Chris Curvey's questions

I saw that there were some updates to the Bluez bluetooth manager a while ago, and now my Bose QC 35 headphones are acting funky.

1. I keep seeing alerts that say "Authorization Request for Base QuietComfort 35, Service: Phonebook access". No matter how many times I click "accept" or "always accept" the messages keep coming back.
2. When I turn the headphones off and on, I'll get a constant message in my ears about "Connecting to ", and that message pops up with "Service: Advanced Audio"
3. Eventually, I will go into the device manager and hit "Disconnect" (although the headphones are still trying to connect). Then if I use right-click on the device and hit "connect", the headphones tell me they are connected.
4. Sometimes at this point, the headphones work. But sometimes I have to go into the "Sound" configuration, right click on the device under "Hardware" and change the profile from "A2DP Sink" to "HFP", and then back, and then I get sound.)

Heres /var/log/syslog from when I turn the Headphones on

Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (II) config/udev: Adding input device Bose QuietComfort 35 (AVRCP) (/dev/input/event27)
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (**) Bose QuietComfort 35 (AVRCP): Applying InputClass "libinput keyboard catchall"
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (II) Using input driver 'libinput' for 'Bose QuietComfort 35 (AVRCP)'
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (II) systemd-logind: got fd for /dev/input/event27 13:91 fd 113 paused 0
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (**) Bose QuietComfort 35 (AVRCP): always reports core events
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (**) Option "Device" "/dev/input/event27"
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (**) Option "_source" "server/udev"
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (II) event27 - Bose QuietComfort 35 (AVRCP): is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (II) event27 - Bose QuietComfort 35 (AVRCP): device is a keyboard
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (II) event27 - Bose QuietComfort 35 (AVRCP): device removed
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (**) Option "config_info" "udev:/sys/devices/virtual/input/input43/event27"
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (II) XINPUT: Adding extended input device "Bose QuietComfort 35 (AVRCP)" (type: KEYBOARD, id 24)
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (**) Option "xkb_model" "pc105"
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (**) Option "xkb_layout" "us"
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (WW) Option "xkb_variant" requires a string value
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (WW) Option "xkb_options" requires a string value
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (II) event27 - Bose QuietComfort 35 (AVRCP): is tagged by udev as: Keyboard
Mar 15 13:07:56 chi /usr/libexec/gdm-x-session[2566]: (II) event27 - Bose QuietComfort 35 (AVRCP): device is a keyboard
Mar 15 13:07:58 chi bluetoothd[1144]: /org/bluez/hci0/dev_2C_41_A1_09_32_EF/sep1/fd6: fd(39) ready

Keyboard? Wait, what?

UPDATE: still no solution -- now I'm getting pop-ups saying "Authorization Request for Bose QuietComfort 35, Service: Remote Control". I keep clicking "Always Accept", but the pop-ups just keep coming!

Not sure what happened...but Firefox 86.0 on Ubuntu 20.10 is suddenly ignores ALL sound settings

1. Playback via internal speakers, even when everything else goes through headset
2. Ignoring system volume settings -- using function keys to increase/decrease sound has no effect.

All this stuff works in Chrome on the same system.

UPDATE: I've noticed that if I disconnect the bluetooth headset, then FF at least respects the system volume settings.

I'm using Ubuntu 20.10, with MATE desktop environment installed.

When my laptop wakes from hibernation (by opening the lid), I see the MATE login screen for a bit. Even if I type my password in there, the system then switches to a screen with a black background (and bubbles!) that I think is the plymouth login screen.

How can I get rid of that other screen, and just leave MATE in place?

