Mint 20.3 only run in compatibility mode. [SOLVED]

[Mentapinguino]

After installing mint (20.3 cinnamon version) I wanted to start it and it freezes every time in the start page, soon after the pc shuts down.
I was having similar problems before in the instalation, I managed to install the system using the compatibility mode and this is also the only way I can use the OS that I know.

I'm very illiterate in linux and all systems so it's very likely that I did all the installation process bad.

My pc:
A samsung laptop, maybe 7 series NP700Z3A (im not 100 sure)
CPU: intel core i5 2430m, 2.40 GHz x2
RAM: 8gb
GPU: AMD Radeon HD 6630M/-6650M/-6750M/-7670M/-7690M (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])

[Mentapinguino]

Also now that I try to restart the screen say: "sd 6:0:0:0: [sdb] tag#0 access beyond end of device" a lot of times and I cant do anything.

[Coggy]

For the compatibility mode problem, I suggest you try the latest Linux kernel, which will have much later drivers. That fixed it for me.
Administration -> Update Manager, View -> Linux Kernels, Choose the latest 5.13 and queue install.

However, the restart problem worries me, and I don't know what to do about that. Maybe a re-install.

[Mentapinguino]

I try boot with the edge version with new kernel but the same problemas still happen. I dont know what to do.

[Hoser Rob]

That AMD gpu is over a decade old so using the newest kernel available is the last thing you want to try in Linux. Stick with the 5.4 kernel.

Post more complete system info, copy/paste the text output of inxi -Fxxxrz run in the terminal.

I'm pretty sure you'll find the gpu is using the open source AMD video driver (radeon). And I'm quite sure that's the correct, and only, driver for it. DOn't just do the Windows thing of going to the amd website and dling the newest driver.

[Mentapinguino]

inxi -Fxxxrz :

Code: Select all

System:
  Kernel: 5.13.0-25-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 5.2.7 wm: muffin 5.2.0 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: SAMSUNG product: 700Z3A/700Z4A/700Z5A/700Z5B v: 0.1 
  serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 9 v: 0.1 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: SAMSUNG model: 700Z3A/700Z4A/700Z5A/700Z5B v: FAB1 serial: <filter> 
  UEFI [Legacy]: Phoenix v: 08FD date: 10/28/2011 
CPU:
  Topology: Dual Core model: Intel Core i5-2430M bits: 64 type: MT MCP 
  arch: Sandy Bridge rev: 7 L2 cache: 3072 KiB 
  flags: avx lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 vmx bogomips: 19156 
  Speed: 798 MHz min/max: 800/3000 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 798 2: 943 
  3: 886 4: 807 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics 
  vendor: Samsung Co driver: N/A bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:0116 
  Device-2: AMD Whistler [Radeon HD 6630M/6650M/6750M/7670M/7690M] 
  vendor: Samsung Co driver: N/A bus ID: 01:00.0 chip ID: 1002:6741 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: vesa 
  unloaded: fbdev,modesetting resolution: 1024x768~N/A 
  OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 12.0.0 256 bits) v: 4.5 Mesa 21.0.3 
  compat-v: 3.1 direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel 6 Series/C200 Series Family High Definition Audio 
  vendor: Samsung Co driver: snd_hda_intel v: kernel bus ID: 00:1b.0 
  chip ID: 8086:1c20 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.13.0-25-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Broadcom and subsidiaries BCM43225 802.11b/g/n 
  vendor: Wistron NeWeb driver: wl v: kernel port: 3000 bus ID: 02:00.0 
  chip ID: 14e4:4357 
  IF: wlp2s0 state: up mac: <filter> 
  Device-2: Realtek RTL8111/8168/8411 PCI Express Gigabit Ethernet 
  vendor: Samsung Co driver: r8169 v: kernel port: 2000 bus ID: 03:00.0 
  chip ID: 10ec:8168 
  IF: enp3s0 state: down mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 447.13 GiB used: 9.73 GiB (2.2%) 
  ID-1: /dev/sda model: SATA SSD size: 447.13 GiB speed: 6.0 Gb/s 
  serial: <filter> rev: 61.3 scheme: MBR 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 437.62 GiB used: 9.73 GiB (2.2%) fs: ext4 dev: /dev/sda5 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 86.0 C mobo: 29.8 C 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A 
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: 210 Uptime: 2m Memory: 7.68 GiB used: 711.2 MiB (9.0%) 
  Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.3.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash 
  v: 5.0.17 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.38 

[DPM]

System Temperatures: cpu: 86.0 C

This is not normal unless the system has been under serious load. An old review of your laptop says it's around 50°C when idle. This is on the hot end, but normal for this system. However, your temp is 35°C above the expected level.

Unless you had serious load on the system to explain that temperature, I'd service it, which is not out of the ordinary for a ten year old laptop. Clean up the internal cooler and replace the old thermal paste with new one, suited for laptops (such as Thermal Grizzly's Hydronaut).

