Issues installing Desktops in Fedora 39

General Linux Question
1

I am having issues on my new home server running Fedora WS 39. (Unresponsive sometimes, have rebooted a few times after updates to ensure that was not causing problems, and hard to RDP into at times-- sometimes I get the error “connection reset by peer” and cannot remote without rebooting.

As it is, I have to use a different app to remote into the server (as it is currently headless) than the ones I am familiar with, but it just seems the system was great until this week. Granted, I have not had a lot of time to spend on it, as I have taken on a new fulltime client in my accounting work.

I am trying to troubleshoot what exactly is causing issues and decided to first try logging into a different desktop environment (sans Wayland) but noticed I must not have any installed since there are no options at sign in.

I am a bit confused with all the “available environment groups” so I thought I would just install one I am familiar with and ran:

sudo dnf install @kde-desktop-environment

But it returned errors:

No match for group package "gimp-heif-plugin"
Error: 
 Problem 1: problem with installed package libswscale-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.0-16.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free conflicts with libswscale-free provided by libswscale-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from @System
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.0-16.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free conflicts with libswscale-free provided by libswscale-free-6.0-11.fc39.x86_64 from fedora
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.0-16.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free conflicts with libswscale-free provided by libswscale-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from updates
  - package ffmpeg-6.0-16.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free requires ffmpeg-libs(x86-64) = 6.0-16.fc39, but none of the providers can be installed
  - conflicting requests
  - package ffmpeg-6.1.1-5.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free-updates requires ffmpeg-libs(x86-64) = 6.1.1-5.fc39, but none of the providers can be installed
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.1.1-5.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free-updates conflicts with libswscale-free provided by libswscale-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from @System
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.1.1-5.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free-updates conflicts with libswscale-free provided by libswscale-free-6.0-11.fc39.x86_64 from fedora
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.1.1-5.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free-updates conflicts with libswscale-free provided by libswscale-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from updates
 Problem 2: problem with installed package firefox-124.0-1.fc39.x86_64
  - conflicting requests
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.0-16.fc39.i686 from rpmfusion-free conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.0-11.fc39.x86_64 from fedora
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.0-16.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.0-11.fc39.x86_64 from fedora
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.1.1-5.fc39.i686 from rpmfusion-free-updates conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.0-11.fc39.x86_64 from fedora
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.1.1-5.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free-updates conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.0-11.fc39.x86_64 from fedora
  - problem with installed package libavcodec-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.0-16.fc39.i686 from rpmfusion-free conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from updates
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.0-16.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from updates
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.1.1-5.fc39.i686 from rpmfusion-free-updates conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from updates
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.1.1-5.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free-updates conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from updates
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.0-16.fc39.i686 from rpmfusion-free conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from @System
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.0-16.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from @System
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.1.1-5.fc39.i686 from rpmfusion-free-updates conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from @System
  - package ffmpeg-libs-6.1.1-5.fc39.x86_64 from rpmfusion-free-updates conflicts with libavcodec-free provided by libavcodec-free-6.1.1-3.fc39.x86_64 from @System
(try to add '--allowerasing' to command line to replace conflicting packages or '--skip-broken' to skip uninstallable packages)

Since I am new to Fedora, what is rpmfusion-free? Which seems to be conflicting with my ability to install any desktops as I got the same results with @cinnamon-desktop.

Any suggestions on troubleshooting the system are welcome. Definitely would like to have options for logging into different DEs, though. And if I continue to have issues with the RDP method of access, I may have to hook up a permanent monitor, keyboard & mouse, but would like to keep it headless.

Thanks,
Sheila Flanagan

1 Like
2

Hi Shiela,
I am unexperienced in this area, but I thought a ‘headless server’ had no DE at all? You log into it with ssh and use CLI commands.
I believe you can even use ssh with X forwarding without needing go install a DE on the server. You would need to
install X11 on the server, though.

So why do you need a DE? Is it because of RDP?

I did read once that Fedora has a special
mechanism for supporting multiple DE’s , and keeping their config files separated, but I have not tried it

Regards
Neville

1 Like
3

I mean headless as in no monitor or keyboard/mouse to view it. I control updates & monitor things from Cockpit, in a browser, on my Linux Mint machine. Or as you said, I can ssh into it, but that’s just using terminal, which I have the terminal in Cockpit, so I do updates via terminal. But Fedroa Workstation 39, is a desktop environment with Wayland. Because of that, my normal RDP apps do not work. But it said I have the Gnome DE installed–yet at login screen, I see no gear icon to select a different desktop. Hmmm, haven’t encountered that before. All distros I have used have that so you can “log in” to the desktop you want.

