[SOLVED] 14.2 fresh install

Freaksta · 08-15-2016, 09:23 AM

Hello,

Fresh install of 14.2 x64 (confirmed in readme.txt on install media):

Sager/Clevo P650RE

Dual boot:

MBR = Linux
EFI = Windows

Slackware installed on /dev/sda in MBR mode, however /boot seems to be mounting /dev/sdb2

See attached FSTAB.

2 SSD HDDs:

sda is Linux and Swap partition
sdb is EFI boot partition and Windows

[See attached dmesg.txt]

Slackware boots:

Issues:

- Startx fails to launch a X manager, cannot escape.

[See attached startx.txt]

- NVIDIA installer launches, but no dialog boxes are present - just the top green bar, and the bottom bar. Nothing in the middle of the screen, just black.

- Command 'lspci' hangs with no output, cannot escape.

I've used this same configuration with 14.1 and CURRENT ISOs presented by Alien Bob - so I'm not sure why it stopped working at release.

I tried both the torrent .iso, and today a .iso downloaded from slackware.com - same issues with both.

Freaksta · 08-15-2016, 09:47 AM

Update:

Installed Slackware on /dev/sda in EFI mode.

Issues persist as described above.

Freaksta · 08-15-2016, 10:04 AM

UPDATE:

Read howto_uefi.txt

Wiped both drives clean.

Ran 'gdisk' on /dev/sda and /dev/sdb and ran 'o' to wipe the GPT tables and reset them on both drives.

Created three new partitions:

/dev/sda1 - root
/dev/sda2 - EFI (100M)
/dev/sda3 - swap

Reran the installer while booted in EFI mode and installed Slackware - all default options, full intall, ELILO, etc.

Rebooted, system boots, issues persist.

I'll try this again in MBR mode, but I'm starting to think something isn't right here.

Freaksta · 08-15-2016, 10:18 AM

UPDATE:

Rebooted in BIOS mode, verified Secure Boot is disabled.

Wiped both drives (2nd drive (sdb) wasn't in use anymore)

Checked both drives with 'gdisk -l'

Both drives are clean, no tables.

formatted root and swap partitions, linux and swap types respectively (8200,8300)

Ran setup, full install default selections, Network Manager, LILO to MBR.

System boots.

Login as root:

- lspci halts and doesn't show any output, unable to escape.

- startx fails to launch a display manager (same issue as above, see startx.txt)

- tried 2 different install sources

Can someone please help me understand why Slackware 14.2 x86_64 doesn't work out of the box for me?

I'm going to try rebuilding the kernel.

K4rolis · 08-15-2016, 10:29 AM

Have you checked whether your install media is not corrupt?

Freaksta · 08-15-2016, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K4rolis

Have you checked whether your install media is not corrupt?

Yes, I tried two sources:

- Torrent (ISO)

- FTP from slackware.com (ISO)

Gordie · 08-15-2016, 10:49 AM

Full install?

K4rolis · 08-15-2016, 10:53 AM

Yes, but what media are you actually using? First it would be useful to rule out the obvious - your USB stick might be toast. This sort of big failure could be software issue, but I'd be hard-pressed to believe that. It seems that you're willing to reinstall - so why not try 14.1 again using the same stick? Though I'm sure there is an easier way to check it - but I can't advice on that since I haven't done it.

EDIT:

Code:

badblocks

is something you might want to consider.

Freaksta · 08-15-2016, 11:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gordie

Full install?

Yes sir.

Freaksta · 08-15-2016, 11:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K4rolis

Yes, but what media are you actually using? First it would be useful to rule out the obvious - your USB stick might be toast. This sort of big failure could be software issue, but I'd be hard-pressed to believe that. It seems that you're willing to reinstall - so why not try 14.1 again using the same stick? Though I'm sure there is an easier way to check it - but I can't advice on that since I haven't done it.

EDIT:

Code:

badblocks

is something you might want to consider.

That's fair.

I just installed Debian 8 as a test, and it seems to have worked flawlessly.

I could try 14.1, though I can't build off that without updating the kernel manually for driver support, so I would like a clean install.

RadicalDreamer · 08-15-2016, 11:27 AM

I used elilo, refind: https://slackbuilds.org/repository/1...?search=refind
I repaired windows 10 boot with this since I couldn't boot from bios to it:
http://www.faqoverflow.com/superuser/460762.html

Also as root I used efibootmgr. I readjusted the boot order so refind is first. Everything worked for me. I don't think I have the secure boot but I have EFI. I have 2 Windows versions installed and Slackware. Refind automatically picks up all 3. I just run eliloconfig after updating kernel, fix the boot order again, and everything is good to go.

Freaksta · 08-15-2016, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RadicalDreamer

I used elilo, refind: https://slackbuilds.org/repository/1...?search=refind
I repaired windows 10 boot with this since I couldn't boot from bios to it:
http://www.faqoverflow.com/superuser/460762.html

Also as root I used efibootmgr. I readjusted the boot order so refind is first. Everything worked for me. I don't think I have the secure boot but I have EFI. I have 2 Windows versions installed and Slackware. Refind automatically picks up all 3. I just run eliloconfig after updating kernel, fix the boot order again, and everything is good to go.

Sorry, but I think you're in the wrong thread.

This issue is post-boot.

K4rolis · 08-15-2016, 12:26 PM

Having ruled out bad physical media, I guess the next step is to work out what's different between your debian, which works flawlessly, install and slack. Kernel? Video driver loaded by default (since the symptoms seem to point that something might be going wrong with the video drivers)? You might want to try to disable nouveau and see whether that helps at all, but I'm just guessing - I have not had these sort of issues before.

Hope someone else more experienced will chip in and help you sort your issues out!

EDIT:

A quick look at your dmesg:

Code:

[    5.561695] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: Direct firmware load for nvidia/gm204/fecs_inst.bin failed with error -2
[    5.561696] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: gr: failed to load fecs_inst
[    5.561706] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: disp: dcb 5 type 8 unknown

Maybe this is your clue?

phenixia2003 · 08-15-2016, 12:35 PM

Hello,

As K4rolis said, try to disable nouveau driver. You can do that by passing nomodeset in kernel boot arguments.

--
SeB

Freaksta · 08-15-2016, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by K4rolis

Having ruled out bad physical media, I guess the next step is to work out what's different between your debian, which works flawlessly, install and slack. Kernel? Video driver loaded by default (since the symptoms seem to point that something might be going wrong with the video drivers)? You might want to try to disable nouveau and see whether that helps at all, but I'm just guessing - I have not had these sort of issues before.

Hope someone else more experienced will chip in and help you sort your issues out!

EDIT:

A quick look at your dmesg:

Code:

[    5.561695] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: Direct firmware load for nvidia/gm204/fecs_inst.bin failed with error -2
[    5.561696] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: gr: failed to load fecs_inst
[    5.561706] nouveau 0000:01:00.0: disp: dcb 5 type 8 unknown

Maybe this is your clue?

Thank you -- will try