The review also says that in idle, the fan isn't loud, but that changes when the system gets hot. So you should be hearing the fan very clearly - if not, maybe the fan is broken.

[SMG]

inxi -Fxxxrz :

Your computer has dual graphics (Intel and AMD), and is old enough that it does not need to be using the 5.13 kernel, but it looks like the hardware may have a thermal issue. That may be why it is freezing and shutting down. Do you know if there are hardware issues with this laptop?

Sensors:
System Temperatures: cpu: 86.0 C mobo: 29.8 C
Fan Speeds (RPM): N/A

Here are the graphics devices. Because you are running in recovery mode, the graphics drivers are not installed.

Graphics:
Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics
vendor: Samsung Co driver: N/A bus ID: 00:02.0 chip ID: 8086:0116
Device-2: AMD Whistler [Radeon HD 6630M/6650M/6750M/7670M/7690M]
vendor: Samsung Co driver: N/A bus ID: 01:00.0 chip ID: 1002:6741
Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: vesa
unloaded: fbdev,modesetting resolution: 1024x768~N/A
OpenGL: renderer: llvmpipe (LLVM 12.0.0 256 bits) v: 4.5 Mesa 21.0.3
compat-v: 3.1 direct render: Yes

[Mentapinguino]

First thanks for the help.

About the hardware. Yes, I have had some problems with the temperature for a long time, at the beginning of last year it was taken in for repair and I had no issues with the temperature until very recently.

Also when it shuts down at startup it's not that hot judging by my fingers, and when it's hotter (when I use the recovery mode) I haven't had any issues where it shuts down or anything.

[SMG]

I did a search on your laptop and found this topic Strange sound upon starting where someone had LM20 installed on the same model laptop as yours. As is normally the case on dual graphics laptops, that computer shows the default renderer as Intel graphics.

I do notice, however, that person's laptop is running a newer BIOS version than what your computer has. (It also has a slightly different CPU.) However, it is running just as hot as yours. That heat must be a "feature" of that laptop.

I suppose you could try booting with the LM20 ISO to see if that works.

Do you know if both the Intel and AMD graphics work on that laptop? If only one works, we may be able to pass kernel parameters to prevent the drivers from loading on the non-working GPU.

[MiZoG]

Why not disable discreet graphic chip (ATI) in the bios settings? Can't see any advantage in using it nowadays, I have not ran into any compatibility issues with intel integrated graphics n the laptop will run presumably cooler.

[Mentapinguino]

This is not a mint issue and in fact it happened with all the operating systems I've tried (including windows), only q4os was able to work for a moment before the same thing happened, I hope it's something in the bios or something that I can solve in home.

[Mentapinguino]

I dont know how disable ATI.
My bios in default, sorry if are too many images.

[Mentapinguino]

And replying to SMG i dont know what GPU work, sorry if i revive this thread too late.

[Mentapinguino]

The issue only happens in boot, if is somehow avoided everything go ok. I am in mint from a usb in normal mode at this moment.

The issue is that i dont know how avoid that boot problem, i cant shut down the pc.

[SMG]

I dont know how disable ATI.

There is no way to disable it in the BIOS. Many computers do not let you do that and the images you posted confirm it can not be done with your computer.

The issue only happens in boot, if is somehow avoided everything go ok. I am in mint from a usb in normal mode at this moment.

What is the output of inxi -Gx in that normal mode?

[Mentapinguino]

inxi -Gx in normal mode:

Code: Select all

Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel 2nd Generation Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics 
  vendor: Samsung Co driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
  Device-2: AMD Whistler [Radeon HD 6630M/6650M/6750M/7670M/7690M] 
  vendor: Samsung Co driver: radeon v: kernel bus ID: 01:00.0 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.11 driver: ati,modesetting 
  unloaded: fbdev,radeon,vesa resolution: 1600x900~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa DRI Intel HD Graphics 3000 (SNB GT2) 
  v: 3.3 Mesa 21.0.3 direct render: Yes 
  

[SMG]

inxi -Gx in normal mode:

That data shows all the graphics drivers loaded.

I did a search on the forum for that AMD card and found two other topics of people with Apple laptops who knew their AMD card had died/was dying. (That card dying is a very common problem with the Apple hardware.)

I do not know if the reason you can sometimes get your computer to work and sometimes not is because the GPU is failing, but will work sometimes, or if there is some other reason.

The only option which comes to mind to try is a kernel parameter in the hopes the issue might be related to a power setting of the GPU.

There are two parameters you can try, one at a time, to see if they help. They are radeon.dpm=0 and radeon.aspm=0.

You can use the following information How to add a kernel parameter to temporarily or permanently add the parameter. When you add it temporarily, it adds it only for that current boot cycle, so if, for any reason, it seems to cause issues or it does not work, all you need to do is reboot to clear it.

If you need more details than the link provides, just let us know.

[Mentapinguino]

Thanks for the help, sorry for replying so late, again.
Something strange happened and that is that those problems are now very rare whithout doing anything and i was using normally the pc all this time, i dont know if i can be considered solved but is far for being a big trouble now.