Looping login to OpenSuse Leap and booting to Windows 10 not working after installation of Leap

After completing the installation of pre-installed Windows 10 on my computer (CI7 3.6 GHz, 256 GB SSD, 2 TB HDD, 16 GB RAM, NVIDIA GTX 750).
Then I installed OpenSUSE Leap 42.1 from a bootable USB stick (created with ImageUSB/PassMark Software after downloading the .iso file with direct link).
I partitioned my discs into ‘/’ (BtrFS format) and ‘swap’ on the SSD drive and put the ‘/home’ partition (XFS) on the HDD.
I did not ask the installer to format the EFI boot partition because I was afraid it might jeopardize my system (correct?) but simply mounted the partition as ‘/boot/efi’ (FAT format).
The installation seems to have worked just fine since I did not get any error message.
When I start my system I land in the boot manager offering to boot OpenSuse 42.1, Windows, …etc.
if I choose to start OpenSUSE, after a short message

0.21...] Ignoring BGRT: invalid status 0 (expected 1)

and

kwm disabled by BIOS

I arrived to the login menu but cannot log into OpenSUSE (looping login window).
I can login in the console modus (ctrl+alt+F2) but do not know what to do from there…
I cannot login as root because I did not create a root administrator account during the installation (my bad…) and therefore could not try to install a new NVIDIA driver.

And if I choose to boot Windows, I get the message:

/EndEntire
filepath: /ACPI(a0341d0,0)/PCI(2,1f)/Sata(0,ffff,0)
/HD(2,190800,82000, ea..., 2,2)/File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot)/File(bootmgfw.efi)
/EndEntire
error: Not supported image.

I identified several threads with similar issues (https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/510685-openSUSE-Leap-42-1-Windows-10-and-secure-boot, https://forums.opensuse.org/showthread.php/512475-Fresh-install-Stuck-at-KDE-login) but I cannot solve my issue and am not even sure if it is the same problem.

I would appreciate if anybody might be willing to give me some directions here.

Should I re-install OpenSUSE freshly, taking care to create a separate root admin?
Should I ask the installation program to reformat the existing EFI boot partition (FAT)?
Does anybody see some obvious flag in my issue?

Thank you :slight_smile:

I’d use a DVD. That way you can do a proper media check.

Mounting your EFI partition as /boot/efi is 100% correct.

I’m 50% sure that line is highly ignorable.

I’m 95% sure that that line is highly ignorable.

Sounds like a DE problem. Did you install KDE or GNOME?

You did create a root account because it’s impossible to install GNU/Linux without one. The password is (almost certainly) the same as the one for the user account you created upon installation. But do not log into a desktop session as root. If you can connect your computer by RJ45 to an ethernet port to a DHCP-configured router/gateway, you’re easiest option is to do so, log into a virtual console and enter:


sh-4.2$ su -
sh-4.2# ping [www.opensuse.org](http://www.opensuse.org) ; just to test connection: press Ctrl-C to halt.
sh-4.2# zypper up
sh-4.2# reboot

Did you install Windows 10 and openSUSE Leap with secure boot enabled? If so, you will suffer from the same bug I’ve had to struggle with today. It still hasn’t been corrected in the official repos but you will see can be corrected by reinstalling GRUB2-EFI from an unofficial one (see openSUSE Leap 42.1, Windows 10 and secure boot - Install/Boot/Login - openSUSE Forums ).

If you’re using secure boot, then (at least part of) your problem is the same.

No. There’s no such thing as a GNU/Linux installation without root.

Definitely not! Unless you want to risk installing Windows 10 again!

One step at a time. Did you enable secure boot and which DE did you install?

Yes, that’s correct. You did fine.

0.21...] Ignoring BGRT: invalid status 0 (expected 1)

This seems unimportant. I found an ubuntu forum thread that gives a little information about this.

kwm disabled by BIOS

I’m betting that was actually “kvm” rather than “kwm”. There is likely a BIOS setting you can change if you need to actually use kvm. Otherwise, just ignore it.

I arrived to the login menu but cannot log into OpenSUSE (looping login window).
I can login in the console modus (ctrl+alt+F2) but do not know what to do from there…
I cannot login as root because I did not create a root administrator account during the installation (my bad…) and therefore could not try to install a new NVIDIA driver.

