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submitted 4 months ago by PumpkinDrama@reddthat.com to c/linux@lemmy.ml

I use Manjaro Linux with the Cinnamon desktop and sometimes run into system-level issues, but I have no idea how to properly debug them. It doesn’t feel as straightforward as debugging a normal program. What’s the best way or resource to learn system debugging on Linux?

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[-] FigMcLargeHuge@sh.itjust.works 9 points 4 months ago* (last edited 4 months ago)

Just as a general rule, I would start checking log files. You can start by searching /var/log for files that have been modified in the last few mins with something like "sudo find /var/log -mmin -10 -ls 2>/dev/null". That will get you all log files in /var/log changed within the last 10 mins. Then you can tail those or grep them looking for clues. I have done searches of the entire file system looking for log files that were recently modified to find clues. It might also help to send the output to a file so you can view that and scroll up and down rather than just trying to read the output of the find, tail or grep commands. Put a "1>/{path}/filenameyouwanttouse.out" at the end of the command or you can pipe it to the tee command and it will show on the screen and write to the file you specify.

this post was submitted on 16 Oct 2025
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Linux is a family of open source Unix-like operating systems based on the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released on September 17, 1991 by Linus Torvalds. Linux is typically packaged in a Linux distribution (or distro for short).

Distributions include the Linux kernel and supporting system software and libraries, many of which are provided by the GNU Project. Many Linux distributions use the word "Linux" in their name, but the Free Software Foundation uses the name GNU/Linux to emphasize the importance of GNU software, causing some controversy.

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