Hello to you all. I just obtained the latest openSUSE TW offline image (openSUSE-Tumbleweed-DVD-i586-Snapshot20210429-Media.iso) from the following: -> https://get.opensuse.org/tumbleweed
I am certain that the Compaq-nc6400 laptop is 32 bit not 64 bit.
Issue is after selecting “installation” within live bootmenu. The live system information loads and displays information lines up until pausing at “0.957026 trying to unpack rootfs image as initramfs…”.
I previously have successfully installed a live 32 bit TW image (openSUSE-Tumbleweed-DVD-i586-Snapshot20210418-Media.iso) on the computer but the latest kernel 5.12.0-1-pae fails boot into splash screen and freezes the computer. I revert to kernel 5.11.16-1-pae then all boots to splash screen just fine.
This above is why I am attempting to install this latest snapshot.
What if any options do I have going forward with this?
Your main option, at this point, is to report a bug.
If you still have an installed system, then continue to boot with the 5.11.16 kernel for now. I recommend that you edit “/etc/zypp/zypp.conf” and insert “oldest” in the “multiversion” line that says which kernels to keep.
If you still have an installed system, then continue to boot with the 5.11.16 kernel for now. I recommend that you edit “/etc/zypp/zypp.conf” and insert “oldest” in the “multiversion” line that says which kernels to keep.
I opened “/etc/zypp/zypp.conf” I went to line 554
multiversion.kernels = newest,newest-1,running
then switched the line to the following
multiversion.kernels = oldest,oldest-1,running
I powercycled, went through 1st LUKS passphrase then entered 2nd LUKS passphrase… waited at prompt for the countdown and the 5.12.0-1-pae kernel is continuing to be used.
Does this seem like the correct line to be editing above? Searching within Kate for “multiversion” brought up some results but the above line looked to be the most correct.
Any more ideas would be great.
When I use Bugzilla to report the Bug will y2logs be required? Will that help show the bug issue due to the computer not being successfully booted/loaded with the 5.12.0-1-pae kernel.
I would have left “newest” there. And your “oldest-1” should instead be “oldest+1”.
(add by edit)
I’m not sure whether y2logs will be requested. It seems unlikely. The bug report would probably go to kernel maintainers. If a kernel crash dump appears on the screen, they might want that. And they will probably ask for hardware info.
5.12.1-pae loads fine here. But my 32-bit Tumbleweed is actually using 64-bit hardware – actually even that is emulation with KVM. I think most of the testing of 32-bit kernels is done with emulation. It is getting hard to find real 32-bit hardware.
You probably should have “oldest” in addition to “oldest+1”. You can have more than 3 conditions there.
… by the way the line it hangs at is “loading initial ramdisk”.
I’m not surprised. I often see hanging at that point, but not under the same conditions. That happens to me when I boot a 32-bit kernel with 64-bit UEFI (which is technically not supported). I can get that to work with an old grub2 from last summer, but not with newer grub2.
Anyway, I tried with standard MBR booting. My 32-bit Tumbleweed is actually on an external drive, so I plugged into a virtual machine with Legacy MBR booting. And it still booted 5.12.0. So the problem is specific to your hardware.
If you wait a few minutes after that “loading initial ramdisk” does it continue to hang? Or does it reboot (which would probably indicate a kernel panic)?
I then powercycled the laptop. The 5.12.0-1-pae still remaining the initial choice. Yes it freezes.
Yes, verified the above is what the current entry is in
/etc/zypp/zypp.conf
. I know I could look into this too more deeply. It’s really been great to hear your input and knowledge.
This whole situation is sort of shocking due to the fact that previously I was attempting to install (openSUSE-Tumbleweed-DVD-i586-Snapshot20210418-Media.iso). ← (I was unknowingly “ticking” on the “trusted boot” selection box). EVERY time the installation would fail… of course towards the very end of the installation. Prior post concerning this is here: → https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/552816-Installing-openSUSE-Tumbleweed-i686-on-32bit-Compaq-NC-6400-laptop
Ok, I understand I maybe should not post again. The system is now freezing at the following
480.644901] ret_from_fork+0x1c/0x30
There is an occasional (rapid flash) and the numbers inside of the brackets increase. At this time the numbers inside of the brackets have increased to 620.644901]
Re: your bug comment #2, kernel-pae and kernel-default are different. Even though the PAE kernel is required to use all 4GB, it’s worth trying kernel-default-5.12.0 as a diagnostic aid. When you find it prudent to comment in your bug again, it would be good to refer to this thread. It’s a good habit for any bug reported following a forum thread that failed to solve a problem.
