Bug#954081: debian-live-10.3.0-amd64-gnome.iso fails to load desktop on Acer A515-43-R19L laptop
This is possibly a "non-free" firmware problem. I suggest you try with one of
the "unofficial" "non-free" live images or installer images.
https://cdimage.debian.org/cdimage/unofficial/non-free/cd-including-firmware/
On Mon, 2020-03-16 at 09:25 -0400, Mike Haag wrote:
> Package: debian-live
> Severity: important
>
> I first updated the BIOS using the supplied Windows 10, then replaced the
> supplied 128GB SSD with a new 500GB SSD.
>
> Verified the iso file with SHA512, and tried running as both DVD and USB thumb
> drive:
>
> Grub starts as expected.
>
> 1. Attempted to start the live desktop environment from the first Grub menu
> item, "Debian GNU/Linux Live (kernel 4.19.0-8-amd64)".
> 2. Multiple status messages are displayed. Then, a Debian splash screen is
> briefly displayed, followed immediately by a blank screen with a blinking
> cursor, and the system freezes.
> 3. Ctrl-Alt-Del will reboot the laptop into the Grub menu.
>
> The graphical installer (third Grub menu item) runs, and appears to complete
> successfully. But, the installed system exhibits the same problem: Multiple
> startup messages, and the system freezes before the desktop environment starts,
> just displaying a blank screen and blinking cursor.
>
> For what it's worth, I also tried several other Debian-based and RPM
> distributions. Could only get a working system with the RPMs:
>
> 1. Debian: The following produce the same results as above.
>
> debian-live-10.3.0-amd64-gnome+nonfree.iso
> debian-live-testing-amd64-gnome.iso
> debian-10.3.0-amd64-netinst.iso
>
> 2. Ubuntu 19.10 and LinuxMint 19.3: The live distributions work as
> expected. Installed systems begin to boot but then both fail with
> unspecified watchdog soft lock errors before their respective desktop
> environments start.
>
> 3. Fedora 31: Live runs as expected. Installed system boots and runs as
> expected.
>
> 4. OpenSUSE Leap 15.1: Live runs as expected. Installed system boots and runs
> as expected.
>
> The only recommendation I could find using the Acer user forum and other
> internet searches, was to try editing the Grub menu line to "nomodeset", but
> that doesn't work. There was also some theorizing that the kernel needed to be
> updated to 5.0, but openSUSE 15.1 is kernel 4.12, and that is working.
>
> Looking for advice and suggestions: I do not know how to proceed with further
> trouble-shooting.
>
> Thanks, Mike
>
>
>
> -- System Information:
> Debian Release: 10.3
> APT prefers stable-updates
> APT policy: (500, 'stable-updates'), (500, 'stable')
> Architecture: amd64 (x86_64)
>
> Kernel: Linux 4.19.0-8-amd64 (SMP w/4 CPU cores)
> Locale: LANG=en_US.UTF-8, LC_CTYPE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8), LANGUAGE=en_US.UTF-8 (charmap=UTF-8)
> Shell: /bin/sh linked to /usr/bin/dash
> Init: systemd (via /run/systemd/system)
> LSM: AppArmor: enabled
>
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