HP Probook x360 11 G1 EE Unable to Image

[zagaeski]

Sorry for not including that.

FOG V1.5.4 SVN 6078
Installed on Ubuntu 16.04.
bzImage Version: 4.16.6
bzImage32 Version: 4.16.6

Thanks

[Sebastian Roth]

@zagaeski Try updating to the latest kernel to see if that fixes the core dump.

If that doesn’t work I’d advice you to manually download the latest init files and try those: http://fogproject.org/inits/init.xz and http://fogproject.org/inits/init_32.xz (both go into /var/www/html/fog/service/ipxe/)

[zagaeski]

@Sebastian-Roth After updating to latest version I’m getting below.

[george1421]

@zagaeski These core dumps are troubling. It basically means the linux kernel is not able to run on this system.

Lets make sure your firmware is up to date on this system.

Once that is done, lets try to force the 32 bit environment to run on this system.

1. Manually register this computer.
2. Go into the host definition for this computer.
3. Set the kernel to bzImage32 (case is important)
4. Set the init to init_32.xz
5. Now pxe boot this computer.
6. In the iPXE menu select Test FOG Compatibility (or whatever its called)
7. Lets see if the 32 bit kernel boots up.

[Sebastian Roth]

@zagaeski Definitely follow what George suggested! As well I am just wondering if this is a single machine or do you have several of those HP Probook x360 11 G1 EE and all show this issue?

[zagaeski]

@george1421 Made those changes, will boot into FOG, and I am able to test FOG compatibility. Everything shows as passed. When exiting, I get the Linux dump again.

[zagaeski]

@Sebastian-Roth This is happening on all our G1 machines. The newer version G2 machines work with the ipxe.efi boot file.

[george1421]

@zagaeski said in HP Probook x360 11 G1 EE Unable to Image:

When exiting, I get the Linux dump again.

Just for clarity (because it can be read multiple ways) as you are exiting compatibility mode you get the core dump? Or is it the next time you try to image it gives you a core dump?

[george1421]

@zagaeski said in HP Probook x360 11 G1 EE Unable to Image:

he newer version G2 machines work with the ipxe.efi

Again for clarity, is the core dump from ipxe.efi or inside FOS Linux? We may be looking in the wrong place.

[Quazz]

This particular model seems to be bad news in Linux environments in general.

People having trouble installing Linux on it, getting it to boot, etc

Also here’s a FOG thread of 2017: https://forums.fogproject.org/topic/10795/hp-x360-11-g1-ee/5

It’s unrelated otherwise, but it’s to illustrate that this particular piece of hardware has a legacy of being a pain in the ass.

[zagaeski]

@george1421 I spoke too soon. After setting BzImage32 and init_32.xz I receive the attached error when selecting Compatibility mode on the FOG menu.

[george1421]

@zagaeski CaSe iS imPORtant here. Its bzImage32 not BzImage32. No worries its an easy mistake to make.

[zagaeski]

@george1421 Ah yes, sorry. Corrected that mistake. I now get the white FOG menu, select Client System Information (Compatibility) and it reloads to the same menu but without formatting. If I select Run Memtest, I get a chainloading error.

[george1421]

@zagaeski So it never loads the compatibility testing? When you pick compatibility what happens? You should see it load bzImage32 and then init_32.xz Does the bzImage32 kernel ever start running or does it just pop back to the fog menu?

Memtest only works for bios based systems. I heard they have a version of memtest for uefi, but that’s not in this release of FOG.

[zagaeski]

@george1421 When I select compatibility it shows it loades bzImage32 ok and init_32 ok. Then flashes and goes to the FOG menu again without the formatting.

[george1421]

@zagaeski Will you take a screen shot of the host configuration where the kernel and init parameters are set?

[zagaeski]

@george1421

[george1421]

@zagaeski Well, I’m about out of ideas with this one.

I have 2 more ideas

1. Try using an older version of the FOS Linux kernel like 4.12.x or the latest ones 4.19.x. You can get the kernels from here: https://fogproject.org/kernels/ Remove the 32 bit settings you created for the 32 bit test. Download 4.12.3 kernel as bzImage412 and the 4.19.64 kernel as bzImage419 Then place the files in /var/www/html/fog/service/ipxe directory on the fog server. Then update the host kernel bzImage412 then test to see if you get the core dump and also bzImage419.

2. We might try booting fos linux from a usb drive. I don’t have a high confidence in this route because we will probably get a core dump too.

One last question since I can’t remember if I asked, is the firmware (bios) up to date on this hardware?

[Sebastian Roth]

@Quazz said in HP Probook x360 11 G1 EE Unable to Image:

This particular model seems to be bad news in Linux environments in general.
People having trouble installing Linux on it, getting it to boot, etc

To me this sounds pretty clear. We might still try to help getting this fixed but it won’t be easy I suppose. It’s not something FOG is doing wrong but HP decided to release a device that seems to be Linux unfriendly.

What I’d suggest is you download different kinds of Linux live CD ISOs and try booting those one after the other to see if any is able to boot up and run this hardware without issue. Ubuntu Live, Knoppix, Kanotix, CentOS live, openSUSE, SystemRescueCD, …