Bug 2355276 - Boot failure on on Dell XPS 9640
Summary: Boot failure on on Dell XPS 9640
Keywords:
Status: NEW
Alias: None
Product: Fedora
Classification: Fedora
Component: kernel
Version: 41
Hardware: x86_64
OS: Linux
unspecified
medium
Target Milestone: ---
Assignee: Kernel Maintainer List
QA Contact: Fedora Extras Quality Assurance
URL:
Whiteboard:
Depends On:
Blocks:
TreeView+ depends on / blocked
 
Reported: 2025-03-27 09:36 UTC by a-team
Modified: 2025-05-08 18:43 UTC (History)
20 users (show)

Fixed In Version:
Clone Of:
Environment:
Last Closed:
Type: ---
Embargoed:


Attachments (Terms of Use)
Dell Support help (1.27 MB, application/pdf)
2025-05-01 04:32 UTC, Christopher Patrick
no flags Details
Screenshot of boot attempt (3.35 MB, image/jpeg)
2025-05-08 16:49 UTC, Tom "spot" Callaway
no flags Details

Description a-team 2025-03-27 09:36:24 UTC
1. Please describe the problem:

After the latest BIOS update to version 1.12.0, it's impossible to boot the machine. GRUB is displayed and I can choose between 3 kernel versions or the rescue option, but none of the 4 will boot. The screen remains black with a white cursor or the message "Booting Fedora ...". The only way to shutdown the laptop is keeping the power button pressed.

Note that I also tried to but from a USB stick with F40 and F42 without success

2. What is the Version-Release number of the kernel:

6.13.8-200.fc41.x56_64
6.13.7-200.fc41.x56_64
6.13.6-200.fc41.x56_64

3. Did it work previously in Fedora? If so, what kernel version did the issue
   *first* appear?  Old kernels are available for download at
   https://koji.fedoraproject.org/koji/packageinfo?packageID=8 :

6.13.8-200.fc41.x56_64


7. Please attach the kernel logs. You can get the complete kernel log
   for a boot with ``journalctl --no-hostname -k > dmesg.txt``. If the
   issue occurred on a previous boot, use the journalctl ``-b`` flag.

Unfortunately, I can't access the command line to run journalctl


Reproducible: Always

Comment 1 d3d9 2025-04-07 21:06:01 UTC
Same here on Dell Inspiron 16 Plus 7640. In this case, version 1.13.0. Downgrade to 1.12.0 fixed the issue.
It occurred on various kernels from 6.12.6 to 6.13.7 and USB also didn't help.
journalctl doesn't show anything at all between the previous successful boot and the related shutdown a week ago and my current first successful boot after the downgrade.

According to a post on the Dell forums it also occurred with a linux mint USB as well as on fedora and for yet another model / bios variant with an update from the similar point in time / reason for the critical update (CVE-2024-38796). https://www.dell.com/community/en/conversations/inspiron/dell-bios-update-breaks-linux-installs/67d09c66c5ead74c2bf65cd5

Comment 2 Christopher Patrick 2025-05-01 04:21:31 UTC
Same here on Alienware m16 R2. I upgraded version 1.1.10+. I cannot downgrade back to 1.9.0 which is the last version that worked. I cannot boot openSUSE TW, Linux Mint or any Fedora ISO via Fedora USB Installer or Ventoy.

Comment 3 Christopher Patrick 2025-05-01 04:32:00 UTC
Created attachment 2087940 [details]
Dell Support help

I contacted Dell via Facebook Messenger and they following is what they had me try with no success.

Comment 4 Peter Williams 2025-05-01 20:51:15 UTC
I don't know anything about kernel debugging, so I suspect that this won't be helpful at all. But, I booted the Fedora 42 installer with parameters "acpi=off earlyprintk=efi earlycon=efifb nosmp nowatchdog console=" and was able to get some diagnostic output on a new XPS 9640 with the 1.12.0 BIOS. The issue happens around here:

```
Booting paravirtualized kernel on bare hardware
BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffffffff5fc330
#PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
#PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page
```

The key call trace lines look like they are:

```
? asm_exc_page_fault+0x26/030
? native_apic_mem_read+0x6/0x20
? intel_thermal_supported+0x5/0x30
? therm_lvt_init+0x23/0x30
```

But here's a report from someone else that looks pretty different: https://lore.kernel.org/lkml/Z-aD1ughy6fd8Ask@archimedes.dunstkreis.ch/T/#u . I think they didn't use "acpi=off", which might be the cause of the difference?

Comment 5 Orion Leidl Wilson 2025-05-08 12:57:24 UTC
I am having this issue too, with the m16 r2 bios 1.1.10

Comment 6 Tom "spot" Callaway 2025-05-08 16:44:48 UTC
(In reply to Peter Williams from comment #4)
> The issue happens around here:
> 
> ```
> Booting paravirtualized kernel on bare hardware
> BUG: unable to handle page fault for address: ffffffffff5fc330
> #PF: supervisor read access in kernel mode
> #PF: error_code(0x0000) - not-present page


I have the exact same error on my Alienware M16 R2 (1.11.0 firmware) 6.14.4-300.fc42, booting with those options appended:

My first call trace:

? therm_lvt_init+0x23/0x30
? setup_arch+0x87c/0x8c0
? start_kernel+0x64/0x490
? x86_64_start_reservations+0x24/0x30
? x86_64_start_kernel+0xed/0xf0
? common_startup_64+0x13e/0x141

I'll take a photo and attach it too.

Comment 7 Tom "spot" Callaway 2025-05-08 16:49:46 UTC
Created attachment 2089090 [details]
Screenshot of boot attempt


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