[19.10] Boot hangs at "loading initial ramdisk"

Based on comments #20 to #23 in bug 1853369, I think the root cause for Joseph's device is a regression in intel-microcode package. While I don't have enough info to determine whether bug 1853369 actually shares the same root cause, the duplication relationship is removed so that I can work on this issue separately first.

A few attachments originally sent to bug 1853369:

* boot sequence photos: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1853369/+attachment/5327640/+files/sequence.7z

  which has last line "printk: bootconsole [efifb0] disabled" that shares the same symptom as bug 1862751.

* microcode info: https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1853369/+attachment/5327645/+files/dmesg-microcode

  microcode: sig=0x906ea, pf=0x20, revision=0xca

So next step, @Joseph, I'll need the version of intel-microcode currently installed on your system to determine to find out a working revision for you.

@vicamo, I attach the informations $(dmesg | grep microcode) give me when booting with power supply and no special kernel option, and some other potentially useful info.

I'm not sure this is what you asked me to give you :-/

Know, I don't understand why the result of dmesg command is different from the result obtained after starting on battery with the nosmp option that you linked in the message #3.

thank you for your involvement!

To be fixed in bug 1862751 together.

Thank you, Joseph. Could you try packages from https://launchpad.net/~vicamo/+archive/ubuntu/ppa-1862751 ? (Still building, but it should finish in a short while)

@vicamo, sorry for the delay, I had some apprehension playing with the microcode of my workstation and I had an important class to give yesterday ...

In short, yippee, the first successful start without a power source in months. Thank you!

I guess I'll have to remove this PPA at the next official update of the intel-microcode package?

Many thanks again.

Hello @vicamo

With the same hardware (Dell Precision 7530) using 18.04, installing intel-microcode_3.20191115.1ubuntu0.18.04.3_amd64.deb fixes for me boot without power source and resume from sleep !

Thank you so much

I've experienced a similar issue with 18.04.4 LTS on a Dell Precision 3540. It will hang at "loading initial ramdisk", for all kernels and also for recovery mode. Also hangs at resume from sleep. However, it occurs nondeterministically: sometimes it starts, sometimes it hangs, I have not yet recognized a pattern. When it hangs, it seems to also hang on subsequent restarts, and only resolve when I enter BIOS setup before next restart. Yesterday, it simply didn't restart at all, until I added "dis_ucode_ldr". I've installed intel-microcode_3.20191115.1ubuntu0.18.04.3, and it starts now, but as it occurs nondeterministically, I have to wait and see. If there's any useful information I can contribute, tell me how to obtain it, and I'll post it here ;)

I had the issue as descrived from the OP:

"My laptop hangs on "loading initial ramdisk" at startup. However, it start up without any problems when the power supply is connected 0_o"

I have:
* Dell precision 3530 with the same CPU Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8850H CPU @ 2.60GHz
* Ubuntu 18.04.4

After adding the PPA https://launchpad.net/~vicamo/+archive/ubuntu/ppa-1862751 an automatic upgrade appeared to me via Ubuntu Software Updater with a patch at the microcode to all kernels in my machine and now it works good!

Notice that i tried to boot with different kernels without power supply and the kernel v 4.18.X was NOT AFFECTED, with that kernel my machine worked well before the patch

Current intel-microcode package version:
3.20191115.1ubuntu0.18.04.3

Have updated my laptop to Ubuntu 20.04. Problem still here... 😭😭😭

Incomplete ? What's missing ?

I think I have the same issue I documented here https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1870614 . When I do an upgrade to 19.10 / 20.04 I also get stuck at 'loading initial ramdisk'. I have a dell xps 9570 with i7-8750H (coffee lake, not whiskey lake).

I'm curious if others get the same issue trying to boot off a 20.04 usb ie.

  error: file `/boot/` not found

Then followed by:

  error: cannot allocate kernel buffer.
  error: you need to load the kernel first.

Hello

FYI installing the lastest 18.04 intel-microcode 3.20200609.0ubuntu0.18.04.0 fixes the hangs at "loading initial ramdisk" bugs as well.

BUT: now I experience hangs on warm reboots without a power source attached or waking up from sleep.

Thanks

Hello,

Installing latest 3.20200609.0ubuntu0 on 19.10.0 this afternoon did the opposite for me: it brought the boot hangs at "loading initial ramdisk" problem that I didn't experienced before.

Both kernels 5.3.0-59 and 5.3.0-55 didn't boot (normal or recovery), only 5.3.0-53 booted normally.

I had to switch back to intel-microcode=3.20190918.1ubuntu1 version to boot on kernels 5.3.0-59 and 5.3.0-55.

Arnaud, there were some revisions of that security update. Could you retry with the newest? If it still hangs, please check if one of the open bug reports matches your processor model and report there.

Otherwise, please open a new report and add your processor model to the bug title, and in the bug report contents, please be sure to incude the output of "/usr/sbin/iucode_tool -Sv" as well as the contents of /proc/cpuinfo.

Thank you!

Thanks Henrique, indeed it works now, with version 3.20200609.0ubuntu0.19.10.2 installed.
[Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-6500U CPU @ 2.50GHz]

I have received the updated package intel-microcode 3.20200609.0ubuntu0.20.04.2.
I still have the same problem. Without power supply the boot hang at ramdisk

I think I have the same issue, so I'm adding this comment here. If you think it's different I can create another bug report.

