update screwed

[Rita G.]

Debian 12 cinnamon
Hi friends,
After doing an update, system will not boot to desktop. Halts about 2 seconds into boot process and I have no idea how to go about fixing this.
Can someone please help me?

[Aki]

Hello,
Can you boot selecting the previous version of the kernel from grub (selecting fro menu "Advanced option for Debian GNU/LInux") ?
What is your graphic card ?

[Rita G.]

yes
nvidia rtx 2060

[kalle123]

@ Rita G.

Probably this here viewtopic.php?t=158261

It is always a good idea to have a system backup at hand. When I saw the error messages in synpatic, I stopped and did a system backup at once, before having my system messed up. I am not an expert, just a normal user and have https://wiki.debian.org/timeshift active , which is quite convenient to use ....

[Rita G.]

so . .
is there a fix for this?
or do i just boot the previous kernel from grub?

[kalle123]

so . .
is there a fix for this?
or do i just boot the previous kernel from grub?

You have to boot the previous kernel or reset your system to a 'before update' state.

We do have a kernel developer here in the German forum and he pointed at once to Nvidia. For 'siduction' he stated, that they have patched the Nvidia drivers and that also the Debian Nvidia drivers which come with 'sid' have been patched, but for trixie and bookworm we just have to wait.

For more information have a look into those bug reports https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugrepo ... ug=1063363 and https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugrepo ... ug=1062932

br KH

[FreewheelinFrank]

The first thing to try would be booting form the previous kernel as Aki suggested.

[fabien]

Should be soon in proposed updates

#1063675 bookworm-pu: package nvidia-graphics-drivers/525.147.05-6~deb12u1

[ Reason ]
1) A backported (by upstream) change in Linux 6.1.76 (included in
today's point release) broke compilation of the non-free nvidia kernel
module. A patched version of the driver is available in sid.
[...]
[ Impact ]
Users are unable to use the non-free nvidia module.
[...]
[ Changes ]

nvidia-graphics-drivers (525.147.05-6~deb12u1) bookworm; urgency=medium

* Rebuild for bookworm.

-- Andreas Beckmann <anbe@debian.org> Sat, 10 Feb 2024 22:03:15 +0100
[...]
[ Other info ]
It would be great if we could get this into stable-pu quickly as todays
point release broke nvidia-kernel-dkms in stable.

[nickmdowson]

I'm also experiencing this same problem. Any idea how soon the fix in proposed-updates will land?
In the meantime, is there anything those of us experiencing this can do?
In my case I'm still able to boot using the old kernel but it's just giving me errors when I try to upgrade. Should we negatively pin the 6.1.0-16 kernel or something?

Also if anyone has privileges to edit the topic title to make something easier for people to find this thread that would be helpful! I don't seem to be able to. Cheers

[dlu2021]

It is there currently.

[None1975]

so . .
is there a fix for this?
or do i just boot the previous kernel from grub?

Hello. Just boot to the previous kernel and remove the nvidia proprietary driver.

You can remove all packages on your system with nvidia in the name by running (as root):

Code: Select all

apt purge "*nvidia*"

And then reboot the system with:

Code: Select all

systemctl reboot

This should leave you with a functioning system in almost all cases. If it seems to still be having issues, you may also try running (as root):

Code: Select all

apt install --reinstall xserver-xorg-core xserver-xorg-video-nouveau

Then, just update (as usual)

Code: Select all

apt update 
apt upgrade

And simply continue using the operating system with opensource video drivers.

[Fossy]

so . .
is there a fix for this?
or do i just boot the previous kernel from grub?

Hello. Just boot to the previous kernel and remove the nvidia proprietary driver.
You can remove all packages on your system with nvidia in the name by running (as root):

Code: Select all

apt purge "*nvidia*"

And then reboot the system with:

Code: Select all

systemctl reboot

This should leave you with a functioning system in almost all cases. If it seems to still be having issues, you may also try running (as root):

Code: Select all

apt install --reinstall xserver-xorg-core xserver-xorg-video-nouveau

Then, just update (as usual)

Code: Select all

apt update 
apt upgrade

And simply continue using the operating system with opensource video drivers.

