Arch Linux

estov

Member

Registered: 2015-05-22

Posts: 29

SOLVED on my own but... : Kernel panic on every boot after update

I recently issued pacman -Syu to update my system. After a reboot the system wouldn't start but end up in a kernel panic instead (blue screen). I could read that it couldn't find a root partition (or something similar). I did another reboot and ordered Grub to start the initramfs-linux-fallback.img. Which worked as expected.
I did

# mkinitcpio -p linux

which fixed my system. However I am wondering how could this happen ? I'm not a complete noob but I'd like to know / understand what I could have done "better".  Or do such things happen from time to time ?

Here's the log of the aforementioned update:

[2024-12-19T19:41:01+0100] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -Syu'
[2024-12-19T19:41:01+0100] [PACMAN] synchronizing package lists
[2024-12-19T19:41:05+0100] [PACMAN] starting full system upgrade
[2024-12-20T17:15:24+0100] [PACMAN] Running 'pacman -Syu'
[2024-12-20T17:15:24+0100] [PACMAN] synchronizing package lists
[2024-12-20T17:15:27+0100] [PACMAN] starting full system upgrade
[2024-12-20T17:15:43+0100] [ALPM] transaction started
[2024-12-20T17:15:43+0100] [ALPM] upgraded kbd (2.7-1 -> 2.7.1-1)
[2024-12-20T17:15:43+0100] [ALPM] upgraded dolphin (24.12.0-1 -> 24.12.0.1-1)
[2024-12-20T17:15:43+0100] [ALPM] upgraded ostree (2024.9-1 -> 2024.10-1)
[2024-12-20T17:15:43+0100] [ALPM] upgraded shiboken6 (6.8.1-1 -> 6.8.1.1-1)
[2024-12-20T17:15:43+0100] [ALPM] upgraded pyside6 (6.8.1-1 -> 6.8.1.1-1)
[2024-12-20T17:15:43+0100] [ALPM] transaction completed
[2024-12-20T17:15:43+0100] [ALPM] running '30-systemd-daemon-reload-system.hook'...
[2024-12-20T17:15:44+0100] [ALPM] running '30-systemd-daemon-reload-user.hook'...
[2024-12-20T17:15:44+0100] [ALPM] running '30-systemd-restart-marked.hook'...
[2024-12-20T17:15:45+0100] [ALPM] running '30-systemd-tmpfiles.hook'...
[2024-12-20T17:15:45+0100] [ALPM] running '30-systemd-update.hook'...
[2024-12-20T17:15:45+0100] [ALPM] running '90-mkinitcpio-install.hook'...
[2024-12-20T17:15:45+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Building image from preset: /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux.preset: 'default'
[2024-12-20T17:15:45+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Using default configuration file: '/etc/mkinitcpio.conf'
[2024-12-20T17:15:45+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> -k /boot/vmlinuz-linux -g /boot/initramfs-linux.img
[2024-12-20T17:15:45+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Starting build: '6.12.4-arch1-1'
[2024-12-20T17:15:45+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [base]
[2024-12-20T17:15:47+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [udev]
[2024-12-20T17:15:48+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [autodetect]
[2024-12-20T17:15:48+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [microcode]
[2024-12-20T17:15:48+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [modconf]
[2024-12-20T17:15:48+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [kms]
[2024-12-20T17:16:03+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [keyboard]
[2024-12-20T17:16:03+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [keymap]
[2024-12-20T17:16:03+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [consolefont]
[2024-12-20T17:16:03+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: consolefont: no font found in configuration
[2024-12-20T17:16:03+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [block]
[2024-12-20T17:16:04+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [filesystems]
[2024-12-20T17:16:05+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [fsck]
[2024-12-20T17:16:06+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Generating module dependencies
[2024-12-20T17:16:06+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Creating zstd-compressed initcpio image: '/boot/initramfs-linux.img'
[2024-12-20T17:16:07+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Early uncompressed CPIO image generation successful
[2024-12-20T17:16:08+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Initcpio image generation successful
[2024-12-20T17:16:08+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Building image from preset: /etc/mkinitcpio.d/linux.preset: 'fallback'
[2024-12-20T17:16:08+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Using default configuration file: '/etc/mkinitcpio.conf'
[2024-12-20T17:16:08+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> -k /boot/vmlinuz-linux -g /boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img -S autodetect
[2024-12-20T17:16:08+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Starting build: '6.12.4-arch1-1'
[2024-12-20T17:16:08+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [base]
[2024-12-20T17:16:10+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [udev]
[2024-12-20T17:16:11+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [microcode]
[2024-12-20T17:16:11+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [modconf]
[2024-12-20T17:16:11+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [kms]
[2024-12-20T17:16:31+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: 'ast'
[2024-12-20T17:16:33+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [keyboard]
[2024-12-20T17:16:33+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: 'xhci_pci_renesas'
[2024-12-20T17:16:37+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [keymap]
[2024-12-20T17:16:37+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [consolefont]
[2024-12-20T17:16:37+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: consolefont: no font found in configuration
[2024-12-20T17:16:37+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [block]
[2024-12-20T17:16:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: 'qed'
[2024-12-20T17:16:39+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: 'qla2xxx'
[2024-12-20T17:16:40+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: 'bfa'
[2024-12-20T17:16:40+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: 'wd719x'
[2024-12-20T17:16:40+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: 'aic94xx'
[2024-12-20T17:16:40+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> WARNING: Possibly missing firmware for module: 'qla1280'
[2024-12-20T17:16:46+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [filesystems]
[2024-12-20T17:16:50+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Running build hook: [fsck]
[2024-12-20T17:16:58+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Generating module dependencies
[2024-12-20T17:16:59+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Creating zstd-compressed initcpio image: '/boot/initramfs-linux-fallback.img'
[2024-12-20T17:17:03+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET]   -> Early uncompressed CPIO image generation successful
[2024-12-20T17:17:03+0100] [ALPM-SCRIPTLET] ==> Initcpio image generation successful
[2024-12-20T17:17:04+0100] [ALPM] running 'gtk-update-icon-cache.hook'...
[2024-12-20T17:17:04+0100] [ALPM] running 'update-desktop-database.hook'...

