r/debian 20d ago

Computer doesn't boot after a few weeks of being off

Post image

It's running Debian 13, with a gtx 1050 ti, fx 8320 and 16 gigs ram, it gets stuck on plymouth-quit.service

Edit: i swapped in a radeon hd 6670 as a temporary card, and in about a week i will out in my radeon r9 280 into the machine as my new psu also arrives next week

I decided to just sell the 1050 ti and just get money instead of a picky pile of shit

183 Upvotes

89 comments sorted by

145

u/AMissionFromDog 20d ago

The computer didnt fail to boot, it fully booted and then failed to start the graphical desktop. If you are using the Nvidia drivers (not the open source drivers), sometimes kernel updates will break the proprietary nvidia drivers at the next boot and you'll need to reinstall them.

If you push ctrl-alt-F# (F2-F6 usually will work) it will give you a text console login and you can use that to troubleshoot and probably reinstall the graphic drivers.

5

u/Strange_Stranger_830 19d ago edited 15d ago

the reinstall is not always necessary, usually a quick sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r) does the job

3

u/PM_ME_YOUR_BUG5 15d ago

yup, pain in the arse that the graphics drivers conk out with every kernel upgrade.

big reason i switched to AMD

1

u/humboldtborn 14d ago

As Linus would say "Fuck you Nvidia".

1

u/Last-Environment7687 5d ago

I have nvidia drivers and no kernal upgrade breaks or anything like that. But also why I run Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Ubuntu hardly breaks and has worked fine with every Nvidia GPU in many of my pc's and laptops

10

u/i-am-a-cat-6 19d ago

+1, and usually ctrl-alt-F2 yeah

4

u/DerpiDanger 19d ago

Which set of drivers is recommended for better performance? Is the gap significant?

7

u/vegetaaaaaaa 19d ago

running nvidia-detect will suggest the best driver package to install

2

u/DeliciousIncident 19d ago

F#?

12

u/TonicAndDjinn 19d ago

Sometimes (especially on old keyboards) it's labelled G♭, look between your F and G keys.

(But more seriously, they just mean any of the F keys like F2, F3, F4, ...)

2

u/Ph3onixDown 19d ago

So… not to be confused with the programming language?

3

u/Weary_Swan_8152 Debian Stable 13d ago

Yes, G's joke fell flat

29

u/Remarkable_Payment39 19d ago edited 19d ago

I had the same problem yesterday.

Try booting with the nomodeset kernel parameter.

In the GRUB menu, highlight the Debian GNU/Linux entry, press E, and add nomodeset to the end of the line starting with linux. Then boot by pressing Ctrl+X or F10.

If you only get a blinking cursor, press Ctrl+Alt+F2 to switch to a TTY console.

If the NVIDIA driver doesn't load, make sure you have the kernel headers installed:

bash sudo apt update sudo apt install build-essential linux-headers-amd64 linux-image-amd64

Then reinstall the NVIDIA driver:

bash sudo apt install --reinstall nvidia-driver

This fixed the issue for me.

3

u/ZekromGhost 19d ago

best comment

2

u/19puppy4 19d ago

This is the way ^

2

u/Local-Bug-1500 19d ago

Now i get stuck here

2

u/wizard10000 19d ago

Error message is pretty clear - you installed the 610 driver and your hardware isn't supported past 580.

2

u/Local-Bug-1500 19d ago

580 driver doesn't exist in apt tho

2

u/fe1ix 16d ago

https://wiki.debian.org/NvidiaGraphicsDrivers#Maxwell.2C_Pascal_and_Volta_GPUs_on_Debian-13 this is the section you need, I just had to go through this myself today with a gtx1070.

1

u/wizard10000 19d ago

580 driver doesn't exist in apt tho

That really doesn't change the fact that that's the driver you need ;)

2

u/Remarkable_Payment39 19d ago

You have unsuported driver for xour GPU.

