systemd.unit=rescue.target

Just another quick one liner: a Grub config argument which I had to dig for but which is really useful when this sort of thing happens

Faced with a server that was rebooting after an upgrade and dropping to sytemd emergency target:

Rebooting and adding

ssytemd.unit=rescue.target

to the end of the Linux command line in the Grub config as the machine booted and then pressing F10 allowed me to drop to a full featured rescue environment with read/write access to the disk and to sort out the partial upgrade mess.

Debian BSP Cambridge March 10th 2019 - post 2

Lots of very busy people chasing down bugs. A couple of folk have left. It's a good day and very productive: thanks to Steve an Jo, as ever, for food, coffee, coffee, beds and coffee.

Debian BSP Cambridge 10th March 2019

Folks are starting to turn up this morning. Kitchen full of people talking and cooking sausages and talking. A quiet room except for Pepper the dog chasing squeaky toys and people chasing into the kitchen for food. Folk are now gradually setting down to code and bug fix. All is good

Debian BSP Cambridge March 9th 2019 - post 3

Pub meal with lots of people in a crowded pub and lots of chatting. Various folk have come back to Steve's to carry on to be met with a very, very bouncy friendly dog. And on we go :)

Debian BSP Cambridge March 9th 2019 - post 2

Large amounts of conversation: on chat and simultaneously in real life. eight people sat round a dining table. Two on a sofa, me on a chair. ThinkPad quotient has increased. Lots of bugs being closed: Buster steadily becoming less RC-buggy Coffee machine is getting a hammering and Debian is improving steadily. All is good.

Debian BSP Cambridge March 9th 2019 - post 1

At Steve's. Breakfast and coffee have happened. There's a table full of developers, release managers, cables snaking all over the floor and a coffee machine. This is heaven for Debian developers (probably powered by ThinkPads). On IRC on #debian-uk (as ever) and #debian-bugs Catch up with us there

Debian 9.8 released : Desktop environments and power settings

Debian 9.8 - the latest update to Debian Stretch - was released yesterday. Updated installation media can be found at the Debian CD Netnstall page, for example, at As part of the testing, I was using a very old i686 laptop which powers down at random intervals because the battery is old. It tends to suspend almost immediately. I found that the power management settings for the Cinnamon desktop were hart to find: using a Mate disktop allowed me to find the appropriate settings in the Debian menu layout much more easily Kudos to Steve McIntyre and Andy Simpkins (amongst others) for such a good job producing and testing the Debian CDs