cryptearth

Member

Registered: 2024-02-03

Posts: 2,164

Re: SOLVED on my own but... : Kernel panic on every boot after update

this issue usually happens when the boot files are not updated correctly and thereby get out of sync with the files installed on the os - this causes version mismatches between the kernel trying to boot and the drivers it tries to load - which fails and thereby the boot fails
what exactly the difference is with the fallback initrd - I'm not sure - but if it helped to boot you should check /boot and your ESP

- if /boot is a mountpoint
for some reason the partition usually mounted to /boot wasn't mounted and hence instead of finding a partition there it's just an empty folder
if you now update the kernel and mkinitcpio is run both the new kernel and the initrd belong to it get placed inside the regular folder /boot is instead of onto the partition that should be mounted there
now when you reboot the bootloader still uses the old kernel and initrd from the boot partition which were not updated because /boot wasn't mounted - and are now different and incompatible with the drivers installed it tries to load
to clean this up investigate why the boot partition was not mounted correctly and make sure it will be in the future

- check your bootloader config
no matter if /boot is a mountpoint or a regular folder - your bootloader has to know about it correctly - and the rest of the system for that matter
grub's config tells grub where to find /boot (other bootloaders work similar) - but if the config is messed up it may point to incorrect locations
refind maybe need an additional driver when you use it in a setup with both ESP and XBOOTLDR

boot failures almost always can be traced back to user error back when the update was run
someone more knowledgable than me knows better

Last edited by cryptearth (2024-12-21 18:08:06)

Scimmia

Fellow

Registered: 2012-09-01

Posts: 13,726

Re: SOLVED on my own but... : Kernel panic on every boot after update

If the fallback worked, the issue is not what cryptearth said. It sounds like something went wrong with the autodetect hook (assuming you didn't make hardware changes), causing it to not have the drivers needed.