System not booting with linux-libre kernel

I installed from the Arch AUR the linux-libre 5.8.2-1 and linux-libre-headers 5.8.2-1 packages, the script sets them as the default kernels at boot.

When booting, the system gets stuck at the UEFI boot logo, the USB devices and other things do initialize but then the boot process is stuck, cannot acces a GUI or a text terminal.

Booting with the Manjaro kernel still works fine

I fild little info on the linux-libre kernels but they should “just work” on Arch. Is there a compatibility limitation in Manjaro so that other kernels cannot boot?

How can I provide debuging information? I tool a look across /var/log and they all seem to have the timestamp of this current boot, not on the failed one.

Hi again :wink:

Have look here: Packages / Core / linux58 · GitLab

Linux Kernels of the AUR are actually written for archlinux, manjaro have other methods to build the kernel. You may need to modify the manjaro PKGBUILD to compile linux-libre 5.8.2-1 package.

Didn’t you try to comment directly on the AUR page? AUR (en) - linux-libre
The whole operation requires only a simple registration, but this is the only way you can contact the maintainer. Manjaro developers are unable to provide adequate information about programs in the AUR repo.

Thanks man
Being the rookie that I am, I thought that if GUI apps and packages from the AUR just work out of the box, then the kernels should do that too :slightly_smiling_face:

So I need to append that PKGBUILD file into the “Edit build files” section of pamac? How do I do that, just copy/paste, changing the version number and md5sum of the .tar.xz file?

This might be something specifical to linux-libre and not of manjaro but still, I’m curious. The PKGBUILD file of linux-libre looks a bit different on sections like hardware.

I know. This might not be necessarily a problem with the package itself if indeed the build files need to be changed.
I ask here with the hope that there is someone using linux-libre.
Thanks for the suggestion. If it still will not work after that I will ask there, not wanting to bother their dev if it’s not actually a problem on their end. :slight_smile:

I think it is more a problem with your hardware than the Kernel itself. The linux-libre is special. It contains only modules that are true Free Software. To archive that, some parts of the Kernel and modules are disabled. Some simply chanced to reduce the feature set they can provide. In the end, you get a Kernel without any software that does not respect your essential freedoms.

However it might not boot on your Hardware. Specially Laptops and modern Desktops. Keep that in mind.

As you think. This is a special kernel that probably is not used by many people. I have successfully used the comment section several times in connection with an AUR repo application.

Is there any special reason why you need to use this kernel? What is wrong with the kernels that Manjaro offers? Why make trouble for yourself?

Indeed it’s merely a curiousity of mine, to have a system free of any proprietary blobs. I have PTSD from Windows :slight_smile:

I just switched from Windows Enterprise, being horrified at what abomination it has become. And this arises my interest for linux-libre, because most Linux kernels also have (some) proprietary components.

Guys, a question though: is the Manjaro kernel more open source than other mainstream kernels e.g. Ubuntu (which is a corporate dump)?
If it’s more open source the I’ll just leave it alone!

Again, not necessarily needing it, will change the title to suit that :slight_smile: I have asked on the AUR page of the package and received some help, like @megavolt mentioned the build and config files, still with little success.

@xabbu Could be though. It’s a desktop Ryzen platform, 2700x and a Radeon 570 video card. In theory linux-libre should be compatible with it.

Not really.
Manjaro prides itself on compatibility and supporting hardware and things working.
Not for Free or FLOSS.
For example - nvidia drivers.
We even have extra patches for i915, futex, wine, etc.

You can of course take a look in the gitlab, ex:


I think you are mixing up ‘opensource’ and ‘free/libre’ … they arent the same thing.

I think you are mixing up ‘opensource’ and ‘free/libre’ … they arent the same thing.

I know. The linux-libre kernel is from the Parabola GNU/Linux distro, which is Arch based and strives to be 99.999% open source.
I can in theory switch the distro entirely but I don’t want that, because vanilla Arch is extremely hard to use. Manjaro has a lot of very good features and built in tools that don’t exist in vanilla Arch.

So here’s where I got the idea from, to use just it’s kernel instead.

I will try asking the Parabola forums and return here if I found anything.