[Bug 1613477] [NEW] Text console freezes at Loading initial ramdisk in 16.04.1

[Gary Rancier]

Public bug reported:

I have an x86 PC using an Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3570 CPU @ 3.40GHz on a
ECS H61H2-MV/H61H2-MV, BIOS 4.6.5 mainboard.

My graphics card is a nVidia GeForce GTX 480

I have installed Ubuntu 16.04 LTS in UEFI mode using the amd64 mini.iso image.
I installed the minimum server utils, ssh server, and base ubuntu packages.

Also root ('/') is installed on a luks partition using crypttab and I'm
prompted for a password during boot.

The installation is fine out of the box using the nouveau driver.

The problem arises when I blacklist the nouveau driver in modprobe. I
run update-initramfs and update-grub, but when grub has the default
command line options of 'quiet splash', after I reboot, the text console
freezes at

Loading Linux 4.4.0-34-generic ...
Loading initial ramdisk ...

even though the system actually keeps booting in the background. I found
this out because I entered the luks password at the above screen, and
was able to ssh into the system.

Here's the tricky part.

When I remove the 'quiet splash' options from /etc/default/grub, I'm
able to view the text console output during boot, including the prompt
to enter the luks password.

However, I then proceeded to compile my own kernel, 4.4.17, using make
localmodconfig and fakeroot, and I'm back to having

Loading initial ramdisk ...

stuck in the text console, even though it boots in the background like
before, except after I install the new kernel and run

update-initramfs and update-grub,

Loading the old 4.4.0-34-generic kernel is stuck as well, and the only
way to actually see the text output is to boot into the 4.4.0-34-generic
(recovery) grub boot option.

I tried changing several grub graphic display options during the boot
process, and the video output always stays frozen at

"Loading Linux 4.4.17 ...
Loading initial ramdisk ..."

Interestingly enough I was able to install xorg, and the propriatary
nvidia driver, and I am able to boot into X and SDDM and start plasma-
desktop just fine.

But there is something broken in the grub text console when disabling
nouveau in 16.04

I installed 16.04 on another UEFI Core i5 Ivybridge system and
experienced the same issue when blacklisting nouveau.

Description:    Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS
Release:        16.04
Grub version: 2.02~beta2-36ubuntu3.2

** Affects: grub2 (Ubuntu)
     Importance: Undecided
         Status: New

** Attachment added: "dmesg output; kernel config file"
   https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1613477/+attachment/4721491/+files/dmesg-0816.txt

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https://bugs.launchpad.net/bugs/1613477

Title:
  Text console freezes at Loading initial ramdisk in 16.04.1

Status in grub2 package in Ubuntu:
  New

Bug description:
  I have an x86 PC using an Intel(R) Core(TM) i5-3570 CPU @ 3.40GHz on a
  ECS H61H2-MV/H61H2-MV, BIOS 4.6.5 mainboard.

  My graphics card is a nVidia GeForce GTX 480

  I have installed Ubuntu 16.04 LTS in UEFI mode using the amd64 mini.iso image.
  I installed the minimum server utils, ssh server, and base ubuntu packages.

  Also root ('/') is installed on a luks partition using crypttab and
  I'm prompted for a password during boot.

  The installation is fine out of the box using the nouveau driver.

  The problem arises when I blacklist the nouveau driver in modprobe. I
  run update-initramfs and update-grub, but when grub has the default
  command line options of 'quiet splash', after I reboot, the text
  console freezes at

  Loading Linux 4.4.0-34-generic ...
  Loading initial ramdisk ...

  even though the system actually keeps booting in the background. I
  found this out because I entered the luks password at the above
  screen, and was able to ssh into the system.

  Here's the tricky part.

  When I remove the 'quiet splash' options from /etc/default/grub, I'm
  able to view the text console output during boot, including the prompt
  to enter the luks password.

  However, I then proceeded to compile my own kernel, 4.4.17, using make
  localmodconfig and fakeroot, and I'm back to having

  Loading initial ramdisk ...

  stuck in the text console, even though it boots in the background like
  before, except after I install the new kernel and run

  update-initramfs and update-grub,

  Loading the old 4.4.0-34-generic kernel is stuck as well, and the only
  way to actually see the text output is to boot into the
  4.4.0-34-generic (recovery) grub boot option.

  I tried changing several grub graphic display options during the boot
  process, and the video output always stays frozen at

  "Loading Linux 4.4.17 ...
  Loading initial ramdisk ..."

  Interestingly enough I was able to install xorg, and the propriatary
  nvidia driver, and I am able to boot into X and SDDM and start plasma-
  desktop just fine.

  But there is something broken in the grub text console when disabling
  nouveau in 16.04

  I installed 16.04 on another UEFI Core i5 Ivybridge system and
  experienced the same issue when blacklisting nouveau.

  Description:    Ubuntu 16.04.1 LTS
  Release:        16.04
  Grub version: 2.02~beta2-36ubuntu3.2

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