Mutliboot: Tumblweed grub doesn't boot arch 6.2.1 kernels? (kernel doesn't support EFI handover)

akr1602 · March 2, 2023, 3:07am

I have a multiboot system with various distributions. I am using Tumbleweed grub as main bootloader. After updating one of the Arch distributions to latest kernel 6.2.1, grub is unable to boot this kernel.

error: …/…/grub-core/loader/i386/efi/linux.c:269: kernel doesn’t support EFI handover
error: …/…/grub-core/loader/i386/efi/linux.c:168: you need to load kernel first

I did a sudo zypper dup.I am on latest:
name -a
Linux localhost.localdomain 6.2.0-1-default #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Mon Feb 20 06:22:59 UTC 2023 (89e2785) x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

udo grub2-install
[sudo] password for root:
Installing for x86_64-efi platform.
Installation finished. No error reported.

I am able to boot those kernels if I load that distribution’s grub. Also able to boot 6.1.12 kernels. So it this specific to my system or a generic issue?

Thanks!

arvidjaar · March 2, 2023, 4:27am

Probably, Arch builds kernel without CONFIG_EFI_HANDOVER_PROTOCOL and yes, grub needs it (by default). You do not say how exactly you boot other distributions, so no suggestions can be made here.

The code in question is from SUSE patch, so you may consider submitting openSUSE bug report.

arvidjaar · March 2, 2023, 6:42am

Yes, it does.

github.com

archlinux/svntogit-packages/blob/d0200eb89ddd9dae4ba31754418acbb9671d2065/trunk/config#L490


      
          CONFIG_X86_UMIP=y
          CONFIG_CC_HAS_IBT=y
          CONFIG_X86_KERNEL_IBT=y
          CONFIG_X86_INTEL_MEMORY_PROTECTION_KEYS=y
          # CONFIG_X86_INTEL_TSX_MODE_OFF is not set
          # CONFIG_X86_INTEL_TSX_MODE_ON is not set
          CONFIG_X86_INTEL_TSX_MODE_AUTO=y
          CONFIG_X86_SGX=y
          CONFIG_EFI=y
          CONFIG_EFI_STUB=y
          # CONFIG_EFI_HANDOVER_PROTOCOL is not set
          CONFIG_EFI_MIXED=y
          # CONFIG_EFI_FAKE_MEMMAP is not set
          CONFIG_EFI_RUNTIME_MAP=y
          # CONFIG_HZ_100 is not set
          # CONFIG_HZ_250 is not set
          CONFIG_HZ_300=y
          # CONFIG_HZ_1000 is not set
          CONFIG_HZ=300
          CONFIG_SCHED_HRTICK=y
          CONFIG_KEXEC=y

More precisely - Arch is using almost pure upstream grub which does not use EFI handover protocol at all, so it is not affected. SUSE added grub patches to enable EFI handover. So, it is specific SUSE issue.

akr1602 · March 2, 2023, 7:04am

Hey… Thanks much!

I searched for this option and there has been some activity around this in kernel 6.2
efi: Make the deprecated EFI handover protocol optional
https://git.kernel.org/linus/cc3fdda2876e58a7e83e558ab51853cf106afb6a

Like you mention Arch is turning it off. I will just hold off updating my other distributions (not super critical for me).