Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

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iocane
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Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by iocane »

Hello, new Linux user here. I am seeing a popup that tells me Cinammon has crashed and system is running in Fallback Mode. If there is a pattern to this behavior I haven't figured it out. It can happen twice in ten minutes, or it might go several hours between occurrences. I usually press "Restart Cinammon now," and that works, but it interrupts my work. Any suggestions on resolving this are appreciated!

Code: Select all

System:    Kernel: 5.4.0-121-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.4.0 Desktop: Cinnamon 5.2.7 
           Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:   Type: Laptop System: Dell product: G7 7590 v: N/A serial: <filter> 
           Mobo: Dell model: 0WJH3G v: A03 serial: <filter> UEFI: Dell v: 1.19.0 date: 03/15/2022 
Battery:   ID-1: BAT0 charge: 72.4 Wh condition: 72.4/90.0 Wh (80%) model: SMP DELL K69WH87 status: Full 
           Device-1: hid-dc:2c:26:2a:75:c6-battery model: Keychron K2 charge: N/A status: Discharging 
Memory:    RAM: total: 15.45 GiB used: 5.44 GiB (35.2%) 
           RAM Report: permissions: Unable to run dmidecode. Root privileges required. 
CPU:       Topology: 6-Core model: Intel Core i7-9750H bits: 64 type: MT MCP arch: Kaby Lake rev: A L2 cache: 12.0 MiB 
           flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 62399 
           Speed: 801 MHz min/max: 800/4500 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 800 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800 5: 800 6: 800 7: 800 8: 800 
           9: 800 10: 800 11: 801 12: 800 
Graphics:  Device-1: Intel UHD Graphics 630 vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
           Device-2: NVIDIA TU104M [GeForce RTX 2080 Mobile] vendor: Dell driver: nvidia v: 470.129.06 bus ID: 01:00.0 
           Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting,nvidia unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa 
           resolution: 3840x2160~60Hz, 2560x1440~60Hz 
           OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel UHD Graphics 630 (CFL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.2.6 direct render: Yes 
Audio:     Device-1: Intel Cannon Lake PCH cAVS vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1f.3 
           Device-2: NVIDIA TU104 HD Audio vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 01:00.1 
           Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-121-generic 
Network:   Device-1: Realtek vendor: Dell driver: r8169 v: kernel port: 3000 bus ID: 3c:00.0 
           IF: enp60s0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: <filter> 
           Device-2: Intel Wireless-AC 9260 vendor: Bigfoot Networks driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 3000 bus ID: 3d:00.0 
           IF: wlp61s0 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:    Local Storage: total: 953.87 GiB used: 28.72 GiB (3.0%) 
           ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Toshiba model: KXG60ZNV1T02 NVMe 1024GB size: 953.87 GiB 
Partition: ID-1: / size: 82.00 GiB used: 28.63 GiB (34.9%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p7 
           ID-2: /boot/efi size: 146.0 MiB used: 92.2 MiB (63.2%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1 
           ID-3: /run/timeshift/backup raw size: 83.82 GiB size: <superuser/root required> used: <superuser/root required> 
           fs: ext4 dev: /dev/nvme0n1p7 
           ID-4: swap-1 size: 13.84 GiB used: 0 KiB (0.0%) fs: swap dev: /dev/nvme0n1p8 
Sensors:   System Temperatures: cpu: 47.0 C mobo: N/A 
           Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
Repos:     No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list 
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/google-chrome.list 
           1: deb [arch=amd64] https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable main
           Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list 
           1: deb https://mirror.clarkson.edu/linuxmint/packages una main upstream import backport
           2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
           3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
           4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
           5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
           6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner
Info:      Processes: 336 Uptime: 4h 14m Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.4.0 Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 inxi: 3.0.38
Last edited by LockBot on Sun Jan 01, 2023 11:00 pm, edited 3 times in total.
Reason: Topic automatically closed 6 months after creation. New replies are no longer allowed.
iocane
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Re: Occasional Cinammon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by iocane »

Now I'm noticing Cinnamon crashes sometimes when I right-click. Not exclusively, and not always.

