HCL - HP EliteBook 840 G6

tacking_rely · March 24, 2025, 11:26pm

---
layout:
  'hcl'
type:
  'Notebook'
hvm:
  'yes'
iommu:
  'yes'
slat:
  'yes'
tpm:
  '2.0'
remap:
  'yes'
brand: |
  HP
model: |
  HP EliteBook 840 G6
bios: |
  R70 Ver. 01.30.00
cpu: |
  Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-8665U CPU @ 1.90GHz
cpu-short: |
  FIXME
chipset: |
  Intel Corporation Coffee Lake HOST and DRAM Controller [8086:3e34] (rev 0c)
chipset-short: |
  FIXME
gpu: |
  Intel Corporation WhiskeyLake-U GT2 [UHD Graphics 620] [8086:3ea0] (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])
gpu-short: |
  FIXME
network: |
  Intel Corporation Cannon Point-LP CNVi [Wireless-AC] [8086:9df0] (rev 11)
  Intel Corporation Ethernet Connection (6) I219-LM [8086:15bd] (rev 11)
memory: |
  32447
scsi: |

usb: |
  2
certified:
  'no'
versions:
  - works:
      'FIXME:yes|no|partial'
    qubes: |
      R4.2.4
    xen: |
      4.17.5
    kernel: |
      6.6.77-1
    remark: |
      FIXME
    credit: |
      FIXAUTHOR
    link: |
      FIXLINK

Brand: HP
Model: HP EliteBook 840 G6

CPU: Intel(R) Core™ i7-8665U CPU @ 1.90GHz
Chipset: Intel Corporation Coffee Lake HOST and DRAM Controller [8086:3e34] (rev 0c)
Graphics: Intel Corporation WhiskeyLake-U GT2 [UHD Graphics 620] [8086:3ea0] (rev 02) (prog-if 00 [VGA controller])

RAM: 32447 Mb

QubesOS version: R4.2.4
BIOS: R70 Ver. 01.30.00
Kernel: 6.6.77-1
Xen: unknown

Attachments

HCL_HP_EliteBook_840_G6.yml (929 Bytes)

tacking_rely · March 24, 2025, 11:27pm

“New users can’t upload files” so I copy-pasted the content of the ‘.yml’ file in the “Attachments” section.

Sven · March 29, 2025, 11:25pm

reaching · September 22, 2025, 6:44am

Hi,

I have this exact laptop and attempted to install the latest stable version of qubes, which is 4.2.4. I flashed my USB device using rufus 4.6 I think.

After booting into the device when I choose either install or test media and then install I get the following errors popping up on my screen

MellowPoison · September 22, 2025, 7:29am

Did you flash it in DD image mode as stated in the installation guide?
Installation guide — Qubes OS Documentation

reaching · September 22, 2025, 8:41am

I don’t remember. I’ll re-flash it in DD image mode and report back

Edit: Yup that was the issue. Cheers mate. 'ppreciate the help

Edit 2: Now I’m getting another issue during installation. Configuration keeps failing.

Attached is a photo of the error.

I tried running the command in dom0 but I don’t know if I’m typing the command incorrectly, but I’m getting an error trying to run the configuration there as well

MellowPoison · September 24, 2025, 6:37am

You can re-run Initial Setup by running this command in dom0 terminal:

sudo /usr/libexec/initial-setup/initial-setup-graphical

And then check the logs to see why it failed.

The problem could be because of a corrupted installation medium, but since you’ve created the installation medium using Windows, then you can’t check if the installation medium is corrupted or not.
Create the installation medium using Linux and dd command as described in the installation guide:
Installation guide — Qubes OS Documentation
And they boot the “Test this media and install Qubes OS” option to make sure that it’s not corrupted.

reaching · September 24, 2025, 9:06am

Initially I created it using windows, but I tried again and created it using the following command that I found on the forum and in the troubleshooting installation part of the Documentation:

sudo dd if=~/Downloads/Qubes-R4.2.4-x86_64/Qubes-R4.2.4-x86_64.iso of=/dev/sda status=progress bs=1048576 && sync

I haven’t had time to test it yet because of other obligations, but I will test it in the next few hours and let you know how it goes

Edit 1: I haven’t said it yet but thanks for trying to help.

Anyhoo, I re-flashed a USB, several USBs and I’m still getting the error.

Here’s what I did:

I flashed 2 separate usb 3.0’s, and a 3rd thumb drive that was usb 2.0. Got the same error.

I then ran the following command in dom0

sudo /usr/libexec/initial-setup/initial-setup-graphical

The graphical installation setup popped up and I selected it which takes me back to the configuration screen. But as you can see from the attached image, I’m not able to select the option to configure much of anything really.

This latest installation was done using a usb 2.0 thumb drive, and I used the dd command listed above in Debian 12.

How do I check the logs?

MellowPoison · September 25, 2025, 5:34am

It seems that templates were not copied from the installation medium to the dom0 root during Qubes OS installation.

Did you boot the “Test this media and install Qubes OS” option?
Was the media test successful? Did you see the line with Checking: X.X% going from 0% to 100%?

Did you use custom disk partitioning during Qubes OS installation?
Maybe there wasn’t enough free space to copy the templates.

You can see the installation logs in /var/log/anaconds directory in dom0. Search for the template string there and check the errors related to it.

reaching · September 25, 2025, 7:34am

Yup, I chose the 'test this media and install qubes OS" option.

No, I didn’t use custom disk partitioning.

