LTSP 32bit clients cannot load desktop from 64bit server

[Simon Mark Holland]

*** To reproduce this error simply install a 64bit LTSP server, build a 32bit client, change the DHCP settings to point to the 32bit boot image, then try and boot the 32bit client. The client will authenticate, start to load the desktop, before dropping the user back to the login prompt. ***

I have installed LTSP on a 64 bit server, and built the 32bit client system without issues. My terminals boot up, and I can login, but the session terminates within a couple of seconds after the 'verifying password, please wait' message.

The only change I can remember making to the system is changing the dhcp.conf ip addresses from 192.168.0.* to 192.168.1.* . Afterwards I ran the "sudo ltsp-update-sshkeys" then "ltsp-update-image -a i386". There are a couple of errors in the auth.log (below) which are received regardless of user.

One symptom I should mention is that after attempting to log in the display on my server starts to distort and break up. The only way to rectify the screen problem is to press 'CTRL'+ 'ALT' + 'F1' to revert to cli then 'CTRL'+ 'ALT' + 'F7'. I tried logging into a client with two separate users as to ensure it wasn't a problem with having the same user logged in twice.

This is a dump of my auth.log :
Jun 21 13:34:30 ltsp polkitd(authority=local): Registered Authentication Agent for session /org/freedesktop/ConsoleKit/Session15 (system bus name :1.132 [/usr/lib/policykit-1-gnome/polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1], object path /org/gnome/PolicyKit1/AuthenticationAgent, locale en_US.UTF-8)
Jun 21 13:34:33 ltsp gnome-keyring-daemon[6274]: dbus failure unregistering from session: Connection is closed
Jun 21 13:34:33 ltsp gnome-keyring-daemon[6274]: dbus failure unregistering from session: Connection is closed
Jun 21 13:34:33 ltsp sshd[6208]: Received disconnect from 192.168.1.20: 11: disconnected by user
Jun 21 13:34:33 ltsp sshd[6146]: pam_unix(sshd:session): session closed for user yang2
Jun 21 13:34:33 ltsp polkitd(authority=local): Unregistered Authentication Agent for session /org/freedesktop/ConsoleKit/Session15 (system bus name :1.132, object path /org/gnome/PolicyKit1/AuthenticationAgent, locale en_US.UTF-8) (disconnected from bus)
Jun 21 13:37:14 ltsp sshd[6423]: Accepted password for yang2 from 192.168.1.20 port 41279 ssh2
Jun 21 13:37:14 ltsp sshd[6423]: pam_unix(sshd:session): session opened for user yang2 by (uid=0)
Jun 21 13:37:17 ltsp sshd[6484]: subsystem request for sftp
Jun 21 13:37:18 ltsp polkitd(authority=local): Registered Authentication Agent for session /org/freedesktop/ConsoleKit/Session17 (system bus name :1.149 [/usr/lib/policykit-1-gnome/polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1], object path /org/gnome/PolicyKit1/AuthenticationAgent, locale en_US.UTF-8)
Jun 21 13:37:23 ltsp polkitd(authority=local): Unregistered Authentication Agent for session /org/freedesktop/ConsoleKit/Session17 (system bus name :1.149, object path /org/gnome/PolicyKit1/AuthenticationAgent, locale en_US.UTF-8) (disconnected from bus)
Jun 21 13:37:23 ltsp gnome-keyring-daemon[6550]: dbus failure unregistering from session: Connection is closed
Jun 21 13:37:23 ltsp gnome-keyring-daemon[6550]: dbus failure unregistering from session: Connection is closed
Jun 21 13:37:23 ltsp sshd[6484]: Received disconnect from 192.168.1.20: 11: disconnected by user
Jun 21 13:37:23 ltsp sshd[6423]: pam_unix(sshd:session): session closed for user yang2
Jun 21 13:37:44 ltsp sshd[6664]: Accepted password for simon from 192.168.1.20 port 41282 ssh2
Jun 21 13:37:44 ltsp sshd[6664]: pam_unix(sshd:session): session opened for user simon by (uid=0)
Jun 21 13:37:45 ltsp sshd[6725]: subsystem request for sftp
Jun 21 13:37:47 ltsp polkitd(authority=local): Registered Authentication Agent for session /org/freedesktop/ConsoleKit/Session19 (system bus name :1.167 [/usr/lib/policykit-1-gnome/polkit-gnome-authentication-agent-1], object path /org/gnome/PolicyKit1/AuthenticationAgent, locale en_US.utf8)
Jun 21 13:37:48 ltsp sshd[6725]: channel 17: open failed: administratively prohibited: open failed
Jun 21 13:37:48 ltsp gnome-keyring-daemon[6791]: dbus failure unregistering from session: Connection is closed
Jun 21 13:37:48 ltsp gnome-keyring-daemon[6791]: dbus failure unregistering from session: Connection is closed
Jun 21 13:37:48 ltsp sshd[6725]: Received disconnect from 192.168.1.20: 11: disconnected by user
Jun 21 13:37:48 ltsp sshd[6664]: pam_unix(sshd:session): session closed for user simon
Jun 21 13:37:48 ltsp polkitd(authority=local): Unregistered Authentication Agent for session /org/freedesktop/ConsoleKit/Session19 (system bus name :1.167, object path /org/gnome/PolicyKit1/AuthenticationAgent, locale en_US.utf8) (disconnected from bus)

