Linux 5.3.0-26-generic kernel

[Gerald Rozner]

Just after installation and reboot of Linux 5.3.0-26 kernel and reboot on two NUC machines UEFI they displayed the normal Intel splash screen followed by the normal grub menu. Then went back to the Intel splash screen again and continued to the desktop. I have another machine Asus Z77 with legacy boot and the same kernel update with no such issue.

It should be noted that both NUC machines have been running since October last year with Ubuntu 18.10 without kernel issues up until now. As a result I have rolled back to Linux 5.3.0-24 and no such behavior is displayed.

The NUCs involved are NUC7i7BNH and NUC5i7RYH.

Thanks,
Gerald Rozner

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 19.10
Package: linux-image-5.3.0-24-generic 5.3.0-24.26
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 5.3.0-24.26-generic 5.3.10
Uname: Linux 5.3.0-24-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu8.2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: gerald 915 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Wed Jan 8 10:08:41 2020
InstallationDate: Installed on 2018-11-08 (426 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 18.04.1 LTS "Bionic Beaver" - Release amd64 (20180725)
Lsusb:
 Bus 002 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0003 Linux Foundation 3.0 root hub
 Bus 001 Device 002: ID 8087:0a2b Intel Corp.
 Bus 001 Device 001: ID 1d6b:0002 Linux Foundation 2.0 root hub
MachineType: Intel Corporation NUC7i7BNH
ProcEnviron:
 TERM=xterm-256color
 PATH=(custom, no user)
 XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=<set>
 LANG=en_US.UTF-8
 SHELL=/bin/bash
ProcFB: 0 i915drmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-5.3.0-24-generic root=UUID=0e89ac23-8213-483e-9102-240ad3cfe107 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-5.3.0-24-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-5.3.0-24-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.183.3
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to eoan on 2019-10-21 (78 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 02/22/2018
dmi.bios.vendor: Intel Corp.
dmi.bios.version: BNKBL357.86A.0062.2018.0222.1644
dmi.board.name: NUC7i7BNB
dmi.board.vendor: Intel Corporation
dmi.board.version: J31145-310
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: Intel Corporation
dmi.chassis.version: 2
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnIntelCorp.:bvrBNKBL357.86A.0062.2018.0222.1644:bd02/22/2018:svnIntelCorporation:pnNUC7i7BNH:pvrJ31153-311:rvnIntelCorporation:rnNUC7i7BNB:rvrJ31145-310:cvnIntelCorporation:ct3:cvr2:
dmi.product.family: Intel NUC
dmi.product.name: NUC7i7BNH
dmi.product.version: J31153-311
dmi.sys.vendor: Intel Corporation

[Ubuntu Kernel Bot (ubuntu-kernel-bot)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Gerald Rozner (gerald4674)]

Just a quick note that after install of kernel 5.3.0-29, same issue reported above still exists. Back to running 5.3.0-24 on two mentioned machines above.

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

I am not sure I understand. If desktop session can be reached, seems like it's only a cosmetic change?

[Gerald Rozner (gerald4674)]

Yes the desktop can be reached but the kernels beyond 5.3.0-24 including the latest one 5.3.0-40 loop twice including POST before continuing. Its a bug not a cosmetic change. I'm pretty confident it affects many Intel Nucs, not just my two listed above. Since these machines boot in about 7 seconds it could be easily missed. Note that this does not affect my Asus Z77 with legacy boot as mentioned above. Not a problem because I've modified GRUB to boot from 5.3.0-24.

[Kaijia Feng (fengkaijia)]

Same here with my NUC8i5BEK.

With kernel 5.3, after GRUB, the Intel splash screen will show again twice, takes about 2~3 seconds, then enters the LUKS passphrase screen (I have disk encryption enabled).

With kernel 5.0 or any other kernel before, after GRUB it goes directly to the LUKS screen, without any delay.

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

Is there a circle spinning under the POST logo?

[Gerald Rozner (gerald4674)]

@Kaijjia Feng, yes the symptom. But it didn't start until 5.3.0-26. Running on -24 right now without the looping back and restarting. If you notice the intel splash screen does not have the F key list on the lower right the second time around.

@Kai-Heng Feng, no spinning circle. Just normal post splash screen.

Thanks for reporting back.

[Kaijia Feng (fengkaijia)]

@gerald4674 Yes you are right. I installed 5.3.0-24, it works without "Intel", so I think we can narrow down to changes b/w 24 and 26. And yes, the screen has no F key list.

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

Please test latest mainline kernel:
https://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v5.6-rc4/

If mainline kernel is also broken, we need to bisect between 5.3.0-24 and 5.3.0-26.

[Kaijia Feng (fengkaijia)]

@kaihengfeng, I tested 5.6, same behavior except the splash is faster now, lasting for around 1.5s at most.

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

What's the output of `dpkg -l | grep plymouth`?

[Kaijia Feng (fengkaijia)]

dpkg -l | grep plymouth
ii libplymouth4:amd64 0.9.3-1ubuntu7.18.04.2 amd64 graphical boot animation and logger - shared libraries
ii plymouth 0.9.3-1ubuntu7.18.04.2 amd64 boot animation, logger and I/O multiplexer
ii plymouth-label 0.9.3-1ubuntu7.18.04.2 amd64 boot animation, logger and I/O multiplexer - label control
ii plymouth-theme-ubuntu-logo 0.9.3-1ubuntu7.18.04.2 amd64 boot animation, logger and I/O multiplexer - ubuntu theme
ii plymouth-theme-ubuntu-text 0.9.3-1ubuntu7.18.04.2 amd64 boot animation, logger and I/O multiplexer - ubuntu text theme

[Danil Grigorev (dgrigorev-lp)]

Can it be just grub and not the kernel?
After I edit the grub boot menu entry via "e"
and remove load_video and gfxmode after the recordfail line,
the Intel NUC splash screens don't appear for me.
The boot time seems the same. Only the boot dots in the middle of the screen
start flashing a bit later.

[Gerald Rozner (gerald4674)]

@Danil Grigorev,

No. I don't think so. I'm running on 5.3.0-24 on two NUC"s without the issue now. My plan is to stay on 24 until this issue is resolved. I modified Grub using the following lines.

#GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_DEFAULT=saved
GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT=true

So the newer kernels are updated in the normal fashion, but I choose which one the OS uses. With the above changes I only have to do it once. From then on it boots using 24 rather than the newer kernels. I've tried every new kernel since 24 and all of them exhibit the same behavior which is a boot loop. Not continuously but 2X. The reason, I think, that most people don't report it is because its happening to NUC's and if one does not watch the process they may never notice it. My wife never noticed it.

Now, when I upgrade to 20.04 it'll be interesting if I can continue to use 24 on the two NUC's. I'm testing 20.04 now on a separate SSD on a Z77 motherboard. It uses 5.4.0-21.

[Gerald Rozner (gerald4674)]

Just did a fresh install of Ubuntu 20.04 LTS on a NUC replacing 19.10. The aforementioned issue has changed and it appears whatever was changed post 5.3.0-24 was done intentionally.

The machine finishes post and the normal Intel NUC splash screen appears with the F Keys displayed. The screen stays longer than before with the F Keys slowly fading away to be replaced with only the Intel NUC splash and the new Ubuntu logo. Both sharing the same screen. Then continuing on to the normal desktop if the auto login is enabled. The entire process about 7 seconds.

I don't think this is a bug as I reported it. Folks that actually work on the kernel would know more than I but this certainly looks like the latest kernel was designed to use and control the Intel splash screen.

On the Z77 using legacy boot the screen just stays black and boots in the same amount of time.