Lost Ability to Login to Zorin after Kernel Update (dual-boot WX)

General Help
1

So, I noticed there was a kernel update included with others, so before I upgraded I made a snapshot using Timeshift. There was a notification saying that I had to create a password to install 3rd party software and something to do with secure boot... I can't remember everything now.

So everything installed just fine and I rebooted, had the usual grub screen with menu appear and Zorin loaded as normal. I did notice something new - a new option in the menu, but unfortunately my naughty kitten jumped up in front of the laptop and it had gone by the time I moved him out of the way. I was not asked for the password.

I rebooted again, expecting to be required to input the password I'd created but all that happened was, I booted directly into Windows. No other options appeared.

I've tried again 3 times, tried the F9 key (it's an HP laptop), then I tried hitting the start button several times, but all I'm getting is Windows.

[Just a note for information: I had a steroid injection into my right shoulder earlier and I'm quite wiped out, so any replies (gratefully received) will be acted upon tomorrow as it's already 10:20 PM here.]

If I can't get back into Zorin, it's no great loss, I will do a complete fresh install of Zorin 17.1 Core, rather than the Education version.

It is a bit discouraging though - kind of worries me about Linux and kernel updates in general because a kernel update completely destroyed my first Mint Cinnamon 21.3 installation on another HP laptop, and I'd deleted Windows from that machine completely. It makes me feel like I simply cant rely on any Linux distro for work - it must be as reliable as Windows is. All the course material I use now is digital, and I display the lessons on an interactive board, or white board, depending on the location. It HAS to WORK because I have no way of seeing what the students have in their course books without it, and all of the exercises are interactive these days, with videos and audios included.

Anyway, I'm off to relax before bed now, but I will get back to this tomorrow - I really want to ditch Windows and use Zorin in September, but I can't see it happening. TIA for any advice / help.

2

I try not to use A.I. but could not find anything similar. Because of a recent post saying that software updater installed 6.8 in another post today I got this result:

After kernel update to 6.8 in ubuntu 22.04, only boots into windows 10

After updating the kernel to version 6.8 in Ubuntu 22.04, the system only boots into Windows 10, instead of the expected Ubuntu 22.04. This issue may be related to the kernel update overwriting or modifying GRUB configuration, causing Ubuntu to no longer be recognized as a boot option.

Possible Causes

  1. GRUB configuration corruption: The kernel update might have altered GRUB’s configuration, making it unable to detect or boot Ubuntu.
  2. Bootloader mismatch: The updated kernel may not be compatible with the existing bootloader configuration, leading to Windows 10 being the only bootable option.

Recommended Steps

  1. Reinstall GRUB: Run the command sudo grub-install /dev/sda (replace /dev/sda with your actual boot device) to reinstall GRUB and restore the bootloader configuration.
  2. Update bootloader configuration: Ensure that the bootloader configuration file (/boot/grub/grub.cfg or /etc/default/grub) is updated to reflect the new kernel version and Ubuntu installation.
  3. Check bootloader settings: Verify that the bootloader settings in the UEFI firmware or BIOS are set to prioritize Ubuntu as the default boot option.

Additional Tips

  • If you have a dual-boot setup with Windows 10 and Ubuntu 22.04, ensure that the Windows 10 bootloader is not overriding the Ubuntu bootloader.
  • Consider creating a backup of your system before attempting any manual modifications to the bootloader configuration.

By following these steps, you should be able to resolve the issue and boot back into Ubuntu 22.04 after the kernel update to 6.8.

If you do decide to reinstall Core this does not prevent you from installing essential software such as the whiteboard software. You will need to install Synaptic Package Manager. Launch it, scroll down in the left pane to 'Education', then use the search facility to find 'whiteboard'.

1 Like
3

It would be good to know what that 3rd party package was. @Ponce-De-Leon just upgraded as well and it seems to be working fine I presume?

Generally speaking, kernel upgrades are a good thing but they can introduced bugs from time to time. That's where things like rollbacks using Timeshift or similar come in. I've only experienced an issue like this once, with Linux Mint. Unfortunately my solution was to install from scratch — as I wanted to try other distributions — it so I cannot offer any troubleshooting advice.

Dual boot can be tricky, and Microsoft has been hard at work to make the situation worse. In my experience, it's a matter of time until this type of setup becomes an issue rather an a feature.

4

Yes, all went fine. It installs the Kernel, removed an old one, made a Reboot and all runs well. and I'm running in dual-boot with Windows but there were no Problems. It started normal in the GRUB Menu where I could select normal Zorin.

I would think that it is here a thing with Secure Boot:

Maybe that brings some Trouble withit.

@0Picass0: You could try to deactivate Secure Boot and look if it works then. And if not, maybe You could try it with Zorin on a USB Stick in Try Mode and use there the Boot Repair Program.

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5

@swarfendor437 , @zenzen & @Ponce-De-Leon .

I was able to force start and boot into Zorin, so it's still there and appears to be working. However, on rebooting it went straight to Windows again, so I went into the UEFI settings to see if I could change the boot order but Ubuntu (Zorin) didn't appear and I went through every option available.

It seems like I have a few options from all of your advice:

Use the bootable USB to do a repair
Use Timeshift to roll back - I saved a snapshot immediately before doing the upgrade
Update the bootloader configuration

@swarfendor437 , I hesitate to try your #1 suggestion - not sure what "your actual boot device" is. I have tried #3 but Ubuntu didn't appear.
I'm seriously considering installing Core, thanks for the tip about the whiteboard.