On the login window, select “Icewm” (instead of Plasma 5 or KDE or Gnome or whatever). See if you can login there. If you can, then you can install the nvidia driver from icewm.

And if I choose to boot Windows, I get the message:

/EndEntire
filepath: /ACPI(a0341d0,0)/PCI(2,1f)/Sata(0,ffff,0)
/HD(2,190800,82000, ea..., 2,2)/File(\EFI\Microsoft\Boot)/File(bootmgfw.efi)
/EndEntire
error: Not supported image.

That’s bug 954126. There should be an update to fix this real soon now. In the meantime, you could turn off secure-boot in the BIOS as a temporary workaround.

Otherwise, you are mostly in great shape, except for the need to install nvidia drivers.

Thank you both flymail and nrickert for your help! Unfortunately my system is still not running perfectly as I expected.

I installed KDE and I am not sure about the secure boot…
Would you recommend to disable the secure boot?

Here is what I did:
In the meantime I re-installed OpenSUSE, taking care to create a separate root account. I formated my ‘/’ partition as ‘Ext4’ (instead of ‘BtrFS’ as previously/as the installer automatically put it in response to the warning about BtrFS format for rookie users).
I chose to install the LiLo and grub packages and I do not know which one booted after the installation:?:shame: but now the boot menu only gives me three choices instead of four and Windows starts perfectly now :slight_smile:
However, I still cannot boot OpenSUSE: I tried to login into IceWM - had to enter my password twice… - and managed to do so but I could not start any application from this environment and the OpenSUSE login bar was still apparent on my desktop #1 ??.
So I failed to open an internet browser to download the NVIDIA driver.

Then I logged out and logged back in in the console mode.
As advised, I ran:


su -
ping www.opensuse.org; (stopped the process with ctrl+C)
zypper up
reboot

Now, I still cannot start OpenSUSE.

Is there a way to install a driver through the console command line?
Where do I set the secure boot? I did not see it in the BIOS.

I forgot to ask: is there a real benefit to install from a DVD instead of a USB stick? Is the image on both media not identical?
Would you advise me to install OpenSUSE Leap with a DVD?

I forgot to ask: is there a real benefit to install from a DVD instead of a USB stick? Is the image on both media not identical?
Would you advise me to install OpenSUSE Leap with a DVD?

I use a USB stick. There shouldn’t be any difference, except perhaps in how the BIOS or UEFI firmware boots them. It’s the same image iso file.

There’s an update out today that fixes the boot problem. So disable secure-boot until your system is fully updated.

If you have a network connection, I think you are better off adding the nvidia driver from the nvidia community repo.

On 2016-01-06, yanfri <yanfri@no-mx.forums.microfocus.com> wrote:
> Thank you both flymail and nrickert for your help! Unfortunately my
> system is still not running perfectly as I expected.

Keep trying. GNU/Linux is not free: you just pay with time rather than money.

> I installed KDE and I am not sure about the secure boot…
> Would you recommend to disable the secure boot?

Thank you for confirming you use KDE. Whether secure boot is enabled is something you do need to know. You can find out
in YaST->Bootloader. As suggested by nrickert, life might be easier for you if you disable secure boot.

> Here is what I did:
> In the meantime I re-installed OpenSUSE, taking care to create a
> separate root account.

As I said before every GNU/Linux install already has a root account.

> I formated my ‘/’ partition as ‘Ext4’ (instead of
> ‘BtrFS’ as previously/as the installer automatically put it in response
> to the warning about BtrFS format for rookie users).

Whether you use BtrFS or ext4 shouldn’t really make much of a difference of whether you can log into KDE.

> I chose to install the LiLo and grub packages and I do not know which
> one booted after the installation:?:shame: but now the boot menu only
> gives me three choices instead of four and Windows starts perfectly now
>:)

Well I suppose that’s an advance. Usually, GNU/Linux installations use only one bootloader: e.g. LiLo or GRUB, but not
both. Under YaST->Bootloader, you can see/set which boatloader is being used.

> However, I still cannot boot OpenSUSE: I tried to login into IceWM - had
> to enter my password twice… - and managed to do so but I could not
> start any application from this environment and the OpenSUSE login bar
> was still apparent on my desktop #1 ??.

