Whole machine freezes at startup using kernels after 4.8

[Alberto Donato]

I'm trying to install from the daily Artful desktop image (20170612).

After boot, the gnome session hangs at startup, while the "zoom" animation is being shown.

I have an intel card:

00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
        Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller
        Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 29
        Memory at f7800000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4M]
        Memory at e0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
        I/O ports at f000 [size=64]
        [virtual] Expansion ROM at 000c0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
        Capabilities: [90] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
        Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2
        Capabilities: [a4] PCI Advanced Features
        Kernel driver in use: i915
        Kernel modules: i915

I'm not sure how to debug this further, but I had similar issues with the installer from Zesty as well (see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/1681846)
With Artful, at least it gets past the splash screen but then it hangs.

Note that the system is currently running Yakkety with no issue.
---
ApportVersion: 2.20.7-0ubuntu2
Architecture: amd64
CurrentDesktop: GNOME
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.10
InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-07-30 (71 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 17.10 "Artful Aardvark" - Alpha amd64 (20170730)
NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zcommon znvpair zavl
Package: linux
PackageArchitecture: amd64
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.8.0-59.64-generic 4.8.17
Tags: artful wayland-session
Uname: Linux 4.8.0-59-generic x86_64
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
UserGroups: adm cdrom dip libvirt lpadmin lxd plugdev sambashare sudo
_MarkForUpload: True

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

I gave this another try with latest daily, with the same result.

I then installed ubuntu-server and manually installed ubuntu-desktop on top of it.

At boot, I get to the login screen but, as soon as I select my user from the gdm menu, everything freezes. I can't see any error in logs when the freeze happens.

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

I can confirm this is a gnome-shell bug.

I tried booting with multi-user.target and manually starting gnome-shell, it hangs right after showing the mouse pointer on the console screen.

I also tried starting weston manually, which works fine.

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

As an additional info, running artful on the 4.8.0-59-generic kernel from yakkety seem to work fine.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

The version of GNOME in Ubuntu 17.10 is now quite different to when this bug was reported.

Does the bug still occur with newer images from here? http://cdimages.ubuntu.com/daily-live/current/

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Also, comment #3 suggests this is a kernel bug so I'll add a kernel task.

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

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. While running an Ubuntu kernel (not a mainline or third-party kernel) please enter the following command in a terminal window:

apport-collect 1697450

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

If I run gnome-shell from the terminal with the latest (4.13.0-12.13) kernel, the system freezes.

Running apport-collect while running the 4.8 kernel segfaults:

$ sudo apport-collect 1697450
Invalid MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 keyUnable to init server: Could not connect: Connection refused
Invalid MIT-MAGIC-COOKIE-1 keyUnable to init server: Could not connect: Connection refused
Segmentation fault (core dumped)

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

Is there any way I could debug the issue with 4.13?

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

It looks like that error is caused by sudo. Please just run:
  apport-collect 1697450

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

apport information

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

apport information

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

apport information

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

apport information

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

FTR this still happens with gnome-shell 3.26.1-0ubuntu4 and kernel 4.13.0-16-generic

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

OK, we're going to need to analyse the hung gnome-shell process. Please try to do this:

1. Install openssh-server:
   sudo apt install openssh-server
2. Using a second machine, log into the offending machine via SSH:
   ssh <USERNAME>@<HOSTNAME>
   where <USERNAME> is your username, and <HOSTNAME> is either hostname or the machine's IP address.
3. Reproduce the hang.
4. From your ssh login, run:
   killall -TRAP -u $USER gnome-shell
5. Look in /var/crash for a newly created file, something like '_usr_bin_gnome-shell.1000.crash'
6. Upload the crash file using this command or similar:
   ubuntu-bug /var/crash/_usr_bin_gnome-shell.1000.crash
7. Tell use the new bug ID that was created.

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

To test the issue, I booted in text mode (multi-user.target), logged in and then started gnome-shell.

Nothing happens (the session doesn't start and the console seems hang).

Via ssh, I ran the killall, saved the .crash file and uploaded to the following bug:

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/gnome-shell/+bug/1726600

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Great, thanks. Looks like a duplicate of bug 1505409.

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

I'm still seeing a similar issue with daily images of Bionic.
At boot, the machine hangs at splash screen.
If I boot without "splash quiet", I can see the last message is about starting login session.

I'm not sure this is actually a duplicate of #1505409.

How can I help fixing this? It makes it impossible for me to run ubuntu with any kernel > 4.8

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Ah, yes. Sorry but your bug 1726600 is a duplicate of bug 1505409. And I think this one is different to those two. It just means the wrong .crash file was sent...

Please try following the steps in #15 again, or repeatedly, and we'll see if we can find an instance of this one.

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

@Daniel I can't really follow those steps exactly, as the machine hangs as soon as either GDM or gnome-shell is started

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

Yes, I am assuming "hangs" means that the user interface is hung, but not the internals of the system. So that's why the instructions in comment #15 require a second machine and for you to be logged in from that already before reproducing the graphical hang.