It is the rpm-fusion that I do not know about as other Linux versions (Ubuntu, etc.) do not have that. I just thought maybe Wayland is causing the sudden issues in using RDP to “see the desktop.” But those errors about repm-fusion and conflicts…well I may have to go the Fedora forum.

I like Fedora in the short time I have used it, but since I haven’t had much time to “learn it” I have no idea what could be wrong. And I want to ensure it is not the software before I suspect hardware on a brand new machine.

Thanks,
Sheila

4

Most likely a Waylsnd issue.
You need someone who knows Fedora.

Does ssh with X forwarding work with Wayland?

5

It did till the past few days. Now it seems slow, sluggish, even terminal commands don’t just populate results. Sometimes, I give up and have to Ctrl C back to prompt.

I’m going to reboot again tonight and see if it is any better.

Sheila

6

So was anything changed a few days ago?
For example, was there a Fedora update? Did you add any
software or change a config?
Has the netorking changed?

7

Well there was an update & an upgrade maybe 3 days ago. I know it is not networking as I consistently test speeds ever since I switched to mobile internet to be sure it is as fast as they say. But I kept my old cable internet, maybe I should try connecting to that for a couple of days and be sure it is not networking.

I didn’t change any configurations or install any new software, so not sure it is anything like that.

I have a bit of time this weekend to test things out and that is the only other thing I know of–network.

Thing is, this is only about a 6wk old machine and, of course, it is under warranty, so I want to be sure there’s nothing internal/hardware that is failing.

Oh, I remember now. Yesterday, I could not get bluetooth to turn on. i was trying to connect my bluetooth keyboard. And when I checked bluetooth status, there was some type of error at the end about Intel. I chhecked my notebook. It was:

sudo dmesg | grep -i bluetooth
[sudo] password for sflanagan: 
[    7.995550] Bluetooth: Core ver 2.22
[    7.995580] NET: Registered PF_BLUETOOTH protocol family
[    7.995581] Bluetooth: HCI device and connection manager initialized
[    7.995585] Bluetooth: HCI socket layer initialized
[    7.995588] Bluetooth: L2CAP socket layer initialized
[    7.995593] Bluetooth: SCO socket layer initialized
[    9.218504] Bluetooth: BNEP (Ethernet Emulation) ver 1.3
[    9.218509] Bluetooth: BNEP filters: protocol multicast
[    9.218514] Bluetooth: BNEP socket layer initialized
[   10.163365] Bluetooth: hci0: command 0xfc05 tx timeout
[   10.163381] Bluetooth: hci0: Reading Intel version command failed (-110)

Then even though Fedora told me Bluetooth was OFF, and I could not turn it on (it would revert to OFF immediately), when i ran:

sudo service bluetooth status
Redirecting to /bin/systemctl status bluetooth.service
● bluetooth.service - Bluetooth service
     Loaded: loaded (/usr/lib/systemd/system/bluetooth.service; enabled; preset: enabled)
    Drop-In: /usr/lib/systemd/system/service.d
             └─10-timeout-abort.conf
     Active: active (running) since Thu 2024-03-21 22:23:55 EDT; 21h ago
       Docs: man:bluetoothd(8)
   Main PID: 1137 (bluetoothd)
     Status: "Running"
      Tasks: 1 (limit: 15363)
     Memory: 2.1M
        CPU: 47ms
     CGroup: /system.slice/bluetooth.service
             └─1137 /usr/libexec/bluetooth/bluetoothd

Mar 21 22:23:54 nfs-server.flanagan.com bluetoothd[1137]: profiles/audio/micp.c:micp_init() D-Bus experimental not enabled
Mar 21 22:23:54 nfs-server.flanagan.com bluetoothd[1137]: src/plugin.c:plugin_init() System does not support micp plugin
Mar 21 22:23:54 nfs-server.flanagan.com bluetoothd[1137]: src/plugin.c:plugin_init() System does not support vcp plugin
Mar 21 22:23:54 nfs-server.flanagan.com bluetoothd[1137]: src/plugin.c:plugin_init() System does not support mcp plugin
Mar 21 22:23:54 nfs-server.flanagan.com bluetoothd[1137]: src/plugin.c:plugin_init() System does not support bass plugin
Mar 21 22:23:54 nfs-server.flanagan.com bluetoothd[1137]: src/plugin.c:plugin_init() System does not support bap plugin
Mar 21 22:23:54 nfs-server.flanagan.com bluetoothd[1137]: Bluetooth management interface 1.22 initialized
Mar 21 22:23:55 nfs-server.flanagan.com systemd[1]: Started bluetooth.service - Bluetooth service.
Mar 21 22:24:50 nfs-server.flanagan.com bluetoothd[1137]: src/profile.c:register_profile() :1.97 tried to register 0000111f-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb which is already registered
Mar 21 22:24:50 nfs-server.flanagan.com bluetoothd[1137]: src/profile.c:register_profile() :1.97 tried to register 0000111e-0000-1000-8000-00805f9b34fb which is already registered