In my experience, there should be no problem reaching openSUSE’s KDE with Nvidia graphics cards with the default open
source nouveau driver that comes preinstalled. I haven’t tested this for openSUSE Leap 42.1 however. If you can’t log
into KDE/IceWM, and only command console then you can run YaST by logging into command console as root and typing yast' and hitting Enter’.

> So I failed to open an internet browser to download the NVIDIA driver.

In order to download the driver, you may make your life easier by installing a console internet browsert (such as links
or lynx).

> Then I logged out and logged back in in the console mode.
> As advised, I ran: <SNIP> ping www.opensuse.org <SNIP> zypper up <SNIP>

The `zypper up’ command simply updates packages to the latest version and this can be useful in resolving numerous bug
issues occuring after a fresh install. Sorry to ask a silly question, but did the ping actually confirm you were online?

> Now, I still cannot start OpenSUSE.
> Is there a way to install a driver through the console command line?

Yes, but only if your internet connection is working from command console (or using much more long-winded methods using
another computer).

> Where do I set the secure boot? I did not see it in the BIOS.

Yast->Bootloader should tell you.

On 2016-01-06, yanfri <yanfri@no-mx.forums.microfocus.com> wrote:
> I forgot to ask: is there a real benefit to install from a DVD instead
> of a USB stick? Is the image on both media not identical?
> Would you advise me to install OpenSUSE Leap with a DVD?

Respectively: yes, no, and yes. Here obviously my opinion differs from nrickert (and many others). The main advantage of
outputting ISO images to DVD rather than USB stick is that you can do a proper media check on the installation medium.
Many would argue this benefit is not worthwhile. But my feeling is that for something as important as an operating
system it is not only worthwhile but essential. And after wasting many hours in futile attempts to fix problematic
installs resulting from defective media from GNU/Linux iso images, I believe sticking to DVD with proper integrity
checks is more than worthwhile.

No, it won’t. It tells you whether bootloader is suitable for secure boot; it is independent of whether secure boot is actually enabled or not. Nor is it even possible to change secure boot state from within OS. Unfortunately each BIOS vendor has different GUI and OP did not even list motherboard vendor and BIOS version (then someone may have an idea) - and neither CPU speed, nor RAM size nor HDD nor video card help here.

On 2016-01-07, arvidjaar <arvidjaar@no-mx.forums.microfocus.com> wrote:
>
> flymail;2747249 Wrote:
>>
>> > Where do I set the secure boot? I did not see it in the BIOS.
>>
>> Yast->Bootloader should tell you.
> No, it won’t. It tells you whether bootloader is suitable for secure
> boot; it is independent of whether secure boot is actually enabled or
> not. Nor is it even possible to change secure boot state from within OS.

That’s terrible!.. I didn’t know that! What kind of implementation precludes OS knowledge of its own boot state?

> Unfortunately each BIOS vendor has different GUI and OP did not even
> list motherboard vendor and BIOS version (then someone may have an idea)
> - and neither CPU speed, nor RAM size nor HDD nor video card help here.

I guess that’s very good reason to have secure boot disabled by default!

You can check current state of secure boot using SecureBoot EFI variable; it is read-only as soon you leave firmware. I think current efibootmgr displays its value; you can also install efivar package that provides command to help manipulating EFI variables.

And no, it is not OS state - it is firmware state. Strictly speaking it is of no concern to OS.

bootctl status

should tell you whether you booted with secure-boot.

Thank you all for your help!

So, yes, I won’t give up until this Leap is installed on my computer.

Yes I had some connection when I pinged www.opensuse.org.

YAST mentioned grub in the boot option and I saw that the ‘nouveau’ driver was installed for my display, so it seems that I am experiencing the same issue as many users reported, e.g. nrickert in a separate thread).

The ‘secure boot’ is enabled but I cannot figure out how to switch it to ‘disabled’… The only options I have in the BIOS/EFI secure boot menu is to switch between ‘Windows’ and ‘other OS’ and change some ‘CSM’ options. There is another menu to ‘clear secure boot keys’ but since I could not save these to a USB drive, I did not want to take the risk to delete them.

I tried the ‘zypper inr’ command since it has been mentioned to ignore some restrictions YAST is having with ‘zypper up’, but it did not solve the problem.