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

@Daniel no, the whole system freezes, even if I ssh before the UI starts (which requires exact timing), then the machine freezes.

[Daniel van Vugt (vanvugt)]

OK, sounds very likely to be a kernel bug, triggered by GPU usage upon login.

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

This bug is missing log files that will aid in diagnosing the problem. While running an Ubuntu kernel (not a mainline or third-party kernel) please enter the following command in a terminal window:

apport-collect 1697450

and then change the status of the bug to 'Confirmed'.

If, due to the nature of the issue you have encountered, you are unable to run this command, please add a comment stating that fact and change the bug status to 'Confirmed'.

This change has been made by an automated script, maintained by the Ubuntu Kernel Team.

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

How can I collect logs?

I'm currently using kernel 4.8.0-59.64 from yakkety, anything newer makes the machine freeze at gdm login, or as a soon as I press enter at login screen

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

Can you switch to VT when this issue happens?

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

No, everything is frozen, if I ssh in the machine before starting the session, ssh is frozen too

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

Zesty has this problem, right?

Then please try Linux kernel v4.9 in http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

yes, Zesty has the same issue, and apparently bionic too.

FTR I've tried the v4.14.12 one from the mainline PPA and it behaves the same.
I'll give v4.9 a try too.

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

I tested the 4.9.0-040900-generic (4.9.0-040900.201612111631) kernel from the mainline PPA, same issue.

Looking at the boot output the last message I see is about gdm.service starting.
The machine freezes at the boot output as soon as the mouse cursor appears.

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

Now please find the first v4.9-rc* that has this issue.

[Alberto Donato (ack)]

So, it seems that changing a bios setting for the (builtin) video card frequency to "Auto" fixed the issue. it was previously set to match the RAM freq (as the video memory is shared).
I can now run 4.13 fine.
Maybe something changed in the intel driver in 4.9 that makes it freeze when a fixed freq is set?

[Kai-Heng Feng (kaihengfeng)]

> On 26 Jan 2018, at 7:55 PM, Alberto Donato <email address hidden> wrote:
>
> So, it seems that changing a bios setting for the (builtin) video card frequency to "Auto" fixed the issue. it was previously set to match the RAM freq (as the video memory is shared).
> I can now run 4.13 fine.
> Maybe something changed in the intel driver in 4.9 that makes it freeze when a fixed freq is set?

Probably. But only a bisection can make sure.
The good things is now it works for you.

>
> --
> You received this bug notification because you are subscribed to linux
> in Ubuntu.
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1697450
>
> Title:
> Whole machine freezes at startup using kernels after 4.8
>
> Status in linux package in Ubuntu:
> Confirmed
>
> Bug description:
> I'm trying to install from the daily Artful desktop image (20170612).
>
> After boot, the gnome session hangs at startup, while the "zoom"
> animation is being shown.
>
> I have an intel card:
>
>
> 00:02.0 VGA compatible controller: Intel Corporation Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller (rev 09) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
> Subsystem: Gigabyte Technology Co., Ltd Xeon E3-1200 v2/3rd Gen Core processor Graphics Controller
> Flags: bus master, fast devsel, latency 0, IRQ 29
> Memory at f7800000 (64-bit, non-prefetchable) [size=4M]
> Memory at e0000000 (64-bit, prefetchable) [size=256M]
> I/O ports at f000 [size=64]
> [virtual] Expansion ROM at 000c0000 [disabled] [size=128K]
> Capabilities: [90] MSI: Enable+ Count=1/1 Maskable- 64bit-
> Capabilities: [d0] Power Management version 2
> Capabilities: [a4] PCI Advanced Features
> Kernel driver in use: i915
> Kernel modules: i915
>
>
> I'm not sure how to debug this further, but I had similar issues with the installer from Zesty as well (see https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/ubiquity/+bug/1681846)
> With Artful, at least it gets past the splash screen but then it hangs.
>
> Note that the system is currently running Yakkety with no issue.
> ---
> ApportVersion: 2.20.7-0ubuntu2
> Architecture: amd64
> CurrentDesktop: GNOME
> DistroRelease: Ubuntu 17.10
> InstallationDate: Installed on 2017-07-30 (71 days ago)
> InstallationMedia: Ubuntu-Server 17.10 "Artful Aardvark" - Alpha amd64 (20170730)
> NonfreeKernelModules: zfs zunicode zcommon znvpair zavl
> Package: linux
> PackageArchitecture: amd64
> ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 4.8.0-59.64-generic 4.8.17
> Tags: artful wayland-session
> Uname: Linux 4.8.0-59-generic x86_64
> UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
> UserGroups: adm cdrom dip libvirt lpadmin lxd plugdev sambashare sudo
> _MarkForUpload: True
>
> To manage notifications about this bug go to:
> https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1697450/+subscriptions