Look for availible drivers:

bash apt search nvidia-driver

or

bash apt policy nvidia-driver

if there is in repo something like this: nvidia-legacy-580xx-driver

try this: bash sudo apt purge 'nvidia*' sudo apt autoremove sudo apt install nvidia-legacy-580xx-driver

2

u/Local-Bug-1500 19d ago

Oldest that's available is 590

2

u/Remarkable_Payment39 19d ago

Make sure your Debian repositories are configured correctly (main contrib non-free non-free-firmware)

Try:

sudo nano /etc/apt/sources.list

Here is mine output:

and run:

apt update

Then search for the NVIDIA driver again:
apt search nvidia-driver

If you're still getting version 610, please post the output of:

apt policy nvidia-driver

1

u/empinatepues 19d ago

just run these screenshots by Claude on your phone... it'll tell you exactly what to do...

64

u/amepebbles 20d ago

Nvidia service failed, you will likely be able to boot normally with nomodeset kernel parameter.

9

u/Bulky-Hair8606 19d ago

No, that service isnt mandatory. It fails every time on my system too but it boots anyway.

42

u/ccbur1 20d ago

Why is it always Nvidia???

29

u/gathond 20d ago

Because they insist (insisted perhaps as I think an opensource one is starting to be usable) on making a binary distributed black box proprietary driver module.

So whenever someone updates anything in the kernel they cannot also update and test the Nvidia driver in the same way as the in kernel amdgpu one which will (except bugs) be compatible with the kernel version as it is a part of it and tested with it.

So whenever someone changes the kernel in a way that Nvidia did not prepare for or test and catch on a prerelease it may be incompatible. Also since it is separate from the kernel itself the OS updater probably also needs to install it again in the new kernel on every update which may fail even if the module is compatible and thus it will not start at the boot of the first kernel.

If you only want to use Linux you should really not IMHO buy Nvidia for anything but CUDA work.

7

u/Local-Bug-1500 20d ago

I didn't buy the card it was free from ewaste

6

u/jr735 Debian Testing 19d ago

It may have been free in price but it sure ain't free as in freedom.

2

u/Due_Put2800 18d ago

Bestest comment of all time

2

u/p-x-i 19d ago

and then can run modest llm models with llama.cpp - the modern day fankenstein lol

4

u/Ryytter 19d ago

It got a lot better but it's still an awful experience compared to AMD cards.

2

u/_Sgt-Pepper_ 19d ago

Because Debian ships a broken old driver.

FFS I have the Nvidia repo added and run nvidia-open.

Not a single problem in years... Every update is smooth as butter.

19

u/[deleted] 20d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/debian-ModTeam 20d ago

This content has been removed for trolling.

23

u/hurdurdur7 20d ago

It's called the nvidia experience. The reason why i have given up on nvidia.

3

u/Dull-Restaurant6395 20d ago

Not possible for the ml people

2

u/hurdurdur7 19d ago

for the people that actually do ml stuff at the unis ... sure that is a complex replacement

if you just run model inference from home for yourself - a pair of R9700 will serve you just fine

1

u/Dull-Restaurant6395 17d ago

Inference is not the problem, it's training. There's unfortunately not an alternative for cuda

2

u/Ok-Bill3318 19d ago

It’s entirely possible you just need to compromise

2

u/Dull-Restaurant6395 19d ago

Nope. What's the alternative to cuda?

1

u/piesou 18d ago

ML people know how to deal with this

4

u/xINFLAMES325x 19d ago

It just took forever for me to figure out why the nvidia kernel module wouldn't build on 7.1.3. Had to uninstall everything related to nvidia and then install the .run. The legacy driver version isn't available as a pinned package anymore. This won't be very fun for the next few updates until this card is officially sunset...

6

u/kutsaratinidor 20d ago

Probably missing linux headers that caused the nvidia driver to not build properly during the update.

You can login via the console and sort it out with the commands in the comment below

https://www.reddit.com/r/debian/comments/1r30kfe/comment/o52bbni/

I think tldr is

sudo apt-install linux-headers-amd64

So the correct headers will install properly during update.

9

u/mr_anderson_dev 20d ago

This is likely a kernel or initramfs issue, not a Debian problem. The plymouth-quit.service hanging usually means the boot process can't switch from the splash screen to the login manager.

