MM on Ubuntu

[dwburger]

Well…I learned something. I didn’t know about crontab logs and I found this command to try:

sudo grep CRON /var/log/syslog

When I did that I found this line on the end of the log:

Apr 24 10:40:01 dave-ubuntu CRON[2931]: (CRON) info (No MTA installed, discarding output)

I guess I need to install an MTA???

[sdetweil]

@dwburger said in MM on Ubuntu:

(CRON) info (No MTA installed, discarding output)

see the last answer here
https://superuser.com/questions/445347/why-is-my-crontab-not-running

but that doesn’t some why pm2 was not executed
note that you saved the pm2 config as user pi, and cron will run as root

[dwburger]

Hmmm…installed the default MTA for Ubuntu 18 which fixed the error message in the logfile, but pm2 still didn’t restart the MM2. I’m afraid I don’t really understand your note about pi versus root cron running. I can “sudo crontab -e” if that’s a better idea. I will add, my Ubuntu is starting up with its GUI and then I’m opening a terminal window to start MM2 using “pm2 start mm.sh”.

[sdetweil]

@dwburger ok, but you don’t have to do ANY of this… if you used my install script, it set pm2 to autostart on boot

to fix if you DIDN’T use my install script, use my fixuppm2 script
see
https://github.com/sdetweil/MagicMirror_scripts

read the readme.

if MM crashes, pm2 auto restarts

YOU don’t have to have any additional commands any where

[dwburger]

I may have given you the wrong impression…I really don’t know my way around Linux/Ubuntu. However, I was able to run your fixuppm2 script and I now see what you mean about not having to do anything else. I’m getting the behavior I want. When I reboot my machine MM2 starts right up. I’m getting ready to make another MM2 on a mini PC running Ubuntu. This time, I’m going to use your install script!

[dwburger]

OK…your script did a great job in getting a new MM installed onto another Ubuntu machine. There’s one odd behavior I’m noticing. When the MM2 first comes up after power-on or reboot, not all the modules get started. I have to press the key and the File -> Close. When the MM2 comes up again all is well. I’m wondering why that is??? Is it possible to place a delay in the config.js (or somewhere else) so each module has plenty of time to get started. Maybe there’s another solution to this behavior???
BTW…thanks for all your work on the installation scripts and the help you’ve provided!

[sdetweil]

@dwburger i have never seen that behavior…

do you have two entries in pm2??
show the results of

pm2 status

[dwburger]

No, just 1…MagicMirror.

[sdetweil]

@dwburger hm… what system is this on? I have 9 instances running… never seen it behave that way… MM controls all the modules

[dwburger]

This is on a MiniPC running Ubuntu 18.04.4.

[sdetweil]

@dwburger hm… my desktop is ubuntu 18.04, w MM running… on second display

[dwburger]

@sdetweil I’m using the MiniPC solely for the MM2. The MiniPC is mounted to the back of an old wall-mounted LCD monitor and serves, basically, as an information kiosk for me running clock, calendar, radar, traffic, weather and to-do list modules.

[sdetweil]

@dwburger weird…

install this module , and add it to config.js as the 1st in the module list
https://github.com/sdetweil/MMM-Logging

		{
            module: 'MMM-Logging',
            disabled: false,
            config: {
                // Module functions out of the box with nothing set here.
                // See below for configurable options.
                echoLocal: true, 
                echoRemote: true,
                overwriteBrowserMethods: true,
                format: "{{message}} ({{folder}}/{{file}}:{{line}} {{method}})",
            }
        },

stop MM via pm2,
pm2 stop 0
pm2 flush
pm2 start 0

then reboot (this is where it comes up partway, right)

[dwburger]

@sdetweil I just restarted my Ubuntu MiniPC 3 times after minimizing the MM2 window and MM2 started up perfectly each time. If it starts to act up again I’ll install the MMM-Logging module. When the problem was more evident the other day Ubuntu was displaying an error message that indicated it had some kind of issue with my WiFi and a “localhost”. I was focused on other things at the time and didn’t pay enough attention to this error message. I’ve not been receiving it lately so maybe something got resolved between my Ubuntu and my WiFi connection that also took care of this startup issue with MM2???

[sdetweil]

@dwburger said in MM on Ubuntu:

calendar, radar, traffic, weather

all of those need internet access… so its possible…
many modules do not handle lack of connection properly

[dwburger]

Right. I’ll watch more carefully for any error messages I receive from Ubuntu. Thanks!