Downgrading kernel problem - Unable to boot after (Terminate Plymouth message...)

[doalex]

Hi !

I was on kernel 6.12, but I was having problem every time I made my updates from the command line.
I tried to downgrade using Synaptic, choosing kernel 5.4, which is the standard one for Zorin 16.3 I think.

I choose all the 4 packages needed to do so, using the generic headers, module, image and the other one Synaptic took automatically to be able to apply the modification.

I rebooted after this, but now Im stuck at boot time on this Terminate Plymouth message...

I write this from Zorin Live USB system, so I can access terminal to mount my system drive to repair my mess.

I did not mount my drive, since I didnt find a page I once found where all was really well explained, mounting and making the drive the default one and after this you can install / repair your Zorin installation...

Hope someone will be able to help me from here !

Thanks !

[doalex]

Update : I now chrooted my system from the Zorin Live USB system

[doalex]

Another update, I was able to install Kernel 5.4 package, but at the Zorin menu I must go to advance, and choose this kernel version.

After this, the Zorin splash screen appears, but it is stuck there.

I'm able to use a try

If I do a update/upgrade, I get a building error for kernel 6.1.12...

[doalex]

Now when I boot it shows that it loads ramdisk and in try7 I can see :

Finished Terminate Plymouth Boot Screen

I can go in another try and login to be at the command line, see my directory and all.

I also see with uname -r that I'm on kernel 5.4.

Still, unable to load without going in advanced mode and choose the kernel.

[Aravisian]

I would remove the 6.1.12 kernel entirely.
ZorinOS is currently on the 5.15.0-84 kernel.

[doalex]

Hello Aravisian,

Already done, I now have only kernel 5.15 and 5.4.

At boot, I must go into advanced mode and choose either 5.15 or 5.4

It tries to boot, and stop at some point and stay there (still in text mode).

At this moment, I can use Ctrl-Atl F2 or else to go to tty2 and login into the command line.

I'm there... what can you suggest?

[doalex]

I think it may be related to modules re-installation for graphic driver... but I can be wrong.
Never should have played with the kernel...

[Aravisian]

Do you recall which Graphics drivers you were on?
AMD, Intel or Nvidia?

[doalex]

It's an old Nvidia graphic card in this computer, iMac late 2013.

I was using the nouveau driver of X, since it was working better than the Nvidia.

[Aravisian]

@doalex

I was using the nouveau driver of X, since it was working better than the Nvidia.

From Advanced Options choose a Recovery Kernel. Arrow key down to enable networking.
Once enabled, back up to the menu and arrow key down to Root - Drop to prompt

Run

sudo apt remove --purge '^nvidia-.*'

sudo apt update && sudo ubuntu-drivers install

Once both are done, back out of recovery and test a normal boot...

[doalex]

I get an error when doing the Ubuntu install driver.
dkms, kernel package headers 5.15.0.67 generic not supported

I was able to go in graphic mode by going in safe mode, enabling network, and continue booting like normal in the menu.

At least I should be able to work tomorrow morning.

[Aravisian]

@doalex

I get an error when doing the Ubuntu install driver.
dkms, kernel package headers 5.15.0.67 generic not supported

Can you please post the terminal output of

sudo apt update

It sounds like you may have a Testing, Developmental or Proposed repository added.

[doalex]

Ign :1 http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome-remote-desktop/deb stable InRelease                                                              
Atteint :2 http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome-remote-desktop/deb stable Release                                                            
Atteint :3 http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-security InRelease                                                                     
Atteint :4 https://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb stable InRelease                                                                        
Atteint :6 https://repo.nordvpn.com/deb/nordvpn/debian stable InRelease                                                                   
Atteint :7 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal InRelease                                                                            
Atteint :8 http://ppa.launchpad.net/agornostal/ulauncher/ubuntu focal InRelease                                                           
Atteint :9 http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu focal InRelease                                                                            
Réception de :10 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates InRelease [114 kB]                                                     
Atteint :11 https://linux.teamviewer.com/deb stable InRelease                                                                             
Atteint :12 https://packages.zorinos.com/stable focal InRelease                                                                           
Atteint :13 http://ppa.launchpad.net/cappelikan/ppa/ubuntu focal InRelease                              
Atteint :14 https://packages.zorinos.com/patches focal InRelease                                        
Atteint :15 http://ca.archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports InRelease                               
Atteint :16 https://packages.zorinos.com/apps focal InRelease                                           
Atteint :17 http://ppa.launchpad.net/mozillateam/ppa/ubuntu focal InRelease
Atteint :18 https://packages.zorinos.com/drivers focal InRelease      
Atteint :19 https://packages.zorinos.com/premium focal InRelease                      
Atteint :20 http://ppa.launchpad.net/pipewire-debian/pipewire-upstream/ubuntu focal InRelease
Atteint :21 http://ppa.launchpad.net/solaar-unifying/stable/ubuntu focal InRelease
Atteint :22 http://ppa.launchpad.net/transmissionbt/ppa/ubuntu focal InRelease
Atteint :23 http://ppa.launchpad.net/tuxinvader/lts-mainline/ubuntu focal InRelease
Atteint :24 http://ppa.launchpad.net/ubuntuhandbook1/transmission/ubuntu focal InRelease
Atteint :25 http://ppa.launchpad.net/zorinos/apps/ubuntu focal InRelease
Atteint :26 http://ppa.launchpad.net/zorinos/drivers/ubuntu focal InRelease
Atteint :27 http://ppa.launchpad.net/zorinos/patches/ubuntu focal InRelease
Réception de :28 http://ppa.launchpad.net/zorinos/stable/ubuntu focal InRelease [18,1 kB]
132 ko réceptionnés en 4s (32,8 ko/s)  
Lecture des listes de paquets... Fait
Construction de l'arbre des dépendances       
Lecture des informations d'état... Fait
Tous les paquets sont à jour.

