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#1 2025-09-26 10:50:25

yorknez
Member
Registered: 2025-09-26
Posts: 8

"Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

Hello,

I was trying to install Arch on a second hand ASUS TUF A15 that I recently got but I am experiencing a weird error. Everytime I boot the ISO from my USB stick, after some random amount of time, the kernel either freezes or panics with the error "Attempted to kill the idle task!" (this has been more common than the freeze).

The laptop is an ASUS TUF A15 FA506NFR, with the latest firmware: FA506NFR.304. I ran the ASUS System Diagnostics from the BIOS and everything came out ok.
I tried, in this order, the following Arch ISOs from the releases page: 2025.09.01 6.16.4, 2025.08.01 6.15.8, 2025.07.01 6.15.4, and 2024.10.01 6.10.10.
For 6.16.4 and 6.15.8 I tried disabling the dGPU by using the kernel parameters `modprobe.blacklist=nouveau modprobe.blacklist=nvidia nvidia-drm.modeset=0`.

Below I compiled a list of attempts with the various information I could grab from the laptop. The log files were collected using `journalctl` right after successfully booting into Arch.

Attempt #1:
Panic Report

Attempt #2:
Journalctl Logs

Attempt #3:
Panic Report

Attempt #4:
Notes:
    Booted with `modprobe.blacklist=nouveau modprobe.blacklist=nvidia nvidia-drm.modeset=0`
Journalctl Logs
Panic Report

Attempt #5:
Notes:
    Kernel version downgrade to 6.15.8
    Unexpected crash occured
Crash Logs

Attempt #6:
Notes:
    Booted with `modprobe.blacklist=nouveau modprobe.blacklist=nvidia nvidia-drm.modeset=0`
    Kernel version downgrade to 6.15.8
Journalctl Logs
Panic Report

Attempt #7:
Notes:
    Kernel version downgrade to 6.15.4
    logs4.txt
Journalctl Logs
Panic Report

Attempt #8:
Notes:
    Kernel version downgrade to 6.10.10
    Arch just froze randomly, no panic report this time
Journalctl Logs

If there is anymore information I can provide or things I can try to fix this, please let me know.

Edit:

Attempt #9:
Notes:
    Booted with `isolcpus=0,1`
    Probably worth noting that `isolcpus` seems to be deprecated and it says that I should use `cpusets`, but I'm entirely sure what that refers to.
Jouranlctl Logs
Panic Report

Attempt #10:
Notes:
    Booted with `nosmp` in an attempt to run in single CPU mode (which I saw from the docs that is equivalent to `maxcpus=0`)
    The keyboard failed to initialize so I tried to force shutdown but then it panicked.
Panic Report

Attempt #11:
Notes:
    Booted with `maxcpus=1` in an attempt to run in single CPU mode
    Kernel froze while I was trying to get the journalctl logs
I got nothing for this one

Edit:

Attempt #12:
Notes:
    Booted with `module_blacklist=nvidia module_blacklist=nouveau` (someone suggested using `module_blacklist` instead of `modprobe.blacklist` to make sure the modules are disabled)
Journalctl Logs
Panic Report

Attempt #13:
Notes:
    Booted with `modprobe.blacklist=nvidia_uvm`
    Kernel froze right after displaying the hello message and first prompt
I got nothing here either

More information:
There was one attempt to try booting Ubuntu. It worked fine until I tried powering it off, then it crashed before being able to power off and froze. This lead to some suspicion that there might be a deeper than Arch or Ubuntu problem.
The ISO used has been integrity checked and I am booting it using Ventoy version 1.1.07.
If anyone is wondering, Secure Boot, Fast Boot and SVM Mode are disabled.
I ran memtest86+: results.

Edit:

Uploaded logs to https://paste.c-net.org/

Edit:

Attempt #14:
Notes:
    Booted with `intel_idle.max_cstate=1 ahci.mobile_lpm_policy=1 nomodeset pcie_aspm=off module_blacklist=wl zswap.enabled=0`
    Kernel froze after leaving it alone for a few minutes
Journalctl Logs

Attempt #15:
Notes:
    Booted with `processor.max_cstate=1 idle=nomwait ahci.mobile_lpm_policy=1 nomodeset pcie_aspm=off module_blacklist=wl zswap.enabled=0`
Journalctl Logs
Panic Report

Last edited by yorknez (2025-09-26 21:32:55)

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#2 2025-09-26 13:59:34

JoeCool
Member
Registered: 2019-08-12
Posts: 22

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

Wow, that is a tough one. Could be any number of things from firmware, driver or kernel bug to faulty hardware.
I would try running in single CPU mode or disabling/removing affinity from the cores where the panic happened for while to see if that does anything.

