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This has been happening for a while -- running Ubuntu 18.04.4.

I install updates regularly, but for months now, after updating and rebooting, my computer will only boot if I select one of the Linux 4.x kernels in the GRUB options. The 5.x kernels present

Loading [version number] ...
error: invalid magic number. 
Loading initial ramdisk ...
error: you need to load the kernel first.

enter image description here

The error occurs for both the regular and "recovery mode" entries.

I've run GRUB repair, and sudo update-grub. When I update GRUB, it confirms that it's finding all the Linux images:

enter image description here

But I can still only boot into the 4.x kernels.

Edit/update: I have updated the BIOS to the most recent version and the problem persists.

Edit/update 2: it is absolutely not RAM (eight hours and 4+ passes with Memtest86+), BIOS (up to date), and other system components all come up fine on the BIOS' built-in system test. I've reformatted the HDD and reinstalled Ubuntu from scratch and the 5.x.x kernel works fine now. I'm chalking this up to another "Ubuntu: it's a hobby and an operating system!" incident and accepting once again that the OS is just not quite ready for prime time and using it requires a day or two a year to nuke it and start from scratch or deal with other bonkers issues.

BeastOfCaerbannog
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JeanSibelius
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    What is the output of cat /boot/grub/grub.cfg and ls -l /boot/*vmlinuz*? – Kulfy Apr 08 '20 at 12:32
  • cat output is https://pastebin.com/VePMiMUz – JeanSibelius Apr 08 '20 at 12:37
  • ls output is ```-rw------- 1 root root 8298232 Apr 3 2019 /boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-48-generic -rw------- 1 root root 8294136 May 6 2019 /boot/vmlinuz-4.15.0-50-generic -rw------- 1 root root 8556280 May 8 2019 /boot/vmlinuz-4.18.0-20-generic -rw------- 1 root root 9146616 Mar 27 08:48 /boot/vmlinuz-5.3.0-45-generic -rw------- 1 root root 9146616 Mar 30 22:43 /boot/vmlinuz-5.3.0-46-generic
    – JeanSibelius Apr 08 '20 at 12:38
  • Show me the output of sudo dmidecode -s bios-version, and the exact make/model # of your computer. You may have a BIOS problem. – heynnema Apr 08 '20 at 13:56
  • A23 is the dmidecode output. The computer is a Dell Optiplex 990 -- I'm not sure how to get details beyond that. – JeanSibelius Apr 08 '20 at 16:03
  • Start comments to me with @heynnema or I may miss them... like I missed your prior comment... plz see my answer... – heynnema Apr 09 '20 at 15:46
  • I have updated the BIOS and the problem persists with identical outcomes. – JeanSibelius Apr 09 '20 at 20:46
  • Too bad it didn't solve it. Next step... please edit your question and show me ls -al /boot. And please tell me EXACTLY what happen when you try to boot ANY of the 5.x.x kernels... the same "magic" error? Can you boot to a Ubuntu Live 19.10 DVD/USB? – heynnema Apr 09 '20 at 21:07
  • @heynnema, since upgrading to 19.10, I now get the same errors for the 5.x kernels AND kernel panic errors for all the 4.x kernels, so I'm now dealing with the kernel panic errors... Ubuntu truly is the gift that keeps on giving – JeanSibelius Apr 09 '20 at 22:38
  • Can you boot to a Ubuntu Live DVD/USB? 19.10 shouldn't have had any effect on the 4.x kernels. You've got memory or disk problems. Go to https://www.memtest86.com/ and download/run their free memtest to test your memory. Get at least one complete pass of all the 4/4 tests to confirm good memory. This may take many hours to complete. – heynnema Apr 09 '20 at 22:39
  • @heynnema, I'll run the memtest, but is it really possible that bad memory will make a computer only run certain kernels at boot? We know now it isn't the BIOS or OS causing the kernel issue. – JeanSibelius Apr 09 '20 at 22:49
  • Actually, this all seemed familiar, and we danced this dance 10 months ago; it's not RAM, and I wound up reinstalling Ubuntu. https://askubuntu.com/questions/1148106/initramfs-error-after-updating-ubuntu-not-ram/1148112#1148112 – JeanSibelius Apr 09 '20 at 23:15
  • Ah yes... how time flies! You may have to reinstall Ubuntu again... but the question would be... why are 4 different kernels acting like this... and what's causing a repeat of this problem for you. Last time you only ran memtest for 90 minutes, and for a full test, it takes longer. I've had it fail on the 3rd or 4th pass out of 4 total passes. The real current test would be to see if it booted a Ubuntu Live DVD/USB. – heynnema Apr 10 '20 at 02:19
  • @JeanSibelius Did it boot to a Ubuntu Live DVD/USB? – heynnema Apr 10 '20 at 18:41
  • @heynnema Yes, it boots to both. – JeanSibelius Apr 11 '20 at 00:34
  • @JeanSibelius Just to confirm... when you try and boot 5.x.x kernels, you get a magic error, and when you boot to 4.x.x you now get a kernel panic... correct? Show me screenshot(s) of the Disks app SMART Data & Tests, SMART Data window. We're missing the underlying cause for all of your problems. – heynnema Apr 11 '20 at 00:37
  • Let us continue this discussion in chat. – JeanSibelius Apr 11 '20 at 12:13

1 Answers1

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You have BIOS version A23, from March 27, 2018.

The current BIOS version is A24, from March 31, 2020. It should allow the 5.x.x kernels to boot. Otherwise you may have to try Ubuntu 19.10.

Note: perform data backups before flashing a newer BIOS

Note: confirm that I have the correct web page for your Dell Optiplex 990

The newer BIOS can be downloaded from here. Make sure to select BIOS, and Windows 8 64-bit OS, from the popups.

Update #1:

The end result is that the BIOS is now current, memtest ran 4/4 passes successfully, and a reinstall of 19.10 fixed the problem, and the 5.x.x kernels boot properly.

heynnema
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  • thank you -- as with all things Linux, this seems to have revealed even more issues, like the fact that Ubuntu won't recognize any USB key that isn't formatted as ext4 and a UNetBootin / FreeDOS USB that won't boot but just continues to cycle through its blue opening screen -- I'll address these things and then get back to flashing the bios. – JeanSibelius Apr 09 '20 at 17:49
  • not sure the prior comment @'ed you as it should have – JeanSibelius Apr 09 '20 at 17:50
  • @JeanSibelius If you're having trouble creating a bootable Ubuntu Live USB, burn a DVD instead. It'll boot. – heynnema Apr 09 '20 at 18:20
  • I hate to sound like an idiot, but I don't know if I'd be able to boot into DOS from a DVD and find the BIOS exe I need to flash the BIOS... – JeanSibelius Apr 09 '20 at 18:35
  • Tried it anyway -- the three DVD-based FreeDOS options are Install to Hard Disk (which I understand I should absolutely NOT do), boot from hard disk (which puts me back in Ubuntu), and Boot from Diskette, which returns a boot failed: press key to retry error. – JeanSibelius Apr 09 '20 at 18:56
  • @JeanSibelius No, you're not an idiot. And for me... because I help so many folks here, I kind of lost track what we were doing... BIOS update. Most of the time, BIOS updates have to be done from Windows. Some BIOS implementations allow updates to be done directly from the BIOS itself. Do you have a bootable Windows? – heynnema Apr 09 '20 at 19:22
  • In the end, I figured out how to make a working USB boot FreeDOS with rufus and the BIOS is now updated, but the problem persists -- moving back up to the top-line question. – JeanSibelius Apr 09 '20 at 20:46