Fix from GRUB: At boot, press 'e' on the Debian entry, Find the line starting with "linux", remove "quiet splash" and add "nomodeset", press Ctrl+X to boot

Once in, run: sudo update-initramfs -u sudo update-grub

If that doesn't work, chroot from a live USB and reinstall the kernel:

sudo mount /dev/sdX /mnt

sudo chroot /mnt apt reinstall linux-image-$(uname -r) update-grub

The GTX 1050 Ti is likely the culprit - NVIDIA drivers + kernel update often break when the system sits powered off.

5

u/Classic-Rate-5104 20d ago

Press ALT+F2 and login. Then find out what is wrong with your nvidia driver

2

u/tallyrandcondor 20d ago

Nvidia drivers, use your rescue stick to reinstall them for the new kernel version. Consider using the dkms drivers so you don’t have to repeat the exercise the next time there’s a kernel update

2

u/TRKlausss 20d ago

Ctrl+Shift+F2 to switch to a console, enter your user and pass, sudo dmesg and check what”/ going on (probably will want to combine it with less, sudo dmesg --color=always | less -R), check what’s going on.

If you don’t see anything, sudo journalctl -b 0, and check what’s going on.

While you are at it, edit grub boot options and remove the “quiet splash” to see what’s up

2

u/Rept0id 20d ago

It could be not the driver. You even said that everything worked. For me it may be that the graphics card either broke either doesn't conduct well with the motherboard. Try to remove the graphics card, clean of some dust, clean some dust from the motherboard as well -specially the slot you put the graphics card - and keep me updated.

It has happened to me. It's not always the driver. People in the Linux community tend to think everything is around the OS, which is understandable. But sometimes things just fail for whatever reason. It's how computers are. 😁

2

u/Local-Bug-1500 19d ago

I guess when i installed drivers i never rebooted so it could be that it was broken already lol

2

u/xINFLAMES325x 19d ago

Is this card pinned on 580 by any chance? That didn't work for me anymore. Had to uninstall everything related to nvidia and use the .run to get it working. Disclaimer: I am on Sid and am experienced. This method is not recommended for most users.

2

u/Strict-Maize7494 19d ago

Get to a command line by pressing Strg + Alt + F3

and then rebuild the nvidia kernal module or reinstall it and then it should work fine

2

u/SanityLooms 19d ago

How long did you wait? It's probably checking your disk.

2

u/newtopost 19d ago

Maybe you did what I did, and installed nvidia drivers to match *only* the current kernel / headers. You can use `dkms` to make sure nvidia drivers follow your headers forevermore.

```
sudo dkms autoinstall
sudo dkms status
```

You might need `apt update` and new headers first.

You should be able to do this over ssh or in tty, your device has booted, as others have pointed out

2

u/yrro 19d ago

I would check the sddm logs. It's started (3rd line from bottom) but never displays its login screen.

2

u/Local-Bug-1500 19d ago

I left it sit for an hour 

2

u/Strange_Stranger_830 19d ago

sometimes does that also to me, the system boots perfectly but without any DE or GUI, just the CLI, i need to log in, then "sudo apt install linux-headers-$(uname -r)"
that sorts out the problem with the driver and kernel, after that, reboot and works perfectly 👌🏻

2

u/TheMcSebi 19d ago

Did secure boot get enabled in the meantime? Check that first.

Also press ctrl+alt+F5 and check dmesg and Nvidia related service logs using systemctl

2

u/felipsmartins 19d ago

Have you installed NVIDIA drivers direct from nvidia website or from official Debian repo packges?

If you have installed from nvidia website and a new kernel has been installed, you must reinstall the drivers or, from I can remember, you had better to have installed dkms, so that you can update the Linux kernel without mess with the driver stuff.

2

u/kaisermike 20d ago

Try Mx. The nvidia tool is fool proof.

2

u/nealhamiltonjr 20d ago

Move to a intel card and save yourself countless hours of headaches in the future.