Old style masking seem deprecated. So I'd try isolcpus. As parameter I would suggest 0,1 because those are the CPUs in your panic reports. It's just for debugging though, not a fix.

See https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Kernel_parameters for how to do that.
Maybe you'll find something else useful in the kernel docs: https://www.kernel.org/doc/html/latest/ … eters.html

I think that notebook isn't that uncommon so if that was a general bug there'd be more reports.
Your BIOS is pretty new maybe it's a new quirk.

https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Laptop … orce_(TUF)

You could also try the G14 ASUS custom kernel: https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/ASUS_Linux
But that too is just a shot in the dark.

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#3 2025-09-26 15:57:01

yorknez
Member
Registered: 2025-09-26
Posts: 8

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

Thank you for your answer!

I tried some of the suggestions. However, I am not very experienced with the custom parameters available for the Linux kernel so probably there would be other options to try which I omitted..

Attempt #9:
Notes:
    Booted with `isolcpus=0,1`
    Probably worth noting that `isolcpus` seems to be deprecated and it says that I should use `cpusets`, but I'm not entirely sure what that refers to.
Jouranlctl Logs
Panic Report

Attempt #10:
Notes:
    Booted with `nosmp` in an attempt to run in single CPU mode (which I saw from the docs that is equivalent to `maxcpus=0`)
    The keyboard failed to initialize so I tried to force shutdown but then it panicked.
Panic Report

Attempt #11:
Notes:
    Booted with `maxcpus=1` in an attempt to run in single CPU mode
    Kernel froze while I was trying to get the journalctl logs
I got nothing for this one


Regarding the BIOS version, I updated it recently as an attempt to fix the same problem. It had FA506NFR.300 before and still crashed, that version being from 2024/04/18. So probably it's not the BIOS?

As for the custom kernel, is there a way to put it on a USB and boot it? From what I can see, I need to install it while I'm already in the OS, and I don't think that would help with things.

Last edited by yorknez (2025-09-26 19:31:44)

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#4 2025-09-26 17:40:55

JoeCool
Member
Registered: 2019-08-12
Posts: 22

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

So it's unlikely it's a scheduler issue. I'd bet on some driver. Can you try modprobe.blacklist=nvidia_uvm even though it looks like it's not linked in from the panic report?

There is another thread about the same memory address here: https://bbs.archlinux.org/viewtopic.php?id=293932

Other than that I'm afraid I can only suggest going through the loaded modules you can see with lsmod and blacklisting them one by one starting with maybe the wifi and network ones.
Or waiting for someone who might have an idea what exactly is happening here.

Might also be a RAM issue. You could try disabling the XMP profile if your BIOS lets you.

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#5 2025-09-26 19:59:36

yorknez
Member
Registered: 2025-09-26
Posts: 8

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

I updated the original post with two new attempts: 12 and 13. Also added some new information which could be relevant.

I don't think I can disable the XMP profile from what I could see.

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#6 2025-09-26 20:29:10

seth
Member
From: Don't DM me only for attention
Registered: 2012-09-03
Posts: 68,457

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

Add "intel_idle.max_cstate=1 ahci.mobile_lpm_policy=1 nomodeset pcie_aspm=off module_blacklist=wl zswap.enabled=0" to the kernel parameters (we're throwing a lot of shit at the wall here, you'll most likely only need one of those, if any), you'll not get a GUI (b/c of nomodeset) nor wifi (wl blacklist) but hopefully be able to install the system and nvidia or nvida-open

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#7 2025-09-26 20:49:14

yorknez
Member
Registered: 2025-09-26
Posts: 8

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

I booted Arch again with the parameters you mentioned seth. I left the laptop for a couple of minutes to look some things up before proceeding to the installation and it seems like it froze again..

Attempt #14:
Notes:
    Booted with `intel_idle.max_cstate=1 ahci.mobile_lpm_policy=1 nomodeset pcie_aspm=off module_blacklist=wl zswap.enabled=0`
    Kernel froze after leaving it alone for a few minutes
Journalctl Logs

Maybe the error is related to ACPI? I am inclined to think that since I get a few ACPI-related messages every time I boot Arch (look for "ACPI BIOS Error (bug):" and "ACPI Error:" in the journalctl logs).
There is also the following error which is printed on screen at boot time: "hub 6-0:1.0: config failed, hub doesn't have any ports! (err -19)".