Results of dpkg -l | grep -Ei "plymouth|light-locker|xscreensaver|screensaver|lightdm|slick" :

ii  cinnamon-screensaver                          4.6.0-2ubuntu0.1                     amd64        Cinnamon screen saver and locker
ii  libcscreensaver0:amd64                        4.6.0-2ubuntu0.1                     amd64        library and introspection data used by cinnamon-screensaver
ii  liblightdm-gobject-1-0:amd64                  1.30.0-0ubuntu3.1                    amd64        LightDM GObject client library
ii  libplymouth4:amd64                            0.9.4git20190712-0ubuntu4.1          amd64        graphical boot animation and logger - shared libraries
ii  libplymouth5:amd64                            0.9.5-0ubuntu2.1                     amd64        graphical boot animation and logger - shared libraries
ii  light-locker                                  1.8.0-1ubuntu1                       amd64        simple screen locker for lightDM display manager
ii  light-locker-settings                         1.5.0-0ubuntu4                       all          simple configuration tool for light-locker
ii  lightdm                                       1.30.0-0ubuntu3.1                    amd64        Display Manager
ii  mate-screensaver                              1.24.1-1                             amd64        MATE screen saver and locker
ii  mate-screensaver-common                       1.24.1-1                             all          MATE screen saver and locker (common files)
ii  plymouth                                      0.9.5-0ubuntu2.1                     amd64        boot animation, logger and I/O multiplexer
ii  plymouth-label                                0.9.5-0ubuntu2.1                     amd64        boot animation, logger and I/O multiplexer - label control
ii  plymouth-theme-spinner                        0.9.5-0ubuntu2.1                     amd64        boot animation, logger and I/O multiplexer - spinner theme
ii  plymouth-theme-ubuntu-logo                    0.9.5-0ubuntu2.1                     amd64        boot animation, logger and I/O multiplexer - ubuntu theme
ii  plymouth-theme-ubuntu-text                    0.9.5-0ubuntu2.1                     amd64        boot animation, logger and I/O multiplexer - ubuntu text theme
rc  xscreensaver                                  5.36-1ubuntu1                        amd64        Screensaver daemon and frontend for X11

And yes, I would like to continue using MATE as my desktop environment.

Under "power management" I have

• Put computer when inactive for: Never
• When laptop lid is closed: Suspend
• Put display to sleep when inactive for: 30 minutes

this used to work under 19.10. I've upgraded to 20.04 (Focal Fossa) and now if I leave the laptop plugged in and walk the dog, the laptop is asleep when I return. If I push the power button it resumes, but I don't want it to sleep when plugged in.

I'm just doing my usual weekly update of packages on my Ubuntu machines, and Something Went Wrong (TM). I'm seeing this in the output of "sudo apt upgrade"

Setting up linux-headers-4.15.0-36-generic (4.15.0-36.39) ...
/etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms:
Error! Could not locate dkms.conf file.
File:  does not exist.
run-parts: /etc/kernel/header_postinst.d/dkms exited with return code 4
dpkg: error processing package linux-headers-4.15.0-36-generic (--configure):
 installed linux-headers-4.15.0-36-generic package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 1

I've seen other posts about fixing missing dkms stuff, but they all seem to involve deleting files or directories, and I'm a little hesitant to do that with kernel stuff.

I tried:

sudo apt --fix-broken install

but that seems to complain about the same missing file.

Is there some invocation that will let Ubuntu fix this error?

UPDATE: nothing seems to be working to fix this. sudo apt upgrade and sudo apt dist-upgrade both try to install new kernels, but then return

/etc/kernel/postinst.d/dkms: Error! Could not locate dkms.conf file. File: does not exist.

followed by

Errors were encountered while processing: linux-headers-4.15.0-36-generic linux-headers-4.15.0-38-generic linux-headers-generic linux-generic linux-image-4.15.0-36-generic linux-image-4.15.0-38-generic E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

I'm starting to think I'm completely screwed and will have no choice but to re-install Ubuntu (again. sigh.)

are there any diagnostic tools to help me figure out how the system is trying (and failing) to do DNS resolution? Ideally something that says "I'm using systemd-resolved or dnsmasq or whatever, and I'm trying to contact server x.x.x.x"

Bonus points for telling me if we're trying to do IPv4 or IPv6 resolution.