Receiving no responses here leads me to believe frequent crashes are normal. Do most users just restart cinnamon multiple times per day?

Since this laptop optionally shipped with ubuntu, I had really hoped linux mint would be usable and dependable. Am I wasting my time here? Expecting too much?

Thanks for any responses!
Cosmo.
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Re: Frequent Cinammon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by Cosmo. »

This is not normal.

Create a new user account and login there. Do no changes there, only use the programs, that you normally use, like the browser. Same problem?
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SMG
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Re: Frequent Cinammon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by SMG »

iocane wrote: Tue Jun 28, 2022 1:25 pm Any suggestions on resolving this are appreciated!
Please upgrade to a newer kernel series. Your system has a 9th-gen Intel and those tend to run with less issues when using newer kernels.

Instructions for upgrading to the 5.13 kernel:
  • Open Update Manager.
  • Select View > Linux Kernels and click Continue.
  • Make sure 5.13 is selected on the left panel and then click the top-most option on the right panel. An "Install" button will appear.
  • Install the kernel and then reboot for it to become active.
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A woman typing on a laptop with LM20.3 Cinnamon.
Hoser Rob
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Re: Frequent Cinammon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by Hoser Rob »

SMG wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 4:24 pm ...Please upgrade to a newer kernel series. ,..
+1.
For every complex problem there is an answer that is clear, simple, and wrong - H. L. Mencken
iocane
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Re: Frequent Cinammon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by iocane »

SMG wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 4:24 pm Instructions for upgrading to the 5.13 kernel:
Thanks, TIL the kernel on a fresh install from a current image could need updating and Update Manager may not give prompts about that.

I upgraded the kernel to 5.13 and so far no more crashes. Now Update Manger is prompting me to upgrade the kernel to 5.15, where it said nothing about the kernel before updating to 5.13. Should I stay with 5.13 for now?

Thank you all for sharing the knowledge!
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SMG
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Re: Frequent Cinammon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by SMG »

iocane wrote: Tue Jul 19, 2022 2:59 pmThanks, TIL the kernel on a fresh install from a current image could need updating and Update Manager may not give prompts about that.
There is a difference between upgrading to a new kernel series and just updating a kernel in the current series.
iocane wrote: Tue Jul 19, 2022 2:59 pmI upgraded the kernel to 5.13 and so far no more crashes. Now Update Manger is prompting me to upgrade the kernel to 5.15, where it said nothing about the kernel before updating to 5.13. Should I stay with 5.13 for now?
The 5.13 kernel goes end of life next month and the 5.15 kernel is its replacement. Some people (but not all) have had issues with the 5.15 kernel which is why I recommended trying 5.13 first.

If you want to try 5.15, you can do that. If it does not work, you can boot back into the 5.13 kernel and wait for a newer version of 5.15 to be released.
Image
A woman typing on a laptop with LM20.3 Cinnamon.
iocane
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Re: Frequent Cinammon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by iocane »

SMG wrote: Tue Jul 19, 2022 3:24 pmThe 5.13 kernel goes end of life next month and the 5.15 kernel is its replacement. Some people (but not all) have had issues with the 5.15 kernel which is why I recommended trying 5.13 first.

If you want to try 5.15, you can do that. If it does not work, you can boot back into the 5.13 kernel and wait for a newer version of 5.15 to be released.
TYSM for the helpful information!
iocane
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Re: Frequent Cinammon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by iocane »

Cinnamon is back to crashing a few times per hour. Super annoying. Twice today it happened when right-clicking in firefox. Once upon logging in. A few other times, too.

I'd love to hear some thoughts on how to address this. Thank you in advance for any advice!
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SMG
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Re: Frequent Cinammon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by SMG »

iocane wrote: Thu Jul 21, 2022 5:39 pmI'd love to hear some thoughts on how to address this. Thank you in advance for any advice!
Did you try Cosmo.'s suggestion yet? I copied it below.
Cosmo. wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 3:51 pmCreate a new user account and login there. Do no changes there, only use the programs, that you normally use, like the browser. Same problem?
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iocane
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Re: Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by iocane »

Did you try Cosmo.'s suggestion yet? I copied it below.
Cosmo. wrote: Mon Jul 18, 2022 3:51 pmCreate a new user account and login there. Do no changes there, only use the programs, that you normally use, like the browser. Same problem?
Thanks again for responding.

