i7-8750U Coffee Lake Processor Experience.

[deusestverita...@gmail.com]

If you have used the i7-8750U Coffee Lake Processor with Qubes 4.0, please drop a short message detailing (Make, Model ect) if it worked for you.

https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/qubes-users/hJZLAP0kFG4 This is the original message about the problems stemming from the GL63 8RD-067 (https://us.msi.com/pdf/nb/GL63%208RD-067.pdf). Figured that with all MSI laptops listed on the HCL working with Qubes 4.0 (at least fully installing) that the one thing that not one computer had on the entire HCL was a i7-8750U Processor-- could be the source of the problem.

Quick recap of the problem:

When booting and heading to install everything is Great. Starting install everything is Great until [qubes-mgmt-salt-base-topd-] [782/1018] (sometimes it's [786/1018] [787/1018] [794/1018] [796/1018] but always this file in front [qubes-mgmt-salt-base-topd-]) just stops the install, doesn't through an error or freeze up, just stops installing. Yes it has been left for hours at that stage, you can hear the HHD stop spinning and the light that represents it is being written on turns off. One time it made it past [796-1018] and threw an error (Tried install via 7 different USB's and writing dd in Rufus and Fedora) for the first time. Never copied the error and it never showed up again. It pertained to [salt-master-2017.7.1-1.fc25.noarch.rpm] failing or some sort (carelessness to not document is fully noted).

Tried to create a Live Bootable using USB as HD with the Laptop in question and it failed at the exact same point [782/1018] as it had numerous times with the 1TB HDD. Created and a Live Bootable using a different computer with the same metrics, and fully booted with not even a hiccup.

If you can answer any of these questions that would be great: What does [qubes-mgmt-salt-base-topd] correlate with? Or even "Salt"?

Further reading on this problem:
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!topic/qubes-users/hJZLAP0kFG4.

THANK YOU
BEST
ERIN D.

[Mike Keehan]

If it has nVidia graphics, try turning it off/blacklisting it. Been
discussed many times on this list.

Mike.

[awokd]

On Sat, May 19, 2018 10:07 am, Mike Keehan wrote:
> On Sat, 19 May 2018 01:57:06 -0700 (PDT)
> deusestverita...@gmail.com wrote:

>> Quick recap of the problem:
>>
>> When booting and heading to install everything is Great. Starting
>> install everything is Great until [qubes-mgmt-salt-base-topd-]
>> [782/1018] (sometimes it's [786/1018] [787/1018] [794/1018]
>> [796/1018] but always this file in front
>> [qubes-mgmt-salt-base-topd-]) just stops the install, doesn't through
>> an error or freeze up, just stops installing. Yes it has been left
>> for hours at that stage, you can hear the HHD stop spinning and the
>> light that represents it is being written on turns off. One time it
>> made it past [796-1018] and threw an error (Tried install via 7
>> different USB's and writing dd in Rufus and Fedora) for the first
>> time. Never copied the error and it never showed up again. It
>> pertained to [salt-master-2017.7.1-1.fc25.noarch.rpm] failing or some
>> sort (carelessness to not document is fully noted).

Had hoped the dd from Fedora would resolve this!

>> Tried to create a Live Bootable using USB as HD with the Laptop in
>> question and it failed at the exact same point [782/1018] as it had
>> numerous times with the 1TB HDD. Created and a Live Bootable using a
>> different computer with the same metrics, and fully booted with not
>> even a hiccup.

Good test.

>> If you can answer any of these questions that would be great: What
>> does [qubes-mgmt-salt-base-topd] correlate with? Or even "Salt"?

To oversimplify a bit- Salt is a scripting language that Qubes uses.

> If it has nVidia graphics, try turning it off/blacklisting it. Been
> discussed many times on this list.

Nvidia can cause a hang half-way through installing files? Agree it seems
worth a try, but hadn't heard that before.

Erin, are you letting the Qubes installer use the entire disk, and
choosing the "I want to make space available" option and deleting all the
existing partitions? If not, try that, but realize of course it will erase
everything on the hard drive.

[deusestverita...@gmail.com]

> If it has nVidia graphics, try turning it off/blacklisting it. Been
> discussed many times on this list.

Have tried Nouveau.modeset=0 at the install menu using tab.

When Qubes 3.2 was installed on the Laptop in question it worked completely except for one thing- The display was forced to be 800x600 and it couldn't be changed with any Xrandr command.

Do you know of another way of Disabling/Deleting Nvidia short of removing it? Returning it would be near impossible after removing it from motherboard.

Have you ever known of anyone using the i7-8750U Processor with Qubes?

[deusestverita...@gmail.com]

> Erin, are you letting the Qubes installer use the entire disk, and
> choosing the "I want to make space available" option and deleting all the
> existing partitions? If not, try that, but realize of course it will erase
> everything on the hard drive.

Yes letting it install to the complete 1TB HDD also same when installing to USB.

[Mike Keehan]

At the install menu (using tab), enter "modprobe.blacklist=nouveau".
This stops the nouveau driver loading, so the nVidia graphics driver
can't do anything at all.

Mike.