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Gnome Shell Integration woes?

Finston Pickle

Wed Jan 17, 2018 9:40:53 am

I was going to Post this via my other Z 9 laptop, but after yet another power off and restart, my Zorin 12.2 Ultimate laptop is working fine again and this time with no notification as mentioned below, so perhaps the problem is linked. Also, I am now running on DNS automatic and all my browsers are working fine now. At the moment, I can access https://extensions.gnome.org/local/ on my browser and everything looks normal. My favourite of “Gnome Shell Integration” is still absent. Do I leave “what is running well” well alone?? - OR intervene??


Here is the text I wrote when nothing would work yesterday:

Things have not been going well with my Zorin 12.2 Ultimate (see my other posting search.php?search_id=egosearch) DNS lookup; TLS handshaking, resolving things (whatever that is), waiting for “website x” and several other issues that I don't understand and can't remember.

I never had any of these difficulties with Zorin 9, but Zorin12 has been a comparative nightmare in comparison.

What can the solution be? - I may have to forget Wi-Fi and rely upon an Ethernet connection - it's about the only thing that I haven't tried. The only DNS name-server that I have not tried is OpenDNS.

One minute things are going swimmingly and the next I am unable to access Google or what ever Website I am trying to browse - most frustrating!! Now no browser will connect to anything!!

Does anyone have similar trouble and any solutions?


Note. I have also been getting a strange notification. which pops up as about a 5 point on my 15.6 in laptop HD screen (i.e. virtually unreadable) and then disappears. By trial and error, I found out that placing the cursor over it seems to keep it in view for long enough for me to have a stab at what it says. Which is something like:


Gnome Shell Integration

Failed to check extension updates HTTPS ConnectionPool host = extensions.gnome.org port = 443 Max retries exceeded with url:/update-info/... (Caused by New Connection Error (requests package urllib3 connection verified HTTPS connection object at 0x7130c41c048 Failed to establish a new connection (Ermo-2) Name or service not known))”

This appeared as a notification after the trouble recurred and my favourite of “Gnome Shell Integration” has disappeared (Although things still look like Zorin) - could it be responsible? - If so, what can I do to cure it?

zorinantwerp

Wed Jan 17, 2018 11:11:07 am

Hi
not getting internet connected drives me crazy so I understand your frustration .
- I would - at first - connect via ethernet and monitor events
- I would update your GNOME extensions

good luck

Swarfendor437

Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:12:18 pm

Hi, first off with regards things in general, have you connected via ethernet, booted into advanced recovery mode, run dpkg to check for missing packages, install them, switch off (NOT Continue) and reboot? Have you gone to your ISP website and checked status of Network Provider? Do you have access to a Windows machine and INSSIDER to compare what channel you are using compared to your neighbours? Are there any Steel Joists in between your laptop and the router? Are you close to a microwave oven? Have you installed the necessary browser extension to enable Gnome extension integration? - this would stop your error messages unless you have a wifi issue. If you have Android device install Keuwlsoft Wifi Analyser which will show all wifi in your immediate vicinity. If I can think of anything else I will post back here. ;) :D

zorinantwerp

Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:00:38 pm

Swarfendor437 wrote: Are you close to a microwave oven?

the microwave did it :mrgreen:

Finston Pickle

Fri Jan 19, 2018 3:08:39 pm

Well, since I posted, things have gone swimmingly - thank goodness!!

Everything normal, with an excellent browsing experience using WiFi and no notifications of any kind.

The only thing I can put it down to is that I powered off and left the laptop overnight before firing up again. It has worked perfectly from then on.

The reason for the slight delay in posting is that I did an "install of" the latest updates, a "backups" of my data and a "Redo" of my O/S - whilst it is running so well.

At the moment, I am now of the persuasion to "leave what is running well well alone".

However, thanks for your suggestions - which I will investigate and persue as necessary.

I will close the thread in a day or two.

Finston Pickle

Thu Jan 25, 2018 9:41:49 am

Just when I thought I was safe!

Software Updater popped open to say there was new software available and that I had to power off and on for the last software update to be incorporated (I had not had this power off/on request when I last updated the software).

Dutifully, I powered off then on.

What the heck! - the weird notification about gnome shell extensions not updating (I think) popped up and then disappeared - before I could remember the trick to be able to read it.

Why is it that these notifications can not be opened so the don't disappear, or have the ability to blow them up a bit so you can read them, or even be able to copy them for analysis of the problem, I wonder. One minute they are there, unreadable and the next, they are gone??

Anyway, darn it I thought, I can access https://extensions.gnome.org/ and manually update all the gnome shell extensions that I have installed. Great plan!

Not so great in practice - as you will read below.

Fortunately most of the gnome shell extensions which had the green flower icon (which showed something like “update extension” when you hovered over it) were switched OFF on my laptop. The only one seemingly requiring an update that was switched ON was “user themes”.

I worked my way down the list (about nine extension) with most updating (with some actually switching themselves to ON after installing - I switched them to OFF) after showing a install button on a pop up window, which I clicked. All apart from three - which all came up with ERROR - including “user themes”. With some twoing and frowing, I was able to get a “Delete” button showing, so I deleted the two which had been set to OFF.

Then I noticed something strange had happened to my screen - a black line - something to do with extension but again so very small as to be illegible:

I have tried to upload the screenshot but got an "entity too large" screen - I will try another posting.

