Score:0

Ubuntu

Lubuntu/Xubuntu always freeze at some point (sometimes when installing) on a Dell Latitude 7490 (install to SD card)

PierU

11/25/23, 7:20 AM

I am trying to install Lubuntu 22.04 on the SD card drive (uSD 64 GB) of a Dell Latitude 7490. I can boot from the USB key, launch the installer, but it always freezes at some point. Sometimes it freezes early, while I am configuring the location, or keyboard, etc, and "at best" the install starts but soon freezes. This is not only the installer that is freezed but the whole PC: the OS is unresponsive and I have no other choice than shutting it down by pressing the power button.

I have tried with 2 different USB keys (old ones, but still working ones), 2 different USB ports, and I have even tried with the 20.04 installer. In all cases it freezes...

What could be wrong?

EDIT:

as all Lubuntu installation trials were ending with a freeze at some point, I finally tried installing Xubuntu 22.04. It worked.
I was quite happy, could boot on as newly installer SD card... and it freezed while I was applying the updates. I could no longer boot on the card, the filesystem was apparently corrupted.
I reinstalled Xubuntu from scratch, booted again on the card, played a bit with the applications, browsed the web... and as soon as I launched the installation of the updates, it freezed again.

Notes:

during the boot on the SD card I can see various error messages related to ACPI, or to the filesystem of the SD card (see below):
dmesg | grep mmc reports the following error about the SD card every 5 sec. or so: mmc0: cannot verify signal voltage switch

EDIT

It has apparently nothing to do with the SD card: I could install Xubuntu 22.04 on an external drive (SSD), I can boot on it, but everything freezes after 1 or 2 mn. Hypothesis:

this PC is not fully compatible with Linux (at least the *ubuntu distributions)
it has a hardware problem (this is an office PC with Windows 10 installed on the internal drive, and I have also experienced some freezes with Windows, although much less frequent (say 3/4 times during one year)

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xubuntu

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freeze

22.04

guiverc

11/25/23, 7:44 AM

If it's frozen and you're unable to switch to text terminal (*to explore what is at issue*), OR unable even to command a restart via keyboard (ie. SysRq) then I'd blame the ISO write given your details. Needing to power down means a kernel panic (*why the SysRq commands can't be used*) which I'd suggest relates to hardware issues OR the ISO was corrupted (*did you verify it as per documented instructions?*) OR (*more likely in my experience*) the ISO failed to write correctly to media (*why you need to check md5sum check completed; using another box if necessary*).

guiverc

11/25/23, 7:51 AM

Maybe useful.... refer https://askubuntu.com/questions/993407/is-verifying-isos-downloaded-from-the-official-website-worthwhile/993409#993409 and my answer on is verifying ISOs worth it... but also look at my other added answer on "*Media Checks*" (I added it to that question so I had a single URL to provide... but I'm performing that check on any installation issue before anything else... fast & easy assuming your hardware is good) Do note: I don't install to SD cards, but which 22.04 version did you install? Maybe try the other `calamares` version available on the other 22.04 ISO

PierU

11/25/23, 8:05 AM

@guiverc I have checked the ISO shasum256 and it's OK. It's not clear to me what you mean by "Media checks". At least with the 20.04 installer I have clearly seen the the squashfs was being verified during the boot. I downloaded [lubuntu-22.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso](https://cdimages.ubuntu.com/lubuntu/releases/22.04/release/lubuntu-22.04.1-desktop-amd64.iso). What is this other ISO you are talking about, I can see only one?

guiverc

11/25/23, 8:13 AM

Lubuntu has released 22.04 (https://lubuntu.me/jammy-released/ where you'll see it has `calamares` 3.2.41.1) and 22.04.1 (https://lubuntu.me/jammy-1-released/ with `calamares` 3.2.60) ... which had quite a few differences as I recall. You can search for *squashfs* errors in system logs, with 22.04 the media check runs in the background, so I look for the scan completing & reporting no issues with *modern* media like 22.04) FYI: Ubuntu sites always try & offer the *latest* so 22.04.1 will be *much!* easier to find.

