KDE logout doesn't shutdown

[keesiewonder]

When I issue a logout from KDE's main menu and opt to turn off my Dell Inspiron 8100 laptop, the screen goes blank and the status light stays on. I know it is still on as I continue to hear the fans now and then. If I really want the machine to shut off, I need to hold the power button down for several seconds.

 

1. How do I change KDE so that logging out of KDE exits KDE and exits X but leaves me at the command line prompt so I may be in a better position to figure out what is going on?

 

2. What mode is the laptop in as described in the first paragraph above? How should I resume operation from this mode? Is it okay to power off from this point?

 

3. What do I need to do to get a real, clean, complete shutdown on my system? It seems like KDE is not doing it properly.

 

I sense my problem is similar to

 

http://www.MandrakeUsers.org/index.php?showtopic=9691

 

but I'm not quite experienced enough to determine exactly what to do, even with the text in this thread.

 

I also gather that which kernel I'm using may be relevant. uname -a yields:

 

Linux altered.net 2.4.22-10mdk #1 Thu Sep 18 12:30:58 CEST 2003 i686 unknown unknown GNU/Linux

 

Thanks for your help.

[arthur]

I presume you're using mandrake, but what version?

 

Anyway, try going to Konsole (menu >> terminals >> konsole) and type 'poweroff'.

 

DON'T do that pressing of powerbutton for >3 seconds, it's a cold shutdown and NOT recommended. Try <ctrl><alt><backspace> instead or what I said above. This thread tells you more.

 

Please report dead links.

[keesiewonder]

I'm using Mandrake version 9.2. I thought this was in my signature file.

[arthur]

uh...stupid me. The thing you posted was only the kernel version (but most common on 9.2) . But you could've used a 2.4 kernel with a early version of mandrake, right? ehe... :woops:

 

Anyway there are 7 levels, runlevels 1-5 then 0 and 6 are halt and reboot respectively. The link I posted should help you move between them.

 

I'll try not to overload you with info, as there are many ways to do these. Did my advice work? :lol:

[keesiewonder]

Arthur,

 

I'm confident your advice will work soon for me. I am thoroughly impressed with the speed and completeness with which Mandrake forum users respond to help one another.

 

If I understand your suggestions, here are the results.

 

Typing poweroff from a Konsole when I previously was running logout off of KDE's menu seems to yield the exact same result as I originally reported. Screen goes blank, status light stays on.

 

Issuing <crtl>-<alt>-<backspace> at the moment when I was previously running logout off of KDE's menu appears to restart KDE.

 

Issuing <crtl>-<alt>-<backspace> once the screen has gone blank and the status light remains on seems to do absolutely nothing.

 

I read the Magic SysRq Key thread to which you referred me and printed it out. When my laptop was in its mode of screen blank, status light on after running poweroff or KDE's logout, I tried the SysRq sequence mentioned once and feel I was indeed using all 3 keys simultaneously each time. The sequence appeared to do nothing.

 

I include the contents of my /etc/sysctl.conf below. (Sorry, I haven't figured out yet how to put this in 'code' format for forum messages.) This has kernel.sysrq enabled, doesn't it, per the last line of the file? Or, should I uncomment the line

 

#kernel.sysrq = 0

 

and edit the 0 to a 1?

 

*** beginning of /etc/sysctl.conf file ***

# Kernel sysctl configuration file for Mandrake Linux

#

# For binary values, 0 is disabled, 1 is enabled. See sysctl(8) and

# sysctl.conf(5) for more details.

 

# Controls IP packet forwarding

net.ipv4.ip_forward = 0

# Disables IP dynaddr

net.ipv4.ip_dynaddr = 0

# Disable ECN

net.ipv4.tcp_ecn = 0

# Controls source route verification

net.ipv4.conf.default.rp_filter = 1

 

# Controls the System Request debugging functionality of the kernel

#kernel.sysrq = 0

 

# Controls whether core dumps will append the PID to the core filename.

# Useful for debugging multi-threaded applications.

kernel.core_uses_pid = 1

net.ipv4.icmp_ignore_bogus_error_responses=0

net.ipv4.conf.all.rp_filter=0

net.ipv4.icmp_echo_ignore_broadcasts=0

net.ipv4.icmp_echo_ignore_all=0

net.ipv4.conf.all.log_martians=0

kernel.sysrq=1

*** end of /etc/sysctl.conf file ***

[arthur]

Just click the "code" button on top in the reply screen.

 

I think changing the 0 to a 1 would work for the SysRq sequence, and remove the #. However, it won't solve the underlying problem.

 

I don't understand why your laptop won't shut down, but take a look at the BIOS and look in power management. Are you using ACPI or APM for power management? Also go to menu>>configuration >> KDE >> power management and see what it tells you.

 

I keep hearing that the 2.6 kernel has better acpi support, but haven't tried it yet, so other members please feel free to comment on this. Also, I don't have access to a Linux box right now (I'm posting with M$ IE) :o all this is from memory, so pardon my lack of exactness.

