[solved] Mint on Lenovo P15s Gen 2

[Blindekinder]

Hi!
I can't install, or even run Mint 20.03 on my new Lenovo P15s. I tried with different USB-keys and bootUSB-makers

There are hundreds of lines about Nouveau, and finishes like:

Code: Select all

DRM: failed to idle channel 0 [DRM]

and then fifo fault.
It never reaches any graphic interface.

Any Idea if there is an incompatibility with graphic card?

Here is the model: https://www.lenovo.com/ch/fr/laptops/th ... TO1WWDECH2

[SMG]

Hi!
I can't install, or even run Mint 20.03 on my new Lenovo P15s.

I do not know if the nouveau driver can handle the NVIDIA® Quadro® T500 (it has only been out for a little over a year), but I would think the kernel should be able to get the Intel graphics for the Intel® Core™ i7-1185G7 working if you are using the Linux Mint 20.3 "Una" - Cinnamon (Edge) ISO which has the 5.13 kernel.

If you used the "regular" Linux Mint ISO then I would expect you might have problems. Which ISO are you using?

I also suggest you check the BIOS/UEFI to see whether the graphics is set to Dynamic/Switchable/Hybrid (some name similar to that) to make sure Intel is being used.

[Blindekinder]

Thank you!

I'll check the bios.

And yes, I use regular ISO (I guess, it's the only version proposed on the download page).
Which one should I use?

I finally get it work in safe mode, I'll try to install and see if updates help. At this point the live version doesn't let me change the resolution (3840x2160, everything displays very small...)

[SMG]

And yes, I use regular ISO (I guess, it's the only version proposed on the download page).

If you go to the Downloads: All Versions webpage you will see the Cinnamon(Edge) version.

Which one should I use?

If you want Cinnamon, use the Edge version.
If you are using MATE or Xfce, you will need to boot into Compatibility mode and then see if it will install. If it does install, you will then need to boot into Recovery Mode and upgrade the kernel using Update Manager. After doing that you should be able to boot normally.

Instructions for upgrading to the 5.13 kernel:

• Open Update Manager.
• Select View > Linux Kernels and click Continue.
• Make sure 5.13 is selected on the left panel and then click the top-most option on the right panel. An "Install" button will appear.
• Install the kernel and then reboot for it to become active.

I finally get it work in safe mode, I'll try to install and see if updates help. At this point the live version doesn't let me change the resolution (3840x2160, everything displays very small...)

It does not let you change the resolution because there are no graphics drivers installed. The system is running in software rendering mode. Once you upgrade to a newer kernel, the Intel graphics drivers should load automatically. Once they are loaded, you will be able to change the screen resolution.

[Blindekinder]

Thank you!

I'll try Edge these day.

In the meanwhile I finally installed Legacy version, but same problem, it doesn't boot, and I have to go to recovery mode. I updated Mint and installed last proprietary drivers, but same.

[SMG]

In the meanwhile I finally installed Legacy version, but same problem, it doesn't boot, and I have to go to recovery mode. I updated Mint and installed last proprietary drivers, but same.

If you did not upgrade to the newer kernel (the one available in the Edge ISO), then the GPU is probably not being recognized properly. The difference between the regular ISO and the Edge ISO is the kernel which is used. Please upgrade the kernel on your existing install.

Instructions for upgrading to the 5.13 kernel:

• Open Update Manager.
• Select View > Linux Kernels and click Continue.
• Make sure 5.13 is selected on the left panel and then click the top-most option on the right panel. An "Install" button will appear.
• Install the kernel and then reboot for it to become active.

[Blindekinder]

Done,
it seems to work. It boots, a bit long but it doe's work. Resolution is also ok. It remains in 3840x2160 and double the scale.

Just for information, it doesn't boot with Edge-USB. I can't even go to Grub, if I escape during startup, it goes to SDD Grub. I did like you said, I upgraded the kernel.

Thank you!!!

[SMG]

Done,
it seems to work. It boots, a bit long but it doe's work. Resolution is also ok. It remains in 3840x2160 and double the scale.

What is the output of

Code: Select all

inxi -Fxxxrz

Click </> from the mini toolbar above the textbox where you type your reply and then place your cursor between the code tags and paste the results of the command between the code tags [code]Results[/code]. This will let us know how Mint sees your hardware and may give us an idea of why the Edge ISO did not work. This may help others in the future trying to install on that laptop.

[Blindekinder]

here it is!
let me know if I can help further...

