Issue with slow boot in Dell Latitude E6520

[Numanoid]

This laptop was new about 10 years ago, and is still in good "shape"

It has Intel i7 processor, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD

It does not run Windows, I have done a fresh install of Linux Mint 20.3 on it, and made sure to apply the latest upgrade.

I have also upgraded to latest version of BIOS that Dell has provided (vA20) for that laptop.

Yet this computer takes 90 seconds to boot up into Linux Mint!

Boot is set at legacy. There is no option to do anything about fast boot or secure boot in that mode, as far as I can tell from browsing the BIOS.

I find this weird, because I run a lower specd computer that is also about 10 years old, a Samsung Q330 which only has an i3 processor (8GB RAM and also SSD ). That computer takes less than 30 seconds to boot into Linux Mint

So what makes the Dell startup so slow, is it the Legacy mode, is UEFI any difference ?

[Larry78723]

Please post the results of the following command:

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxpmrz  && blkid  && cat /etc/fstab

Enclose the results between the code tags.

[Numanoid]

dell@dell-Latitude-E6520:~$ inxi -Fxpmrz && blkid cat /etc/fcstab

System:
Kernel: 5.4.0-96-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0
Desktop: Cinnamon 5.2.7 Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una
base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal

Machine:
Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Latitude E6520 v: 01 serial: <filter>
Mobo: Dell model: 0NVF5K v: A01 serial: <filter> BIOS: Dell v: A20
date: 05/12/2017

Battery:
ID-1: BAT0 charge: 85.9 Wh condition: 86.3/87.0 Wh (99%)
model: SMP DELL XV2VV18 status: Charging

Memory:
RAM: total: 7.65 GiB used: 1.01 GiB (13.2%)
RAM Report:
permissions: Unable to run dmidecode. Root privileges required.

CPU:
Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i7-2620M bits: 64 type: MT MCP
arch: Sandy Bridge rev: 7 L2 cache: 4096 KiB
flags: avx lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 21550
Speed: 798 MHz min/max: 800/3400 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 798 2: 798
3: 798 4: 798

Graphics:
Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics
vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting
unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1366x768~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 3000 (SNB GT2)
v: 3.3 Mesa 21.0.3 direct render: Yes

Audio:
Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio
vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0
Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-96-generic

Network:
Device-1: Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network vendor: Dell driver: e1000e
v: 3.2.6-k port: 4080 bus ID: 00:19.0
IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter>
Device-2: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak] driver: iwlwifi
v: kernel port: 4040 bus ID: 02:00.0
IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter>

Drives:
Local Storage: total: 119.24 GiB used: 10.55 GiB (8.9%)
ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: MZ7PC128HAFU-000H1 size: 119.24 GiB

RAID:
Hardware-1: Intel 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] driver: ahci
v: 3.0 bus ID: 00:1f.2

Partition:
ID-1: / size: 116.38 GiB used: 10.55 GiB (9.1%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5
ID-2: /boot/efi size: 511.0 MiB used: 4 KiB (0.0%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda1

Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 38.0 C mobo: 19.0 C sodimm: 20.0 C
Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0

Repos:
No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
1: deb http://packages.linuxmint.com una main upstream import backport #id:linuxmint_main
2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner

Info:
Processes: 217 Uptime: 2m Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0
Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 inxi: 3.0.38

[Larry78723]

Please post the output of the following commands:

Code: Select all

blkid

Code: Select all

cat /etc/fstab

[Petermint]

90 seconds usually indicates a timeout. Something is broken. The wrong definition in /etc/fstab can do that. Some other things you can do include running the dmesg command and looking through syslog, although you need experience to find the lone important message among the 20,000 boot messages. Start with what Larry suggested.

[Numanoid]

Here is the output of those commands:

dell@dell-Latitude-E6520:~$ blkid
/dev/sda1: UUID="A89C-5B9E" TYPE="vfat" PARTUUID="510b485c-01"
/dev/sda5: UUID="77576363-8999-409e-9b7a-a347fdc5928e" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="510b485c-05"

dell@dell-Latitude-E6520:~$ cat /etc/fstab
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
# / was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=77576363-8999-409e-9b7a-a347fdc5928e / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /boot/efi was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=A89C-5B9E /boot/efi vfat umask=0077 0 1
/swapfile none swap sw 0 0

[Jo-con-Ël]

It looks like booted in BIOS legacy mode as you said, but an EFI partition was created and it is mounted on booting...

Please post back following codes result (copy and paste one line each time on terminal and press Enter), using </> Code option in forum editor (as indicated here by example).

Code: Select all

sudo fdisk -l
[ -d /sys/firmware/efi ] && echo “UEFI” || echo “BIOS Legacy”
dkpg -l | grep grub

@Larry
Asking for inxi -Fxxxzr we can also see disks partitioning schemes (very useful on these cases)

[Numanoid]

I changed to another 128GB SSD and did a clean install of Linux Mint on that. It solved the problem, the laptop now boots in 20-25 seconds
So it seems the problem was hardware related, it must have been the other 128GB SSD not working properly

So issue has been resolved, thread can be closed.