EDIT/CLARIFICATION:

So here's the problem I'm trying to solve:

chris@mu:~$ dig dl.google.com

; <<>> DiG 9.11.3-1ubuntu1.1-Ubuntu <<>> dl.google.com
;; global options: +cmd
;; connection timed out; no servers could be reached

What I'm trying to figure out here is:

1. What service is being asked to resolve the DNS lookup for me. It seems that it could be systemd-resolved, or dnsmasq or resolvconf (and I'm not even sure if that last one is a DNS resolver). This is important because it would tell me what configurations I should be looking at.
2. What "upstream" DNS servers are being queried. That should come out of the configuration stuff, but I'd like to be able to confirm.

I just went through upgrading a bunch of machines to Zesty today. Most of the machines went fine, one is being a PITA. I had to go back a release and fix broken packages. But now I'm on Zesty (I think). But sudo apt update is croaking with

W: GPG error: http://archive.canonical.com precise Release: The following signatures were invalid: 630239CC130E1A7FD81A27B140976EAF437D05B5
E: The repository 'http://archive.canonical.com precise Release' is not signed.
N: Updating from such a repository can't be done securely, and is therefore disabled by default.
N: See apt-secure(8) manpage for repository creation and user configuration details.

I've see a bunch of related questions here, but before you mark this as a duplicate:

1) I'm not getting BADSIG or NODATA or any other kind of hint. Just "signatures were invalid".

2) I've tried moving/recreating /var/lib/apt/lists/ and it doesn't change anything.

3) I can't tell if that error message is actually stopping the search for upgraded packages, or if it's just something informational.

4) I have no idea why "precise" is in the mix at all. that was 10+ releases ago

5) I'm sorry for asking too many questions on one post :)

I was poking around in my /var/log directory, and I noticed that the conntrackd-stats.log file is 150Mb, and getting a new entry every second. The logs look like this. Am I unwittingly hosting something nasty?

Sat Nov 12 19:07:07 2016        tcp      6 src=::1 dst=::1 sport=54208 dport=4101 [UNREPLIED] src=::1 dst=::1 sport=4101 dport=54208 
Sat Nov 12 19:07:07 2016        tcp      6 src=::1 dst=::1 sport=54212 dport=4101 [UNREPLIED] src=::1 dst=::1 sport=4101 dport=54212 
Sat Nov 12 19:07:08 2016        tcp      6 src=::1 dst=::1 sport=54216 dport=4101 [UNREPLIED] src=::1 dst=::1 sport=4101 dport=54216 
Sat Nov 12 19:07:08 2016        tcp      6 src=::1 dst=::1 sport=54220 dport=4101 [UNREPLIED] src=::1 dst=::1 sport=4101 dport=54220 
Sat Nov 12 19:07:08 2016        tcp      6 src=::1 dst=::1 sport=54224 dport=4101 [UNREPLIED] src=::1 dst=::1 sport=4101 dport=54224

When I get to the office in the morning, I attach my 5X to my personal laptop via USB and start the laptop (cold boot). I tell the phone to tether with the laptop, and everything works great.

At lunch, I disconnect the phone and go get something to eat. After lunch, I return to my desk and re-connect the phone. I get a message saying "You are connected to Wired Connection 4", and I seem to have an IP address (based on /sbin/ifconfig). But whenever I try to connect to a website, I get "Host could not be resolved".

If I kill and restart network manager, it all works. If I reboot the system, it all works. But I don't want to do those things.

this all worked fine in 16.04, the problem appeared when I upgraded to 16.10

I'm running Ubuntu 16.10 + Cinnamon on my workstation. The machine is old (probably 7+ years), but it is still an i7 with 24Gb of RAM. I also have a GEForce 210 and I'm running the NVIDIA binary driver, version 340.98.

Starting up programs seems to take forever. For example, I just started a UXTerm. It took three seconds to draw the window, and 21 seconds (!) before I had a prompt that I could type at. (Subsequent launches are quicker, on the order of 1 second to draw the window, and 8 seconds to get the prompt.)

Any thoughts on what I might be able to do to speed this stuff up?