Nouveau: Accelerated Open Source driver for nVidia cards
https://nouveau.freedesktop.org/

[M22]

Seems like everyone who has Nvidia card been facing the kernel panic after system tries to update to the latest kernel 6.1.0-18.

Before disturbing the nvidia card package, I suggest doing this :

1. Boot to the previous kernel version in GRUB under Advanced Options.

2. Edit the apt sources which is located in /etc/apt/sources.list. Include the following proposed-updates in the sources,list file. Proposed-updates is described here.

Add the lines

Code: Select all

# proposed updates for the next point release
deb http://ftp.us.debian.org/debian bookworm-proposed-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

at the end of the file. Also remark out the first line that Debian ("deb http://deb.debian.org/debian/ bookworm main contrib non-free non-free-firmware") so that the update won't try to source from it for now.

3. Run "sudo apt update" followed by "sudo apt upgrade"

4. Edit back the sources.list file and remark out the last line by adding "#" in front of the "deb http....". And re-enable the original source by removing the # from the first line as shown above.

5. Reboot using the default Debian in GRUB, and it should be able to boot now.

[Borg]

@Rita G.

Please do NOT follow what @Fossy and @M22 said, it is wrong.

Fossy's suggestion to use the Nouveau drivers instead of the much better NVidia drivers will result into an unstable system whose desktop constantly crashes and whose 3D performance is slow. His proposal is based on ideology, not technical usability.

M22's suggestion of adding the proposed-updates in /etc/apt/source.list file is only for experiences users that know what they are doing and it is only a short term workaround. It is not for the normal user. So don't follow his suggestion either.

As a simple user, you don't have to do anything in such cases except select and boot the older kernel in Grub via the Grub menu when booting and then wait until Debian stable is updated by the Debian maintainers. That's the only sensible suggestion.
And then you just have to wait until the packages are updated and the problem is fixed in Debian stable.
This happened today.

As of today there is a newer version of the nvidia-graphics-drivers package in Debian stable in the bookworm-updates repository.
bookworm-updates is NOT the same as bookworm-proposed-updates.

Just make sure that your /etc/apt/sources.list contains the following entry and this is usually the case for a normal Debian installation with the non-free packages enabled:

Code: Select all

deb https://deb.debian.org/debian bookworm-updates main contrib non-free non-free-firmware

Thus you have to do nothing, except updating your system.

With this update to the nvidia-graphics-drivers package to version 525.147.05-7~deb12u1, the new 6.1.0-18-amd64 kernel can be built easily without errors and the system can then boot without errors.
Thus to make it short, the problem is now solved.

I am running here my system with nvidia-graphics-drivers version 525.147.05-7~deb12u1 and linux-image-6.1.0-18-amd64 and a NVidia video card. I was just using the old kernel until the Debian maintainers solved the problem in the repository and that was today.

[CwF]

Nouveau drivers instead of the much better NVidia drivers will result into an unstable system

It will not. The advice to use nouveau is valid for many use cases on many systems with no stability issues whatsoever.

It is not for the normal user.

Nvidia users need to be informed users, an upgrade from normal users I'd say.

and boot the older kernel

simple enough isn't it!

[Borg]

Nouveau drivers instead of the much better NVidia drivers will result into an unstable system

It will not. The advice to use nouveau is valid for many use cases on many systems with no stability issues whatsoever.

Well, I had to install Nouveau on my old notebook with a Geforce 6600 Go because the proprietary drivers are no longer supported. Therefore I have some experience with the Nouveau drivers.
But Nouvau never ran stable on it. In particular, applications that use 3D functions cause the entire desktop always and reproducible to smear and crash.
Workarounds that were necessary to mitigate the problem were things like changing the login manager and the desktop environment. On this old notebook, i only use login managers and desktop environments that are classic 2d and don't use 3d functions for rendering.
But as soon as you start an application that uses 3D functions and glxgears is enough for that, it led to a faulty and unusable desktop.
Since around November 2023, someone has made a few changes in some package related to the detection of the graphics card, which I don't know at the moment, which now means that the desktop basically no longer works at all due to the nouveau driver and this change.

