I recently upgraded several systems from gentoo-sources-5.10.76-r1 to
5.15.11, using my usual approach

copy current config to new sources
make oldconfig
all modules_install install
run dracut
reboot

All worked well except my desktop, which just sits there showing

EFI stub: Loaded initrd from command line option

So the bootloader has loaded the kernel but then there is absolutely
nothing. I tried removing the initrd option, but then it went straight to
a blank screen without the above message. I left it for a while, in case
it was just a case of no output, but nothing happened, not disk or
network activity, nothing.

I tried using make olddefconfig instead, but it made no difference. The
old kernel still boots normally. With nothing, literally, to go on, I am stumped here.

This is my working /proc/cmdline, the only change is in in the version
numbers

initrd=\amd-uc.img initrd=\initramfs-5.10.76-gentoo-r1.img root=LABEL=loon rootfstype=btrfs rootflags=rw,noatime,ssd,space_cache rd.shell net.ifnames=0 nopti init=/lib/systemd/systemd


--
Neil Bothwick

Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted.

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--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Tuesday, 28 December 2021 13:40:44 GMT Neil Bothwick wrote:

I recently upgraded several systems from gentoo-sources-5.10.76-r1 to 5.15.11, using my usual approach

copy current config to new sources
make oldconfig
all modules_install install
run dracut
reboot

All worked well except my desktop, which just sits there showing

EFI stub: Loaded initrd from command line option

So the bootloader has loaded the kernel but then there is absolutely
nothing. I tried removing the initrd option, but then it went straight to
a blank screen without the above message. I left it for a while, in case
it was just a case of no output, but nothing happened, not disk or
network activity, nothing.

Did you touch the new frame-buffer settings? I did at first and got something like your experience, but then after a distclean and oldconfig, making sure to leave the new frame buffer at their defaults, everything now works.

I'll look into how it's supposed to work when I get back home.

--
Regards,
Peter.

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Tuesday, 28 December 2021 16:09:09 GMT Peter Humphrey wrote:

On Tuesday, 28 December 2021 13:40:44 GMT Neil Bothwick wrote:

I recently upgraded several systems from gentoo-sources-5.10.76-r1 to 5.15.11, using my usual approach

copy current config to new sources
make oldconfig
all modules_install install
run dracut
reboot

All worked well except my desktop, which just sits there showing

EFI stub: Loaded initrd from command line option

So the bootloader has loaded the kernel but then there is absolutely nothing. I tried removing the initrd option, but then it went straight to
a blank screen without the above message. I left it for a while, in case
it was just a case of no output, but nothing happened, not disk or
network activity, nothing.

Did you touch the new frame-buffer settings? I did at first and got
something like your experience, but then after a distclean and oldconfig, making sure to leave the new frame buffer at their defaults, everything now works.

I'll look into how it's supposed to work when I get back home.

I also ended up with a blank screen followed by a reboot, which showed some partitions were not unmounted cleanly, followed by repeated reboots in the
same fashion, until I interfered to stop this madness. I then booted with the previous kernel and as my first task I disabled some framebuffer setting, which I now fail to recall! LOL!

I think it is this one:
=======================
CONFIG_DRM_SIMPLEDRM:

DRM driver for simple platform-provided framebuffers.

This driver assumes that the display hardware has been initialized
by the firmware or bootloader before the kernel boots. Scanout
buffer, size, and display format must be provided via device tree,
UEFI, VESA, etc.

On x86 BIOS or UEFI systems, you should also select SYSFB_SIMPLEFB
to use UEFI and VESA framebuffers.

Symbol: DRM_SIMPLEDRM [=n]
Type : tristate
Defined at drivers/gpu/drm/tiny/Kconfig:54
Prompt: Simple framebuffer driver
Depends on: HAS_IOMEM [=y] && DRM [=y]
Location:
-> Device Drivers
-> Graphics support
Selects: DRM_GEM_SHMEM_HELPER [=y] && DRM_KMS_HELPER [=y]

Simple framebuffer driver (DRM_SIMPLEDRM) [N/m/y/?] (NEW) ======================================================

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--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Tue, 28 Dec 2021 18:14:51 +0000, Michael wrote:

On Tuesday, 28 December 2021 16:09:09 GMT Peter Humphrey wrote:

On Tuesday, 28 December 2021 13:40:44 GMT Neil Bothwick wrote:

I recently upgraded several systems from gentoo-sources-5.10.76-r1
to 5.15.11, using my usual approach

copy current config to new sources
make oldconfig
all modules_install install
run dracut
reboot

All worked well except my desktop, which just sits there showing

EFI stub: Loaded initrd from command line option

So the bootloader has loaded the kernel but then there is absolutely nothing. I tried removing the initrd option, but then it went
straight to a blank screen without the above message. I left it for
a while, in case it was just a case of no output, but nothing
happened, not disk or network activity, nothing.

