Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

ANOKNUSA · 2014-01-14 18:17:44

After running an update a couple nights ago I found that my LUKS-on-LVM system would not boot. My system is 100% up-to-date, except for kernel 3.12.7. So long as I use 3.12.6, my LUKS+LVM setup boots just fine; if I update to 3.12.7, it doesn't boot at all (I accessed the gummiboot menu and replaced "quiet" with "verbose," but initramfs doesn't even load). I initially assumed this was related to the libgcrypt update issue some folks experienced, as it occured at precisely the same time, but since the kernel update is the only thing affecting me I'm at a loss. I've tried different mirrors, I've tried reinstalling the base group, I've tried downgrading libgcrypt, the kernel and cryptsetup and updating the former before the latter, I've tried reversing the "lvm2" and "encrypt" hooks in /etc/mkinitcpio,conf (just to rule it out), I've tried building a stock kernel from ABS---I've even tried installing the kernel and libgcrypt with the dreaded --force flag, in case a library just isn't getting properly upgraded. Nothing seems to work.

EDIT: I just installed linux-ck-sandybridge-3.12.7-2 from graysky's repo-ck repostory, and it boots fine; so it's only the stock kernel that's causing me trouble.

Last edited by ANOKNUSA (2014-01-14 18:37:23)

SimFox3 · 2014-01-15 22:16:28

I have the same problem--I'm not using any crypt or anything.

I even tried switching from gummiboot to rEFInd, but same issue. For now I booted using a live usb, and reverted to the previous kernel: linux 3.12.6.

jasonwryan · 2014-01-15 22:17:59

Long history of this happening, going back to the 3.7.x kernels. General consensus is some random UEFI bug(s)...

f4hy · 2014-01-15 22:44:18

Is there any way we could get kernels tested on UEFI machines before they go live? 3.12.6 works. but 3.12.7 makes the machine unbootable and with no way to recover without a bootable media to chroot and downgrade the package. If there is a history of this, then it needs to be tested for the issue before going live.

I am no kernel guru but there can't be that much changed in 3.12.6 to 3.12.7. I think arch should probably stay on 3.12.6 until we can figure out what changes in 3.12.7 break things. It shouldn't be acceptable to release updates make machines unbootable.

jasonwryan · 2014-01-16 02:40:52

It is not that simple; the vanilla kernel will not boot on some UEFI firmware. It varies radically from machine to machine. Read some of the older threads to get an understanding of just how capricious this bug(s) is.

guts · 2014-01-16 03:59:31

I did a fresh install today, and I was also unable to boot using gummiboot.
Installing linux-ck-3.12.7-2 as anoknusa from [1] resolved the issue.

[1] https://wiki.archlinux.org/index.php/repo-ck

SimFox3 · 2014-01-16 04:29:45

Downgrading the kernel fixed the issue, but for now I also went with the linux-ck-3.12.7-2 kernel. From what I can tell--the performance is marginally faster.

Anyway, out of curiousity, for those who are having issues with vanilla 3.12.7, what systems do you guys have?
My laptop is a Sony Vaio S15 (SVS1512) with the following BIOS:

# dmidecode
BIOS Information
Vendor: Insyde Corp.
Version: R1021C8
Release Date: 03/13/2013

zoorg · 2014-01-16 06:45:58

jasonwryan wrote:

Long history of this happening, going back to the 3.7.x kernels. General consensus is some random UEFI bug(s)...

jasonwryan wrote:

It is not that simple; the vanilla kernel will not boot on some UEFI firmware. It varies radically from machine to machine. Read some of the older threads to get an understanding of just how capricious this bug(s) is.

I just can't believe it strikes back! How much troubles I had with in times of 3.7.*...
That days my laptop was just fine and my desktop refuses to boot, and now... my desktop is ok and my new laptop gives me a black screen!

SimFox3 wrote:

Anyway, out of curiousity, for those who are having issues with vanilla 3.12.7, what systems do you guys have?

Acer Aspire S5-391:
BIOS Information
Vendor: Acer
Version: V2.06
Release Date: 02/25/2013

Also, guys, I found a way to boot on my laptop without chroot and downgrading! Here it is:
On my laptop I have both of UEFI Shells (v1 and v2) installed. (This link can help you.)
So, on my laptop if I boot into UEFI Shell first, and then boot into gummiboot again, using UEFI Shell, and then boot into Arch - it works just fine.

Last edited by zoorg (2014-01-16 06:49:02)

ANOKNUSA · 2014-01-16 16:57:38

jasonwryan wrote:

It is not that simple; the vanilla kernel will not boot on some UEFI firmware. It varies radically from machine to machine. Read some of the older threads to get an understanding of just how capricious this bug(s) is.

I recall seeing a post by you on this from a while back, while I was digging for pointers; I was hoping it wasn't as random as that (your post was why I took a stab at building the kernel from ABS, just for the hell of it). I can't understand why this would effect the stock kernel and not the patched one from Graysky, or the custom -ck kernel I built, but I'm also not a kernel hacker. My primary reason for keeping the stock kernel these days on my production machine is that Graysky sometimes seems to rebuild his kernels and update the PKGBUILD in AUR on a weekly basis, and I was looking for stability during important projects. Ah, life...

titaniumbones · 2014-03-06 05:02:20

Really hoping someone is still reading this and can point me in the right direction. I installed arch in earlyDecember with no problems. I've just upgraded the kernel (along with a number of other pakages,some 600Mb) with pacman -Syu and can no longer boot at all. This is on a Thinkpad T430s.

When attempting to boot normally, I get a black screen. Interrupting the boot sequence gives me a gummiboot menu; I can choose linux, EFI Deault Loader, or shell. Shell is incomprehensible to me. EFI default loader gives me the same options back. Choosing Linux gives me a black screen, again.

Trying to boot with the arch install media ALSO doesn't seem to work. This could be a problem with my USB key -- I only have one on hand so can't easily test.

My main question: How am I supposed to boot into my system? And once I've managed to do that, how do I get back to a working state? Do I need to downgrade my kernel or something similar?

Sorry for typoes! the old laptop I'm uing has many problem, including a partly broken keyboard. Thank you for your help!

Matt

Gcool · 2014-03-06 07:39:17

titaniumbones wrote:

My main question: How am I supposed to boot into my system? And once I've managed to do that, how do I get back to a working state? Do I need to downgrade my kernel or something similar?

Instructions on the wiki.

Arch Linux

#1 2014-01-14 18:17:44

Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

#2 2014-01-15 22:16:28

Re: Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

#3 2014-01-15 22:17:59

Re: Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

#4 2014-01-15 22:44:18

Re: Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

#5 2014-01-16 02:40:52

Re: Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

#6 2014-01-16 03:59:31

Re: Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

#7 2014-01-16 04:29:45

Re: Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

#8 2014-01-16 06:45:58

Re: Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

#9 2014-01-16 16:57:38

Re: Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

#10 2014-03-06 05:02:20

Re: Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

#11 2014-03-06 07:39:17

Re: Upgrade to linux-3.12.7-* Leaves System Unable to Boot

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