[SOLVED] 22.04 Boot stops just before KDE starts

[ralfheinz]

Hi there,

I'm still relatively new to Linux and Kubuntu, but could at least manage to install and run 22.04 on a MacBook Pro late 2013 and an iMac late 2012, both with dual boot. Both systems were running (nearly) flawless for a few months, but now the iMac doesn’t boot correctly anymore. Everything seems to be okay until just before KDE starts, the attached photo shows the last thing that happens before it's getting sticky:



When I start booting in recovery mode and resume the boot normally by selecting the appropriate option from the dropdown, the boot seems to get finished, despite the warning that not all components might run fine this way.

The interesting question is, what have I done before the mysery began. Unfortunately I'm not quite sure, but as far as I remember everything was okay before I ran this:

apt-get install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-22.04 xserver-xorg-hwe-18.04

It was a trial to solve a minor problem with headphones not working, and I don't really understand what I've done with it, just copied and pasted it from somewhere. To get rid of the boot problem I tried to reset it with

apt remove --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-22.04 xserver-xorg-hwe-18.04

but no success at all. I'm annoyed by my own stupidity and would have done better to ignore this headphone bagatelle like I did since months without any sleepless nights.

Maybe one of you more experienced guys can lead me at least to the right path to begin with. Thanks.

[claydoh]

xserver-xorg-hwe-18.04

Can you say what this package was installed for, or where you found this? The first one is a meta-package that enables the more current kernels on 22.04 LTS, so a 5.19 alongside the original 5.15 kernels. Them you can select different ones from your grub boot menu.
You actually should be able to select from different 5.15 kernels there as well.

If you installed Kubuntu 22.04 using the latest ISO image, you would already have this installed (it would not do anything),. You would not have any of the original 5.15 kernels, but still should have at least two kernels to boot from in your Grub menu. it could be worth trying out one of those.

If you can, please post an image of what you see at your Grub boot menu

The second one isn't actually doing anything, it is also a meta-package that simply depends on xserver-xorg (which you already have), and provides upgrade compatibility from older releases. It doesn't add any software.

Now, does your system use Nvidia graphics by any chance?
If you can, please post an image of what you see at your Grub boot menu.

[Schwarzer Kater]

Welcome.

apt-get install --install-recommends […] xserver-xorg-hwe-18.04 ?

Perhaps I am a bit "touchy" today, but why would you try to install parts of the *Ubuntu 18.04 LTS hwe in Kubuntu 22.04 LTS?
If you don't understand a command, please ask here - it is best to never just copy and paste something from the internet without understanding it… Not for Linux, not for Windows, not for any system.
Luckily it doesn't seem to do anything harmful to 22.04 ( claydoh said ).

Did you reinstall xserver-xorg for 22.04 LTS afterwards?
If you are not sure if anything has been removed by accident, you could reinstall it with
sudo apt install --reinstall --install-recommends xserver-xorg . (--install-recommends might not be necessary here, but it seems to be saver in your situation)
Reboot afterwards.

And if you want to additionally use the 5.19 hwe kernel in Kubuntu 22.04 LTS (if you only have the 5.15 kernel, because e.g. you installed from the 22.04.0 or 22.04.1 ISO) :
sudo apt install --install-recommends linux-generic-hwe-22.04 (nothing more).
Reboot afterwards.

PS: Bluetooth and WiFi work better with the 5.19 kernel on my MacBook Pro.

[Schwarzer Kater]

Depending on the model the Apple iMac (late 2012) has an Nvidia GPU:
21,5" = Nvidia GeForce GT 640M or 650M
27" = Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M, 675MX, or 680MX

ralfheinz :
After starting the iMac (the MacBook Pro is OK?) - do you get a login prompt?
Can you get to a tty by pressing e.g. [Ctrl] [Alt] [F4] ?

[ralfheinz]

claydoh Thanks for your feedback, sadly I can't recapitulate where I found this installation proposal. Something with the right driver for audio components on Macs or whatever.
At least I can positively answer your other questions: Yes, the iMac has a Nvidia GeForce GTX 660M (sounds a bit like a race car or a men's razor) and here are photos of the grub menu:

[ralfheinz]

Schwarzer Kater Thanks, and no, there is no prompt, just a blinking cursor not reacting to anything. I don't know what a tty is, but nothing at all happens when I press Ctrl+Alt-F4.