I have downloaded the NVIDIA driver to a USB stick in Windows and will try to install it from the USB stick through the console.
How would you advise me to install the driver?
What I have in mind is:


fdisk -1
mount device /mnt/usb
NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64352.63.run

I will see if this works…

may want to google for your BIOS’s doc’s Secure boot is supposed to be an option not a forced thing

`

I could start the installation of the NVIDIA driver with


mkdir /mnt/usb
mount /dev/sdd1 /mnt/usb
sh NVIDIA-Linux-x86-64-352.63.run

There, the system tells me that the ‘nouveau’ driver is already installed and needs to be disabled or removed prior to the installation of the new driver.

I will try this solution: http://www.allaboutlinux.eu/remove-nouveau-and-install-nvidia-driver-in-ubuntu-15-04/

The installer runs on Icewm. So if the installer could run in graphic mode, you ought to be able to use Icewm. That’s a very limited desktop, but it is still more congenial than using a command line login for things like installing Nvidia drivers.

The ‘secure boot’ is enabled but I cannot figure out how to switch it to ‘disabled’… The only options I have in the BIOS/EFI secure boot menu is to switch between ‘Windows’ and ‘other OS’ and change some ‘CSM’ options.

BIOS settings vary from computer to computer. I have two UEFI systems. For one of them, there’s a “boot” page (r maybe it is called “startup”. And there’s a line there for secure-boot. On the other, there is a “security” page, and the secure-boot setting is there. Both also have CSM settings on the boot/startup page. Turning on secure-boot automatically disables CSM.

You may have to do some exploring of your BIOS settings page to find where to set.

Note that there was an update yesterday that fixed these secure-boot problems. But you need to be able to boot your system first, and install all updates. Then you can turn secure-boot back on.

There is another menu to ‘clear secure boot keys’ but since I could not save these to a USB drive, I did not want to take the risk to delete them.

That’s a different setting. I suggest you avoid using it.

How would you advise me to install the driver?

My advice would be:

Use: Yast Software repositories
select “Add”
select “community repositories”
select “nvidia” (or similar name)

After adding that repository, use
Yast Software Manager
Search for “nvidia”
Install the G04 drivers. There are several packages. You will need the one with “kmp” in its name. Selecting that should automatically select other required packages.

By the way, I’m getting “G04” from the name of the install software you had planned to use (with 352.xx).

If you install directly the way that you wanted, you will have to reinstall for every kernel update. If you install from the repos, then that should be handled automatically.

On 2016-01-07, yanfri <yanfri@no-mx.forums.microfocus.com> wrote:
> I have downloaded the NVIDIA driver to a USB stick in Windows and will
> try to install it from the USB stick through the console.
> How would you advise me to install the driver?
> What I have in mind is:
>
> Code:
> --------------------
>
> fdisk -1
> mount device /mnt/usb
> NVIDIA-Linux-x86_64352.63.run
>
> --------------------

If you have the NVIDIA driver installer copied to /root/Downloads/, you can install it in a virtual console thus:


sh-4.2$ su -
sh-4.2# zypper in gcc make kernel-devel
sh-4.2# telinit 3
sh-4.2# cd /root/Downloads/
sh-4.2# sh NVIDIA<tab>
sh-4.2# nvidia-xconfig
sh-4.2# telinit 5
sh-4.2# exit

The NVIDIA propretiary driver prevents the nouveau driver (with which it conflicts) from loading and in my experience
does so successfully. But if you have any problems, you might want to refer to: https://en.opensuse.org/SDB:NVIDIA_the_hard_way

Problem solved: Use YAST in a console session to install the NVIDIA driver from the NVIDIA repo.

Thank you all for your help!!!

I used nrickert’s advise to use YAST in a console session to install the NVIDIA driver from the NVIDIA repo. YAST solved it all for me :slight_smile:

I had started to remove the nouveau driver manually/the hard way but did not manage to install the NVIDIA driver over the nouveau.

So now I have a running system with a dual boot to Windows 10 and Linux OpenSUSE Leap 42.1 on two drives (SSD and HDD).

Thanks again :smiley:

You should NOT remove nouveau it will be blacklisted by the NVIDIA install.