System won't boot [Solved]

enrico68 · Apprentice Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Posts: 214

Hello,

I have a new laptop that has been giving me quite a few issues when trying to install Gentoo. I tried with other easier distributions and I do not have any issues, even Arch works with no issues, but not Gentoo...

I am using the minimal installation cd as the Live GUI CD will not take me to KDE but to a login console, and I tried quite a few different Live GUI CDs in the past weeks, but none seems to work.

But let's start with the first issue: I installed Gentoo, as usual following the official Handbook using OpenRC as my init system, I configured the Kernel manually, following both the Handbook and Pietinger's extensive tutorial, and installkernel. I see in boot all the necessary files for booting, but when I restart my laptop I see:

pietinger · Posted: Fri Dec 06, 2024 6:01 pm Post subject:

Please chroot into your installation ( https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/User:Pietinger/New_at_Gentoo#Pause_during_Installation ) and give us your kernel .config file. Please use wgetpaste for this ( https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Wgetpaste )
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enrico68 · Apprentice Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Posts: 214

Hi pietinger,

here is the link to my kernel's .config file: http://0x0.st/X7Cs.txt

pietinger · Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2024 11:48 am Post subject:

Hi enrico,

enable all these:

enrico68 · Apprentice Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Posts: 214

Hi pietenger,

these have all been enabled.

pietinger · Posted: Sat Dec 07, 2024 4:37 pm Post subject:

I will be offline now ... so very short:

1. You need i915. You dont need XE
2. Do a "dmesg | grep firmware" (after booting with LiveCD). this gives you all needed firmware files.
3. Do a "dmesg | grep stepping" (-""-) and read https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-1065464.html
_________________
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enrico68 · Apprentice Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Posts: 214

All right then...once I can download the Live CD I will run "dmesg | grep firmware" as per your instructions, and report back.

Thank you for being patient with me, but I am doing something which I find fascinating and not easy at the same time. This is the biggest lesson in configuring the kernel that I have ever had since starting using Linux...

pietinger · Posted: Sun Dec 08, 2024 4:25 pm Post subject:

enrico,

you are not alone with a MeteorLake ... see also: https://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-1171781-highlight-.html

BTW: I suggest to use 6.12.x instead old 6.6 ... maybe you want read: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/User:Pietinger/Experimental/Manual_Configuring_Current_Kernel

and I added a new chapter in my old wiki article: https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/User:Pietinger/Tutorials/Manual_kernel_configuration#Easy_Takeover (just read it to see how important it is to add the firmware, if you have i915 static in your .config)
_________________
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enrico68 · Apprentice Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Posts: 214

Hi pietinger,

I just read your last reply. I came to the same conclusion about the Kernel 6.12 after doing some research, it seems the i915 is not supported before that version.

I will give your links a careful reading and let's see what I can accomplish...all I know is that if other distros work without a fuss (and they all use the latest kernel, I believe), it has got to work on Gentoo as well, I have no doubt...

Unfortunately I am busy with work, so I am trying my best to get to the root of my issues whenever I have a chance... I will get back to you at due time...and as always, a big thank you for your support :wink:

enrico68 · Apprentice Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Posts: 214

pietinger · Posted: Sun Dec 15, 2024 4:23 pm Post subject:

enrico68 · Apprentice Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Posts: 214

I read all that was posted in the previous posts, found the needed drivers, and loaded them under

Device Drivers ------>
Generic Drivers Options ------>
Firmware loader------->

intel-ucode/06-aa-04 i915/mtl.....etc etc..

I then saved the kernel, but....upon running

Hu · Administrator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 22870

What is the output of emerge --pretend --verbose sys-kernel/linux-firmware ; grep -n EXTRA_FIRMWARE /path/to/kernel/.config?

enrico68 · Apprentice Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Posts: 214

Hu · Administrator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 22870

How did you determine those filenames? With the caveat that I am looking at a slightly older linux-firmware here, I see no sign of mtl_dcm.bi. I see a mtl_dmc.bin, which is similar, but not the same. Likewise, I don't have in my older version a mtl_huc_gsc_1.bin. Are you sure all of those i915 paths were installed by your linux-firmware? What is the output of grep -Hn -e i915/mtl_guc_70_bin -e i915/mtl_dcm.bi -e i915/mtl_huc_gsc_1.bin /var/db/pkg/sys-kernel/linux-firmware-*/CONTENTS?

enrico68 · Apprentice Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Posts: 214

I determined those file names by looking at the distros that used them with a working Linux.

Of course, I double checked inside lib/firmware/i915, and I have them.

Unfortunately, when I typed them inside the EXTRA_FIRMWARE I mispelled them, my bad.... Here is their correct names: i915/mtl_guc_70.bin; i915/mtl_dmc.bin; i915/mtl_huc_gsc.bin. I corrected them, and I have run

Hu · Administrator Joined: 06 Mar 2007 Posts: 22870

In the future, use your terminal's copy-paste mechanism instead of retyping filenames, so that there is no opportunity for mistakes. I suspected they were misspelled in the .config, but since it does not do spelling correction, those spelling errors are fatal.

Now that your make install worked, are there any remaining problems to solve in this thread?

enrico68 · Apprentice Joined: 21 Oct 2016 Posts: 214

The system boots, the kernel seems to be working with the 6.12 version, therefore everything considered, I decide to consider the thread issue as solved.

Thank you everyone for giving me all the input and help I needed, this forum is awesome, and I can attest that I always find a helping hand when in need of support!