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#8 2025-09-26 21:02:01

seth
Member
From: Don't DM me only for attention
Registered: 2012-09-03
Posts: 68,457

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

Sorry, no idea how I arrived at intel (all the journals are merging in my brain…), but you've a Ryzen CPU.
https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Ryzen#Troubleshooting
"processor.max_cstate=1", you can also add "idle=nomwait"

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#9 2025-09-26 21:23:26

yorknez
Member
Registered: 2025-09-26
Posts: 8

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

I noticed that as well but I assumed you knew better, haha.

So, at this point I am a little confused I should say. Since I am disabling the wl module, I suppose I should connect to the internet via an ethernet cable?
Also is it safe to follow the installation guide at this point? I am assuming the goal is to successfully install Arch on the laptop. But is there anything special I should do? I suppose following this https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/ASUS_Linux after I manage to boot the installed Arch?

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#10 2025-09-26 21:31:07

yorknez
Member
Registered: 2025-09-26
Posts: 8

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

Nevermind, it panicked again while I was doing nothing.

Attempt #15:
Notes:
    Booted with `processor.max_cstate=1 idle=nomwait ahci.mobile_lpm_policy=1 nomodeset pcie_aspm=off module_blacklist=wl zswap.enabled=0`
Journalctl Logs
Panic Report

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#11 2025-09-26 22:17:07

JoeCool
Member
Registered: 2019-08-12
Posts: 22

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

950 seconds is really not a lot of uptime. If the laptop is stable on Windows you could just try a really old kernel like the last 5 series and see if it somehow makes a difference:
https://archlinux.org/releng/releases/2022.10.01/

from here: https://archive.archlinux.org/iso/2022.10.01/

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#12 2025-09-27 09:26:13

seth
Member
From: Don't DM me only for attention
Registered: 2012-09-03
Posts: 68,457

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

How do we end up w/ the swapper ig zswap is disabled (swap where) and after doing nothing on a TTY login?
You're just booting the system, do nothing and then after a while it panics?
Or are you running the archinstall script?
Does "free -h" indicate that you're starting to run OOM?
Does "swapon" report any swap devices?

Disable anything that looks like RAM overclocking (pick the most conservative timings) and PBO resp. if you can, adjust the curve optimizer by +20 points.

There's probably a parallel windows installation?
See the rd link below and make sure that windows has fully shut down.

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#13 2025-09-27 09:43:07

yorknez
Member
Registered: 2025-09-26
Posts: 8

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

Attempt #16:
Notes:
    Kernel version downgrade to 2022.10.01
    Kernel crashed right before even getting a hello message
Crash Logs


I have no idea how to respond.. I checked the logs and it seems that the kernel parameters were the same as the ones you gave me.

I am just booting the Arch ISO from a USB using Ventoy. Basically I boot the USB with Ventoy, I pick the Arch ISO, boot it in normal mode, and pick the first option the Arch ISO gives me, something along the lines of "arch install medium". From the number of attempts I made, it seems that the kernel either freezes randomly or panics randomly. I am not doing anything weird in the TTY or anything like that..

I am not using archinstall

I am thinking of returning the laptop as it seems to me that I am not going to be able to solve it and I don't really have the time to investigate.. but I will try to boot it again and see what "free -h" and "swapon" report.

I am not sure how to do the RAM-related adjustments, is that something to be done from BIOS?

There is indeed a parallel windows installation. I did disable Fast Boot from the BIOS, if that helps. However, I haven't checked if fast startup is enabled on windows.... probably a big mistake on my part, I forgot about this. I will check and come back with a response.

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#14 2025-09-27 10:02:04

yorknez
Member
Registered: 2025-09-26
Posts: 8

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

`free -h`:

               total        used        free      shared  buff/cache   available
Mem:            15Gi       1.6Gi        13Gi       956Mi       1.3Gi        13Gi
Swap:             0B          0B          0B

`swapon`: nothing

Also I went ahead and disabled Fast Startup and hibernation by running `powercfg /H off` on windows. And, by the way, the reason for having windows is that this is how the laptop arrived and I was planning to format the SSD from withing the Arch medium.

Last edited by yorknez (2025-09-27 10:05:28)

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#15 2025-09-27 13:47:28

seth
Member
From: Don't DM me only for attention
Registered: 2012-09-03
Posts: 68,457

Re: "Attempted to kill the idle task!" kernel panic when installing Arch

I am not sure how to do the RAM-related adjustments, is that something to be done from BIOS?

Yes, if the issue remains despite the windows shutdown, can you run a stable https://grml.org/ ?
Can you avoid ventoy and write the image directly onto a usb key?

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