Trouble starting GNOME -- fails to activate "org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1"

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3 participants
  • Danny Milosavljevic
  • Jack Hill
  • Ludovic Courtès
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unassigned
Submitted by
Jack Hill
Severity
serious
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Jack Hill wrote on 8 Mar 2019 19:54
(address . bug-guix@gnu.org)
alpine.DEB.2.20.1903081344560.16784@marsh.hcoop.net
Hi Guix,

Today I noticed that I'm having trouble starting a GNOME session. If I'm
using GDM, GDM also fails to start. If slim, then slim starts, but bringing
up the GNOME session fails.

In /var/log/gdm/greeter.log I see "(EE) xf86OpenConsole: Cannot open
virtual console 7 (Permission denied)"

In /var/log/messages I see "gdm: gdm_session_set_environment_variable:
assertion 'value != NULL' failed"

and "debus-daemon[598]: [system] Activated service
'org.freedesktop.PloicyKit1' failed: Launch helper exited with unknown
return code 1"

My first system generation where this is a problem is my first one to have
linux-libre-5.0. I do not know how to narrow down where the problem was
introduced further.

Best,
Jack
;; This is an operating system configuration template ;; for a "desktop" setup with GNOME and Xfce where the ;; root partition is encrypted with LUKS. (use-modules (gnu) (gnu system nss) (gnu services ssh) (gnu services xorg) (guix-at-duke services endpoint-management)) (use-service-modules desktop) (use-package-modules certs gnome) (operating-system (host-name "lib-its13") (timezone "America/New_York") (locale "en_US.utf8") ;; Use the UEFI variant of GRUB with the EFI System ;; Partition mounted on /boot/efi. (bootloader (bootloader-configuration (bootloader grub-efi-bootloader) (target "/boot/efi"))) (file-systems (cons* (file-system (device (file-system-label "lib-its13_root")) (mount-point "/") (type "ext4")) (file-system (device (file-system-label "EFI")) (mount-point "/boot/efi") (type "vfat")) %base-file-systems)) (users (cons (user-account (name "install") (comment "installation user") (group "users") (supplementary-groups '("wheel" "netdev" "audio" "video")) (home-directory "/home/install")) %base-user-accounts)) ;; This is where we specify system-wide packages. (packages (cons* nss-certs ;for HTTPS access gvfs ;for user mounts %base-packages)) ;; Add GNOME and/or Xfce---we can choose at the log-in ;; screen with F1. Use the "desktop" services, which ;; include the X11 log-in service, networking with ;; NetworkManager, and more. (services (cons* (service openssh-service-type (openssh-configuration)) (gnome-desktop-service) (service gdm-service-type) ;; (service planisphere-report-service-type) (filter (lambda (x) (not (eq? (service-kind x) slim-service-type))) %desktop-services))) ;; Allow resolution of '.local' host names with mDNS. (name-service-switch %mdns-host-lookup-nss))
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Danny Milosavljevic wrote on 8 Mar 2019 20:29
(name . Jack Hill)(address . jackhill@jackhill.us)(address . 34788@debbugs.gnu.org)
20190308202857.1e23f595@scratchpost.org
Hi,

is that on a standalone Guix system or on another distribution?

Please try to find a file named "org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service" in
/gnu/store and then find a line like the following in it:

Exec=/gnu/store/xfysy3c824m4z8b07sbiangp7i2xfh6s-polkit-0.113/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug

Then please try to invoke that polkitd manually as root.

Does it also fail?
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Jack Hill wrote on 8 Mar 2019 20:39
(name . Danny Milosavljevic)(address . dannym@scratchpost.org)(address . 34788@debbugs.gnu.org)
alpine.DEB.2.20.1903081436140.16784@marsh.hcoop.net
Danny and Guix,

On Fri, 8 Mar 2019, Danny Milosavljevic wrote:

Toggle quote (2 lines)
> is that on a standalone Guix system or on another distribution?

standalone Guix system

Toggle quote (9 lines)
> Please try to find a file named "org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service" in
> /gnu/store and then find a line like the following in it:
>
> Exec=/gnu/store/xfysy3c824m4z8b07sbiangp7i2xfh6s-polkit-0.113/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug
>
> Then please try to invoke that polkitd manually as root.
>
> Does it also fail?

I have many org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service files in my store. I tred
the Exec line from two of them manually as root, and they also failed
silently. Here is a an exerpt from my session:

