Debug strategies on system failures

[rimraf]

Question: What is the best strategy to target the cause of system crash? I am having trouble figuring out which of the many and verbose errors is most likely the cause and I wonder if there’s a better, faster way than grepping journalctl.

@Mirdarthos pointed me to some options I didn’t know about and that helped me google more effectively which lead me to this:

To list all boot sessions:
journalctl --list-boots

To target the culprit boot session and list just those logs.
journalctl -b <num i.e. -3>
add -k for only kernal messges.

[Nachlese]

Try reading what you wrote.
It’s essentially a wall of text.

What is it that you have a problem with?

[rimraf]

You’re right. Updated. I have a problem with my own verbosity sometimes.

[Nachlese]

assume “normal” people
everything is working just fine for them

ask them your question

did you ask Google before?

wtf is your problem? you are not even beginning to describe it.

[andreas85]

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[rimraf]

In my original wall of text i said that i wasn’t sure where the most appropriate place to ask this type of question would be, and given my updated information and the attitude, I see it is not. Pardon my error. The back and forth snappi-ness could have been reduced to a single reply, “Your question seems too open-ended and this channel is for specific issues. Try posting in XYZ”

[Mirdarthos]

Hi @rimraf, and welcome!

I believe the best way to find errors are with journalctl when it’s available, such as in Manjaro.

Finding errors

journalctl --priority=warning..err --no-pager --boot=0

Where:

• The --priority=warning..err argument limits the output to warnings and errors only;
• --no-pager formats the output nicely for use here, on the forum;
• the --boot=0 argument limits the messages to be from the current boot.

Finding errors for boot

journalctl --priority=warning..err --no-pager --boot=-1

Where:

• The --priority=warning..err argument limits the output to warnings and errors only;
• and the --no-pager formats the output nicely for use here, on the forum;
• the --boot=-1 argument limits the output to log messages from the previous boot. This can be adjusted to -2 for the boot before that, -3 to the boot before that, and so on and so forth.

[Nachlese]

@rimraf

I am having trouble figuring out which of the many and verbose errors is most likely the cause and I wonder if there’s a better, faster way than grepping journalctl.

I have no words.

You said (revised original post):

@rimraf

I am having trouble figuring out which of the many and verbose errors is most likely the cause and I wonder if there’s a better, faster way than grepping journalctl.

Don’t you feel that sharing any of them would be beneficiary?

[rimraf]

You obviously have words.
Re: “revised original post” You *kindly pointed out that my original post was a wall of text. Absolutely. I distilled down to a single question and I’m not quite sure what about that question is upsetting you to the point of a loss of words? The question as it is posted right now is the source of truth and seems unambiguous enough. If you’ve got something helpful to suggest for me to do better the next time I have a question please share. I like improving.

@Mirdarthos Thank you very much! This is the exact kind of answer i was looking for and a great explanation. I now have a way to explore and search for more info with journalctl that i might not have been aware of.

[Nachlese]

@rimraf

and I’m not quite sure what about that question is upsetting you to the point of a loss of words?

there is no data
no actual problem described

why would I or anyone else speculate?

grep or read or parse your system logs as you like

When you have got a problem - and don’t know how to look for it in the logs … describe the problem.

I’m out of here.

[rimraf]

Thank you for your help.