Did you touch the new frame-buffer settings? I did at first and got something like your experience, but then after a distclean and
oldconfig, making sure to leave the new frame buffer at their
defaults, everything now works.

I'll look into how it's supposed to work when I get back home.

I also ended up with a blank screen followed by a reboot, which showed
some partitions were not unmounted cleanly, followed by repeated
reboots in the same fashion, until I interfered to stop this madness.
I then booted with the previous kernel and as my first task I disabled
some framebuffer setting, which I now fail to recall! LOL!

I think it is this one:
=======================
CONFIG_DRM_SIMPLEDRM:

I don't have that one set. About the only framebuffer I have set is CONFIG_FB_EFI and changing that makes no difference.

I'm not convinced it is display related as I do get the initial message
from the bootloader displayed as normal.

DRM driver for simple platform-provided framebuffers.

This driver assumes that the display hardware has been initialized
by the firmware or bootloader before the kernel boots. Scanout
buffer, size, and display format must be provided via device tree,
UEFI, VESA, etc.

On x86 BIOS or UEFI systems, you should also select SYSFB_SIMPLEFB
to use UEFI and VESA framebuffers.

Symbol: DRM_SIMPLEDRM [=n]
Type : tristate
Defined at drivers/gpu/drm/tiny/Kconfig:54
Prompt: Simple framebuffer driver
Depends on: HAS_IOMEM [=y] && DRM [=y]
Location:
-> Device Drivers
-> Graphics support
Selects: DRM_GEM_SHMEM_HELPER [=y] && DRM_KMS_HELPER [=y]

Simple framebuffer driver (DRM_SIMPLEDRM) [N/m/y/?] (NEW) ======================================================

--
Neil Bothwick

I wonder how much deeper would the ocean be without sponges.

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--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Tuesday, 28 December 2021 19:23:31 GMT Neil Bothwick wrote:

On Tue, 28 Dec 2021 18:14:51 +0000, Michael wrote:

On Tuesday, 28 December 2021 16:09:09 GMT Peter Humphrey wrote:

On Tuesday, 28 December 2021 13:40:44 GMT Neil Bothwick wrote:

I recently upgraded several systems from gentoo-sources-5.10.76-r1
to 5.15.11, using my usual approach

copy current config to new sources
make oldconfig
all modules_install install
run dracut
reboot

All worked well except my desktop, which just sits there showing

EFI stub: Loaded initrd from command line option

So the bootloader has loaded the kernel but then there is absolutely nothing. I tried removing the initrd option, but then it went
straight to a blank screen without the above message. I left it for
a while, in case it was just a case of no output, but nothing
happened, not disk or network activity, nothing.

Did you touch the new frame-buffer settings? I did at first and got something like your experience, but then after a distclean and
oldconfig, making sure to leave the new frame buffer at their
defaults, everything now works.

I'll look into how it's supposed to work when I get back home.

I also ended up with a blank screen followed by a reboot, which showed
some partitions were not unmounted cleanly, followed by repeated
reboots in the same fashion, until I interfered to stop this madness.
I then booted with the previous kernel and as my first task I disabled
some framebuffer setting, which I now fail to recall! LOL!

I think it is this one:
=======================

CONFIG_DRM_SIMPLEDRM:

I don't have that one set. About the only framebuffer I have set is CONFIG_FB_EFI and changing that makes no difference.

I'm not convinced it is display related as I do get the initial message
from the bootloader displayed as normal.

Mine was going blank and then crashing/rebooting at the point when the sddm DM was meant to launch. The openrc boot scripts scrolled by without any problem. :-/

This is what I have configured here in case it helps. Otherwise you could diff old/new kernel configs to see if something is standing out.

