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Klmjab

Member

Registered: 2020-10-30

Posts: 13  

Machine freezes if I run a kernel greater than 6.1

My machine an HP Z10 (sep-2012) with the latest firmware published by HP (version: J51 v01.55 date: 06/13/2018) and with an Intel Core i7-2600 CPU @ 3.40GHz has "Daedalus" installed. For some time now I have been able to verify that it freezes if a I run a kernel greater than 6.1 (no ctrl-alt-fx consoles). The freezes could be at anytime, four hours, five days... i don't know when it will come. Starting a 6.1 kernel I can view in dmesg that the first thing loaded is the microcode of the processor, with a newer kernel this microcode is not loaded though. Anybody knows how to solve this situation.

Thanks in advance

With kernel 6.1

root@delora:/var/log# head dmesg
[    0.000000] microcode: microcode updated early to revision 0x2f, date = 2019-02-17
[    0.000000] Linux version 6.1.0-41-amd64 (debian-kernel@lists.debian.org) (gcc-12 (Debian 12.2.0-14+deb12u1) 12.2.0, GNU ld (GNU Binutils for Debian) 2.40) #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.1.158-1 (2025-11-09)
[    0.000000] Command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-6.1.0-41-amd64 root=/dev/mapper/delora-root ro quiet
[    0.000000] reserving inaccessible SNB gfx pages
[    0.000000] BIOS-provided physical RAM map:
[    0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000000000000-0x000000000009ffff] usable
[    0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000000100000-0x000000001fffffff] usable
[    0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000020000000-0x00000000201fffff] reserved
[    0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000020200000-0x000000003fffffff] usable
[    0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000040000000-0x00000000401fffff] reserved

With kernel 6.12

root@delora:/var/log# head dmesg.0 
[    0.000000] Linux version 6.12.57+deb12-amd64 (debian-kernel@lists.debian.org) (x86_64-linux-gnu-gcc-12 (Debian 12.2.0-14+deb12u1) 12.2.0, GNU ld (GNU Binutils for Debian) 2.40) #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Debian 6.12.57-1~bpo12+1 (2025-11-17)
[    0.000000] Command line: BOOT_IMAGE=/vmlinuz-6.12.57+deb12-amd64 root=/dev/mapper/delora-root ro quiet
[    0.000000] reserving inaccessible SNB gfx pages
[    0.000000] BIOS-provided physical RAM map:
[    0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000000000000-0x000000000009ffff] usable
[    0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000000100000-0x000000001fffffff] usable
[    0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000020000000-0x00000000201fffff] reserved
[    0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000020200000-0x000000003fffffff] usable
[    0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000040000000-0x00000000401fffff] reserved
[    0.000000] BIOS-e820: [mem 0x0000000040200000-0x00000000c4c33fff] usable

Last edited by Klmjab (2025-12-09 09:43:15)

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 2,018  

Re: Machine freezes if I run a kernel greater than 6.1

Hello:

... 6.1 kernel I can view in dmesg that the first thing loaded is the microcode ...
... newer kernel this microcode is not loaded though.

Kernel 6.17 is Sid/Ceres unstable.

You may need to install the microcode package from the non-free firmware repository
ie: http://deb.devuan.org/merged ceres/non-free-firmware amd64

Q: is it in your /etc/apt/sources.list file?
See here: https://pkginfo.devuan.org/cgi-bin/poli … 1.84.38.37

If that does not solve the issue, it may(?) be due to the box being ca. 2012 and having a BIOS issue.

Best,

A.

Last edited by Altoid (2025-12-09 09:23:44)

Klmjab

Member

Registered: 2020-10-30

Posts: 13  

Re: Machine freezes if I run a kernel greater than 6.1

I'm sorry, kernel version was 6.12 not 6.17. And not, after update to intel-microcode 3.20251111.1 (from ceres non-free-firmware) the problem still exists. Could be that 6.1 kernels and below where compiled with microcode support? Could be that the solution consist on compiling evrytime a new kernel ?

Last edited by Klmjab (2025-12-10 13:26:44)

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 2,018  

Re: Machine freezes if I run a kernel greater than 6.1

Hello:

... version was 6.12 not 6.17.

Right, I sould have caught that one ...  8^°

Let's see ...

Kernel 6.1 (ie: Linux version 6.1.0-41-amd64) is the up to date Devuan Daedalus kernel version.
That is the one that does not have any issues.
Correct?

Kernel 6.12 (ie: Linux version 6.12.57+deb12-amd64) is a backported kernel.
It is found in http://deb.devuan.org/merged daedalus-backports.
That is the one with the freezing problem.
Correct?