One of the drives -I think I bumped when I ran the dd command to make installer media- failed the check and then just hung on a blank screen. So I know can tell when it fails. I mean I saw it progressing. I don’t remember if it went to 100% I just remember not reading anything about the check failing.

Just to be safe, I chose another device and ran the commands badblocks after running the sudo dd if=/dev/zero command on my thumb drive to zero it.

I then wrote the qubes installation to another usb key, same error. If it matters, my drive (the one in the destination computer) is only advertised at about 250 gb. I don’t know much else about it other than it being an nvme drive.

It’s a 7 year old used laptop. I wonder if the nvme drive is the problem.

This is a solo boot setup, and I tend to wipe the drive using gparted in a debian 13 live environment before I reboot and start the qubes installtion

Either way I went into dom0 (in the installation that fails configuration) and tried finding the template log but I didn’t see it there. Here’s an attached image of my /var/log/anaconda directory.

MellowPoison · September 25, 2025, 7:47am

Open the files in the /var/log/anaconda directory and search for the string template inside of them. Then see if there are any errors related to templates there.

reaching · September 25, 2025, 8:56am

Ok, thanks Mellow, I greatly appreaciate you taking the time to help.

I’m currently running 2 full write mode badblocks tests on 2 thumb drives, respectively.

And I’m running the same test on my nvme drive to see if there might be any issues there.

I’ll let those finish and flash both of them with the installation iso.

In the mean time, I’ll read through the logs and see if anything catches my eye.

Also, I’m getting permission denied when I’m trying to read the files with nano or touch. I didn’t create a root user. Could that be why I can’t read the files?

MellowPoison · September 25, 2025, 9:43am

When you first entered the Initial Setup stage right after Qubes OS installer finished the installation and rebooted, did you see the list of templates available for installation like in this image?

Use sudo.

reaching · September 26, 2025, 8:50am

Hi Mellow, Yes. I did see it.

Here’s the image of my configuration screen before the reboot:

Does it matter if I create a root account? Because I usually skip that step during the installation process.

I also let the installer do the partitioning.

Could it be that the installer is not leaving enough space for the templates to install? My drive is also only 235 GB.

I’ve verified the integrity of all of the drives that I’m using (installation usb keys and the destination nvme drive).

The verified the signature of the .iso file I downloaded and did it again after flashing the installation media.

I wonder if I need to manually partition it myself.

I don’t know if this counts, but everytime before I re-attempt and installation, I boot into deb 13 live environment and use gparted and make the drive gpt.

MellowPoison · September 26, 2025, 1:52pm

Then templates were copied from installation media to dom0 root successfully and it shouldn’t be a problem with missing templates.

It doesn’t matter. You don’t need root account.

If you remove all existing old partitions from the disk and select automatic partitioning, then it should be fine.

It shouldn’t be needed.

That should be ok.

Can you upload the installation logs from /var/log/anaconda directory?
I can try to check the logs to see why it failed.

reaching · September 27, 2025, 2:13am

I would greatly appreciate that. How do you want them?

MellowPoison · September 27, 2025, 6:55am

You can attach them to your post.

reaching · September 27, 2025, 8:42am

These are all of the files that were in /var/log/anaconda. Since the site only let’s us upload 5 files at a time, I’ve put them all into a single archive for convenience. logs.tar.gz (512.9 KB)

I’ve looked over all of the logs but I’m not sure what I’m looking for. I’ll still list what I noticed below.

anaconda.log - only found 2 instances of template but I don’t know if they were significant

dbus.log - again, nothing turned up searching the string template

dnf.librepo.log - didn’t really notice any errors here either

hawkey.log - nothing signfiicant here

journal.log - under the 2nd instance of template there’s this warning: dnf: warning: group does not exist. I’ve seen this error several times when looking through the logs, if that matters. I didn’t take note of where.

ks-script-ob9pcnvs.log - empty

ks-script-u37h4lnu.log - a few short lines saying that it was unable to dectect release version

ks-script-v6jy5cij.log - empty

ks-script-ychm_voa.log - empty

lorax-packages.log - no hits on template string

lvm.log - showing that there were a significant amount of issues where the installer couldn’t find a file (like a config file) or a directory.

packaging.log - same thing with this log as the one above. Maybe there could be some answers in here, but I couldn’t find - or at least recognize the issue

program.log - same here, couldn’t find any hits on the keyword template, but loads of issues not being able to locate a file or directory.

storage.log - similar situation I think. No hits on the string template

X.log -no hits on template here either

MellowPoison · September 27, 2025, 9:20am

Can you upload the dom0 log as well?
You can save it to the file from dom0 terminal:

sudo journalctl > journalctl.log

reaching · September 27, 2025, 11:38pm

Sure thing, Mellow. In the mean time I’ll look it over and see if I see anything.

What should I be looking for?

journalctl.tar.gz (201.2 KB)

Edit 1: Ok, so I was reading the logs and I saw that there is an ACPI BIOS error. I don’t udnerstand 99% of the log, but I’m using AI, and it’s telling me that messed up ACPI tables could cause some of the issues that I have. And recomend that I update the bios, but the bios version I have is the same version that tacking had

Sys-net and Sys-firewall qubes also won’t start for me. But I can make new qubes and use them. I’m only made one or two appVMs.

When I try to start sys-net, the following error comes up:
start failed:internal error: Unable to reset PCI device 0000:00:1f.6: no FLR, PM reset or bus reset available, see /var/log/libvirt/libx/libsl-driver.log for details

Same message comes up when I try to start sys-whonix-gateway it tries to open sys-net and sys-firewall and the same messages keep reappearing.

I read the log and this is what was inside it: