Strange Reboot Issue

SplitIce

Note: I cant post this thread in LET, it triggers some Cloudflare WAF rule (lovely!).

Until a mod or someone can edit it in, this post is available on paste.ee. Sorry.

https://paste.ee/p/swxhP

rds100

Uninstall the old kernel and be done with it?

SplitIce

@rd100: I am not comfortable with that, for one thats the backup kernel - two it doesnt identify the underlying cause potentially leaving a liability into the future.

For the record outcomes of different commands:

reboot -f : Correct kernel every time
reboot: Boots into wrong kernel. Then 2nd reboot doesnt complete.
systemctl reboot: Boots into wrong kernel

Currently I have been looking at this as a systemd issue (since reboot -f skips the init system), but I really cant figure out why. SystemD should have nothing at all to do with the kernel choice.

My only other theory has to do with the different places grub can be installed (MBR, bootable drive). Perhaps theres a difference in bios level?

rds100

Could it be kexec-ing in to the wrong kernel, instead of a proper reboot? Do you have kexec-tools installed?

SplitIce

I do have kexec installed, I dont suppose systemd (the abomination) does that?

SplitIce

perhaps,

https://bugs.debian.org/cgi-bin/bugreport.cgi?bug=785714

rds100

Yes, perhaps. So for a try uninstall kexec-tools and see if it reboots properly.
If it does, you know the culprit.

SplitIce

@rds100

apt-get remove kexec-tools seems to have solved it.

I confirmed it for sure by re-installing kexec-tools (even selected no to "should kexec-tools handle reboots"). Strange...

Manually disabling the kexec (kexec-load is fine) service seems to resolve it. Which is what answering no should have done, sigh.

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Damn you systemd. This all worked for years, fine on SysV.

Thanks a million rds100, now at-least its narrowed down as SystemD + kexec-tools. Debian bug crawling time.