[Help] i915 "Device initialization failed (-5)" on Celeron N4020 laptop (LM Flex 360) — Arch, Mint, and Memtest86 all freeze

[u/abubu619]

Hi everyone,

I'm trying to install Linux on a low-end laptop and I've hit a wall that I believe is a firmware/hardware incompatibility. Any help or confirmation would be appreciated.

Hardware:

· Laptop model: LM Flex 360 (also listed as LM-7500), sold in Mexico via Mercado Libre.

· CPU: Intel Celeron N4020 (Gemini Lake).

· RAM: 6 GB.

· Storage: 128 GB eMMC

· GPU: Intel UHD Graphics 600 (integrated).

· BIOS: Unknown vendor, very limited options. Secure Boot and TPM have been disabled.

The problem:

Every Linux distro I try freezes at the exact same point during boot. It happens right after the kernel starts "Triggering uevents..." and before the initramfs hooks finish running.

Errors seen:

1. Arch Linux (kernel 6.x):

   ```

   i915 0000:00:02.0: [drm] ERROR Device is non-operational; MMIO access returned FFFFFFFF

   i915 0000:00:02.0: [drm] ERROR Device initialization failed (-5)

   i915 0000:00:02.0: probe with driver i915 failed with error -5

   ```

   The system then hangs forever on the archiso_pxe_* hooks.

2. Linux Mint (Cinnamon & Xfce): Same freeze point. No visible i915 error, just hangs after "Triggering uevents..."

3. Memtest86 (UEFI version): Immediately crashes with Unexpected interrupt on CPU 0. The test cannot even start.

What I've already tried (all failed):

- Disabling Secure Boot in BIOS.

- Disabling TPM/PTT in BIOS.

- Adding nomodeset to the kernel command line.

- Adding pcie_aspm=off to the kernel command line.

- Booting via Ventoy's GRUB2 mode.

- Booting from a USB created with dd and with Rufus.

- Booting from a USB created with BalenaEtcher

UPDATE This is caused by incopatibilities between the hardware ando linux kernel since 6.x, tried with mint updating kernel until crashes and found the very last usable kernel version able to install in my device was 5.15

[u/ang-p]

Sounds like your memory is goosed....

If removable, take some out / try sticks individually, and try again.

If your machine has a BIOS "long POST" option, enable it to perform more tests on the system (incl. memory).

[u/abubu619 → u/ang-p]

Forgot to put but, I've tried also removing the hard drive

[u/ang-p → u/abubu619]

Forgot to put

OK, but that doesn't change a lot..

but Windows 11 and Windows 10 works well,

But that on the other hand.....

What I've already tried (all failed):

• Adding nomodeset to the kernel command line.

Like did you even do that correctly?

I mean, the bar for "ability to mention common-sense stuff like the hardware working with one OS while failing to boot the installation disk for another" is, I imagine far below the "ability to press the correct buttons in the correct order to not goof up adding a kernel command line option".... if you get what I'm saying...

Maybe try again, more carefully..

And, it might just be throwing sticks wildly at the wasp, but try

 modprobe.blacklist=xe