PierU

11/25/23, 3:17 PM

@guiverc Maybe I was not clear: I did try with both the 22.04.1 and 20.04.5 versions, so different versions of calamares as well, and both end up with the same problem, so I doubt the problem comes from calamares itself. I did download the ISO file from the official Ubuntu site (then created the bootable USB key with Unetbootin on macOS, I did that several times in the past without any problem). I'll try checking the `squashfs` file this evening.

guiverc

12/5/23, 9:37 PM

Just FYI: There are cases where `ubiquity` (used by Xubuntu) can succeed where `calamares` (used by Lubuntu) will not; there are other issues in `ubiquity` that don't exist in `calamares` (all software has strengths + weaknesses), but both Xubuntu, Lubuntu and all Ubuntu systems of the same release use the same software with minor exception (such as installed, desktop & some apps) as all are built using same repositories on same infrastructure (just different seeds to select packages used). If it's kernel related; try a different stack as you mention only trying 5.15 kernel stack

PierU

12/6/23, 8:42 PM

@guiverc As mentionned in the OP, I have tried both Lubuntu/Calamares and Xubuntu/Ubiquity, 22.04 or 20.04 (hence different kernels version), and I have even tried installing Manjaroo: in all cases it ends up with freezes. So my conclusion at the moment is that the PC is faulty.

PierU

12/6/23, 9:01 PM

Found [this](https://medium.com/@natchanan.th/linux-5-x-random-kernel-panic-workaround-4e063e4d34a7) and [this](https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxquestions/comments/k4imsd/freeze_on_kernels_419_because_of_i915_dell/). Apparently kernels > 4.19 end up freezing on this Dell. I am trying now Xubuntu 18.04 (kernel 4.15)

PierU

12/6/23, 9:47 PM

So far so good with 18.04.1... I have been using it for 30mn now, without any freeze. Just, before updating I have to apply the suggested fix for more recent kernels.

guiverc

12/6/23, 9:52 PM

FYI: If you used Xubuntu 18.04 or 18.04.1 media to do the install; the kernel stack you're using is called the GA kernel stack, it'll remain at 4.15 for the life of 18.04. Only media 18.04.2 & later defaults to the HWE (hardware enablement kernel) which upgrades during the life...

PierU

12/6/23, 9:55 PM

OK, so you mean that at least I can apply all 18.04 updates and the kernel will stay on 4.15 ?

guiverc

12/6/23, 10:00 PM

Yep if you used media that defaulted to the GA kernels tack (for Xubuntu that was 18.04 & 18.04.1 ISO/media. With Ubuntu *flavors* like Xubuntu installs with 18.04.2 & later upgrade: 18.04 used the 4.18 kernel on install, 18.04.3 used 5.0 kernel on install, 18.04.4 used 5.3 kernel on install, & 18.04.5 (5.4 on install) but all of 18.04.2 up upgrade to the 5.4 kernel which is the last of the HWE kernels for *bionic* (18.04). Installs with 18.04 & 18.04.1 media use the GA stack that doesn't change (also default for server installs as it's the most stable option).

Score:1

Ubuntu

PierU

12/8/23, 10:22 PM

Diagnostic

It turns out that the kernels >4.19 are the culprits. The problem is related to the iGPU (Intel core i5-8250U with UHD 620 on the Latitude 7490) and the "Panel Self Refresh" feature that is enabled by default on kernels >4.19.

https://medium.com/@natchanan.th/linux-5-x-random-kernel-panic-workaround-4e063e4d34a7

https://www.reddit.com/r/linuxquestions/comments/k4imsd/freeze_on_kernels_419_because_of_i915_dell/

It seems that some other Dell models are concerned, but it's not clear if all of them have a UHD 620 iGPU, or if models of other brands are concerned too...

Solutions

I installed Xubuntu 18.04 LTS (kernel 4.15) and had no more freeze.

The solution with more recent kernels is to disable the PSR feature, by creating this configuration file:

sudo echo "options i915 enable_psr=0" > /etc/modprobe.d/i915.conf

In practice I created the file under Xubuntu 18.04, and then I upgraded to 20.04, and eventually 22.04. If one wants to directly install a recent version, it seems that the option has to be passed to Grub at boot time at least to have a session that doesn't freeze (and then one can create the configuration file)

More troubleshooting

The above solution does actually not completely eliminate the freezes. They can still happen when the screen wakes up after being put to sleep.

To avoid that, I have found that in Settings > Power Manager > Display, it was enough to set "Blank after" on "Never". Strangely, it is possible to use "Put to sleep after" and/or "Switch off after", without having freezes. Also, putting the OS to sleep (suspend) doesn't result in a freeze after wake-up.

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EN: Lubuntu/Xubuntu always freeze at some point (sometimes when installing) on a Dell Latitude 7490 (install to SD card)

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