Why would you try to install parts of the *Ubuntu 18.04 LTS hwe in Kubuntu 22.04 LTS?

I think the original line had 18.04 twice and I corrected just the first occurence – obviously it was not my brightest day ever. I promise to not doing it again, with no system. Anyway, as a first step I ran

sudo apt install --reinstall --install-recommends xserver-xorg

and rebooted. Sadly with no success.

[Schwarzer Kater]

PS: Actually this can get a bit tricky on a Mac - I forgot…

• switch on the iMac
• hold down [Alt] as soon as you hear the startup sound
• with the [Tab] key select "EFI Boot" and hit [Return]
• immediatly hold down [Esc] until you see something like:
  grub>
  grub>
  grub>
  grub>
  grub>
  grub>
  grub>
• type in: normal and hit [Return]
• immediatly hold down [Esc] - you should be in the GRUB boot menu now

PPS: I see you managed it. No EFI boot? Will read your answers now.

[ralfheinz]

Okay, I'm one step further now. Starting with

Advanced options / Linux with 5.19.0-46-generic > boot is working
Advanced options / Linux with 5.15.0-76-generic > boot is working
Ubuntu withou advance options > boot stops before KDE as described above

Though I'm anything but an advanced user, I can live with selecting one of the advanced options when booting. What is the difference to booting in unadvanced mode?

[Schwarzer Kater]

OK.
You have the generic kernels, that is a good thing.
Did you try both 5.19 and 5.15 from the GRUB menu (not the recovery ones)?

And how did you manage to enter the command when you don't get a login prompt or a tty?
Can you post a photo or describe exactly what you see when you boot from the GRUB menu (not the recovery entries)?

[Schwarzer Kater]

So you do get to your KDE Plasma DE?

Open the Konsole terminal emulator and enter: sudo update-grub to update your boot loader.
Reboot afterwards and try the different entries again, beginning with the "Ubuntu" one, then the submenu (not the recovery ones).

PS: And to answer your question - the first entry from the submenu should be linked to the "Ubuntu" one.

[claydoh]

Perhaps I am a bit "touchy" today, but why would you try to install parts of the *Ubuntu 18.04 LTS hwe in Kubuntu 22.04 LTS?

It is a compatibility meta-package in 22.04 (and 20.04), for upgrading from previous releases. It only depends on xserver-xorg, and nothing else.
The package used to be necessary when adding HWE support to 18.04, and previous LTS releases.

[Schwarzer Kater]

OT: Thanks Clay.

[ralfheinz]

So you do get to your KDE Plasma DE?

Open the Konsole terminal emulator and enter: sudo update-grub to update your boot loader.
Reboot afterwards and try the different entries again, beginning with the "Ubuntu" one, then the submenu (not the recovery ones).

OK, thanks, I did the update-grub and tried the entries:

Ubuntu > no success
Advanced / Linux with 5.19.0-46-generic > no success
Advanced / Linux with 5.15.0-76-generic > successful, and yes I get KDE Plasma

The update-grub response:

Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub'
Sourcing file `/etc/default/grub.d/init-select.cfg'
Generating grub configuration file ...
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.19.0-46-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.19.0-46-generic
Found linux image: /boot/vmlinuz-5.15.0-76-generic
Found initrd image: /boot/initrd.img-5.15.0-76-generic
Memtest86+ needs a 16-bit boot, that is not available on EFI, exiting
Warning: os-prober will be executed to detect other bootable partitions.
Its output will be used to detect bootable binaries on them and create new boot entries.
Found Mac OS X on /dev/sda2
done

All in all it seems to be a step back, as yesterday evening two of three options worked, while now only one is left. No problem, I'm happy that at least one option boots. Thanks again for your help.

[Schwarzer Kater]

A next step could be to rewrite the boot loader to your drive:
sudo grub-install /dev/sda
and try again.

[ralfheinz]

Schwarzer Kater You don't give up – brave!

sudo grub-install /dev/sda

I did that, resulting in no changes: Booting with 5.15.0-76-generic works, the two other ones remain stubborn.