Here is the sudo apt upgrade, which show errors :

Lecture des listes de paquets... Fait
Construction de l'arbre des dépendances       
Lecture des informations d'état... Fait
Calcul de la mise à jour... Fait
Get more security updates through Ubuntu Pro with 'esm-apps' enabled:
  vlc-bin vlc-plugin-video-output libavformat58 libavfilter7 liburiparser1
  vlc-plugin-samba libmagickcore-6.q16-6-extra imagemagick libswresample3
  libswresample3 vlc-plugin-qt libgegl-0.4-0 libzmq5 python2.7-minimal
  libhdf5-103 libmagickwand-6.q16-6 vlc-plugin-skins2 libgegl-common
  vlc-plugin-visualization vlc-l10n python2.7 vlc-plugin-notify libvlc5
  libpostproc55 libvlccore9 libvlc-bin imagemagick-6.q16 libeditorconfig0
  libavcodec58 libavcodec58 cargo libavutil56 libavutil56 vlc-data libswscale5
  libopenexr24 libsdl2-2.0-0 libsdl2-2.0-0 libmagickcore-6.q16-6
  vlc-plugin-video-splitter libpython2.7-minimal vlc-plugin-base
  libpython2.7-stdlib imagemagick-6-common
Learn more about Ubuntu Pro at https://ubuntu.com/pro
#
# You can verify the status of security fixes using the `pro fix` command.
# E.g., a recent Ruby vulnerability can be checked with: `pro fix USN-6219-1`
# For more detail see: https://ubuntu.com/security/notices/USN-6219-1
#
0 mis à jour, 0 nouvellement installés, 0 à enlever et 0 non mis à jour.
1 partiellement installés ou enlevés.
Après cette opération, 0 o d'espace disque supplémentaires seront utilisés.
Souhaitez-vous continuer ? [O/n] o
Paramétrage de nvidia-340 (340.108-0ubuntu5.20.04.2) ...
dpkg: erreur: mauvaise syntaxe de la version « - »: revision number is empty
dpkg: erreur: mauvaise syntaxe de la version « - »: revision number is empty
dpkg: erreur: mauvaise syntaxe de la version « - »: revision number is empty
update-initramfs: deferring update (trigger activated)
INFO:Enable nvidia-340
DEBUG:Parsing /usr/share/ubuntu-drivers-common/quirks/dell_latitude
DEBUG:Parsing /usr/share/ubuntu-drivers-common/quirks/put_your_quirks_here
DEBUG:Parsing /usr/share/ubuntu-drivers-common/quirks/lenovo_thinkpad
Removing old nvidia-340-340.108 DKMS files...

------------------------------
Deleting module version: 340.108
completely from the DKMS tree.
------------------------------
Done.
Loading new nvidia-340-340.108 DKMS files...
Building for 5.15.0-67-generic
Building for architecture x86_64
Building initial module for 5.15.0-67-generic
ERROR (dkms apport): kernel package linux-headers-5.15.0-67-generic is not supported
Error! Bad return status for module build on kernel: 5.15.0-67-generic (x86_64)
Consult /var/lib/dkms/nvidia-340/340.108/build/make.log for more information.
dpkg: erreur de traitement du paquet nvidia-340 (--configure) :
 installed nvidia-340 package post-installation script subprocess returned error exit status 10
Traitement des actions différées (« triggers ») pour libc-bin (2.35-0ubuntu3) ...
Traitement des actions différées (« triggers ») pour initramfs-tools (0.136ubuntu6.7) ...
update-initramfs: Generating /boot/initrd.img-5.15.0-67-generic
Des erreurs ont été rencontrées pendant l'exécution :
 nvidia-340
E: Sub-process /usr/bin/dpkg returned an error code (1)

[doalex]

Will see your answer in the morning, its almost midnight here in Montreal.
Thanks by the way, you are always very helpful here in the forum ! It is really appreciated !

[Aravisian]

@doalex

Learn more about Ubuntu Pro at https://ubuntu.com/pro

I do not see any repositories listed that are Proposed Repos; but I do note that you are being advertised to use Ubuntu Pro...

It looks like the Nvidia 340 driver is unsupported on later kernels. You may need to use a kernel that still supports it.
Which explains:

@doalex

I tried to downgrade using Synaptic, choosing kernel 5.4

You also said that you can boot 5.4...

@doalex

I also see with uname -r that I'm on kernel 5.4.

So you may need to Lock In the 5.4 kernel to make sure that you stay on that kernel and always boot into it. Using the Recovery Menu Prompt:

[HOW TO] set an older kernel to default boot

You may need to use an earlier kernel than the current kernel used by Zorin. This method allows you to set the kernel that you will boot into by default. To set the new kernel to default: Boot into the kernel you wish to be Saved. Open terminal and run: sudo nano /etc/default/grub Change GRUB_DEFAULT=0 to GRUB_DEFAULT=saved Hit enter to drop down a line. Add GRUB_SAVEDEFAULT=true ctrl+x to exit, then the y key to say yes to save, then the enter key to save as current configuration. Ru…

Remove the 5.15 kernel:

sudo apt remove linux-headers-5.15.0-84-generic linux-modules-5.15.0-84-generic linux-modules-extra-5.15.0-84-generic linux-image-5.15.0-84-generic

Reinstall the Nvidia 340 driver:

sudo apt install nvidia-340

You do not need to use DKMS since you are locking in the kernel and not allowing it to upgrade.

[doalex]

Thanks @Aravisian ! I will try this after my working hours.

[doalex]

Sorry I did not give feedback.
My system is really messed up, and the only way to boot is in safe mode... I will simply reinstall everything.

Thanks for the help @Aravisian !