Now the above I just ran. And see? It says its is enabled but then gives me issues I do not understand. And by that timestamp, that was last night when I was trying to get it to work–now it says it has been on since then.

Since I cannot see the desktop now (RDP refuses to connect), I don’t know if the OS is messed up and that is why it won’t let me turn it on there, but terminal says it is on.

I may try (have never done it before) connecting the keyboard in terminal. I have to check which command in Fedora you use.

Sheila

8

I just checked my update history and the only ones that might apply would be all those firmware updates:

amd-gpu-firmware
amd-ucode-firmware
atheros-firmware
brcmfmac-firmware
cirrus-audio-firmware
intel-audio-firmware
intel-gpu-firmware
iwlegacy-firmware
iwlwifi-dvm-firmware
iwlwifi-mvm-firmware
libertas-firmware
linux-firmware
linux-firmware-whence
mt7xxx-firmware
net-snmp-libs
nvidia-gpu-firmware
nxpwireless-firmware
realtek-firmware
tiwilink-firmware

A LOT of firmware updates.

Sheila

1 Like
9

Can you use a Timeshift snapshot to try winding it back?

Dont see how bluetooth is involved, unless there is some systdm-wide issue and bluetooth is affected too. Not likely to be the cause

But I assume ssh connects?
That points to a DE or Wayland issue, maybe
since the update.

10

Yes, I just ssh’d from LM to it. But in reality, that is how cockpit connects to give me a terminal in the web browser. And I just used scp to send the file I downloaded for bluetooth control in terminal to the Fedora machine and that worked. So either way, terminal works.
Sheila

11

Sorry busy today
OK if ssh works, it is a higher level problem… not networking but something in X or Wayland maybe

Can you do ssh with X forwarding?
That might give us another clue.

12

I can, but having never used it before, I think my config needs tweaking…maybe? For instance, I tried to run Timeshift but got the error:

X11 connection rejected because of wrong authentication.

(timeshift-gtk:444158): Gtk-WARNING **: 09:04:39.334: cannot open display: localhost:10.0

My config has the “X11DisplayOffset 10” but I had commented out “X11UseLocalhost no”. Does that matter?

UPDATE: I fixed the “wrong authentication” error (magic cookie needed to be merged.

BUT I still get the “cannot open display: localhost: 10.0” message.

Thanks,
Sheila

13

Not sure,
it is a different problem from what you get with Cockpit
maybe X forwarding is an issue with Wayland

Cockpit runs in a browser? Sorry never used it.
Is it possible to try it in a different browser?
Does Cockpit require any special software in
Fedora?
Do you have to have sshd running in Fedora?
Maybe the sshd config needs to be tweaked.?

Is Fedora worth all the trouble. ?
What happens if you try a live CD of say Mint or Debian in the server?

Did you change anything recently in your Cockpit config in LM?.. ie is the problem at the LM end?

Have you seen this

There seem to be issues with Cockpit in Ubuntu based distros.

14

Yes, it is basically utilities for server administration with a terminal included and it connects to the ip address of server on local network. My point was, whatever I can do on LM via terminal to “ssh” into the server, I can do with Cockpit–so I get the same results either method.

I finally was able to install the cinnamon desktop by using --allowerasing (which always scares me…lol). BUT I had to hook up a monitor to the server. And in so doing, I found the slowness appalling, considering it is connected via ethernet and the speedtest results are extremely high. So it is definitely not a networking issue.

Yes, I found out how to ensure everything on both LM & Fedora were working together in sshd as well as ssh -X connections. The connections work. It is viewing graphically that obviously does not work with X forwarding.

I will reboot and attempt to use X forwarding once the Cinnamon desktop is in use–if that works, then we know it is Wayland-related.

I am going to try this. Although I have always wondered if using a live session is actually how smoothly the system will run once installed. Is there much difference?

