My Start9 usually runs great, and I can access it fine from other devices on my local network. However, when something goes wrong with the node and I can’t access it, my only option is a hard reboot - which doesn’t seem great. If I connect a display to my node when I reboot, I can see details of the boot process and everything seems to be normal (at least to my noob eyes). Eventually, I see a the Start9 login screen. But after a few minutes the node stops sending any signal to my display. Keyboard and mouse clicks do nothing. Any thoughts? I’m clueless working with linux and my mini PC, which I have only uses with my StartOS.
Sounds like something specific to your hardware. I take it this is a DIY box? Under system you’ll find “kernel logs” and there may be clues in there.
The best way for a layperson to identify those clues and post them here might be to keep a client device connected to the logs and then wait to see one of these unwelcome events take place, then look at the logs at the same time.
Thanks! And sorry I missed your reply somehow! Yes, DIY. I’ll look for logs!
As for “unwelcome events,” I’m if you mean the rare crash or the system no longer waking the monitor, which happens 100% of the time shortly after startup. I realized after my last post, it’s a bit like it goes into a sleep mode in terms of the monitor and/or keyboard/mouse not working, and I can’t wake it up.
Kiosk mode is meant for debugging rather than long term use. Connecting a monitor to a server is not really needed.
The primary reason I want to use a monitor is when I can’t connect to my node via another device, thinking I might be able to execute an orderly reboot. My concern is that a shutdown using the PC power button seems like it could be more likely to cause issues (like if powered off while writing system info to disk). Should I not worry about that?
Correct, you should not pull the power if you can help it. But dedicating a whole workstation setup for a rare event where a server lacks network connectivity still doesn’t make much sense. In such as situation, the whole OS has probably crashed anyway.
It’s really low effort for me to connect a monitor, and I’ve just left an old keyboard and mouse connected to the computer. But sounds like you’re telling me that most people just cycle the power when a Start9 node stops working. So I guess I won’t worry about it.
99% of the time a “server stops working” it actually hasn’t and instead something else has stopped working. A power cycle on the server, for example, tends to correct issues related to networking, much like power cycling the router would.