Ubuntu 16.04.1 Grub Splash Doesn't Appear

[LPNow]

My Specs:

Slackware 14.2 x86_64 > Host
QEMU 2.7.0

Ubuntu 16.04.1 x86_64 > Guest

Start options for Ubuntu:

qemu-system-x86_64 -drive format=raw,file=ubuntu.img \
-cpu host \
--enable-kvm \
-smp 2 \
-m 4096 \
-vga vmware \
-soundhw ac97 \
-usbdevice tablet \
-rtc base=localtime \
-usbdevice host:0781:5575

I've started Ubuntu around 6-8 times, and I have only see the Grub Boot Splash appear twice, so pretty much without fail it typically boots past the grub splash and automatically boots...

These are the /etc/default/grub settings; (I only changed these options GRUB_TIMEOUT=15 and GRUB_GFXMODE=1440x900)

# If you change this file, run 'update-grub' afterwards to update
# /boot/grub/grub.cfg.
# For full documentation of the options in this file, see:
# info -f grub -n 'Simple configuration'

GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT=0
GRUB_HIDDEN_TIMEOUT_QUIET=true
GRUB_TIMEOUT=15
GRUB_DISTRIBUTOR=`lsb_release -i -s 2> /dev/null || echo Debian`
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet splash"
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX=""

# Uncomment to enable BadRAM filtering, modify to suit your needs
# This works with Linux (no patch required) and with any kernel that obtains
# the memory map information from GRUB (GNU Mach, kernel of FreeBSD ...)
#GRUB_BADRAM="0x01234567,0xfefefefe,0x89abcdef,0xefefefef"

# Uncomment to disable graphical terminal (grub-pc only)
#GRUB_TERMINAL=console

# The resolution used on graphical terminal
# note that you can use only modes which your graphic card supports via VBE
# you can see them in real GRUB with the command `vbeinfo'
GRUB_GFXMODE=1440x900

# Uncomment if you don't want GRUB to pass "root=UUID=xxx" parameter to Linux
#GRUB_DISABLE_LINUX_UUID=true

# Uncomment to disable generation of recovery mode menu entries
#GRUB_DISABLE_RECOVERY="true"

# Uncomment to get a beep at grub start
#GRUB_INIT_TUNE="480 440 1"

[Thomas Huth (th-huth)]

Why are you using "-vga vmware" ? Can't you use "-vga std" instead? Also, now that QEMU 2.8 has been released, could you please test again with this latest version? Thanks!

[LPNow (lpnow)]

It's the same in 2.8.0 but I will test it again when I get some time for vmware.

I used vmware because it offers better resolution.

After posting this issue I have learned a little about virtio and for a few times I was able to boot it with -vag virtio and this was really nice. I was able to resize and qemu will fill the screen to fit.

But now when I boot with -vga virtio it just sits there and won't start Ubuntu.

These are the options I'm using;

qemu-system-x86_64 -drive if=none,id=drive0,cache=none,aio=threads,format=raw,file=ubuntu.img,index=0 \
-object iothread,id=iothread0 \
-machine type=q35,accel=kvm,kernel_irqchip=on \
-device virtio-blk-pci,drive=drive0,scsi=off,config-wce=off,iothread=iothread0 \
-cpu host \
--enable-kvm \
-smp 2 \
-m 4096 \
-vga virtio \
-soundhw ac97 \
-usbdevice tablet \
-rtc base=localtime

I do not understand how QEMU boots options just fine for a few times, then another time you go back and try and nothing works...

[LPNow (lpnow)]

I switched to boot scsi and when I start it, the screen is just blank...

qemu-system-x86_64 -drive if=none,id=hd,cache=none,aio=threads,format=raw,file=ubuntu.img,index=0 \
-object iothread,id=iothread0 \
-machine type=q35,accel=kvm,kernel_irqchip=on \
-device virtio-scsi-pci,iothread=iothread0,id=scsi -device scsi-hd,drive=hd \
-cpu host \
--enable-kvm \
-smp 2 \
-m 4096 \
-vga virtio \
-soundhw hda \
-usbdevice tablet \
-rtc base=localtime

Sometimes when I restart it, I'll get the grub menu and I boot it, then it just sits at the console login, for me to log in with a username and pass, it doesn't go to the DM.

I get this message, not sure if it's related;

intel_rapl no valid rapl domains found in package 0

[LPNow (lpnow)]

-vga virtio is working, I finally figured out my image was corrupted, I realized you have to be careful shutting the guest down correctly, or you could corrupt the image/system...

So now, back to the same issue, even using 2.8.0 and virtio the grub splash doesn't always appears.

So this is random, one time I start the Guest, the boot splash appears, the next time I start the guest it doesn't...

Grub boot splash doesn't appear consistent...

It's the same with std too...

[Thomas Huth (th-huth)]

Does this still happen with a newer version of Ubuntu and the latest version of QEMU?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for QEMU because there has been no activity for 60 days.]