@Ponce-De-Leon , I had the exact same problem as you with Mint - mine is a single boot, no Windows on that machine. My only option was a complete reinstall. It wasn't Windows interfering, the new kernel (6.5??) bricked the device. However, when I updated it again it worked perfectly and still does. I've held back updating the Mint kernel to 6.8 as I'm frightened I'll loose everything again. It is working, so why ruin it?

So, I'll try Updating bootloader configuration, if that doesn't work I'll try using Timeshift to roll back. If all else fails I'll install Core.

Thanks guys! I'll let you know what happens.

6

I disabled secure boot. I checked every single other option available but couldn't see anything mentioning a partition or Ubuntu. Followed the instruction to enter a password and press enter.

Tried: force restart to enter the Bios boot option page where I was able to boot into Zorin earlier this morning. Unfortunately now, all I have is "Repairing Disk Errors. This Might Take Over An Hour To Complete.". I had plugged in the USB Drive with Zorin installed to see if I could boot from that. I could access it in Windows but that's it. I tried ESC, DELETE & F9 (which is the HP Boot option key).

It's finished the automatic repair and booted back into Windows. The only change I can see is that the clock has reset back 2 hours. GMT instead of CEST.

As I can't force the laptop to boot into Zorin any more, I'm going to delete the partition and start again with Core. I'm extremely disappointed because I was really hoping to be able to make the switch from Windows 10. Having had similar issues with two "user friendly" versions of Linux, I just don't have confidence that Linux is market ready, and that is a shame. I've already spent hours yesterday and today trying to fix something that shouldn't happen due to a rolled out system update. I simply can't have this happen during term time - there is no technical support, and I'm the one who helps others with their Windows machines! nobody uses Linux.

The excellent support by all of you on this forum is the only reason I'm going to keep trying with Zorin - I had a fleeting thought of installing the new Mint 22 instead, but I really do not like that forum vibe. Let's hope I can delete the partition and start again!

1 Like
7

That kernel update to 6.8... seems to have kicked off a spike in forum posts seeking help.
I would normally suggest users roll back to the previous kernel from "Additional Options for Zorin" at grub menu, but that would only prove that 6.8 was the bad boy.

8

Okay, only for my Understanding:

Your Zorin Partition still exists, BUT it don't have any Entry in the BIOS. So, there is no ''ubuntu'' Entry. Is that so correct?

If yes, it looks like Your Boot Entry was deleted or broken. And You tried to start Zorin in Try Mode on a USB and used the Boot Repair Tool? Or did you only tried it in the Terminal? If, Yes, I would suggest, that You create a bootable stick with Zorin, start it, and choose the Try Mode. And then use the so called Boot Repair Tool.

9

I've completely removed Zorin 17.1 Education, including the grub, using CMD in Windows. It appears to have been successful.

I've made the bootable USB with Rufus and Zorin Core 17.1 and I'm ready to install.

I think it is safe to say the fault lies with the new kernel - if a lot of people are having issues then it has to be the case! I think it's already been proven - you know what they say about coincidences!!!

I'm on my purely Windows work laptop at the moment - I find it easier to use 2 machines when doing anything complicated. I'll be back in a bit when I've installed Zorin Core on the dual boot HP Pavilion.

Now all I need to do is decide whether to upgrade to the new 6.8 kernel, or hold it for a while... I've held it in Mint because it's not worth the risk.

1 Like
10

@Ponce-De-Leon , sorry, I didn't see your last post.

There was an opportunity for me to have tried to fix it inside of Zorin, but after another reboot I couldn't get it back at all. When I tried to force start it to get to the Bios menu, it started an automatic repair.

After that, which didn't take very long at all, all disks were healthy.

That's when I used CMD to remove all traces of Ubuntu in the machine. Now I'm going to start again.

I think if you read my other posts you should understand. Thanks for the support.

P.S. @Ponce-De-Leon , I disabled secure boot as you suggested

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11

Lol! Guess I was right to stick with 6.5.0-44... because everything works.
That forced kernel updates are risky - they should be optional, if you have problems with currently installed.

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12

I always do manual updates via software updater, that way I can check what is in the pipeline before the effluent is delivered.

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13

I hoped using Timeshift to make a snapshot would be enough...

14

Seems like the kernel update broke my install as well. I had to use grub to boot back to 6.5. I tried logging in to xorg but it wasn't working for some reason and I'm still on nvidia driver 545. why didn't they also bundle 555 with that update as well? Everyone knows that nvidia has trouble with wayland. I really want to wait until 560 is out to switch to wayland.

15

That doesn't help with Wayland on Zorin. The Explicit Sync Function (that is this Stuff what should make it run better) is only available in up-to-date Versions of Gnome (from Version 46.1 on) and Plasma (from Version 6.1 on). Zorin uses Gnome 43.9. So, there is no Explicit Sync implemented. And You need it in Both: the Driver and the Desktop Environment.

16

Hi @SometimesBread , yeah I noticed that Wayland was featuring in the build and also many, many experts say that it's just not ready yet - although it is probably the future! I've watched a lot of Videos comparing Wayland to XORG, and the compatibility (spell check changes to comparability!) challenges of the former.

This kind of conflict, which causes our OS to break is what puts me of Linux being my "daily drive". I've only done 2 kernel updates and BOTH broke my OS, for whatever reason, yet with fresh installations both work well. With more experience I could probably have rescued my Zorin build, and saved a few hours of work, but Mint was completely inaccessible.

I made snapshots with Timeshift - but gain you need to be able to get to them to use them! When I can afford it I'll get an external HD to make full system back ups. For now I'm holding Mint with the old 6.5 kernel and at 21.3, as way too many folk had problems upgrading to version 22.

This kind of risk is why Linux just can't compete with Windows, and it is such a shame. They must become more reliable - I can't trust Zorin or Mint at the moment!