Snapshots coming up with blank screen and blinking cursor

[Psi-Jack]

So, I've been evaluating MX Linux 23, I really am impressed which doesn't happen with me often. Very amazing tooling on mx-tools, and the various mx-specific software applications designed.

The problem I found, so far, is testing snapshots, making sure that whole thing works. And, well... It builds, but does not boot. What I get, on USB with Ventoy (latest as of today), using the Live USB Maker and booting that, and booting the snapshot ISO on libvirt.

It boots, on Ventoy and libvirt but, I see text, usual boot messages and loading progress, until ..... Black screen, blinking cursor. That's where it simply stop. And it's responsive in this state.
For the Live USB Maker method, it boots, but on the same laptop it was generated on/for, it literally boots off the system drive.

[chrispop99]

Welcome to the forum.

Please supply your Quick System Info so we may see what hardware you are using. Problems like yours are often caused by the graphics configuration of your machine.

Chris

[Psi-Jack]

``

Code: Select all

System:
  Host: loki Kernel: 6.5.5-2-liquorix-amd64 arch: x86_64 bits: 64
    Desktop: Xfce v: 4.18.1 Distro: MX-23_ahs_x64 Libretto July 31  2023
Machine:
  Type: Convertible System: LENOVO product: 81TC v: Lenovo Yoga C740-14IML
    serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: LENOVO model: LNVNB161216 v: SDK0J40700 WIN
    serial: <superuser required> UEFI: LENOVO v: BNCN35WW date: 11/18/2019
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 40.2 Wh (100.0%) condition: 40.2/51.0 Wh (78.8%)
CPU:
  Info: quad core model: Intel Core i5-10210U bits: 64 type: MT MCP cache:
    L2: 1024 KiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 762 min/max: 400/2101 cores: 1: 400 2: 400 3: 400
    4: 2101 5: 400 6: 1600 7: 400 8: 400
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel CometLake-U GT2 [UHD Graphics] driver: i915 v: kernel
  Device-2: IMC Networks Integrated Camera type: USB driver: uvcvideo
  Display: x11 server: X.Org v: 1.21.1.7 driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    unloaded: fbdev,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915 resolution: 1: 1920x1080~60Hz
    2: 1920x1080~60Hz
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 Mesa 23.1.2-1~mx23ahs renderer: Mesa Intel UHD
    Graphics (CML GT2)
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel Comet Lake PCH-LP cAVS driver: sof-audio-pci-intel-cnl
  API: ALSA v: k6.5.5-2-liquorix-amd64 status: kernel-api
  Server-1: PipeWire v: 0.3.65 status: active
Network:
  Device-1: Intel Comet Lake PCH-LP CNVi WiFi driver: iwlwifi
  IF: wlan0 state: down mac: 0a:3b:ef:d8:92:f1
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8153 Gigabit Ethernet Adapter type: USB driver: r8152
  IF: eth0 state: up speed: 1000 Mbps duplex: full mac: 00:05:1b:ca:6f:b6
Bluetooth:
  Device-1: Intel Bluetooth 9460/9560 Jefferson Peak (JfP) type: USB
    driver: btusb
  Report: hciconfig ID: hci0 state: up address: 80:32:53:A1:45:9A bt-v: 3.0
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 238.47 GiB used: 66.18 GiB (27.8%)
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 vendor: Samsung model: MZVLB256HBHQ-000L2
    size: 238.47 GiB
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 237.05 GiB used: 65.98 GiB (27.8%) fs: btrfs dev: /dev/dm-0
  ID-2: /boot size: 920.7 MiB used: 204.6 MiB (22.2%) fs: ext4
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2
  ID-3: /boot/efi size: 486 MiB used: 288 KiB (0.1%) fs: vfat
    dev: /dev/nvme0n1p1
  ID-4: /home size: 237.05 GiB used: 65.98 GiB (27.8%) fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/dm-0
  ID-5: /opt size: 237.05 GiB used: 65.98 GiB (27.8%) fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/dm-0
  ID-6: /var/log size: 237.05 GiB used: 65.98 GiB (27.8%) fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/dm-0
  ID-7: /var/tmp size: 237.05 GiB used: 65.98 GiB (27.8%) fs: btrfs
    dev: /dev/dm-0
Swap:
  Alert: No swap data was found.
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 42.0 C pch: 37.0 C mobo: N/A
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A
Info:
  Processes: 305 Uptime: 3h 36m Memory: 7.48 GiB used: 1.31 GiB (17.5%)
  Shell: Zsh inxi: 3.3.26
```

[j2mcgreg]

@Psi-Jack
When you post QSI reports or long extracts please encase them in code tags. This makes them easier to navigate and read. I did it for you this time so that you can see how it's done.

Your lack of a swap partition is cause for concern. There are a lot of folks touting the idea that with enough ram available you can forgo creating a swap partition or file, but the reality is that some applications still expect it to be there (even though it may never be used) and can give unpridictable results when swap space is not present. The good news is that you can add a swap file at any time and here’s how:

https://www.digitalocean.com/community/ ... -debian-11

[Psi-Jack]

Thank you. I’m more familiar with markdown than bbcode. If hoped this forum has the markdown plugin, but I guess not.

The swap was a choice on the laptop to make and either will end up using zram of 512mb swap, or just utilizing systemd-oomd to prioritize things. On a laptop with 8gb ram and NVMe PCIe SSD, those to me seemed viable.

I’ve used Linux for 31 years now so generally I’m understanding of the situation. But the snapshot system of MX Linux isn’t booting successfully, that’s the concern. I’d expect the snapshot to work on a vm. It’s not on the manner described above. Hehe

[dolphin_oracle]

usually a blank screen with blinking cursor indicates a graphics driver issue. common with nvidia drivers but I suppose could happen if some driver is specified in a .conf file under /etc/X11/xorg.conf.d or even xorg.conf.

[Psi-Jack]

Well, this is happening on Intel UHD which is very well supported. ANd AMD RX 6700 XT, and libvirt. Soooo.... This does not feel like a hardware issue.

[dolphin_oracle]

Well, this is happening on Intel UHD which is very well supported. ANd AMD RX 6700 XT, and libvirt. Soooo.... This does not feel like a hardware issue.

doesn't have to be a hardware issue. could be a left over .conf file, if one was set up. for instance, and amd specific .conf file would fail on an intel system.

might not be the case for you, but its relatively common. we do try to take care of those with the snapshot excludes file.

[Psi-Jack]

Personally, it's not making sense why it wouldn't work in the same machine, in a different machine with supported video GPU, (Intel UHD and AMD RX, no Nvidia), and a tty is not even available when trying to get one.

[dolphin_oracle]

you are likely correct.

you could try booting to "init 3" which would be a console login. add a "3" to the end of the kernel boot parameters.