easelpad

Q: mac mini boots but won't bring up graphical console

Hello - after a building power outage, a mac mini server running Mt. Lion server *will* boot but will not bring up the main console session, e.g. no graphical interface to see Finder, System Preferences, etc.

 

I can ssh into the system and it's up -- in fact it acts as a mail server and that function is working correctly.

 

HOWEVER - it cannot bring up the main UI session - all I see is the black apple and the spinning wheel - never gets past this.

 

Have tried to boot into safe mode - doesn't happen. Have also tried PRAM reset but never get the second chime.

 

Is there a .plist or other file I can reset that will restore the UI session?

 

Any suggestions are welcomed - thank much in advance. E

Mac mini, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.5), Mt. Lion Server

Posted on Feb 25, 2016 12:19 PM

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Q: mac mini boots but won't bring up graphical console

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  • by MrHoffman,

    MrHoffman MrHoffman Feb 25, 2016 12:23 PM in response to easelpad
    Level 6 (15,612 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 25, 2016 12:23 PM in response to easelpad

    If the PRAM and SMC have been tried and if a Safe Mode boot doesn't get you access, then see if the console logs point to a culprit, then get a backup and reinstall OS X, and if all that fails, then take it in for service, and order a less-interruptable power supply.

  • by easelpad,

    easelpad easelpad Feb 25, 2016 12:50 PM in response to MrHoffman
    Level 1 (29 points)
    Audio
    Feb 25, 2016 12:50 PM in response to MrHoffman

    Thank you. I do have access, but not aqua, e.g., main graphical UI access. I can successfully ssh in and can look at logs, etc.

     

    For a host of reasons, we are not able to just rebuild the OS - this is an active mail server and so trouble shooting is preferable to what you suggested.

     

    Basically, the launch task failed. So, what I'm looking for is a way to restart the visual UI - in the past this was a restart of the entire Aqua entity.

     

    I just tried to unload / load the servermgrd service using:

     

    1. launchctl unload /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.servermgrd.plist
    2. (moved /var/servermgrd to /var/servermgrd.orig
    3. launchctl load /System/Library/LaunchDaemons/com.apple.servermgrd.plist

     

    Do you have a few remote command line or remote visual server admin things we can try? Thanks much. E

  • by MrHoffman,

    MrHoffman MrHoffman Feb 25, 2016 1:53 PM in response to easelpad
    Level 6 (15,612 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 25, 2016 1:53 PM in response to easelpad

    Guessing at the trigger here without supporting data on the failure, from logs or elsewhere — on a production server — doesn't necessarily end well.


    This could well be a nascent disk corruption or disk failure, for instance.


    OS X really doesn't like having its power yanked, unfortunately.


    I'd buy another Mac Mini — they're cheap — clone the disk, and troubleshoot there.   Or would migrate users there.

  • by easelpad,

    easelpad easelpad Feb 25, 2016 6:35 PM in response to MrHoffman
    Level 1 (29 points)
    Audio
    Feb 25, 2016 6:35 PM in response to MrHoffman

    Thanks - do appreciate your insights and cautions.

     

    Was able to single user boot from the system in and ran fsck a couple of times which fixed a number of issues and ultimately pronounced the disk OK.

     

    For those that need to know the process -- shut down the system and on reboot *after* the audible chime hold down CMD+S and that will put you into single user mode.

     

    From there at the # enter fsck -fy

     

    However on reboot same UI hang - sshing in and oding a top shows a number of processes either stuck or sleeping.

     

    So, if you have a suggestion on how to clear or 'unstick' them, that would be most appreciated. Thanks again for your suggestions. E

  • by MrHoffman,

    MrHoffman MrHoffman Feb 26, 2016 5:51 AM in response to easelpad
    Level 6 (15,612 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 26, 2016 5:51 AM in response to easelpad

    What's in the console logs, related to the errors?   Look in /var/log/system.log to start with.


    fsck is ineffective against many common storage corruptions, such as most any run-time application corruptions, and also ineffective at detecting various sorts of hardware errors.

  • by easelpad,

    easelpad easelpad Feb 26, 2016 10:31 AM in response to MrHoffman
    Level 1 (29 points)
    Audio
    Feb 26, 2016 10:31 AM in response to MrHoffman

    Thanks for that. Various processes fail, as servermgrd is not receiving requests and therefore shuts down. For example, jabberd complains it can't find certain items. Almost every error or log entry has to do with either jabberd, servermgrd or launchd. If memory serves a number of applications were likely running at the time it lost power, to include server, server manager, mail, probably safari, etc.

     

    Also, there is in fact a crash report for cvlabel.

     

    After much research the thought is that perhaps the login profile for the user it's attempting to autologin is corrupt.

     

    Is there a way via ssh remotely to disable autologin? If so, I could try to login with various other user accounts (there are only a few on this system).

     

    Again, thank you for your suggestions.  E

  • by MrHoffman,

    MrHoffman MrHoffman Feb 26, 2016 12:52 PM in response to easelpad
    Level 6 (15,612 points)
    Mac OS X
    Feb 26, 2016 12:52 PM in response to easelpad

    There aren't automatic logins here; not GUI-based logins.

     

    OS X Server uses various users (such as _www for Apache) to run various services.

     

    Reinstall.    I'm going to assume there are no current backups, nor any available backup server hardware.   Generate current disk backups while booted from an external bootable device onto one or (preferably) more external USB devices (keeping all but one copy offline), and reinstall OS X and Server.app and migrate in your data from the external backup, and see if that works any better.


    As mentioned earlier, I'd acquire and restore to a backup server, and test on that.   That backup server can also be used for production, and this server — assuming there are no hardware problems — can then provide backup services for DNS, SMTP and other server functions.

     

    Picking through a corrupted carcass can be more than a little work, may not be fruitful, and it's still not clear to me whether this is a corruption, or a hardware error.

  • by easelpad,

    easelpad easelpad Feb 27, 2016 9:50 AM in response to MrHoffman
    Level 1 (29 points)
    Audio
    Feb 27, 2016 9:50 AM in response to MrHoffman

    There most certainly are auto logins - when the system boots it is set to autologin a particular user.

     

    There are in fact TimeMachine backups.

     

    The just rebuild the system approach is sloppy - if your car had engine trouble you wouldn't just say, well just scrap it - would you. Same is true for people who can't be bothered to trouble shoot board level issues in hardware - it's not convenient and they've never seen the other end of a meter, microscope, or soldering iron.

     

    Thanks.