[SOLVED] Calibre 6.x Linux not starting

[recook]

Hi,
i wanted to point out a pitfall on Linux for Calibre:

Calibre ran just fine up to 6.7.1, then i updated with the oneliner from the web page calibre - Download for Linux

sudo -v && wget -nv -O- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/kovidgoyal/calibre/master/setup/linux-installer.py | sudo python -c "import sys; main=lambda:sys.stderr.write('Download failed\n'); exec(sys.stdin.read()); main()"

and Calibre didn't start any more.

calibre-debug -g

appeared unexceptional:

calibre 6.8  embedded-python: True
Linux-5.11.0-37-generic-x86_64-with-glibc2.31 Linux ('64bit', 'ELF')
('Linux', '5.11.0-37-generic', '#41~20.04.2-Ubuntu SMP Fri Sep 24 09:06:38 UTC 2021')
Python 3.10.1
Interface language: None
Successfully initialized third party plugins: Annotations (1, 17, 0) && Consolidate All Library Metadata (2, 0, 40) && Diaps Editing Toolbag (0, 3, 7) && Embed Comic Metadata (1, 6, 1) && EpubMerge (2, 13, 0) && FanFicFare (4, 13, 0) && Find Duplicates (1, 9, 5) && Generate Cover (2, 1, 0) && Goodreads (1, 5, 3) && KePub Input (3, 4, 3) && KePub Metadata Reader (3, 4, 3) && KePub Metadata Writer (3, 4, 3) && Kobo Utilities (2, 16, 3) && KoboTouchExtended (3, 6, 0) && Markdown Output (1, 0, 3) && Mass Search-Replace (1, 4, 2) && Open With (1, 7, 0) && Reading List (1, 11, 0) && Resize Cover (1, 1, 0)
QPA platform: xcb
devicePixelRatio: 1.0
logicalDpi: 96.0 x 96.0
physicalDpi: 125.25776173285198 x 125.04615384615384
Using calibre Qt style: True

It just didn't start complete, it ended there.
I tried manually installing diverse 6.x releases with no apparent change in behaviour.
Back to 6.8.0, before the next try, i don't know why, i looked for

pidof calibre

It reported a PID.
Calibre didn't start again.
Then i did

killall calibre

but that PID was still there.
I killed that one by number, and on the next try, Calibre started without a hitch!

Problem solved, thank heavens...
--
regards,
-- recook

[JSWolf]

Sounds like a reboot may also have worked.

[Quoth]

Usually no need to reboot, just log out or kill process or Ctrl-Alt-BS if desktop managled and it restarts.
Killing an errant process even on Windows can be faster than a reboot.

Or Alt F1 for a console.
You do need to reboot to run on an updated Kernel.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

Usually no need to reboot, just log out or kill process or Ctrl-Alt-BS if desktop managled and it restarts.
Killing an errant process even on Windows can be faster than a reboot.

Or Alt F1 for a console.
You do need to reboot to run on an updated Kernel.

A reboot would have been best in this case as it would have taken less time them eventually figuring some process needed to be killed.

[Quoth]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

A reboot would have been best in this case as it would have taken less time them eventually figuring some process needed to be killed.

On some HDD only 4800 rpm laptops rebooting Windows or Linux takes up to 2 minutes. Finding a PID is much faster (or using Windows Task thing equivalent) Most Linux have a System Monitor GUI accessible from Places/Menu/Startbar. Takes me about 15s to find a process on Windows or Linux.
Also it's not just the reboot time, but time to reopen programs, email, browser and load documents.

Also how would you know in advance a reboot would fix it? It doesn't fix most problems (e.g. Antivirus settings on Windows or a wrong config edit on Linux).

[ownedbycats]

My last computer used to take 10-15 minutes to reboot. I preferred to avoid rebooting unless absolutely necessary.

My current computer has an SSD for the boot drive and I still can't entirely get used to it booting up in less than a minute.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by Quoth

On some HDD only 4800 rpm laptops rebooting Windows or Linux takes up to 2 minutes. Finding a PID is much faster (or using Windows Task thing equivalent) Most Linux have a System Monitor GUI accessible from Places/Menu/Startbar. Takes me about 15s to find a process on Windows or Linux.
Also it's not just the reboot time, but time to reopen programs, email, browser and load documents.

Also how would you know in advance a reboot would fix it? It doesn't fix most problems (e.g. Antivirus settings on Windows or a wrong config edit on Linux).

But you have to know it's a bum process causing the problem. That can take longer then 2 minutes because you'd try other things before trying to find a bum process. Besides, who uses 4800RPM hard drive. I thought the slow hard drives were 5400RPM.

[Quoth]

Even the 5400 RPM 1T drives take ages to boot. Sadly the 4800 rpm dives are common enough on older laptops.
I swapped my laptop back to a 7200 rpm 512G HDD from the 5400 new 1T drive and it booted twice as fast.
Now for regular use I have a hybrid solution: A 512G PCie-NVM SSD for OS and big 3.5" 7200 RPM 4Tbyte for all user files. It's a small Optiplex with some regular PCI slots and running off a UPS. Not noticeably slower than initial test with user files on the SSD. It manages the external 4K screen (also on the UPS) better than the laptop. I also was able to install a SATA DVD drive off a scrapped laptop.

I only use the laptop occasionally on a visit somewhere.
No SMART or warning of failure on SSDs.

There are few laptops that take proper SSD and SATA HDD, but not common. Cheaper laptops use SATA SSD or inferior SSD hardly better than Flash in an SD card or USB stick.

[compurandom]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

A reboot would have been best in this case

Rebooting linux for something like that is dumb.

Even windows doesn't require reboots as much as it use to.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by compurandom

Rebooting linux for something like that is dumb.

Even windows doesn't require reboots as much as it use to.

Just because you don't need to reboot as much as in the past does not mean that a reboot now is not the optimal solution.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Just because you don't need to reboot as much as in the past does not mean that a reboot now is not the optimal solution.

AMEN!
With weekly Windows updates, the first thing I do if things are just a bit off, is to reboot.
Amazing how many times that has smoothed things out, even if there was no 'reboot required' message.

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by theducks

AMEN!
With weekly Windows updates, the first thing I do if things are just a bit off, is to reboot.
Amazing how many times that has smoothed things out, even if there was no 'reboot required' message.

I do find that running Windows after the updates can sometimes cause some stability issues until after the reboot.

A reboot can just work. I do reboot sometimes with my iPhone as well.

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by theducks

AMEN!
With weekly Windows updates, the first thing I do if things are just a bit off, is to reboot.
Amazing how many times that has smoothed things out, even if there was no 'reboot required' message.

Wait, there's weekly updates? I only get them on Patch Tuesday.

[theducks]

Originally Posted by ownedbycats

Wait, there's weekly updates? I only get them on Patch Tuesday.

Tuesday qualifies as Weekly

[ownedbycats]

Originally Posted by theducks

Tuesday qualifies as Weekly

Patch Tuesday is the second Tuesday of the month. So, monthly.