Bear in mind that (as I understand it) the case for using a backported kernel can be made when your box is running an oldstable release (like Daedalus today) on newish hardware which may be able to take advantage of whatever the backported kernel may offer for it.

Or not ...

That does not seem to be the case for your (ca. 2012) HP Z10.
ie: not newish.

For the sake of illustrating this: I run an up to date Devuan Daedalus on a ca. 2007 Sun Ultra 24 (Intel Q9550) on the very same 6.1 kernel you run on.
Without any issues so I don't think I need a backported kernel.

I doubt there is a microcode component to the freezing problem your box.
More knowledgeable members of the forum may have a different opinion.

You may want to consider burning a live Excalibur *.iso and testing it on your box to see how it behaves.
ie: freezes and such.

It may be that the backported kernel (for whatever reason) misbehaves but the Excalibur kernel does not.

Let us know about it.

Best,

A.

Last edited by Altoid (2025-12-10 19:18:03)

kapqa

Member

Registered: 2019-01-02

Posts: 649  

Re: Machine freezes if I run a kernel greater than 6.1

have optiplex 960 at disposal, that is also maybe around 2012;

it runs newer devuan 5.0 without any issues, very quick indeed, with q9550 or q9650 cpu or so.

in some ways more responsive than newer computers.

EDIT : i remember microstuttering on Linux some time ago, but that was probably Debian, not Devuan. not exactly shure either what might have caused it.

Last edited by kapqa (2025-12-10 20:04:23)

Klmjab

Member

Registered: 2020-10-30

Posts: 13  

Re: Machine freezes if I run a kernel greater than 6.1

Sorry for the late reply but the machine in question is my work machine in the office. I updated from Daedalus to Excalibur and the behavior of the machine is the same, kernels higher than 6.1 keep hanging the machine. In addition, I have tested booting the machine with a 6.1 kernel and running a guest virtual machine (VirtualBox) with the latest Devuan Excalibur live, the virtual machine ends up hanging after a few days without any special load, while the physics continues to work. I've also confirmed by looking at the syslog that when the machine hangs the ^@ character appears around 150 times, I don't know if that helps. The point is that I don't know what else to look for to try to find the solution or at the very least, I have to continue working with kernel 6.1 and forget the issue of updating this machine further.

Altoid

Member

Registered: 2017-05-07

Posts: 2,018  

Re: Machine freezes if I run a kernel greater than 6.1

Hello:

Sorry for the late reply ...

I was wondering what became of your Z10. 8^°

... my work machine in the office.

No problem with that.

... don't know what else to look for to try ...

... consider burning a live Excalibur *.iso and testing it on your box to see how it behaves.
ie: freezes and such.

If you can upgrade system versions you should not have any issues doing what I suggested with your work machine.
Booting with a live *.iso is just that, it does not do anything to the existing system, configuration, data, etc. (unless you do it intentionally).

Running a live Excalibur for a few hours should give you a hint at what is going on.

Off the top of my head:

You could have a either memory or processor overheating problem.
Or both at the same time which is not frequent but not unheard of, particularly in workplace issued equipment which (in my experience) does not usually see proper maintenance.

So ...
You first have to try to isolate the problem.

To test the memory problem, run a long memtest from the live *.iso menu and see what happens. (check the man files)

If memtest finds a problem with the memory, the first thing to do is to remove the memory modules, clean the contacts, reseat them and run the test again in the same conditions. ie: close the box again, do not leave it open because you would be altering the test environment.

If memtest still finds a problem with the memory, run the test again with just one pair of modules and it if passes, add the next pair and so on till you find the offending pair.

If you have a spare matching module, do the same routine to find the offending module and then replace it.

If memtest does not find a problem with the memory and the machine still freezes, you most probably have a heat related problem which can be solved by checking the CPU / heatsink assembly.

Checking the CPU heatsink involves unmounting it, cleaning lint/dust from both the HS and the fan and then remounting it with fresh heatsink grease. You will also have to check that the fan turns freely and does not stall.

Goes without saying that at this point the inside of the box also needs to be checked for dust bunnies and be throughly cleaned up. (fans, nooks and crannies, etc.)

Please let us know how you fared.

Best,

A.

Last edited by Altoid (2026-04-10 16:39:09)

chris2be8

Member

Registered: 2018-08-11

Posts: 367  

Re: Machine freezes if I run a kernel greater than 6.1

Since the system runs OK with the 6.1 kernel the hardware is probably OK. I doubt a later kernel would add significant load to the system.

It's worth trying an Excalibur live iso if you want to investigate further. But in your case I'd just say "if it works don't fix it".