I use the MX Linux distribution (Debian-based) as my dual-boot. Recently, I’ve started building a new PC, the crux of which will be a Radeon RX 7900xtx GPU. Since it showed up before everything else, I crammed it into my current PC to replace a GTX970 to test and play around.

After some fun with the Dell BIOS not giving me any video out, I got it running great in Windows. However, when booting into MX Linux, the system simply hangs on a flashing cursor forever. If I press the power button, it shows the normal shutdown text of stopping services and shuts down fine, so I know it’s not a hard crash, just a silent hang.

I’m assuming this is related to the NVidia drivers being embedded in the kernel or something and it just can’t figure out how to initialize the Radeon card? I was using the NVidia proprietary drivers on my GTX970 before, installed through the MX Linux repos.

Any advice or guides you might have to get this install working again would be great! It would be no great loss if I had to reinstall it since I’ll be moving to a totally new PC anyway, but I’d like to try and save this install anyway.

  • @ellteeEnglish
    21•1 year ago

    Radeon 79XX drivers are integrated into the 6.X kernel. Kernels lower than that won’t really work. I don’t have a MX install any more, but I’d guess that’s the reason. You might try looking for the upgraded kernel. The nvidia drivers shouldn’t have anything to do with it.

    • @empireOfLoveOPEnglish
      13•1 year ago

      Ahhhh fuck that’s it right there. MX’s normal distribution is Debian stable and baked onto the 5.10 kernel. I have to install MX’s AHS release for the 6.x kernel. I didn’t even think about that.

      MX is fairly integrated and I’m not sure I could upgrade the kernel in place without destroying the install, assuming I even knew how to replace such a thing.

      I’m too used to having all my old hardware lol. Thank you so much!

      • Aman DasEnglish
        4•1 year ago

        If you plan on reinstall then try to separate the home and root partition… it’ll make future reinstalls simpler

        • @curioushomEnglish
          4•1 year ago

          Just to clarify for anyone reading this good advice; you want to separate the root and home partition. That allows for reinstalling the OS in your root partition without losing data in your home partition.

      • @ellteeEnglish
        3•1 year ago

        Bringing this over from the site that shall not be named.

        you probably need to update mx-packageintaller-pkglist, current version is 22.11.01mx21 if you don’t have that and it doesn’t upgrade you might want to change the repo (try MX Repo Manager) refresh and try to upgrade again, then after you update that it should be available in “Popular Applications” tab in MX Package Installer.

        Dunno if it will help in your particular situation, but it might keep someone else from going to deddit in the future.