linux - Debian boot hangs

07
2014-07
  • user3704714

    I created a Debian USB stick image from the experimental repo with the latest kernel 3.15 RC8, used Syslinux. I wrote the image on a USB stick and I booted from it on two different computers.

    On the first PC, Debian boots just fine.

    However, on the second one, the boot hangs at the following point:

    photograph of screen with boot messages

    Then I mounted the USB stick to the PC which I used for image creation, and checked all the log files in /var/log. I cannot find any log entry according to the second PC. I truncated all the log files, then I tried to boot from this stick on the second PC again. Of course it hung at the very same point. I remounted the USB stick and checked the log files. They were all empty. So it seems I cannot track what is going on this way.

    Does anyone have any ideas, what is the problem here? Or at least how can I analyze the problem?

    • Answers
  • AlexKing

    Sometimes when a system hangs while writing boot messages to the screen such as in your image, it's not the last line on the screen that gives a clue as to what is going wrong, but the next one, that hasn't been written yet.

    On the machine that successfully boots, do you get the "NX-protecting" and "dracut:" lines in the boot messages? If so, what is the next line? This might give you a path to analyze the problem.

    If the boot messages scroll past too fast, use:

    dmesg|less

    or:

    dmesg|more

    in a terminal to view them again.


    • Related Question

    linux - Problem when trying to install Debian Lenny
  • kasperasky

    I am installing Debian Lenny, but when I boot it, it stops at this point:

    Please wait 
kernel loading...

    It doesn't continue past this point. What should I do?


    • Related Answers
  • sybreon

    That is actually a good thing!

    If you can see that message it means that the boot-loader, GRUB, has already finished loading and is loading the next stage of the boot process, the kernel. Hanging during kernel boot is actually not that unusual.

    1. Make sure that it is not a hardware problem. Ensure that the cursor on the screen is still blinking and that your keyboard still works - try hitting caps-lock to see if it works. If not, it might be a hardware issue.
    2. Some of your kernel parameters are probably to blame - try changing a few things. You may want to google around for your motherboard to see if there are known compatibility issues. Sometimes, adding noapic may be necessary. Sometimes, the generic parameters just don't work very well.
    3. You can add kernel parameters by editing them in GRUB during the boot up stage. You should be able to see GRUB for a few seconds to select your kernel. You can hit 'e' to edit the kernel parameters then hit 'b' to boot.

    Either way, you should also provide your hardware model and specs to see if there are any other common problems. What is important is the CPU, chipset, graphics and RAM.

  • CarlF

    Please update your question. At what point does this message display? When booting the Debian DVD, or when trying to boot after an apparently successful installation? What hardware do you use? Can you boot off an Ubuntu DVD as a live environment and run Linux, or does that freeze too?

    I've found a lot of systems where the Debian installer doesn't work without certain kernel parameters, or ever, but other distros (e.g. CentOS, Ubuntu) do work fine.