Code: Select all

~$ inxi -Fxxxrz
System:
  Kernel: 5.13.0-37-generic x86_64 bits: 64 compiler: N/A 
  Desktop: Cinnamon 5.2.7 wm: muffin 5.2.1 dm: LightDM 1.30.0 
  Distro: Linux Mint 20.3 Una base: Ubuntu 20.04 focal 
Machine:
  Type: Laptop System: LENOVO product: 20W6CTO1WW v: ThinkPad P15s Gen 2i 
  serial: <filter> Chassis: type: 10 serial: <filter> 
  Mobo: LENOVO model: 20W6CTO1WW serial: <filter> UEFI: LENOVO 
  v: N34ET48W (1.48 ) date: 01/28/2022 
Battery:
  ID-1: BAT0 charge: 56.6 Wh condition: 57.0/57.0 Wh (100%) volts: 12.9/11.5 
  model: Sunwoda 5B10W51823 type: Li-poly serial: <filter> 
  status: Discharging cycles: 4 
CPU:
  Topology: Quad Core model: 11th Gen Intel Core i7-1185G7 bits: 64 
  type: MT MCP arch: Tiger Lake rev: 1 L2 cache: 12.0 MiB 
  flags: avx avx2 lm nx pae sse sse2 sse3 sse4_1 sse4_2 ssse3 
  bogomips: 47923 
  Speed: 576 MHz min/max: 400/4800 MHz Core speeds (MHz): 1: 716 2: 966 
  3: 634 4: 594 5: 607 6: 1129 7: 670 8: 888 
Graphics:
  Device-1: Intel vendor: Lenovo driver: i915 v: kernel bus ID: 00:02.0 
  chip ID: 8086:9a49 
  Device-2: NVIDIA vendor: Lenovo driver: nvidia v: 470.103.01 
  bus ID: 01:00.0 chip ID: 10de:1fbb 
  Display: x11 server: X.Org 1.20.13 driver: modesetting,nvidia 
  unloaded: fbdev,nouveau,vesa resolution: 3840x2160~60Hz 
  OpenGL: renderer: Mesa Intel Xe Graphics (TGL GT2) v: 4.6 Mesa 21.2.6 
  direct render: Yes 
Audio:
  Device-1: Intel vendor: Lenovo driver: sof-audio-pci-intel-tgl 
  bus ID: 00:1f.3 chip ID: 8086:a0c8 
  Sound Server: ALSA v: k5.13.0-37-generic 
Network:
  Device-1: Intel driver: iwlwifi v: kernel port: 4000 bus ID: 00:14.3 
  chip ID: 8086:a0f0 
  IF: wlp0s20f3 state: up mac: <filter> 
Drives:
  Local Storage: total: 953.87 GiB used: 11.57 GiB (1.2%) 
  ID-1: /dev/nvme0n1 model: KBG5AZNV1T02 LA KIOXIA size: 953.87 GiB 
  speed: 63.2 Gb/s lanes: 4 serial: <filter> rev: 1106ANLA scheme: GPT 
Partition:
  ID-1: / size: 937.40 GiB used: 11.56 GiB (1.2%) fs: ext4 
  dev: /dev/nvme0n1p2 
Sensors:
  System Temperatures: cpu: 28.0 C mobo: N/A 
  Fan Speeds (RPM): fan-1: 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: 264 Uptime: 1m Memory: 31.07 GiB used: 910.3 MiB (2.9%) 
  Init: systemd v: 245 runlevel: 5 Compilers: gcc: 9.4.0 alt: 9 Shell: bash 
  v: 5.0.17 running in: gnome-terminal inxi: 3.0.38

[SMG]

here it is!
let me know if I can help further...

Thanks for the info. Unless something happened while writing the ISO to the usb, I have no guesses as to why the Edge ISO would not boot. Nothing jumps out at me from the data.

If you have not done so already, I would recommend taking a Timeshift snapshot of the system. I strongly recommend having a snapshot prior to updating the Nvidia driver. There is a newer driver than the Nvidia-470 available for your computer if you want to try it. The Nvidia-510 used to be the recommended driver, but it is having problems with the MATE desktop which is why I think the recommended driver was changes back to the Nvidia-470. You have Cinnamon desktop so I think you would be fine using it. Many Cinnamon installs are using the Nvidia-510. If you switch and have any problems, the snapshot is an easy way to get your system back to the way it was before you upgraded the driver.

[Blindekinder]

Ok, I installed 510, it seems to work. I tried with a basic 3D game, it lags at hi-res, but lower it's ok.

I use prime "on demand". nVidia GPU get a bit warm and fan never stops, even on desktop. With Intel, it stays silent.

Thank you for the snapshot tip.

[SMG]

I use prime "on demand". nVidia GPU get a bit warm and fan never stops, even on desktop. With Intel, it stays silent.

That is to be expected. The Nvidia GPU generates more heat because it also consumes more power (and thus battery life will be shorter).