This GPU is already very old and in about 18 years the developers of the nouveau drivers have not managed to persuade these drivers to produce a stable output that you can use for work.
But that's not the only problem. Another one is that the power saving functions don't work either.
The proprietary NVidia drivers, on the other hand, always ran extremely stable with all 3D functions and power saving functions switched on.

I had similar problems on my old desktop computer with a Geforce GTX 550.

Summary:
In this respect, the Nouveau drivers are at best an emergency solution, but not something that should be used regularly as long as the NVidia drivers are available.
You can't work seriously with these drivers. They are a toy and very buggy.

It is not for the normal user.

Nvidia users need to be informed users, an upgrade from normal users I'd say.

NVidia users are users like everyone else. But the mere fact that they still have an NVidia card suggests that they are either dual-booters, need the NVidia card for very specific reasons, or have only recently discovered Linux. In the latter case, you cannot assume that they know Linux. So suggesting them that they integrate an experimental repository is a very bad suggestion. I would never make such a miserable suggestion to a Linux beginner.

and boot the older kernel

simple enough isn't it!

And that's exactly why the other suggestions are nonsense.

[Dai_trying]

Fossy's suggestion to use the Nouveau drivers instead of the much better NVidia drivers will result into an unstable system whose desktop constantly crashes and whose 3D performance is slow. His proposal is based on ideology, not technical usability.

M22's suggestion of adding the proposed-updates in /etc/apt/source.list file is only for experiences users that know what they are doing and it is only a short term workaround. It is not for the normal user. So don't follow his suggestion either.

If like me you boot your system daily, and often by powering it up while nipping off to put the kettle on for my (always overdue) caffeine fix this is an option I would not desire, I used the option of removing the offending kernel (even though it was not really at fault IMO) and adding proposed updates for the impending Nvidia fix then wait for it to arrive et-voila, now removed proposed updates from sources.list reinstalled the current kernel and I'm a happy camper with no worries and my system never actually broke because I saw what happened during the update and took the necessary steps advised on this forum.

Simply criticising other options as "nonsense" and "should never be used" gains you no credence on this board (certainly not in my eyes), something you might need if you want people to listen and take your suggestions seriously.

Your proposal is for users to intervene at every boot/reboot of the system, something that users (like me) might forget or simply not do, leading to errors when the system tries to boot into a ill-configured state leaving them with another issue to resolve.

[Borg]

Fossy's suggestion to use the Nouveau drivers instead of the much better NVidia drivers will result into an unstable system whose desktop constantly crashes and whose 3D performance is slow. His proposal is based on ideology, not technical usability.

M22's suggestion of adding the proposed-updates in /etc/apt/source.list file is only for experiences users that know what they are doing and it is only a short term workaround. It is not for the normal user. So don't follow his suggestion either.

If like me you boot your system daily, and often by powering it up while nipping off to put the kettle on for my (always overdue) caffeine fix this is an option I would not desire, I used the option of removing the offending kernel (even though it was not really at fault IMO) and adding proposed updates for the impending Nvidia fix then wait for it to arrive et-voila, now removed proposed updates from sources.list reinstalled the current kernel and I'm a happy camper with no worries and my system never actually broke because I saw what happened during the update and took the necessary steps advised on this forum.

Simply criticising other options as "nonsense" and "should never be used" gains you no credence on this board (certainly not in my eyes), something you might need if you want people to listen and take your suggestions seriously.

Your proposal is for users to intervene at every boot/reboot of the system, something that users (like me) might forget or simply not do, leading to errors when the system tries to boot into a ill-configured state leaving them with another issue to resolve.

You completely missed to who this thread is addressed.
May i quote the threadstarter for you, she said:

and I have no idea how to go about fixing this.

So here we have a user who can't help himself by simply booting the old kernel and realizing during the update that the kernel module cannot be built at all.

But keep up the bad suggestions. You have earned no credence in my view. And I gave a good reason why I criticized your nonsense, so your accusation is also wrong. Swallow it.

[Dai_trying]

Haha note taken as intended, remember criticism is a two way street!

[FreewheelinFrank]

@Borg

Please keep it civil. Do not let this degenerate into a flame war.

viewtopic.php?t=149781