Kernel Panic on a Lenovo Yoga 300 11-iby on attempt at install

[martins...@gmail.com]

Basically my issue is that I am getting a kernel panic when I try installing qubes-os on my laptop both in UEFI and legacy mode.
The kernel panic can be seen here: https://imagebin.ca/v/3pPwokGAMAVB and I sadly can't provide a hastebin dump since I have no way to log the error in text form (at least none that I'm aware of).

I have followed the steps in the uefi-troubleshooting docs page, to no avail

Steps to reproduce:
- Buy this laptop
- Burn the iso to usb using etcher or rufus after having verified file integrity via checksums and signature
- Boot to the usb in uefi or legacy

What I expect to happen:
- Normal boot to the installer

What I get instead:
- Attempts to boot, manages to get to the loading bar on legacy, not even close on uefi
- Then kernel panic (as seen in picture)

Any help with this would be greatly appreciated

[WolfSkin]

Since I can't edit the above afaik, this is both on R4-rc3 and R3.2

[Yuraeitha]

Three methods for you to consider/try:

1) Update your BIOS/UEFI, new laptops usually have a couple of versions laying around to be update. Just be careful, if you haven't done this before, then take proper precautions and read up on it, ask questions if you're in doubt, and don't do anything reckless, as there is the potential of bricking your entire machine, aka, zero value and can be thrown in the crash can. But if you don't do any mistakes, then it should be no problem to do, and it might very well fix your Qubes issues. In particular, because BIOS/UEFI errors can easily mess up a Qubes install.

2): Pull out the SDD/HHD/NVMe, whichever you installed on, and then insert it in another computer. Install Qubes on this other system. Then update it completely, make sure everything is up-to-date. Once that is done, move the drive back into the new desktop/laptop. Be sure to install with Grub, both so you don't mess up your other machines EFI paths (can be annoying), and also to avoid hassles to re-build a EFI path when returning it to the new machine. So, with this method, if you install with legacy/grub, you avoid any such troubles. Also it might be a good idea to unplug any other drives on the machine you install it on, just in case the installer writes to them. Then plug them back in once you're pulling the other drive out. I've done this about 5 times with Qubes, for various computers that could not install Qubes, or claimed to lack hardware support (which in some cases is wrong and is only corrected after updating under current-release), failed to load installer, or failed at the last step during first boot with python errors. Basically, this method solved quite many of my Qubes problems, in particular and foremost on Qubes 4 installations, albeit it might help for Qubes 3.2. too.

3) Change UEFI/BIOS settings. Sometimes it can just be an otherwise innocent UEFI/BIOS setting you never would suspect is messing it up. I've spend more than once an hour or so adjusting UEFI/BIOS settings, in combination with above suggestions. More often than not by using these steps, I get Qubes running and working on a system that did not install otherwise. For example make sure VT-d is enabled, it's often disabled on new computer systems. Be sure there is no extra virtualization setting, some motherboards (like i.e. Asus) may have an extra setting, it may hide under CPU settings in the advanced menu. Be sure VT-d is enabled, and make sure there is no extra setting for virtualization, and if there is, make sure that it's enabled as well. There can be any number of settings that cause a kernel panic, typically though, it does seem like your hardware might be too new for the instlaled kernel.

4) Qubes 3.2. comes with 4.4 kernel, iirc? It might be too old for your new machine. You can either use option 2) above, install on another machine, update it so it has a new higher version kernel, and then try put it back in your new machine again. Or, instead, you could try install Qubes 4 RC-3, although Qubes 4 RC-4 "might" be out soon, but there is no news released yet whether a normal update is required, or if you need to re-install between Qubes 4 RC-3 and Qubes 4 RC-4. For example between Qubes 4 RC-2 and Qubes 4 RC-3, no install was required, and normal updates was sufficient.

Either way, if I had to guess, the real issue is likely too new hardware on an too old kernel, and likely outdated BIOS/UEFI. The safest you can do, if you want to do the minimum risk first, is to try install Qubes 4 RC-3. If you succeed, then it might just be because Qubes 4 RC-3 has a newer kernel, which means newwer essential drivers for CPU's/RAM/Motherboard, etc. If memory serves, I believe Qubes 4 RC-3 comes with kernel 4.9.x. If this isn't enough, then you'll need to try put it in another computer, install Qubes 4, and update it to gain access to the recently released kernel 4.14. If you don't have another computer available to do this on, or you can't open your new pc without breaking warrenty, then you may want to wait a bit longer for Qubes 4 RC-4. If my hunch is right, it'll include the brand new 4.14 kernel, since it's already been made available in Qubes 4 testing repositories and typically becomes stable repository within 14 days. Which might go in line with the Qubes 4 RC-4 release, especially in order to make more hardware compatible, like all the many new Ryzen hardware out there, and so on.

This is a lot of things you can try, and if you're persistent, you may very well get it work. As said, more often than not, almost always, I get Qubes to wokr on a machine, simply by trial and error'ing to figure it out. Just be sure you don't do something that may harm your hardware or your warrenty.

[a...@it-minds.dk]

Did you try the steps from this doc page?
https://www.qubes-os.org/doc/thinkpad-troubleshooting/#instructions-to-create-usb-installation-medium-for-newer-uefi-only-thinkpads

DISCLAIMER:
I have a ThinkPad X270, but I installed in legacy mode, so I haven't tried this myself..

Perhaps someone with more knowledge can assist, if this fails :)