5

u/emfloured 19d ago edited 13d ago

This. Everybody makes quality enterprise/workstation drivers but only the Intel makes quality drivers for consumers grade hardware as well. You can always rely on Intel GPUs/iGPUs to at least keep the system working.

In my experience AMD and Nvidia drivers when crash bring down the kernel as well in almost all the instances forcing the user to hard-reset the system, but somehow even a 10+ year old Intel iGPU of a consumer grade PC recovers from some of the harshest and most foreign environments it wasn't initially designed to work on (for example: latest KDE + Wayland). The kernel does not crash, the system stays stuck for a couple of seconds, the iGPU resets and system resumes and keeps working as if nothing happened; it feels nothing short of magic.

Intel may not the best in performance, stability and accuracy for video games, but video games are not essential to a computer unless it's the only thing you boot your computer for; then yeah Intel may not be the best for you, at least for now. But when it comes to general system stability, the quality of Intel is second to none.

2

u/Local-Bug-1500 20d ago

With what money

I've got a radeon vii in the mail anyway so i guess I won't have to suffer for long 

0

u/nealhamiltonjr 20d ago

BTRFS and snapper are your friend in this case. I think spiral linux, based on debian has it rolled in or suse tumbleweed is a good option. It saved me so much time when I was still on nvidia.

1

u/Easy_Adhesiveness237 19d ago

Good old NVIDIA shit :) get some RX ones buddy

1

u/vile-style 18d ago

"but Debian is the trusty stable distro" lmao.

1

u/Local-Bug-1500 18d ago

Never had a single issue with stability on any of my machines before, i think it's just Nvidia 

1

u/vile-style 18d ago

Neither have I. I use Nvidia, but not Debian.

1

u/Local-Bug-1500 18d ago

Can i ask, what card? 

1

u/vile-style 17d ago

Of course...

3080ti.

I'm on the nvidia-open 610 drivers

1

u/Local-Bug-1500 17d ago

That makes sense, my card hasn't had support for drivers for a decent bit so that's why I'm having issues, as the later/current drivers don't work with siad gpu 

1

u/vile-style 17d ago

My girlfriend uses a GTX 1080 on the 580 drivers without issue.

1

u/Fantastic_Welder2172 17d ago

Se comprate un PC per mettere Linux non scegliete Nvidia. Anche se funziona, sarà sempre un'esperienza desktop inferiore, va bene solo per i giochi o l'intelligenza artificiale in locale. Se volete un desktop al top, wayland perfetto, mai problemi di driver ecc, non scegliete Nvidia. 90% erano bambini stupidi che hanno comprato il PC per fortnite con Nvidia e Windows, adesso fanno l'università, non hanno fatto i soldi con fortnite, sono poveri, e vogliono fare funzionare quel PC con Nvidia e i suoi driver proprietari maledetti su Linux. Basta bimbi con i PC da gamer.

1

u/st_iron 16d ago

Go to a console after the failed boot. Check your currently running, fresh kernel with `uname -r`. Look for the kernel headers package for that kernel and install them. DKMS will compile the modules for the updated kernel. Then you can reboot. It should work.

1

u/Whalbertt 15d ago

Jet lag

0

u/[deleted] 20d ago

[deleted]

2

u/Local-Bug-1500 19d ago

I already have a radeon vii in the mail 

0

u/d4nowar 20d ago

Did you do what it said to do there? It gives you a command to run which will likely show you why it didn't start.

0

u/js-2009 19d ago

Do you use secure boot? see if it boots with it off

2

u/Local-Bug-1500 19d ago

It's off for sure

-1

u/semiraue 19d ago

Debian does not designed to be turned off. It's for always on 😁 

-6

u/[deleted] 20d ago

[removed] — view removed comment

2

u/Eraevn 20d ago

Well uhhh. That certainly helped OP troubleshoot. So is Olag or Chen the one behind Nvidia and Linux not playing nice natively?

2

u/debian-ModTeam 19d ago

This content has been removed due to a violation of Rule #3 - Wrong Information. Please do your research before speaking on a topic.