

Utilize Qube Manager:

  • Qube Manager → VM_name → Qubes settings → Advanced → Max memory: mem_size

VirtualBox

  1. To add RAM in VirtualBox the VM must first be powered down.
  2. Virtual machine → Menu → Settings → Adjust Memory slider → Hit: OK

See also: VirtualBox/Troubleshooting.

Generic Bug Reproduction

TODO

related: Generic Bug Reproduction

System Logs

[4]

Check Systemd Journal Log of Current Boot

To inspect the systemd journal log of the current boot, run.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo journalctl -b

This command requires pressing arrow keys like ↑, ↓, ←, →, as well as PgUp and PgDn for scrolling.

For convenient reading of the log (until the command is issued), the log can be dumped to file. For example, the following command would write the log to file ~/systemd-log.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo journalctl -b > ~/systemd-log

Use any available editor to read the log file, such as mousepad.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! mousepad ~/systemd-log

Watch Systemd Journal Log of Current Boot

It is possible to to watch the systemd journal log as it is written.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo journalctl -b -f

Check Systemd Journal Log of Previous Boot

It is possible to inspect the systemd journal log of the previous boot.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo journalctl -b -1

This command requires pressing arrow keys like ↑, ↓, ←, →, as well as PgUp and PgDn for scrolling.

For convenient reading of the log (until the command is issued), the log can be dumped to file. For example, the following command would write the log to file ~/systemd-log-previous.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo journalctl -b -1 > ~/systemd-log-previous

Use any available editor to read the log file, such as mousepad.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! mousepad ~/systemd-log-previous

View List of Systemd Journal Logs

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo journalctl --list-boots

Daemon Log View

To view the log of a specific systemd unit. Syntax:

(Replace unit-name with the actual name of the systemd unit.)

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo journalctl -b --no-pager -u unit-name

Example:

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo journalctl -b --no-pager -u sdwdate

Daemon Log Follow

To follow the log of a specific systemd unit. Syntax:

(Replace unit-name with the actual name of the systemd unit.)

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo journalctl -f -b --no-pager -u unit-name

Example:

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo journalctl -f -b --no-pager -u sdwdate

Daemon Status

To view the status of a specific systemd unit. Syntax:

(Replace unit-name with the actual name of the systemd unit.)

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo systemctl status --no-pager unit-name

Example:

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo systemctl status --no-pager sdwdate

Check Systemd Journal Log of Failed Boot

An alternative to recovery mode might be virtual consoles, since they are an easier and more lightweight solution. A virtual console login might still be possible when the graphical user interface no longer starts.

Prerequisite knowledge: Virtual Consoles. Try to log in to a virtual console in a functional VM as an exercise. If that works, try a virtual console login in the broken VM.

If a virtual console is unavailable:

  1. Boot into Recovery Mode.
  2. Reboot into normal mode so a log for the failed boot will be written (if not previously enabled).
  3. Boot into recovery mode again.
  4. Check Systemd Journal Log of Previous Boot.

Permission Fix

info If something does not work, do not arbitrarily try to use sudo / root without any indication this is appropriate. Otherwise, this can negatively affect the correct user home folder permissions. See also: Safely Use Root Commands.

Open a terminal.

If you are using Kicksecure inside Qubes, complete the following steps.

Qubes App Launcher (blue/grey "Q") → Kicksecure App Qube (commonly named kicksecure) → Xfce Terminal

If you are using a graphical Kicksecure with Xfce, run.

Start Menu → Xfce Terminal

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo chown --recursive user:user /home/user

Hardware Issues

General Recommendations

Rhetorical questions:

  • When was the last time a qualified person disassembled your computer/notebook and removed dust from the fan and checked the cooling system of the CPU?
  • How often should maintenance be performed?
  • What is your CPU temperature under heavy system load?
  • What is the room temperature where the computer is operating?

Recommendations:

  • Ensure your computer or notebook has regular, proper maintenance.
  • Monitor CPU temperature by utilizing relevant host operating system tools.
  • Consider cooling the room where computers/notebooks operate.
  • Better placement (more air space) around computers or notebooks can help.
  • Consider a passive or active (notebook) cooling pad. [5]
  • Run memtest86+ to rule out RAM problems.

None of these issues are related to Kicksecure. Therefore, please do not ask these questions in Kicksecure support channels (until there is a Kicksecure Host DVD available) as per Self Support First Policy.

memtest86+

1. Install the memtest86+ tool.

On Debian (based) hosts such as Kicksecure.

Install package(s) memtest86+ following these instructions

1 Platform specific notice.

2 Update the package lists and upgrade the systemOnion Logo.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo apt update && sudo apt full-upgrade

3 Install the memtest86+ package(s).

Using apt command line --no-install-recommends optionOnion Logo is in most cases optional.

Click = Copy Copied to clipboard! sudo apt install --no-install-recommends memtest86+

4 Platform specific notice.

  • Kicksecure: No special notice.
  • Kicksecure-Qubes: Shut down Template and restart App Qubes based on it as per Qubes Template ModificationOnion Logo.

5 Done.

The procedure of installing package(s) memtest86+ is complete.

For other host operating systems, refer to memtest86+ upstream documentation.

2. Reboot.

3. Start memtest86+ from (grub) boot menu.

4. Keep memtest86+ running for a significant period.

This should be run for as long as practically possible; for example, ideally overnight or for 8+ hours.

5. Check the memtest86+ output.

If there are any issues, red error messages appear in the middle of the screen.

6. Done.

The memory test is complete.

If memtest86+ identified any issues, these can manifest in various ways such as system crashes at random times. In such cases, the only likely solution is replacing the faulty hardware (RAM banks). [6]

Hard Drive Health Check

TODO: document

also known as S.M.A.R.T

See Also

Footnotes

  1. ↑
    • Question: Why does it happen with Kicksecure ISO but not with Debian or some other ISO?
    KDE upstream bug report: "Last block was not fully written" error if usbstick is not unmounted, does not unmount on its ownarchive.org iconarchive.today icon
  2. ↑ This procedure was useful for Kicksecure for Qubes R3.2 users, although the Qubes bug report is now resolved: https://github.com/QubesOS/qubes-issues/issues/2141archive.org iconarchive.today icon
  3. ↑ Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 This process can be lengthy.
  4. ↑ "user support template": https://forums.whonix.org/t/workstation-keeps-freezing/7693/6archive.org iconarchive.today icon
  5. ↑ Perform thorough research beforehand.
  6. ↑ RAM bank warranties may apply.
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