My kernel mysteriously changed itself???

pertplus · n00b Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 40

Hello,

I had a gentoo installation working splendidly, using X server and openbox for my gui environment.

Then, I installed windows (I know, I know) onto a separate partition, which worked fine and I was able to boot into windows no problem.
But then, I boot into liveusb and edit lilo.conf to add windows option, then run /sbin/lilo (after mounting my root and boot and chrooting to /mnt/gentoo). Upon reboot, lilo screen pops up and I can sucessfully choose windows or gentoo, and both boot.

BUT, upon typing 'startx' I get nothing now, when it used to work before I installed windows. But I didn't change any config or anything, so I dont get it!
My X server refused to start, saying "no screens found". Looking in dmesg I see looping error of nvidia module being loaded and unloaded, saying it is conflicting with another module (e.g. nouveau, or a framebuffer). I also notice a couple of oddities during boot, for example it hangs on "waiting for uevents to be processed" for about 3 minutes. I also briefly see mention of [nouveau], which is weird because it is disabled in kernel (and I double checked this and recompile kernel, but no dice).

Also, now somehow I get high-res during boot, I didnt before with nvidia propriatery driver. There is no framebuffer support enabled in kernel.

Basically it seems like somehow my kernel started loading nouveau drivers on its own, even though theyre disabled??

The ONLY thing that was changed was I turned off my BIOS setting for intel virutalization technology. I'll try re-enabling it after work but I dont see how that could be the issue (well, I do use -march native, but I tried recompiling nvidia-drivers anyway and have same issue).

I did update nvidia drivers in windows...is it possible it changed firmware on the card or something?? (nvidia gtx 650 ti, does it even have firmware

)

Since the bios setting was literally the only thing changed I guess it might be it.. I will try later today but meantime does anyone have any clues about this??

thanks very much

quilosaq · Veteran Joined: 22 Dec 2009 Posts: 1522

Hi!

Do not try to find out what happened. Try to fix it. Post your

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 6:30 pm Post subject:

pertplus,

I guess you updated your kernel a while ago to break it but did not run /sbin/lilo, so the old kerned continued to be used.
When you added windows and ran /sbin/lilo, you also got your new (broken) kernel.

Lilo loads the kernel from a block list, not by reading the filesystem, so its quite happy to load a file thats no longer listed in the filesystem.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

666threesixes666 · Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 7:53 pm Post subject:

i wrote the lilo wiki page & inserted a section about old configs. you should have vmlinuz-version.old and the .old should be the kernel that was previously loaded if what seagoon says is correct.

pertplus · n00b Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 40

thanks very much for the replies.

I will paste my xorg.0.log as soon as I get home.

I'm quite certain I always ran /sbin/lilo after chaning kernel, and, as mentioned, I did recompile kernel and certainly ran /sbin/lilo after that. And, in all my kernel recompilings, I never once chose the nouveau drivers, so why would those be showing up!

Is it somehow possible the liveusb kernel got mixed with my current one when I did the chroot /sbin/lilo ?

I will post xorg.0.log in a couple hours, thank you all

I may also try replacing kernel with vmlinuz-version.old one to see if it helps..

The really odd thing is the high-res during boot - it seems to indivate nouveau or a frame buffer driver, but all are disabled!

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Fri Dec 13, 2013 8:54 pm Post subject:

pertplus,

It indicates a framebuffer console of some sort.

Put your kernel config onto a pastebin site. Wgetpaste is your friend.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.

pertplus · n00b Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 40

/usr/src/linux/.config: http://bpaste.net/show/158288/

/var/log/Xorg.0.log: http://bpaste.net/show/158289

note: when i got home and powered on, it acts differently now - after startx screen went black and seemed to change res/flicker like it usually does when x starts. But it stayed black, and seemed to be fully frozen, I tried alt f1 / alt f2, ctrl + alt + f7 then alt+f2, ctrl + c, etc, and it just styed black. I had to use the power button.

pertplus · n00b Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 40

here's the previous Xorg.log I was talking about:
/var/log/Xorg.0.old.log: http://bpaste.net/show/158291

pertplus · n00b Joined: 20 Jun 2011 Posts: 40

now this is weird...I re-enabled the bios setting for intel virtualization and its working again. But I also did /sbin/lilo again, because uname -v said my kernel was from November 30. Maybe I just repeatedly forgot to run /sbin/lilo before the switch as neddyseagoon said. Is there a way to look back and see what I typed on November 30?

quilosaq · Veteran Joined: 22 Dec 2009 Posts: 1522

It seems you need set CONFIG_DRM_NOUVEAU in the kernel config. Post your

krinn · Watchman Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 7470

666threesixes666 · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 3:31 am Post subject:

thats the great thing about wiki, krinn sees my flaws, krinn has permission to fix them

(even though i already did) it completely slipped my mind since ive been converted to "make install" my kernels and it automatically runs lilo for me for doing so.

krinn · Watchman Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 7470

NeddySeagoon · Posted: Sat Dec 14, 2013 9:47 am Post subject:

pertplus,

We all forget to run /sbin/lilo from time to time. It gets really messy when a piece of the kernel you are trying to boot from the blocklist has been overwritten.
I switched to grub a long time ago to avoid this sort of thing.

look in .bash_history for your last 300 commands. Each user has this file.
Its not foolproof as if you have several console sessions open, only the history from one is saved.
_________________
Regards,

NeddySeagoon

Computer users fall into two groups:-
those that do backups
those that have never had a hard drive fail.