[SOLVED] Using fallback initramfs grub entry to boot an install

Nishtya · 02-17-2024, 08:21 PM

My latest addition (on sdb1 - a removable ssd) was Manjaro which I have to keep playing with on the side, I like it. Install went fine. Booted into my PCLOS install, update grub no errors. Then I fixed the bios boot sequence to put Mint back on top and ran an update-grub last. No errors.

Manjaro boots fine from F12 boot sequence. It boots fine from PCLOS grub menu. But chosen from Mint grub menu it would hard freeze up before getting to Manjaro splash. I found if I chose advanced option of fallback initramfs it booted fine. I compared the grub.cfg on all of them and saw that both Manjaro and PCLOS appended the paramaters(?) of the main Manjaro entry with the string appended thusly

Code:

initrd /boot/intel-ucode.img /boot/initramfs-6.6-x86_64.img

I did some googling and found out it is to load all the drivers needed or not. I don't necessarily need to fix this as I simply choose the fallback when booting it from Mint's menu but want to understand why I have to boot it that way and why os-prober did it that way in PCLOS but not in Mint. Assuming its same version of both Grub2 and os-prober.

Can anyone tell me why it has to be booted that way?

mrmazda · 02-18-2024, 12:26 AM

Answering might be easier if we had more clues to what hardware this is on. What does inxi -GSMCxxz report?

Nishtya · 02-18-2024, 04:47 AM

Code:

    ~  inxi -GSMCxxz                                                                                  ✔ 
System:
  Kernel: 6.6.10-1-MANJARO arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 13.2.1
  Desktop: KDE Plasma v: 5.27.10 tk: Qt v: 5.15.12 wm: kwin_wayland dm: SDDM
    Distro: Manjaro Linux base: Arch Linux
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Inspiron 5566 v: N/A
    serial: <superuser required> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <superuser required>
  Mobo: Dell model: 0YRTVV v: A00 serial: <superuser required> part-nu: 07DE
    UEFI: Dell v: 1.9.1 date: 01/11/2019
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core i3-7100U bits: 64 type: MT MCP
    arch: Amber/Kaby Lake note: check rev: 9 cache: L1: 128 KiB L2: 512 KiB
    L3: 3 MiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 475 high: 700 min/max: 400/2400 cores: 1: 400 2: 400
    3: 400 4: 700 bogomips: 19204
  Flags: avx avx2 ht lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel HD Graphics 620 vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel
    arch: Gen-9.5 ports: active: eDP-1 empty: HDMI-A-1 bus-ID: 00:02.0
    chip-ID: 8086:5916
  Device-2: Microdia Integrated Webcam HD driver: uvcvideo type: USB
    rev: 2.0 speed: 480 Mb/s lanes: 1 bus-ID: 1-5:3 chip-ID: 0c45:6712
  Display: wayland server: X.org v: 1.21.1.10 with: Xwayland v: 23.2.3
    compositor: kwin_wayland driver: X: loaded: modesetting
    alternate: fbdev,vesa dri: iris gpu: i915 display-ID: 0
  Monitor-1: eDP-1 res: 1366x768 size: N/A
  API: EGL v: 1.5 platforms: device: 0 drv: iris device: 1 drv: swrast
    surfaceless: drv: iris wayland: drv: iris x11: drv: iris inactive: gbm
  API: OpenGL v: 4.6 compat-v: 4.5 vendor: intel mesa v: 23.3.3-manjaro1.1
    glx-v: 1.4 direct-render: yes renderer: Mesa Intel HD Graphics 620 (KBL GT2)
    device-ID: 8086:5916 display-ID: :1.0
  API: Vulkan v: 1.3.274 surfaces: xcb,xlib,wayland device: 0
    type: integrated-gpu driver: mesa intel device-ID: 8086:5916

mrmazda · 02-18-2024, 10:21 AM

I have almost the same CPU/GPU, with no need for an equivalent kernel cmdline option:

Code:

> inxi -C
CPU:
  Info: dual core model: Intel Core i3-7100T bits: 64 type: MT MCP cache:
    L2: 512 KiB
  Speed (MHz): avg: 800 min/max: 800/3400 cores: 1: 800 2: 800 3: 800 4: 800
> inxi -Saz
System:
  Kernel: 5.14.21-150500.55.44-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc
    v: 7.5.0 clocksource: tsc avail: hpet,acpi_pm
    parameters: root=LABEL=<filter> ipv6.disable=1 net.ifnames=0 noresume
    consoleblank=0 preempt=full mitigations=auto vga=791 video=1440x900@60
  Desktop: KDE v: 3.5.10 tk: Qt v: 3.3.8c wm: kwin with: kicker tools:
    avail: light-locker vt: 7 dm: 1: KDM 2: XDM Distro: openSUSE Leap 15.5

I also have Tumbleweed installed, with same lack of need:

Code:

# pinxi -Saz --vs
pinxi 3.3.31-64 (2024-01-21)
System:
  Kernel: 6.6.11-1-default arch: x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc
    v: 13.2.1 clocksource: tsc avail: hpet,acpi_pm
    parameters: root=LABEL=<filter> ipv6.disable=1 net.ifnames=0 noresume
    consoleblank=0 preempt=full mitigations=off
  Desktop: KDE v: 3.5.10 tk: Qt v: 3.3.8c info: kicker wm: kwin vt: 7 dm:
    1: KDM 2: XDM Distro: openSUSE Tumbleweed 20240121

You may wish to try removing /boot/intel-ucode.img using the E key at the Grub menu for a one-time boot to determine whether /boot/intel-ucode.img is actually needed.

Nishtya · 02-18-2024, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmazda

You may wish to try removing /boot/intel-ucode.img using the E key at the Grub menu for a one-time boot to determine whether /boot/intel-ucode.img is actually needed.

It boots fine like the fallback one. Make the change permanent? I can just choose fallback entry anyway. Wondering why buntu generated different parameters than PCLOS did to boot Manjaro

mrmazda · 02-18-2024, 02:36 PM

"Why" seems to be a distro policy. Read through https://wiki.archlinux.org/title/Microcode then decide for yourself whether it's OK. It explains some distros prepend the ucode to the initrd to avoid need for a separately loaded image. I'm neither a Manjaro nor a PCLOS user, so have no idea of their policies. I haven't seen its use in *buntu or Mint or any other distro I have installed.

Nishtya · 02-18-2024, 05:28 PM

OK. My googling did bring up people with buntus that were having trouble booting manjaro. As long as there is at least one way to boot it I can work with it. Thanks