I did not, as I understood this to be a preliminary step toward diagnosis rather than a fully-formed suggestion. It took a few weeks to get any responses here, so I was a bit skeptical of beginning a prolonged exchange. You seem willing to respond, so I will give this a shot and post back here.
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Re: Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by Cosmo. »

My advice to create a new account takes a minute or so, really not time intensive. But the 4 days, which have been lost since my post, are in your responsibility.
iocane
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Re: Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by iocane »

Cosmo. wrote: Fri Jul 22, 2022 3:07 pm My advice to create a new account takes a minute or so, really not time intensive. But the 4 days, which have been lost since my post, are in your responsibility.
Hey, I was just coming here to ask about this. I'm trying to keep up with work while I experiment with Linux, so I don't have large chunks of time to play around at the moment. In order to recreate my normal activity on the new user account, I'm faced with setting up browsers and moving files.

I use a dual monitor setup and I finally got that working today. It took a while for me to realize my primary account is using fractional scaling at 100% (is 100% a fraction?) so that the resolution on my primary monitor is reasonable alongside my laptop as a secondary monitor.

Is there a quick way to transfer all the browser plugins I typically use?

Is there a quick way to access the user files from my primary account?
Cosmo.
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Re: Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by Cosmo. »

Let me at first apologize because of my 4 days remark. I sometimes forget, that not everybody is a retired person like me.

Now to your questions:

#1 Firefox. Of course close it. Than delete (or rename) the hidden folder .mozilla in your home; note the leading dot. You must make hidden files visible in your file manager by hitting ctrl-h. Now copy from your old account the folder .mozilla into the new account. Not only all extensions, but all other things like bookmarks, browser history and more get preserved by that.

#2: Copy also all content of the not hidden folders from the old account to the new account. Those files have no influence of the settings in the account, so this gives no problem.
#2a: If you still miss anything, name it here. What about your e-mails? Do you use a mail-client?

Note: All copy operations, which I named above, must be done from inside of the new account, not from the old one!
iocane
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Re: Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by iocane »

Cosmo. wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 2:54 pm Let me at first apologize because of my 4 days remark. I sometimes forget, that not everybody is a retired person like me.

Now to your questions:

#1 Firefox. Of course close it. Than delete (or rename) the hidden folder .mozilla in your home; note the leading dot. You must make hidden files visible in your file manager by hitting ctrl-h. Now copy from your old account the folder .mozilla into the new account. Not only all extensions, but all other things like bookmarks, browser history and more get preserved by that.

#2: Copy also all content of the not hidden folders from the old account to the new account. Those files have no influence of the settings in the account, so this gives no problem.
#2a: If you still miss anything, name it here. What about your e-mails? Do you use a mail-client?

Note: All copy operations, which I named above, must be done from inside of the new account, not from the old one!
I created a guest profile and have worked in it for a few hours on a few different days. I am not getting frequent crashes when using the guest profile. What can we learn from this exercise?
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Re: Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by motoryzen »

I created a guest profile and have worked in it for a few hours on a few different days. I am not getting frequent crashes when using the guest profile. What can we learn from this exercise?
Does your guest profile have all the same...stuff in it? Same addons, same settings..same everything?

If yes, I don't know what to think. But, if it the answer is no...that thing or those things that are different could be the reason why. When in doubt, use the process of elimination..just like a mechanic would who has tested everything else. (shrugs)
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Re: Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by lofi »

I don't know about testing with profiles. What I'd do is check System Reports (type this in the "start" menu) after a cinnamon crash, read or post the last one if someone technical here can interpret. Especially if there's a report with "cinnamon" in the title. What I'd do, also, is keep a terminal open with journalctl -f opened. With -f you get init aka systemd's journal updated live. There can be a lot of uninsteresting things to read, and I'm not even sure if cinnamon writes its logs there, but I'd try this.

