# Problems rebooting with nvidia-drivers. Grub does not load.

## ratten

Hi all,

I have a strange Problem on my 64BIT Gentoo install.

Reboot from my 64Bit install does not work anymore...Grub is not loading.

I have to turn off PC(complete poweroff) and turn it on again to have grub

displaying the boot menu. This is after i load "modprobe nvidia" and start X.

If i don't load Video-driver and just do a restart from console everything works 

fine and reboot works without problems.

Background:

I have several operating systems running and two of them 

beeing Gentoo(32Bit and 64BIt) Version.

The Problem only occurs on the 64Bit gentoo install.

After booting in my 64Bit gentoo i...:

--- emerged the Nvidia drivers(as i did on my 32Bit Gentoo)

--- modprobed nvidia module

--- started X(works fast and without problems) 

...everything seemed to run fine but when rebooting system

Grub does not load.

This only happens if nvidia module was loaded and restart is 

done from desktop environment.

If i don't load nvidia module and perform restart the machine initializes 

correctly and Grub shows boot menu.

Questions:

---Has anyone experienced similar behaviour?

---Does anyone have an idea on how to fix/workaround it?

Best regards,

Ratten

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## TomWij

It appears your BIOS and/or graphics card firmware does not properly initialize the graphics card on boot; and therefore, it'll do something like this where the bad memory state from the previous boot affects the current boot. Doing a power cycle, where the memory will empty, you'll start with a good memory state; so, in other words, either change the display mode GRUB shows in (as that causes to load a different resolution, which might get GRUB to work properly) or try different nvidia-drivers versions (as that might leave a better memory state behind).

Did this work before on your Gentoo?

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## RazielFMX

Is this an UEFI or BIOS based boot?

The only recent change I am aware of is that with the recent nvidia-driver update in portage, the 32 bit driver is no longer installed by default on 64 bit systems. I doubt this matters but I don't know how your system is set up.

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## ratten

@TomWij

No...graphic is initialized. If I power of copmpletely and then power on machine, graphic output is present and the Bootloader shows up with menu.

When i boot Sabayon(64BIT), Debian7(64BIt), Arch(32BIt) or Gentoo32Bit-version and then reboot everything is ok and machine initializes correctly and bootloader shows up

quickly and fully functional.

Only when i start gentoo64-BIt and then RESTART the machine initializes graphic card but boot loader never shows up. have to turn off/on PC to get it 

working again.

@RazielFMX

It is a Bios Boot PC. One thing i know is that i used Kernel-config-file from 32Bit Gentoo and enabled 64Bit Kernel in it before compiling current Gentoo64Bit-kernel.

Will Re-configure/Re-compile Kernel starting from a fresh standard config...I will post update afterwards...

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## RazielFMX

As an aside, the default multilib use flag is back on nvidia-drivers.

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## krinn

 *ratten wrote:*   

> 
> 
> ...everything seemed to run fine but when rebooting system
> 
> Grub does not load.
> ...

 

1/ from console env, load nvidia module and reboot -> Making sure its nvidia module that trigger it (and not a mix of nvidia module+xorg+whatever DE...)

2/ upgrade/downgrade nvidia drivers to check if it still happen or not

3/ isolating kernel problem with the drivers -> use the 64bits sabayon or debian kernel to boot your gentoo

And i wonder when you say "grub isn't showing", should we just read "screen remains black?" or "bios works, i have message from it... only grub isn't start"

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## ratten

Ok guys, thanks for all the answers but i have to seriously apologize to all of you.

I completely misinterpreted the situation. I'm really sorry...i hate it when this happens...

What happened?

Well...I didn't work on the problem machine for a while but today started a new investigation run.

Here the results so far:

-nvidia-driver is not responsible for my reboot problem.

-Responsible must be kernel in combination with external USB-Drive.

I have a sabayon fallback system on another partition and tested my gentoo with sabayon kernel.

I tested boot/reboot behaviour and it is now absolutely clear that kernel must be the problem.

Grub config for sabayon-kernel and gentoo-kernel are identical.

Sabayon kernel boots/reboots gentoo allways correctly and fast.

Gentoo-kernel however boots system fast only on first boot after connecting machine to power-supply.

External-USB-drive is then automounted correctly and accessible.

All following reboots take long or do not work at all(have to dis/re-connect power-supply to make it work) 

and also the ext-USB drive is not initialized. Have to dis/reconnect Ext-USB-drive from power-supply

to make it work and to be able to mount it.

Problem is somehow caused when powering down for reboot the first time. USB-drive is getting unmounted and LED

starts blinking slowly and regularely but somehow it seems that ext-USB-HD is in a "frozen" state causing my reboot

problem(long boot/reboot delay or no boot at all until taking machine from power supply).

Gentoo shows no boot/reboot problem when external-USB-drive is not connected at all.

I must have some weird kernel option enabled/disabled when i compiled my kernel that causes the problem.

I do not see another explanation as the sabayon-kernel shows no problem at all with same grub config.

I'm really sorry for starting the Thread so lousy.

So!...The problem is definitely caused when system shuts down with mounted Ext-USB-drive.

Have recompiled kernel now 2 times with some different options but no change...

What could cause a HD attached over USB to get into such a "frozen" state so it only 

recovers when de/reattached to power supply? 

I will search for sabayon-kernel .config file the next days...maybe a comparison to my .config

will bring some results...

Sorry again ...if someone has any idea and maybe even explanation please post...

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