I ran the same commands on the new install of Linux Mint, in case anybody want to compare:

dell@dell-Latitude-E6520:~$ inxi -Fxpmrz && blkid && cat /etc/fcstab

System:
Kernel: 5.4.0-96-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: gcc v: 9.3.0
Desktop: Cinnamon 5.2.7 Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una
base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal

Machine:
Type: Laptop System: Dell product: Latitude E6520 v: 01 serial: <filter>
Mobo: Dell model: 0NVF5K v: A01 serial: <filter> BIOS: Dell v: A20
date: 05/12/2017

Battery:
ID-1: BAT0 charge: 86.3 Wh condition: 86.3/87.0 Wh (99%)
model: SMP DELL XV2VV18 status: Full

Memory:
RAM: total: 7.65 GiB used: 1.32 GiB (17.3%)
RAM Report:
permissions: Unable to run dmidecode. Root privileges required.

CPU:
Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i7-2620M bits: 64 type: MT MCP
arch: Sandy Bridge rev: 7 L2 cache: 4096 KiB
flags: avx lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 21550
Speed: 2506 MHz min/max: 800/3400 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 2745 2: 2885
3: 2437 4: 2420

Graphics:
Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics
vendor: Dell driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting
unloaded: fbdev,vesa resolution: 1366x768~60Hz
OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 3000 (SNB GT2)
v: 3.3 Mesa 21.0.3 direct render: Yes

Audio:
Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio
vendor: Dell driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0
Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.4.0-96-generic

Network:
Device-1: Intel 82579LM Gigabit Network vendor: Dell driver: e1000e
v: 3.2.6-k port: 4080 bus ID: 00:19.0
IF: eno1 state: down mac: <filter>
Device-2: Intel Centrino Advanced-N 6205 [Taylor Peak] driver: iwlwifi
v: kernel port: 4040 bus ID: 02:00.0
IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter>

Drives:
Local Storage: total: 134.16 GiB used: 22.90 GiB (17.1%)
ID-1: /dev/sda vendor: Samsung model: SSD PM810 2.5 7mm 128GB
size: 119.24 GiB
ID-2: /dev/sdb type: USB vendor: Lexar model: USB Flash Drive
size: 14.92 GiB

RAID:
Hardware-1: Intel 82801 Mobile SATA Controller [RAID mode] driver: ahci
v: 3.0 bus ID: 00:1f.2

Partition:
ID-1: / size: 116.38 GiB used: 9.50 GiB (8.2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5
ID-2: /boot/efi size: 511.0 MiB used: 4 KiB (0.0%) fs: vfat dev: /dev/sda1
ID-3: /media/dell/Lexar size: 14.92 GiB used: 13.40 GiB (89.8%) fs: ntfs
dev: /dev/sdb1

Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 58.0 C mobo: 23.0 C sodimm: 31.0 C
Fan Speeds (RPM): cpu: 0

Repos:
No active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list
Active apt repos in: /etc/apt/sources.list.d/official-package-repositories.list
1: deb http://packages.linuxmint.com una main upstream import backport #id:linuxmint_main
2: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal main restricted universe multiverse
3: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-updates main restricted universe multiverse
4: deb http://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu focal-backports main restricted universe multiverse
5: deb http://security.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/ focal-security main restricted universe multiverse
6: deb http://archive.canonical.com/ubuntu/ focal partner

Info:
Processes: 240 Uptime: 3m Init: systemd runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0
Shell: bash v: 5.0.17 inxi: 3.0.38
/dev/sda1: UUID="1B79-6691" TYPE="vfat" PARTUUID="20e3c654-01"
/dev/sda5: UUID="a079dd9f-821f-40ae-881d-9ecf09b8c46d" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="20e3c654-05"
cat: /etc/fcstab: No such file or directory

-----------------------------------------
dell@dell-Latitude-E6520:~$ blkid
/dev/sda1: UUID="1B79-6691" TYPE="vfat" PARTUUID="20e3c654-01"
/dev/sda5: UUID="a079dd9f-821f-40ae-881d-9ecf09b8c46d" TYPE="ext4" PARTUUID="20e3c654-05"

-----------------------------------------------------
dell@dell-Latitude-E6520:~$ cat /etc/fstab
# /etc/fstab: static file system information.
#
# Use 'blkid' to print the universally unique identifier for a
# device; this may be used with UUID= as a more robust way to name devices
# that works even if disks are added and removed. See fstab(5).
#
# <file system> <mount point> <type> <options> <dump> <pass>
# / was on /dev/sda5 during installation
UUID=a079dd9f-821f-40ae-881d-9ecf09b8c46d / ext4 errors=remount-ro 0 1
# /boot/efi was on /dev/sda1 during installation
UUID=1B79-6691 /boot/efi vfat umask=0077 0 1
/swapfile none swap sw 0 0