Recent Dell BIOS update breaks booting Slackware (and maybe Linux?).
by BuckyKatt from LinuxQuestions.org on (#6PQVJ)
I had been happily using S64-current, but with a 6.6.33 kernel instead of 6.9.x, because it is behaving badly with Xorg.
Yesterday, I tried out 6.9.12.. and had the same old results... so I built new 6.6.44 kernel tarballs.
Unfortunately, I accidentally booted Windows by fat fingering the kernel name in Elilo, but I figured I needed to update my video card anyway. Windows wanted to upgrade my video card and my Dell 7920's BIOS... not thinking anything, I let it do it. Dell 7920 BIOS 2.39 updated to 2.41...
Since then I have been down numerous rabbit holes trying to figure out why Slackware isn't booting... 6.6.44, 6.9.12 (which booted before) and even the 6.1.x(maybe 58) thumb drive Slackware installer I use which is at least 18 months old... when I realized the BIOS upgrade must be causing the problem.
So I write this, as I mull my next steps... I don't have another bootable option... Slackware or other distro. The BIOS update fixes Dell's DSA-2024-243 issue, which I couldn't find an explanation for... I suspect it is for the recent Secure Boot fiasco. I have gone through my BIOS settings three times, looking for things that could be problematic... I have Secure Boot disabled. Right now, I think the only thing I can boot is Windows.
At this point, trying to boot, I get 'loading kernel... done' and 'loading initrd.img... done' and nothing. Caps lock responds, but hours later, it's just sitting there.
I doubt I will get an answer here as this is a somewhat unique problem... but maybe get some ideas or at least warn others in case they try updating with Dell BIOS. I imagine I will be trying to rollback my BIOS in the meantime.
BK
Yesterday, I tried out 6.9.12.. and had the same old results... so I built new 6.6.44 kernel tarballs.
Unfortunately, I accidentally booted Windows by fat fingering the kernel name in Elilo, but I figured I needed to update my video card anyway. Windows wanted to upgrade my video card and my Dell 7920's BIOS... not thinking anything, I let it do it. Dell 7920 BIOS 2.39 updated to 2.41...
Since then I have been down numerous rabbit holes trying to figure out why Slackware isn't booting... 6.6.44, 6.9.12 (which booted before) and even the 6.1.x(maybe 58) thumb drive Slackware installer I use which is at least 18 months old... when I realized the BIOS upgrade must be causing the problem.
So I write this, as I mull my next steps... I don't have another bootable option... Slackware or other distro. The BIOS update fixes Dell's DSA-2024-243 issue, which I couldn't find an explanation for... I suspect it is for the recent Secure Boot fiasco. I have gone through my BIOS settings three times, looking for things that could be problematic... I have Secure Boot disabled. Right now, I think the only thing I can boot is Windows.
At this point, trying to boot, I get 'loading kernel... done' and 'loading initrd.img... done' and nothing. Caps lock responds, but hours later, it's just sitting there.
I doubt I will get an answer here as this is a somewhat unique problem... but maybe get some ideas or at least warn others in case they try updating with Dell BIOS. I imagine I will be trying to rollback my BIOS in the meantime.
BK