a start job is running for create volatile files and directories

Julian Brooks

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Jun 12, 2015, 5:00:07 AM6/12/15

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Hi all,

I have this message
"a start job is running for create volatile files and directories"

when booting. There is then a "n's/no limit" while it counts up to approx 1m30'ish and then carries on booting.

I'm pretty sure it's to do with installing printer drivers (from searching around) but I'd like to keep the printer driver.

How can I make this go away?

Had it on Debian 7 and have updated to 8 with no change in behaviour.

Checked in the archives and can't find anything, or at least that text string.

Many thanks in advance,

Julian

to...@tuxteam.de

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Jun 12, 2015, 7:10:04 AM6/12/15

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-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

On Fri, Jun 12, 2015 at 09:55:53AM +0100, Julian Brooks wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I have this message
> "a start job is running for create volatile files and directories"
> when booting. There is then a "n's/no limit" while it counts up to approx
> 1m30'ish and then carries on booting.
>
> I'm pretty sure it's to do with installing printer drivers (from searching
> around) but I'd like to keep the printer driver.
>
> How can I make this go away?

Duckducking around, I find these, which might be relevant:

<https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=766092>
<http://forums.debian.net/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=118008> (currently unreachable)
<http://www.reddit.com/r/debian/comments/2jyquk/systemd_issue_at_boot_a_start_job_is_running_for/>
<https://forum.manjaro.org/index.php?topic=20077.0>
<http://xyzmind.blogspot.com/2015/01/solving-start-job-is-running-for-create.html>

I didn't dive into all, but a very superficial perusal seems to suggest
an unhappy combination of systemd, wrong kernel version and/or too many
files in /tmp (yes, it sounds crazy).

Oh, and... keep us posted :-)

Hope that helps
- -- t
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Julian Brooks

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Jun 12, 2015, 7:50:03 AM6/12/15

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Hi Tomas,

Cheers for the response.

Ok - seems it would be useful to get to grips with 'chroot'.

Also from recent posts it's not just me that finds printers a ball-ache.

Would be happy with a quick dirty fix tbh. I know the Right thing would be to track it down and sort it properly but could I, for example, locate what's setting the 'no limit' and set that to 10ms? Or something.

Jb

to...@tuxteam.de

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Jun 12, 2015, 8:20:05 AM6/12/15

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-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
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On Fri, Jun 12, 2015 at 12:44:39PM +0100, Julian Brooks wrote:
> Hi Tomas,
>
> Cheers for the response.
>
> Ok - seems it would be useful to get to grips with 'chroot'.

Sorry -- I lost you: what has this to do with chroot?

> Also from recent posts it's not just me that finds printers a ball-ache.

I don't like printers either (the devices; the people are a quite nice
species, but on its way to extinction, but I disgress). As far as I can see
the problem (in my short reading, of the refs, I admit) hasn't got directly
to do with printers)

> Would be happy with a quick dirty fix tbh. I know the Right thing would be
> to track it down and sort it properly but could I, for example, locate
> what's setting the 'no limit' and set that to 10ms? Or something.

- From my reading of the refs, I'd try to see whether there are loads of
files in /tmp, compare your kernel version with the one mentioned on
one of the refs.

regards

- -- t
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=HCE0

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Julian Brooks

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Jun 12, 2015, 9:50:05 AM6/12/15

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"what has this to do with chroot?"

THe reddit link mentions several times using chroot.

Tmp folder has a couple of these type folders
'systemd-private-3d781014447746cca13e925310f41100-cups.service-b2Piz4', with empty tmp folders inside

systemd also comes up in the links as a possible culprit
but there isn't loads of files in tmp as mentioned in several links.

Will do more digging and report back.