I don't have frequent cinnamon bugs, but last time System Report said Segmentation Fault (...) cogl-texture.c: No such file or directory. (...), I googled it (also replacing "cinnamon" with "gnome-shell", as it's originally a fork), to no avail, fortunately I had this only once. (also, the whole system report weighed 1GB (compressed), I'd obviously not post the whole thing here!
If the bug you describe happens often when you right-click on FF, that's weird!
btw I usually don't use multi-monitor, but that day I had that cinnamon crash, I did, so it could be this in your case too, maybe try for a day with just one monitor ?

I know of a way to get live logs of cinnamon (obviously there must be something more simple, maybe using melange ?), by typing in a terminal cinnamon --replace. You get the logs in that terminal.
Also we're in beginners questions, and you're welcome, but there's also a forum section dedicated to cinnamon only, there could be people more technical there.
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Re: Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by Cosmo. »

iocane wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 6:01 pm I created a guest profile and have worked in it for a few hours on a few different days. I am not getting frequent crashes when using the guest profile. What can we learn from this exercise?
We learn, that the culprit is in your old account.

But I thought, we would had been already a step further. You wrote:
iocane wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 1:04 pm Is there a quick way to transfer all the browser plugins I typically use?

Is there a quick way to access the user files from my primary account?
So I gave you the advice how to transfer your data into the new account in viewtopic.php?p=2206626#p2206626. Of course you cannot do this with a guest account.
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Re: Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by iocane »

motoryzen wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 6:45 pm
I created a guest profile and have worked in it for a few hours on a few different days. I am not getting frequent crashes when using the guest profile. What can we learn from this exercise?
Does your guest profile have all the same...stuff in it? Same addons, same settings..same everything?

If yes, I don't know what to think. But, if it the answer is no...that thing or those things that are different could be the reason why. When in doubt, use the process of elimination..just like a mechanic would who has tested everything else. (shrugs)
Thanks for replying. No, the two profiles aren't identical. I followed Cosmo's suggestion thinking it would lead to a solution that could be implemented, but I misunderstood. I now think Cosmo was suggesting I quit using my primary profile entirely and ignore the cause of the problem, which is itself problematic for me as I am trying to determine if I can rely on Mint as my daily driver.
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Re: Frequent Cinnamon Crashes, Fallback Mode

Post by iocane »

Cosmo. wrote: Tue Aug 09, 2022 2:56 am
iocane wrote: Mon Aug 08, 2022 6:01 pm I created a guest profile and have worked in it for a few hours on a few different days. I am not getting frequent crashes when using the guest profile. What can we learn from this exercise?
We learn, that the culprit is in your old account.

But I thought, we would had been already a step further. You wrote:
iocane wrote: Thu Jul 28, 2022 1:04 pm Is there a quick way to transfer all the browser plugins I typically use?

Is there a quick way to access the user files from my primary account?
So I gave you the advice how to transfer your data into the new account in viewtopic.php?p=2206626#p2206626. Of course you cannot do this with a guest account.
Thanks for responding. I misunderstood the reasoning behind your advice. I thought your suggestion was a step toward diagnosis so the problem could be repaired or eliminated. Setting up a new profile every time I encounter a recurring problem doesn't instill confidence in using Linux Mint as my daily driver for work.

I'll keep trying to troubleshoot this in my personal free time, but I can't really justify this as 'work' after more than a month of messing around with it and posting here.

Edit: I didn't realize this limitation of the guest account. I selected username 'guest' naively, not understanding this username corresponded to a defined role in Linux. The guest profile does offer other benefits, though, as I have no need for all the frequent password prompts that come up in a regular user account. Every time the system goes to sleep and needs a password to wake, all the open windows snap to the primary monitor and I have to sort them all out again!
Last edited by iocane on Wed Aug 10, 2022 10:26 am, edited 1 time in total.
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