$ grep 'FB|DRM' /usr/src/linux/.config
# CONFIG_NET_SCH_SFB is not set
CONFIG_SYSFB=y
CONFIG_SYSFB_SIMPLEFB=y
# CONFIG_IFB is not set
CONFIG_DRM=y
# CONFIG_DRM_DP_AUX_CHARDEV is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_DEBUG_MM is not set
CONFIG_DRM_KMS_HELPER=y
CONFIG_DRM_FBDEV_EMULATION=y
CONFIG_DRM_FBDEV_OVERALLOC=100
# CONFIG_DRM_LOAD_EDID_FIRMWARE is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_DP_CEC is not set
CONFIG_DRM_TTM=y
CONFIG_DRM_TTM_HELPER=y
# CONFIG_DRM_I2C_CH7006 is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_I2C_SIL164 is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_I2C_NXP_TDA998X is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_I2C_NXP_TDA9950 is not set
CONFIG_DRM_RADEON=y
CONFIG_DRM_RADEON_USERPTR=y
# CONFIG_DRM_AMDGPU is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_NOUVEAU is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_I915 is not set
CONFIG_DRM_VGEM=m
# CONFIG_DRM_VKMS is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_VMWGFX is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_GMA500 is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_UDL is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_AST is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_MGAG200 is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_QXL is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_VIRTIO_GPU is not set
CONFIG_DRM_PANEL=y
CONFIG_DRM_BRIDGE=y
CONFIG_DRM_PANEL_BRIDGE=y
# CONFIG_DRM_ANALOGIX_ANX78XX is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_ETNAVIV is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_BOCHS is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_CIRRUS_QEMU is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_GM12U320 is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_SIMPLEDRM is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_VBOXVIDEO is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_GUD is not set
# CONFIG_DRM_LEGACY is not set
CONFIG_DRM_PANEL_ORIENTATION_QUIRKS=y
CONFIG_FB_CMDLINE=y
CONFIG_FB_NOTIFY=y
CONFIG_FB=y
CONFIG_FB_CFB_FILLRECT=y
CONFIG_FB_CFB_COPYAREA=y
CONFIG_FB_CFB_IMAGEBLIT=y
CONFIG_FB_SYS_FILLRECT=y
CONFIG_FB_SYS_COPYAREA=y
CONFIG_FB_SYS_IMAGEBLIT=y
# CONFIG_FB_FOREIGN_ENDIAN is not set
CONFIG_FB_SYS_FOPS=y
CONFIG_FB_DEFERRED_IO=y
CONFIG_FB_MODE_HELPERS=y
CONFIG_FB_TILEBLITTING=y
# CONFIG_FB_CIRRUS is not set
# CONFIG_FB_PM2 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_CYBER2000 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_ARC is not set
# CONFIG_FB_ASILIANT is not set
# CONFIG_FB_IMSTT is not set
# CONFIG_FB_VGA16 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_UVESA is not set
# CONFIG_FB_VESA is not set
CONFIG_FB_EFI=y
# CONFIG_FB_N411 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_HGA is not set
# CONFIG_FB_OPENCORES is not set
# CONFIG_FB_S1D13XXX is not set
# CONFIG_FB_NVIDIA is not set
# CONFIG_FB_RIVA is not set
# CONFIG_FB_I740 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_LE80578 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_MATROX is not set
# CONFIG_FB_RADEON is not set
# CONFIG_FB_ATY128 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_ATY is not set
# CONFIG_FB_S3 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_SAVAGE is not set
# CONFIG_FB_SIS is not set
# CONFIG_FB_NEOMAGIC is not set
# CONFIG_FB_KYRO is not set
# CONFIG_FB_3DFX is not set
# CONFIG_FB_VOODOO1 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_VT8623 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_TRIDENT is not set
# CONFIG_FB_ARK is not set
# CONFIG_FB_PM3 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_CARMINE is not set
# CONFIG_FB_SMSCUFX is not set
# CONFIG_FB_UDL is not set
# CONFIG_FB_IBM_GXT4500 is not set
# CONFIG_FB_VIRTUAL is not set
# CONFIG_FB_METRONOME is not set
# CONFIG_FB_MB862XX is not set
# CONFIG_FB_SIMPLE is not set
# CONFIG_FB_SM712 is not set
# CONFIG_CRYPTO_CFB is not set
CONFIG_CRYPTO_OFB=y

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--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

Neil Bothwick wrote on 28/12/2021 14:40:

So the bootloader has loaded the kernel but then there is absolutely
nothing. I tried removing the initrd option, but then it went straight to
a blank screen without the above message. I left it for a while, in case
it was just a case of no output, but nothing happened, not disk or
network activity, nothing.

You could try adding the following to the kernel command-line:

earlyprintk=efi,keep earlycon=efifb

It allows seeing the early kernel output on the EFI framebuffer. It's exceedingly slow, but at
least you might see what's going wrong.

-- Remy

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)

On Tue, 28 Dec 2021 13:40:44 +0000, Neil Bothwick wrote:

I recently upgraded several systems from gentoo-sources-5.10.76-r1 to 5.15.11, using my usual approach

copy current config to new sources
make oldconfig
all modules_install install
run dracut
reboot

All worked well except my desktop, which just sits there showing

EFI stub: Loaded initrd from command line option

For the record, the problem was the CPU setting, CONFIG_MNATIVE_AMD=y.

I have an AMD FX-9590 and changing to CONFIG_MPILEDRIVER=y solved it.


--
Neil Bothwick

OPERATOR ERROR: Nyah, Nyah, Nyah, Nyah, Nyah!

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--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
* Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)