In desperation, I also managed to delete “user themes” - thinking that if everything went belly up, I always had a “Redo” copy of my HDD - when everything was OK. Then I powered off for the night.

This morning I fired up and everything seemed normal apart from the lower bar showing “Applications”, “Places” and a boxed “1” - which shows “Workspace” when right clicked:

I have tried to upload the screenshot but got an "entity too large" screen - I will try another posting.

What has happened? Is this normal via the software update? Do I need to reinstall gnome shell extensions “user themes”? If so how without getting ERROR?

I am sorry that this is such a long posting.

zorinantwerp

Thu Jan 25, 2018 9:52:58 am

Hi Finston, there must be a gnome log file somewhere..

+++

Swarfendor437

Thu Jan 25, 2018 1:04:11 pm

Finston Pickle

Thu Jan 25, 2018 1:48:16 pm

What I saw last night:

Screenshot from 2018-01-24 19-55-14a.png



and today:

Screenshot from 2018-01-25 09-29-28a.png


What is going on?

Finston Pickle

Thu Jan 25, 2018 1:58:35 pm

Sorry, Swarf - I did not take your warning in - I fell right into the symptoms you described.

I wonder if the notification of not being able to update was part of a wider problem.

However, it does look as though I should install "User Themes" when they are behaving again.

How will we find out when Gnome shell extensions are working normally again? And should this reverse whay I am seeing?


Thanks, Zorinantwerp - where would I find the gnome logfile, please?

zorinantwerp

Thu Jan 25, 2018 9:13:11 pm

Finston Pickle wrote:Thanks, Zorinantwerp - where would I find the gnome logfile, please?

can this helps you
Code:
https://help.gnome.org/users/gnome-system-log/3.8/introduction.html.en


+++

Swarfendor437

Thu Jan 25, 2018 10:43:03 pm

Finston Pickle wrote:Sorry, Swarf - I did not take your warning in - I fell right into the symptoms you described.

I wonder if the notification of not being able to update was part of a wider problem.

However, it does look as though I should install "User Themes" when they are behaving again.

How will we find out when Gnome shell extensions are working normally again? And should this reverse whay I am seeing?


Thanks, Zorinantwerp - where would I find the gnome logfile, please?


Hi Finston,

This is the only issue with Gnome Shell - what you have to remember is that the extensions are separate individuals submissions and therefore it could be possible to install an extension that interferes with other extensions and could explain why in the early days of 12.1 the Panel would go missing and no Gnome Tweak Tool present in the distribution to restore it. Applications and Places is only used normally in the traditional 'Gnome Desktop' with the Panel at the top. It could also be due to the fact that Ubuntu uses systemd that caused a lot of furore in the Debian channel, as it replaced SysV init. ;)

Finston Pickle

Fri Feb 02, 2018 1:19:53 pm

Another week and another notification popping up - saying the same thing as before - as far as I can tell (It was truncated and about 5 point)!

Firstly, how do you capture a notification so you can really see it and perhaps copy it to the clipboard. As soon as I click on mine it disappears for some reason.

Secondly, how can it be picking up something that can't be updated when I updated every Gnome Shell Extension that I am using manually (and paid the price of "Applications" and "Places" appearing at the bottom of my screen). Is there some way of turning Gnome Shell Extensionupdates off?

Swarfendor437

Fri Feb 02, 2018 1:27:42 pm

Hi Finston, If you miss a notification it is stored next to your calendar next to clock when you click on the clock on the right side of the panel.

As for turning off:

https://askubuntu.com/questions/914532/ ... ons#945409

zorinantwerp

Sun Feb 04, 2018 4:24:00 pm

Finston Pickle wrote:
Thanks, Zorinantwerp - where would I find the gnome logfile, please?


sorry but overlooked your question. I am not sure but I would check out here.

Image

+++

Finston Pickle

Tue Feb 06, 2018 8:45:00 am

Hi, Zorinantwerp.

Sorry to still pursue this one, but where do you find "Logs"?

UPDATE

I engaged brain then tried typing "logs" above Blue Zorin "Z" - and there it was.

Quite worrying - lots of important looking stuff going AWOL, seemingly!

Its a wonder everything seems to be working normally - I couldn't see the woods for the trees!


Then I remembered the Windows system logs, I used to look at - loads of things, wrong but the system somehow working fine.

Perhaps best to leave what is running well, well alone.

Finston Pickle

Tue Feb 06, 2018 9:17:28 am

Hi, Swarf.

Yesterday, as per the link you posted, I Selected "extensions" in the menu on the left, then clicked the "Preferences" button next to "GNOME Shell Integration" - Scrolled to the bottom of the page, and disabled the option "Check for extensions update". I did this in both Chrome and Firefox.

This morning the pesky notification was back!

I can see it above the clock but no way to open up its full content - just a cryptic line and about of 5 point - virtually illegible on my HD screen. It disappears when I click on it.

Would I have to do a power off and restart to stop "Check for extensions update"


P.S. From the link it seems as though the inbuilt check that I am trying to remove is redundant anyway - as your chosen extensions are updated, as necessary, by your package manager. The only ones of mine which showed "Update required" were ones I was not using - with one exception "User Themes". Strangely my package manager had forgotten about it, I guess.