[keesiewonder]

1. Doesn't the last line of my /etc/sysctl.conf file already enable kernel.sysreq?

 

2. I looked at my BIOS Power Management values for AC.

Brightness: maximum

Power Management: enabled

Display Time Out: disabled

Disk Time Out: disabled (I cannot alter this)

Suspend Time Out: disabled

SD2 Time Out: disabled

Smart CPU: disabled

Display Close: active

 

Anything out of order in the above?

 

3. KDE Menu - Configuration - KDE - PowerControl - Display Power Control tells me that Enable Display Power Management is on and the number of minutes before standby, suspend and power off occur.

 

I thought to look at Help ... and noticed a Tip that said to NOT use this module for laptops but to install kdeutils and refer to the Laptop Power Control Center. (I have not yet disabled this option.) I had a hard time determining whether kdeutils was already installed on my machine. I finally found a reference in the KDE Help Center - Chapter 18 - Utility Applications.

There is a module called KLaptop. A ftp location is referenced: ftp.kde.org/pub/kde/stable/latest/distribution/stable

When I try to access this, I receive a message that the file/directory does not exist.

 

4. How do I figure out whether I'm using ACPI or APM for power management. I didn't see anything in the BIOS ... I'll look there again.

[arthur]

I should make it a habit to read the post thoroughly. That's the second time I got embarassed. :woops:

 

I suggest go to Software Media Manager under menu>>configuration>>packaging then add this link as a FTP source. Then go to "Install Software" and search for Klaptop (be sure to search from all packages).

 

Assuming, of course, that this KDE module doesn't need to be compiled in or anything. I'm no expert on that. There's also a section on installing the 2.6 kernel in the Tips and Tricks section, you might want to try that. It's said to be much better with acpi, which gives a lot of headaches (try searching "power management" or similar terms and you'll see what I mean).

 

I really, really hope I could help you more but I have had no access to a Linux box for the whole weekend.

 

I need my Linux fix...

[keesiewonder]

No problem about missing some info in my posts ... I'm wordy which can be a problem for lots of folks. And I'll probably still have this shutdown problem by the time you again have access to Linux.

 

While I haven't acted on your most recent post, I checked my BIOS again and still see nothing directly referring to the kind of power management I'm using. I do have the most recent BIOS for my machine: Inspiron 8100 FlashBIOS Version A15.

 

I cannot figure out how to tell more about my power management from Linux, but from Win XP I only find references to ACPI ... so I assume that is what I'm using. ACPI is more recent than APM, isn't it?

 

So, you think the KLaptop module is a good idea, and that I should shut off Display Power Management in KDE? Should I also shut it off in the BIOS then? Or leave it as is for Win XP?

[keesiewonder]

The ftp source referenced works fine and when I searched for kdeutils, I found packages to install. (KLaptop alone found nothing, so I assume you must get kdeutils as a set.) I installed kdeutils and think I have some new menu options ... but I supsect the kdeutils module does need to be compiled since I get an error message "There was an error loading the module. The diagnostics is: Library files for libkcm_laptop.la" not found in paths ........." If kdeutils does need to be compiled ... I too don't know how to do that ...

 

I'm also concerned that this pursuit of kdeutils is not relevant ... i.e. the laptop module in kdeutils may deal only with laptop battery issues ... which is not my current problem. I always use AC since the battery has always been useless.

[arthur]

Here's something...

 

I notice your Inspiron has Celeron...or is that a Centrino? Some motherboards can use both APM and ACPI, but kernel 2.4 has a bug with ACPI. You might be able to switch to APM, but my boxes only have APM and no ACPI so I don't know how to do that. Anyway ACPI would only be useful in 'true' laptops, not those tethered all the time.

 

Or you can try to install the 2.6 kernel...it's pretty easy really.

 

*Yawn* I better get some sleep...

[keesiewonder]

I have upgraded to kernel 2.6.3.1, booted to it, and issued a logout from KDE's menu, and the logout procedure did fully poweroff the machine. So the trick for me for my original problem seems to be solved by the most recent kernel.

 

I now have some issues with booting through LILO. The default is currently my old linux kernel version, which will no longer boot. So, I'd like to change the default to be the new linux kernel version, currently the last item on the lilo boot menu.

 

How do I specify the default boot option?

How do I delete the malfunctioning boot option?

 

I know there is a lilo.conf file ... May I just alter the order of the sections in there? I've messed this up before and ended up not being able to boot to either Linux or Windows and had to resort to luckily fixing things with Partition Magic ... I'd rather not go down this path again.

[arthur]

That's easy...go to Mandrake Control Center>> boot then specify the default as the 2.6

 

Or you can edit /etc/lilo.conf and set the default from there, the syntax is pretty self explanantory.

 

Last step go to console, su to root, then type 'lilo'. The default will be specified by an asterisk so you know if you successfully changed it. Finally, type "reboot".

 

If you want to change the order then just cut and paste lilo.conf in the correct order. :D Deleting the old kernel is more tricky, find the vmlinuz and initrd image then remove them. But do this very carefully. Or you can try through the "Remove software" part.

 

I congratulate you on solving your problem. B)

Edited February 23, 2004 by arthur