On a Dell Latitude 5400 with an I7 core CPU, when using intel-microcode 3.20200609.0ubuntu0.20.04.2. I'm randomly blocked at "loading initial ramdisk". So far I found the following details:
- If in the BIOS I set the number of core to 1, I won't have any issue
- It seems like the heat as something to do with this error. If the computer is hot, I would have more chances to be blocked with "loading initial ramdisk" than if it's cold.
- If I reboot multiple times, I have a chance to have a normal boot (no errors)
- When using "intel-microcode_3.20191115.1ubuntu0.19.10.4_amd64.deb" from http://ppa.launchpad.net/vicamo/ppa-1862751/ubuntu/pool/main/i/intel-microcode/ the bug is gone
- If I enable debug in grub, I see the initrd and kernel being loaded in memory, but nothing more after that.
- Personally, It doesn't matter if the computer is plugged in or not

Hope it helps.

A recent update seems to have triggered this behaviour for me also. I'm using a Thinkpad X260 with an i3-6100U running 20.04.

After going from intel-microcode:amd64 3.20200609.0ubuntu0.20.04.2 to 3.20201110.0ubuntu0.20.04.2 I am unable to boot my machine normally, with the boot process hanging on the "Loading initial ramdisk" message.

I have 3 kernel versions available at boot, all of which appear equally broken
- 5.4.0.52-generic
- 5.4.0.53-generic
- 5.4.0.54-generic

However I am able to boot if I manually edit the grub entry to include the `dis_ucode_ldr` parameter...

Let me know if my comment should be moved somewhere else or if you need any more information.

It will soon be 1 year since my laptop can no longer boot without power supply if I use an official version of Ubuntu. This bug is marked "incomplete" without ever having been informed of what is missing... This is very frustrating.

@jokx

Sorry to hear that you are frustrated with the issue.
Do you mind to provide the log of the following commands, to help us identify the issue thanks

$ journalctl -k
$ fwupdmgr get-devices
$ fwupdmgr get-updates

@alcarney

This is the bug for Dell Precision 7530, could you please file another bug for Thinkpad X260 with an i3-6100U. Thanks

Please run the following command to file the bug
$ ubuntu-bug intel-microcode

I haven't noticed the intel-microcode update of 2020/12/11
Know, with intel-microcode 3.20201110.0ubuntu0.20.04.2 focal package, my computer start normally and without any tweak ! Greaaat !
Thanks a lot to anybody make it happen.

just updated to 20.04, and have the same problem back, that the PPA used to
fix for 18.04. Starts normally with power in, hangs on loading initial
ramdisk when starting on battery ... :(:( My intel-microcode version is the
latest
intel-microcode is already the newest version (3.20201110.0ubuntu0.20.04.2).

Am Mi., 16. Dez. 2020 um 19:55 Uhr schrieb Joseph Maillardet <
<email address hidden>>:

> I haven't noticed the intel-microcode update of 2020/12/11
> Know, with intel-microcode 3.20201110.0ubuntu0.20.04.2 focal package, my
> computer start normally and without any tweak ! Greaaat !
> Thanks a lot to anybody make it happen.
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1858810
>
> Title:
> [19.10] Boot hangs at "loading initial ramdisk"
>
> Status in OEM Priority Project:
> New
> Status in intel-microcode package in Ubuntu:
> Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> My laptop hangs on "loading initial ramdisk" at startup. However, it
> start up without any problems when the power supply is connected 0_o …
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.10
> Package: linux-image-5.3.0-26-generic 5.3.0-26.28
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-26.28-generic 5.3.13
> Uname: Linux 5.3.0-26-generic x86_64
> ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.2
> Architecture: amd64
> AudioDevicesInUse:
> USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
> /dev/snd/controlC0: jmaillar 2529 F.... pulseaudio
> /dev/snd/controlC1: jmaillar 2529 F.... pulseaudio
> CurrentDesktop: GNOME
> Date: Wed Jan 8 16:22:21 2020
> EcryptfsInUse: Yes
> HibernationDevice: RESUME=none
> MachineType: Dell Inc. Precision 7530
> ProcEnviron:
> TERM=xterm-256color
> PATH=(custom, no user)
> XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
> LANG=fr_FR.UTF-8
> SHELL=/bin/bash
> ProcFB: 0 amdgpudrmfb
> ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.3.0-26-generic
> root=UUID=b21fab6e-02fe-4295-a308-9da15f339a36 ro tpm_tis.interrupts=0
> RelatedPackageVersions:
> linux-restricted-modules-5.3.0-26-generic N/A
> linux-backports-modules-5.3.0-26-generic N/A
> linux-firmware 1.183.3
> SourcePackage: linux
> UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to eoan on 2019-10-22 (78 days ago)
> dmi.bios.date: 11/11/2019
> dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
> dmi.bios.version: 1.12.1
> dmi.board.name: 0425K7
> dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
> dmi.board.version: A00
> dmi.chassis.type: 10
> dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
> dmi.modalias:
> dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvr1.12.1:bd11/11/2019:svnDellInc.:pnPrecision7530:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn0425K7:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct10:cvr:
> dmi.product.family: Precision
> dmi.product.name: Precision 7530
> dmi.product.sku: 0831
> dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.
> modified.conffile..etc.default.apport: [modified]
> mtime.conffile..etc.default.apport: 2015-11-27T14:42:56.796345
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/oem-priority/+bug/1858810/+subscriptions
>

there is a lot issues with intel microcode package and it seems like nobody don't want properly support it - https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/intel-microcode/+bug/1911893?comments=all.