[Simon Mark Holland (simonmarkholland)]

Hi I know that this is not a high priority bug, but at the moment I am in a good position to test possible fix's and I really want to get this fixed. In a couple of days if I get no movement I will have to reinstall my server using 32bit, and will be unable to assist in the further resolution of this fault.

As more and more servers and laptops are 64bit, and LTSP sells itself on being able to make use of older hardware I am sure this problem will be encountered more and more often. If anyone has any ideas what might be causing this please let me know and I will do everything I can to help.

Many thanks in advance,
Simon

[Oliver Grawert (ogra)]

attach ~/.xsession-errors of the user you try to log in with through a thin client

[Simon Mark Holland (simonmarkholland)]

I noticed some screen errors. I should mention that I did try forcing a resolution of 1024x768 in the "/var/lib/tftpboot/ltsp/i386/lts.conf" file TNA. These terminals are currently working on a Fedora 4 LTSP server with no issues.

[Simon Mark Holland (simonmarkholland)]

I am kind of clutching at straws but as there was a nautilus error :
"""
** (nautilus:2497): WARNING **: Can not calculate _NET_NUMBER_OF_DESKTOPS

** (nautilus:2497): WARNING **: Can not calculate _NET_NUMBER_OF_DESKTOPS

** (nautilus:2497): WARNING **: Can not get _NET_WORKAREA
"""
I tried swapping the monitor and tried with and without an lts.conf, but no change. As I mentioned the 64bit client is still working.

I run ltsp-update-kernels, ltsp-update-image -a i386 and ltsp-update-image, then ltsp-update-sshkeys after every change.

[Oliver Grawert (ogra)]

/usr/bin/compiz (core) - Fatal: Software rendering detected.
/usr/bin/compiz (core) - Error: Failed to manage screen: 0
/usr/bin/compiz (core) - Fatal: No manageable screens found on display localhost:11.0

is your error, try the following on the server:

sudo gconftool-2 --direct --config-source xml:readwrite:/etc/gconf/gconf.xml.mandatory --type string --set /desktop/gnome/session/required_components/windowmanager metacity

(thats one line)

[Simon Mark Holland (simonmarkholland)]

Very nice thank you. Terminal now loads and I don't get any trouble with the server monitor.

So what was the issue, does that mean I cannot switch themes? Does this code only effect the server, it worked without updating the clients?

[Simon Mark Holland (simonmarkholland)]

I just got a strange problem with my server monitor breaking up. I'll do a full system reboot and make sure that this has cleared up all the bugs.

[Simon Mark Holland (simonmarkholland)]

Okay the breaking up was caused by trying to enable compiz effects on a terminal. Don't know why this affects the server display?? But I'll find a way of disabling the option. Do you want any further information from the server logs?

[Simon Mark Holland (simonmarkholland)]

Okay I can confirm that 64 and 32 bit terminals are happy. I am going home now but if you know how to stop users enabling visual effects that would be really useful. Otherwise please let me know if you want further information to help understand whats going on with the server display.

Thank you very much, just this much means I don't have to reinstall.

[Stéphane Graber (stgraber)]

The command Oliver posted should avoid compiz starting for any of your users.

They can still force it to start and it may crash their session.

Sadly, this is an hardware specific issue so not something LTSP upstream can do much about. Most hardware I've seen works perfectly with compiz and most other hardware is properly handled with the compiz detection script.

I'm going to mark this bug as won't fix as LTSP upstream can't really do anything about it.

Just one last suggestion, you may want to try setting LDM_DIRECTX to True in your lts.conf, that sometimes fixes compiz on thin clients.