Nouveau kernel errors prevent reaching the login screen on NVIDIA GA106

[Joel Vázquez Ortiz]

n/a

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 22.04
Package: gnome-session-bin 42.0-1ubuntu2
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.5.0-15.15~22.04.1-generic 6.5.3
Uname: Linux 6.5.0-15-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu82.5
Architecture: amd64
CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
Date: Sun Jan 28 09:29:28 2024
ExecutablePath: /usr/libexec/gnome-session-binary
InstallationDate: Installed on 2023-12-27 (31 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS "Jammy Jellyfish" - Release amd64 (20230807.2)
SourcePackage: gnome-session
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
modified.conffile..etc.cron.daily.apport: [deleted]

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

If there is any bug here then please describe what the problem is.

[Joel Vázquez Ortiz (greb30)]

I have been suffering from a login loop for a while and I believe it is
from a tainted kernel with the errors (G/W). I thought it was being caused
by the nouveau driver but that error message I can't find anymore. The only
error message I found to be critical was caused by the gnome-session-binary.
The only time I am able to login is when I reboot the computer several
times or when I go into recovery mode.

On Mon, Jan 29, 2024 at 2:30 AM Daniel van Vugt <email address hidden>
wrote:

> If there is any bug here then please describe what the problem is.
>
>
> ** Package changed: gnome-session (Ubuntu) => ubuntu
>
> ** Changed in: ubuntu
> Status: New => Incomplete
>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to the bug
> report.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/2051450
>
> Title:
> n/a
>
> Status in Ubuntu:
> Incomplete
>
> Bug description:
> n/a
>
> ProblemType: Bug
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 22.04
> Package: gnome-session-bin 42.0-1ubuntu2
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 6.5.0-15.15~22.04.1-generic 6.5.3
> Uname: Linux 6.5.0-15-generic x86_64
> ApportVersion: 2.20.11-0ubuntu82.5
> Architecture: amd64
> CasperMD5CheckResult: unknown
> CurrentDesktop: ubuntu:GNOME
> Date: Sun Jan 28 09:29:28 2024
> ExecutablePath: /usr/libexec/gnome-session-binary
> InstallationDate: Installed on 2023-12-27 (31 days ago)
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 22.04.3 LTS "Jammy Jellyfish" - Release amd64
> (20230807.2)
> SourcePackage: gnome-session
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
> modified.conffile..etc.cron.daily.apport: [deleted]
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+bug/2051450/+subscriptions
>
>

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[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

A login loop relating to gnome-session-binary sounds like bug 1717878 so please check the workaround for that.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

If it's not bug 1717878 then next please attach a system log of the bug:

1. Reproduce the the login loop again.

2. Reboot into recovery.

3. Run:

   journalctl -b-1 > prevboot.txt

4. Somehow copy the resulting text file off the machine and attach it here.

[Joel Vázquez Ortiz (greb30)]

Ok. I checked the link that you gave me it turns out I didn't have "gnome-session" installed. The only thing I had installed were "gnome-session-bin", gnome-session-canberra" and "gnome-session-common". I installed "gnome-session" but after playing around for a while and rebooting I still get the login loop.

About a month ago I did something similar where I re-installed "gnome-session*", "gnome-shell", "ubuntu-desktop" and "gdm3". I purposely did not reinstall "ubuntu-desktop" and after a reboot it worked fine. But I reinstalled it later which gave me the problem again.

I ran the command 'journalctl -b-1' and copied the results on a file. After I read the log I noticed that not only does the gnome-session-binary error appears but the nouveau error too. I am hoping this can help in finding a solution.

Here I have an attachment of the log. Thank you.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

The log in comment #6 seems to show it's a problem in the nouveau kernel driver preventing graphics from starting up:

ene 30 11:03:31 localhost kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: timeout
...
ene 30 11:03:31 localhost kernel: nouveau 0000:01:00.0: fifo:c00000:0001:0001:[gnome-shell[1853]] vctx 0[gr]: -110
ene 30 11:03:31 localhost org.gnome.Shell.desktop[1853]: nvc0_screen_create:1169 - Error allocating PGRAPH context for M2MF: -110
...
ene 30 11:05:14 localhost systemd[1]: session-c2.scope: Killing process 1853 (gnome-shell) with signal SIGKILL.

To fix this, please:

1. Restart with kernel parameter 'nomodeset'.

2. Use the 'Additional Drivers' app to install a supported Nvidia driver.

3. Restart without 'nomodeset'.

[Joel Vázquez Ortiz (greb30)]

I went into the recovery with "nomodeset" option. I installed the up-to-date driver "nvidia-driver-545". I rebooted, the bootup process was quick and it went straight to the login screen without a problem. The only thing I noticed is that after I entered my credentials and hit the enter key it took about 2 minutes to completely load up to the desktop screen. I clocked it as I was watching the time on my cell phone. This has been a problem with the nvidia drivers for a while. I don't remember the bug tracker number at this moment.

As I am checking the logs of the current boot I noticed that the nvidia driver has tainted the kernel. The nvidia module is "out-of-tree" which means it's outside of the Linux Kernel source tree. This happens when a module uses proprietary code and is not approved by (Linux Kernel Developers), my guess, or has buggy code.
Apparently I can safely ignore this warning message.

I ran this command:

$ cat /proc/sys/kernel/tainted

Which gives me this error code: 4097

I go to this website: https://docs.kernel.org/admin-guide/tainted-kernels.html
To find the "Table for decoding tainted state". I get "G/P O".

I ran the command "journalctl -b-0" for the current boot log. I left the log in the attachment. Thank you.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

The slow login is unrelated to this bug. Please open a new bug for that.

[Joel Vázquez Ortiz (greb30)]

I might not need to open a new bug report because I found a few links related to the nvidia module problem:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/nvidia-graphics-drivers-510/+bug/1963805

https://answers.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+question/706349

I hope this can help others who have a similar problem with their nvidia modules. Thank you.