I just applied a bunch of recommended updates this morning (which seems to have upgraded the kernel to 3.8.0-32.47), and suddenly I cannot connect to the machine on port 80 (http) or 22 (ssh). Ping still works. In addition, my syslog and kern.log are filling up with messages like

Oct 22 10:43:27 mu kernel: [ 4041.036862] Inbound IN=eth0 OUT= MAC=6c:62:6d:c8:b0:d3:18:03:73:34:81:b8:08:00 SRC=192.168.212.43 DST=192.168.212.56 LEN=48 TOS=0x00 PREC=0x00 TTL=128 ID=17389 DF PROTO=TCP SPT=59502 DPT=80 WINDOW=8192 RES=0x00 SYN URGP=0 

I can connect to the web server locally, so this smells like a firewall issue to me. I've tried:

• doing "reset firewall" from inside GUFW
• doing "sudo ufw allow 80" and "sudo ufw allow 22" from the command line

and that is not working. So I went and looked at "sudo iptables -L", and I'm getting this, but I don't understand the output (I have hidden my employer's domain with "example.com")

Chain INPUT (policy ACCEPT)
target     prot opt source               destination         
ACCEPT     tcp  --  ad1.example.com  anywhere             tcpflags:! FIN,SYN,RST,ACK/SYN
ACCEPT     udp  --  ad1.example.com  anywhere            
ACCEPT     tcp  --  ad2.example.com  anywhere             tcpflags:! FIN,SYN,RST,ACK/SYN
ACCEPT     udp  --  ad2.example.com  anywhere            
ACCEPT     tcp  --  ad3.example.com  anywhere             tcpflags:! FIN,SYN,RST,ACK/SYN
ACCEPT     udp  --  ad3.example.com  anywhere            
ACCEPT     all  --  anywhere             anywhere            
ACCEPT     icmp --  anywhere             anywhere             limit: avg 10/sec burst 5
DROP       all  --  anywhere             255.255.255.255     
DROP       all  --  anywhere             192.168.212.255     
DROP       all  --  base-address.mcast.net/8  anywhere            
DROP       all  --  anywhere             base-address.mcast.net/8 
DROP       all  --  255.255.255.255      anywhere            
DROP       all  --  anywhere             0.0.0.0             
DROP       all  --  anywhere             anywhere             state INVALID
LSI        all  -f  anywhere             anywhere             limit: avg 10/min burst 5
INBOUND    all  --  anywhere             anywhere            
LOG_FILTER  all  --  anywhere             anywhere            
LOG        all  --  anywhere             anywhere             LOG level info prefix "Unknown Input"
ACCEPT     tcp  --  anywhere             anywhere             tcp dpt:http
ufw-before-logging-input  all  --  anywhere             anywhere            
ufw-before-input  all  --  anywhere             anywhere            
ufw-after-input  all  --  anywhere             anywhere            
ufw-after-logging-input  all  --  anywhere             anywhere            
ufw-reject-input  all  --  anywhere             anywhere            
ufw-track-input  all  --  anywhere             anywhere            
ACCEPT     tcp  --  anywhere             anywhere             tcp dpt:http

Any idea what I've done wrong? Or how to fix it? (I think I'm about to learn a lot about iptables.)

UPDATE

Unsurprisingly, other services on the machine (MySQL) are not responding either. nmap is telling me that the ports are open, tho

chris@mu:/var/log$ nmap 192.168.212.56

Starting Nmap 6.00 ( http://nmap.org ) at 2013-10-22 10:55 EDT
Nmap scan report for sentry (192.168.212.56)
Host is up (0.00030s latency).
Not shown: 993 closed ports
PORT     STATE SERVICE
22/tcp   open  ssh
80/tcp   open  http
111/tcp  open  rpcbind
139/tcp  open  netbios-ssn
445/tcp  open  microsoft-ds
3306/tcp open  mysql
5666/tcp open  nrpe

Until sometime last night, I had remmina working fine. I could run RDP through an SSH tunnel and all was well.

Then it stopped working. I can get as far as the password dialog for my work machine, but then it just says Cannot connect to RDP server localhost.

I can't even find any logs that look interesting. I've re-installed remmina, cleared my .remmina directory, restarted my machine, and even restarted my gateway.

Just to make it really weird, my laptop (which has the same setup -- latest Ubuntu and Remmina) can make the connection just fine. It is even going through the same router, albeit wirelessly.

Any thoughts?