Qubes will not install or boot on NVIDIA GPUs

User Support General
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Hello all,

bit of an issue with Qubes 4.2 after RC4
Will not install, will not boot.
As long as there is an NVIDIA GPU in my system it refuses to boot or start the installer.
It always gets stuck when it tries to engage the video subsystem.
4.2.0-RC4 works perfectly though.

So someone decided to break something following that.
I have even done a full update after installation using a 128 MB AMD Cedar card.
And still will not boot when using an NVIDIA card.

Anyone know how I can resolve this or work around this issue please?

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If this NVIDIA GPU is a secondary GPU for passthrough, try that GPU Passthrough -> lightdm.service won't start - #20 by light

If it is a primary GPU, try that Nvidia proprietary driver installation - #2 by neowutran

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Does this help with installation?

Everything was working fine in 4.2.0-RC4.
Still using Neuvou?

So itā€™s something that someone changed for no reason since RC4.

Just trying to get it fixed.

Neuvou works fine with my GPUs, has done for many years now since Qubes early days.
Never had issues until after 4.2.0-RC4.
That version works perfectly, anything after it just wonā€™t install. If I do install using another GPU, then it wonā€™t boot with the NVIDIA GPU(s) in.

So ther eis something that Qubes has broken that needs fixing.

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Related?

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I donā€™t know.

When running the installer it does the multiplath for sda/sdb but doesnā€™t get past those 2 lines to the next part about leaving the multipath as that is when the screen normally goes from basic to GUI sized.

During O/S boot, it brings up the details about the fact that there is no sys-usb so all USBs are exposed to Dom0, then it freezes because that is when it normally goes to higher graphics mode.

This is why I hadnā€™t upgraded since 4.2.0-RC4, but the person in my other post, when I was asking for help with passing a webcam through to a guest, said I needed to upgrade to get any help.
Re: Attaching Webcam to VM

So it could be related, but I donā€™t get the blank screen with flashing cursor, I do have text on the screen, but not a fully initialised higher graphics mode.

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Well, looks like it is the kernel issue.
Upgraded to the .68 version and it seems to have resolved.
But that still doesnā€™t resolve the installer?

At least it is fixed now. Thanks corny.

Interesting that they had different results for the issue than I did.

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Great.

It does seem your issue is slightly different. My installer worked fine, it was only later kernel updates that messed things up. Perhaps I used the previous installer version. 4.2.2 I think.

Or if you are adventurous

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Iā€™d rather wait for them to break the system moreā€¦

RC1 is generally really bad. But I will have to look into what changes they are making, see if anyone is deciding to destroy more of the good in the system and focus on the bad of it.

Iā€™ve only just got the current version working, and I donā€™t want to go through hell with this operating system when they are changing things for no reason.

But thatā€™s just my opinion, I see them destroying more and more each day to get things done in the system, making things run slower and slower and worse and worseā€¦

I donā€™t understand it, but this issue was only a kernel issue, not their alterations to the operating system, so thatā€™s a good thing.

I do hate that they donā€™t give the upgrade path for the next versions.
Having to reinstall, then reconfigure, then set up the guests, then image the guests back on is just so very time consuming compared to just updating through DNF.

This USB thing they have added (updated from the one in 4.2.0) is just really badā€¦ How do I downgrade back to the good one that wasnā€™t crappy?

Or where is the source code so I can compile it myself with a better layout?

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Does anyone have a workaround for this? I have read that it may be possible to use centos or fedora and create a qubes iso with nvidia proprietary drivers on it?

Im also trying to install on a gaming laptopā€¦if anyone can help it would be appreciated.

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Hello @johnc0nnor

It is not clear what problem you have.

If it is a problem of installing with 4.2.4 iso image, then it may be best to make a new post, and give more details:

  • how the problem is seen. Is it sure that it is the same as the one here?
  • Details of your hardware
  • Did you ā€œtest the mediaā€ - did it get to 100% success?
  • Did you try different kernels on the iso?
    • Does every kernel give the same result?
  • Did you edit the grub boot parameters to get more details?
  • What similar problems did you find here on the forum?
  • What work-arounds did you try?
  • What did you see when you tried each work around?

In this case,

  • if you suspect Nvidia hardware, did the marked solution help? Otherwise, this is definitely the wrong thread.
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An extra idea (NVIDIA/qubes expert advice needed):

  • If there is a boot problem, does it help to disable the Nvidia driver?
    • I think this is possible by adding to the grub kernel command line: ā€˜rd.driver.blacklist=nouveauā€™