After last kernel update, boot freezes "Loading initial ramdisk"

[saqer]

Hello all, I am wondering on even how to debug this issue. My machine has been running fine, except for some nouveau/kernel issue which seemed to go away in the latest kernels.

But the very last kernel update (3.1.6-1) grub gets stuck at "Loading initial ramdisk" message. I sellected the earlier kernel from grub menu but that get stuck at same point too! So maybe it is not a kernel problem after all.

At the grub menu I can get to grub's command line mode. But do not know what to do for debuging.

By the way, My laptop did not suffer from this issue. Got the updates and booted fine.

[soldia]

I have same problem, had to reboot and select: 3.1.5-6.fc16.i686 from the boot menu

yum update shows nothing new to update

[JEO]

Check for the existence and size of the initramfs file(s) in the /boot directory.

ls -ld /boot/init*

[soldia]

[root@sal sal]# ls -ld /boot/init*
-rw-rw-r--. 1 root root 16244116 Dec 21 17:48 /boot/initramfs-3.1.0-7.fc16.i686.img
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 17164060 Dec 21 19:33 /boot/initramfs-3.1.5-6.fc16.i686.img
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 0 Dec 24 13:54 /boot/initramfs-3.1.6-1.fc16.i686.img
-rw-r--r--. 1 root root 1587245 Dec 24 13:53 /boot/initrd-plymouth.img

can we rm that file ?

[JEO]

Use the dracut command to recreate the file.

If you supply the -f parameter it will overwrite the old 0 length file.

su -
cd /boot
dracut -f initramfs-3.1.6-1.fc16.i686.img 3.1.6-1.fc16.i686

[saqer]

from grub2 command line:

$ set root=(hd0,1)
$ ls -l /
snip
16405109 20111224022244 initramfs-3.1.6-1.fc16.x86_64.img
16399661 20111219002423 initramfs-3.1.5-6.fc16.x86_64.img
snip
4578606 20111215162126 vmlinuz-3.1.5-6.fc16.x86_64
4580496 20111221224628 vmlinuz-3.1.6-1.fc16.x86_64

Not sure what to do!

[AdenUkolnis]

post the output of su -c blkid

post your /boot/grub2/grub.cfg file

[saqer]

su -c blkid
error: unknown command `su'

It will be a lot of typing to post my boot/grub2/grub.cfg I will need some time.

---------- Post added at 12:22 PM ---------- Previous post was at 11:49 AM ----------

I even tried to reinstall, but what ever I choose from the install options, I get to a grey screen with a blinking cursor at the top-left corner.

---------- Post added at 12:54 PM ---------- Previous post was at 12:22 PM ----------

I got the thing to boot. I entered bios and used the option "load safe defaults". My system booted fine after that.

For the trial, I changed bios to "load optimal defualts", and got the problem back. Reverted to "load safe defaults" to be able to boot. Not sure why all the sudden bios configuration is now a problematic.

[dr.fudd]

I too am getting the same problem after the latest update today(FC16). Although i don't think it has anything to do with ram drive. Its probably Xorg and the Nvidia video cards we are using as I am also using a Nvidia card with the standard kernel nouveou drivers

When I go into system recovery mode (init 1) and try to reinstate default mode by "systemctl default" it gives me this error message :

"mcelog [1067] mcelog read: no such device found"

not sure what that means or if its helpful.

Also to note that telinit 3 level works find.

[saqer]

I too have the gtx 260 nvidia card with the nouveau driver installed. The Motherboard is tyan amd and ati/amd chipsets. My processor is amd 1100. I am suspecting that the mobo is not interacting friendly with nvidia GPU from its rival chipset.

$lspci
00:00.0 Host bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RD890 Northbridge only dual slot (2x8) PCI-e GFX Hydra part (rev 02)
00:02.0 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (PCI express gpp port B)
00:09.0 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc RD890 PCI to PCI bridge (PCI express gpp port H)
00:11.0 SATA controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 SATA Controller [IDE mode]
00:12.0 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI0 Controller
00:12.1 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB7x0 USB OHCI1 Controller
00:12.2 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB EHCI Controller
00:13.0 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI0 Controller
00:13.1 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB7x0 USB OHCI1 Controller
00:13.2 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB EHCI Controller
00:14.0 SMBus: ATI Technologies Inc SBx00 SMBus Controller (rev 3d)
00:14.1 IDE interface: ATI Technologies Inc SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 IDE Controller
00:14.2 Audio device: ATI Technologies Inc SBx00 Azalia (Intel HDA)
00:14.3 ISA bridge: ATI Technologies Inc SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 LPC host controller
00:14.4 PCI bridge: ATI Technologies Inc SBx00 PCI to PCI Bridge
00:14.5 USB Controller: ATI Technologies Inc SB7x0/SB8x0/SB9x0 USB OHCI2 Controller
00:18.0 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 10h Processor HyperTransport Configuration
00:18.1 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 10h Processor Address Map
00:18.2 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 10h Processor DRAM Controller
00:18.3 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 10h Processor Miscellaneous Control
00:18.4 Host bridge: Advanced Micro Devices [AMD] Family 10h Processor Link Control
01:09.0 VGA compatible controller: ASPEED Technology, Inc. ASPEED Graphics Family (rev 10)
02:00.0 Ethernet controller: Intel Corporation 82574L Gigabit Network Connection
03:00.0 VGA compatible controller: nVidia Corporation GT200 [GeForce GTX 260] (rev a1)

I get nothing if I try to connect my monitor to the onboard VGA. Even after I set the bios to post to onboard first.

[saqer]

Solved. It was bios related.

In the next day, I tried to reset bios to safe defaults and my kernel worked again. When I go to bios and change it to "optimum defaults" I get the same problem.

[goodfella]

Solved. It was bios related.

In the next day, I tried to reset bios to safe defaults and my kernel worked again. When I go to bios and change it to "optimum defaults" I get the same problem.

Are these bios settings only related to cpu performance, overclocking?