root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# find . -iname 'org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service'
./4nxdlw9jj03inwvqs85bvlibmsxcndih-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./xhr56s8ayycsdyyy5mfb4r2j1qsm9ca7-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./5naf5pps59jwllzq63y7qgkmfvx3g5c9-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./fhsx7yznpywr9gsi5swp9hy3ldmp3agq-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./wsypapfwsz7h1bkkx83smjjrmaxgpfyw-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./agrvhlrl5q69lc83c3ns9gmydisdijjz-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./diwy3wlmq8nhyzm7v70kcjny3lrdsfmw-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./zab72xhxdrcnfx1vdwkwfhfj4n0pwcwz-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./jc37c1k9kywwyz7fz2sj5r4dlv1z0jf0-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./vs2ibcf146467vlqcg3ysgjrvyh3g57x-polkit-0.115/share/dbus-1/system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./19cyxhdcv27az62dswbwm9f5k9y0w9ng-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./kwpslvrhn37hpmsdjnrvdhdmwskkm35x-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./1fd1ys2ivs1cxh60ic6n7rmmnjfp1fyb-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./23nk0i4nncvxx5ah139ai82diqqgg5d9-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./y41zsmfvyfdf333a2d50s925kshjnf2r-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
./c57y49r44086xi8lh12s192m2w26b0ba-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
^C
root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# cat c57y49r44086xi8lh12s192m2w26b0ba-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
[D-BUS Service]
Name=org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1
Exec=/gnu/store/n9x6x19y5fsv6j0y3kpppgcycagg6y79-polkit-0.115/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug
User=root
SystemdService=polkit.service
root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# /gnu/store/n9x6x19y5fsv6j0y3kpppgcycagg6y79-polkit-0.115/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug
root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# echo $?
1
root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# cat fhsx7yznpywr9gsi5swp9hy3ldmp3agq-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
[D-BUS Service]
Name=org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1
Exec=/gnu/store/vs2ibcf146467vlqcg3ysgjrvyh3g57x-polkit-0.115/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug
User=root
SystemdService=polkit.service
root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# /gnu/store/vs2ibcf146467vlqcg3ysgjrvyh3g57x-polkit-0.115/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug
root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# echo $?
1
root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# ps -ef|grep polkit
root 767 729 0 14:35 pts/1 00:00:00 grep --color=auto polkit
root@lib-its13 /gnu/store#
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Danny Milosavljevic wrote on 8 Mar 2019 21:26
(name . Jack Hill)(address . jackhill@jackhill.us)(address . 34788@debbugs.gnu.org)
20190308212619.3e5008f1@scratchpost.org
Hi,

On Fri, 8 Mar 2019 14:39:49 -0500 (EST)
Jack Hill <jackhill@jackhill.us> wrote:

Toggle quote (22 lines)
> root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# cat c57y49r44086xi8lh12s192m2w26b0ba-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
> [D-BUS Service]
> Name=org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1
> Exec=/gnu/store/n9x6x19y5fsv6j0y3kpppgcycagg6y79-polkit-0.115/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug
> User=root
> SystemdService=polkit.service
> root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# /gnu/store/n9x6x19y5fsv6j0y3kpppgcycagg6y79-polkit-0.115/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug
> root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# echo $?
> 1
> root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# cat fhsx7yznpywr9gsi5swp9hy3ldmp3agq-dbus-system-services/org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1.service
> [D-BUS Service]
> Name=org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1
> Exec=/gnu/store/vs2ibcf146467vlqcg3ysgjrvyh3g57x-polkit-0.115/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug
> User=root
> SystemdService=polkit.service
> root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# /gnu/store/vs2ibcf146467vlqcg3ysgjrvyh3g57x-polkit-0.115/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug
> root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# echo $?
> 1
> root@lib-its13 /gnu/store# ps -ef|grep polkit
> root 767 729 0 14:35 pts/1 00:00:00 grep --color=auto polkit
> root@lib-its13 /gnu/store#

Hmm, try strace /gnu/store/vs2ibcf146467vlqcg3ysgjrvyh3g57x-polkit-0.115/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug >some_log_file.txt 2>&1

Maybe we can find what it doesn't like there...
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Jack Hill wrote on 8 Mar 2019 22:15
(name . Danny Milosavljevic)(address . dannym@scratchpost.org)(address . 34788@debbugs.gnu.org)
alpine.DEB.2.20.1903081615200.16784@marsh.hcoop.net
On Fri, 8 Mar 2019, Danny Milosavljevic wrote:

Toggle quote (4 lines)
> Hmm, try strace /gnu/store/vs2ibcf146467vlqcg3ysgjrvyh3g57x-polkit-0.115/lib/polkit-1/polkitd --no-debug >some_log_file.txt 2>&1
>
> Maybe we can find what it doesn't like there...

I've attached the strace output.
Attachment: polkit-strace
J
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Jack Hill wrote on 8 Mar 2019 22:26
(address . 34788@debbugs.gnu.org)
alpine.DEB.2.20.1903081625190.16784@marsh.hcoop.net
FYI: Ludo' is also working on this. From IRC:

< civodul> jackhill: looks like i found the issue with GDM: /var/empty is no longer 555, which it should be
< civodul> testing a fix...
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Ludovic Courtès wrote on 8 Mar 2019 22:36
control message for bug #34788
(address . control@debbugs.gnu.org)
87sgvxcalj.fsf@gnu.org
severity 34788 serious
L
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Ludovic Courtès wrote on 8 Mar 2019 23:24
Re: bug#34788: Trouble starting GNOME -- fails to activate "org.freedesktop.PolicyKit1"
(name . Jack Hill)(address . jackhill@jackhill.us)
87mum5c8df.fsf@gnu.org
Hello!

There were two issues:

1. /var/empty would be 700 and owned by one of the accounts that uses
it as its home directories. Consequently, polkitd would fail to
chdir to it, and thus fail to start.

2. /var/run/dbus would be 700 as well, but the problem is that it
contains the daemon’s socket, so D-Bus client would no longer be
able to connect to it.

Both are fixed with commit d429878daf3e3eb21660ed80934b1d4b0603f6e1.

Sorry for the breakage!

Thanks,
Ludo’.
Closed
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