Maybe I am just used to systems with 24+ gb RAM and faster processors (the server has 16 gb RAM & an AMD Ryzen 7), but I have hardly anthing installed on this system and yet in terminal, entering a command right now–it takes like 30 seconds to respond. That just does not make sense to me. And it was fast, responsive the last time I connected to it both via RDP & with a monitor attached. So it is something in the last 10 days or so–maybe those updates.

I will report back after running a live session in Debian (I have never used it).

No, I had not seen this. Not sure this is my issue, but who knows. I am thinking about adding Debian to the server as dual boot and then try managing it both from terminal (ssh -X) and Cockpit. If I get the same results, then this article could point to the issue: I am running Cockpit from Ubuntu to manage Fedora, et al.

If I have no issues with Debian, then I will remove the Fedora install and just use Debian.

Thanks,
Sheila Flanagan

1 Like
15

Well, never mind the live session. Although I had one on my Ventoy disk, I chose the DVD.iso and apparently that method of install with Debian did not offer dual boot. Oh, well, I thought. I have a clonezilla image of the server with fedora if I decide I want it back, so I installed over it.

I found this install very encompanssing: it asked me in advance for all desktops I want installed and even which desktop manager to include (not sure as all of my use lightdm, except I think Kubuntu used sddm) but I went with the default gdm.

In BIOS, Fedora still showed as a boot option (making me think Debian might have left it, but I chose Debian as #1 in Boot Order and left Fedora as 2nd just in case. But in grub, Only Debian showed. I will check, but I think if Debian had dual-booted, it would have added itself alongside Fedora in grub.

Debian booted to login screen, but again, as in Fedora (even after installing additional desktops & rebooting) I see no gear icon to switch desktops from login.

But I will now test it out, installing what I need, and finishing setup for the server. Of course, should I keep it, I will have to redo all the stuff from before, setting up the nfs-server, etc. for my home network machines.

Thanks,
Sheila

16

Well, little did I know that Debian uses Gnome which uses Wayland, by default. Arrrgh!

Since I installed those other desktops, but saw no icon for logging into a different one, I am now logged into Wayland session–which puts us right back where we started.

Now I will have to figure out how to get into a different desktop. But I will say the system is back to snappy in everyway. Had to be the Fedora updates for all those firmware files this past week.

Thanks,
Sheila

17

Live sessions can have better drivers than an install. The big difference is running from flash drive.

That lag is not the 16Gb of ram . It will not
be swapping.
What causes intermittant lags?
Not hardware
Maybe software waiting for some event

Not exactly your issue, but it does suggest Cockpit has difficulties on Ubuntu based
distros.

Testing server with Debian is one thing.
Dont forget test the laptop with something other than LM… something non- Ubuntu but with Cockpit of course.

18

Hmm. non-Ubuntu…Pop OS is based on ubuntu, LM is based on Ubuntu, the only other distro installed on any machine would be Fedora on my tablet. What other distro, besides Debian that we put on the server now, is not based on Ubuntu–well besides Arch, Gentoo, etc. You know, the ones you use? Don’t think I am ready for that.

I guess I could try Endeavor OS or Manjaro. I spent some time last night seeing if I could create another VM with QEMU and successfully installed OpenSuse Tumbleweed. I could not even figure it out. Deleted it within 20 min.

I will try one of those with Cockpit and see if it matters. But even if I don’t have Cockpit, I can do most everything via terminal, But the question is, is Debian with Wayland gonna let me?

Thanks,
Sheila

19

MX… it is Debian based and friendly like Mint. (maybe LMDE)
but
hold on… I just think you should , at this stage, try and determine if the lag originates in the server or in the laptop…
given that we concluded it is not on the network.
You do that by temporarily using another distro, first try the server, then if that still doesnt work, try the laptop

20

That’s what I am just now getting to. Setting up stuff in Debian on the server. I am currently in a live session on my Pop OS laptop with Endeavor OS. I will test terminal connection via ssh to the server once i get that set up.

Crazy thing is, in Debian, in order to get the “gear” icon to show up to switch from Wayland, you have to login into the default Wayland desktop, log back out and then you get the chance to switch desktops. Will test more stuff in Debian and will also try MX.

If I test stuff from a live session, does that mean it will be okay once installed? I figured I was about ready to switch from Pop OS on my Acer laptop to try and resolve some issues, so I might as well choose a distro that is not based on Ubuntu and control the server from it instead of my desktop with LM.

Thanks,
Sheila