Qubes Won't Boot with 4.19.125-1 Kernel

[pudding]

I updated dom0 from the security-testing repo today due to the new CPU
hardware bug. After finishing update and rebooting my laptop, it is
stuck on the black screen forever, and will not load the LUKS decryption
screen. I have to go to the advanced options and select 4.19.107-1
kernel in order to boot normally. My laptop is a Librem 15v3. Is there
any way to fix this? Thanks!

[qu...@ixls.eu]

On 6/13/20 5:36 PM, pudding wrote:
> I updated dom0 from the security-testing repo today due to the new CPU
> hardware bug. After finishing update and rebooting my laptop, it is
> stuck on the black screen forever, and will not load the LUKS decryption
> screen.

> ..

Same problem on Lenovo t460 but "standard" repo/update.

[Qubes]

That is a real problem. I guess it is game over without a backup.

You should be able to get your files off of the disk. I am sure I read a
procedure in the documentation to mount the encrypted volume elsewhere
to recover your data. I have not checked if it is possible to decrypt
the drive while connected elsewhere, whether that is internal or
connected externally with USB. Or even booted with live media or
something like tinycore.

[awokd]

Qubes:

> Should be able to boot with an older kernel.
https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/software-update-dom0/#changing-default-kernel

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[Qubes]

On 6/26/20 10:17 PM, 'awokd' via qubes-users wrote:
>> Should be able to boot with an older kernel.
>> https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/software-update-dom0/#changing-default-kernel

That requires decrypting and booting, but the boot failing and you going
to a recovery screen from where you can change to an older kernel. You
cannot change anything while it is encrypted.

[awokd]

Qubes:

/boot is not encrypted, and can be edited by booting the computer from
another OS. Xen.cfg is straight-forward to edit. Grub.cfg can also be
edited, but I don't know what changes to make if you haven't enabled
submenus previously.

[qu...@ixls.eu]

On 6/26/20 10:14 PM, Qubes wrote:
> On 6/26/20 9:49 PM, qubes via qubes-users wrote:
>> On 6/13/20 5:36 PM, pudding wrote:
>>> I updated dom0 from the security-testing repo today due to the new CPU
>>> hardware bug. After finishing update and rebooting my laptop, it is
>>> stuck on the black screen forever, and will not load the LUKS decryption
>>> screen.
>>> ..
>>
>> Same problem on Lenovo t460 but "standard" repo/update.
>>
>>
>>
> That is a real problem. I guess it is game over without a backup.
>

As pudding said, you can boot the old kernel, thank spaghettimonster.
But what is the real cause of the problem?
Can I do something about it or will the next Dom0-Update fix this
problem? Shall I reinstall the .125-Kernel?
Or - worst case scenario - will newer kernels stop working on this
laptop in the future anyway?

[qu...@ixls.eu]

On 6/27/20 6:55 AM, qubes via qubes-users wrote:
> On 6/26/20 10:14 PM, Qubes wrote:
>> On 6/26/20 9:49 PM, qubes via qubes-users wrote:
>>> On 6/13/20 5:36 PM, pudding wrote:
>>>> I updated dom0 from the security-testing repo today due to the new CPU
>>>> hardware bug. After finishing update and rebooting my laptop, it is
>>>> stuck on the black screen forever, and will not load the LUKS decryption
>>>> screen.
>>>> ..
>>>
>>> Same problem on Lenovo t460 but "standard" repo/update.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>> That is a real problem. I guess it is game over without a backup.
>>
>
> As pudding said, you can boot the old kernel, thank spaghettimonster.
> But what is the real cause of the problem?
> Can I do something about it or will the next Dom0-Update fix this
> problem? Shall I reinstall the .125-Kernel?
> Or - worst case scenario - will newer kernels stop working on this
> laptop in the future anyway?

The newest kernel (128) won't boot neither.... :-(
So I am still using 4.19.107.
But on next update I will be out. (unless I can "preserve" the old kernel)

[Frédéric Pierret]

In dom0, edit /etc/dnf/dnf.conf and change install_limit=3 to higher number to keep more kernel versions installed. Have you tried also kernel-latest? It's 5.7.X version.

You say that you have black screen since kernel 4.19.125?

Best,
Frédéric

[qu...@ixls.eu]

Thanks for the advice. Or simply I don't do an update :-)

> You say that you have black screen since kernel 4.19.125?

True. Just a blinking cursor.

[Rafael Reis]

Hey, 

Just want to register I've suffered from the same bug. After latest update, got stuck on a single cursor on top of a black screen right before the GUI login box.

Got around it by rolling back all the way to kernel 4.19.107-1. Did it by editing xen.cfg and setting default.

I've been running kernel-latest very steadily for the past few months, and Qubes for almost 2 years now. This was the first time I got a bad update. I had even GPU IOMMU enabled with success. 

I've share my HCL here before, I run a very well supported Dell Latitude e5470 6th gen quad core 16GB ram.

Hope to hear from Qubes team when it's safe again to go back to newer kernels.

Rafael

[Rafael Reis]

Quick update: Just ran the latest dom0 updates, kernel 4.19.132-1 booted normally. Still haven't tried the 5.6.x kernels again.

[pudding]

Update: kernel 4.19.128-1 boots fine on my laptop, but 4.19.132-1 that
comes with the newest dom0 update does not. I've set the install_limit
to 6 just in case. Will continue observing.


pudding

[Rafael Reis]

Tried kernels 5.6.x again and no luck. Still getting the black cursor only screen. Still stuck on  4.19.132-1

[dezzaw...@gmail.com]

I have exactly the same problem with a Librem 15v3 laptop: hangs with blinking cursor. Only boots with 4.19.107.