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I am trying to boot Ubuntu on a Dell with a Ryzen 7. I can't get it to boot because of messages about kernel soft lockups and such. After a while the CPU heats up a lot (probably from a loop.) I can't get any other Linux distro to boot either. Does anyone know the cause?

Kernel messages:

kernel messages

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  • I don't know if this is an issue, but I recall reading AMD made mistakes with their Rdrand() updates, which they fixed in May, but haven't yet fully made it out into distributions (wiki.ubuntu.com/UbuntuWeeklyNewsletter/Issue587 which links to phoronix.com/…) That issue is listed as effecting Zen 2/Ryzen 3000 processors - which may be your issue. – guiverc Jul 18 '19 at 6:28
  • I'm not particularly familiar with the specifics but for my Dell laptop I had to trip the AHCI option in the bios. In the Sata options. Good luck! – Miro Astore Sep 11 '19 at 22:08
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Why can't any Linux version boot Ryzen 7?

We ONLY support and answer about Ubuntu.

Ubuntu 18.04 has been proven to work with a Ryzen 7 so your statement does not hold up. 18.04 with a stock kernel and even with kernel 5.0+ installs perfectly.

The problem is with AMD. Ubuntu 19.04 with a stock kernel does not work and AMD admitted to never testing with 19.04; only with 18.04. The hardware seems flawed, or seems to pass wrong values to systemd and systemd crashes due to those flaws. So it is not even the kernel (ie. Linux) that is the issue but that beast called systemd. Ergo: systems NOT using systemd are likely to also install.

The site to visit regarding things like this is phoronix.

AMD has identified the root cause and implemented a BIOS fix for an issue impacting the ability to run certain Linux distributions and Destiny 2 on Ryzen 3000 processors. We have distributed an updated BIOS to our motherboard partners, and we expect consumers to have access to the new BIOS over the coming days.

So update your BIOS.

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[Edit: Go read Rinzwinds post... It says all you need to know about this particular issue.]

Uhm?

They do just fine? I have two Ryzens. A Ryzen 7 1700 as a workstation, and a Ryzen 3 2200G as a SteamBox. Both run Debian/Buster and there are no problems. First Gen Ryzens did have a lockup problem, which could be fixed by enabling a certain BIOS/uEFI option. However, it didn't manifest in the logs: the machine would just freeze. Even that seems to have been fixed in newer kernels.

Now, you have to realize that using a Ryzen is "bleeding edge": it's why I used Debian/Buster, which was the "testing" branch when I installed these machines. When you go bleeding edge technology, you nearly always need to get distributions featuring the latest kernels.

However, I do not think that is the problem here. The latest Ubuntu comes with a Linux 5.0 kernel. My Debian/Buster machines "only" have a Kernel 4.19. So, I'm running an older kernel than what is current in Ubuntu. Now, you might have stumbled upon a kernel bug, but that is quite unlikely. Not impossible, unlikely.

Maybe there is a different problem with that CPU? It may be damaged? Not enough heatpaste and cooling? Have you checked the integrity of your RAM? Is the powersupply strong enough? So many potential problem sources.

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  • CPU has been replaced twice, and the motherboard was serviced by dell too. Still didn't solve the problem. – Arush Agarampur Jul 18 '19 at 15:30
  • Is it a third gen Ryzen? – jawtheshark Jul 18 '19 at 16:08
  • It is a Ryzen 7 2700U. – Arush Agarampur Jul 18 '19 at 17:19
  • A laptop/mobile CPU, but it's still second gen (or even first gen, the laptop lines aren't that clear). I would expect it to work just fine. Apart from the answer above from Rinzwind, I don't know any further. I'll Google whether this is a known problem of the 2700U. Consider trying Debian/Stable, as it is very much a conservative distro and bugs in newer kernels might not have been propagated to it. – jawtheshark Jul 19 '19 at 8:55
  • While the symptoms don't match, try the following. First make sure you have the absolutely latest BIOS/EFI for your machine. Then, if the option exists, try finding Advanced > AMD CBS > Power Supply Idle Control and set it to typical current idle. Obviously your BIOS might differ a bit, that's where it's found on mine. So look around. This is what fixed the freezes on my 1700. It might be the same problem, just manifesting itself differently. As I said, it seems to be fixed in kernel 4.19 for me. Good luck. – jawtheshark Jul 19 '19 at 9:06

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