20.04 Live USB Won't Load

[farlander762]

I've loaded Ubuntu on probably close to 100 computers. I just bought an new HP Envy desktop, Nvidia graphics, i7, whatever...shouldn't matter. The infernal thing will not start on a Live USB. I've reloaded the USB drive (this one has been used successfully over 10 times), tried a different USB drive, tried a different ISO, unplugged a second HDD, disabled TPM, disabled Secure Boot, and tried safe mode. GRUB comes up normally, some code scrolls for a bit, it gets to the spinning triple fading radial whatever and just sits there.

Really, the only thing I haven't tried is pulling the graphics card, I'm loathe to do that because the safe mode didn't work and I really don't want to. It also has integrated Intel graphics which are disabled, I just can't see that being the issue.

It stops reading from the USB drive judging from the activity light on it. I left it for about 20 minutes one time and even the spinning icon stopped.

I'm baffled.

HELP!!!

[guiverc]

Being specific with details may help.

Which Ubuntu 20.04 product? Server? Desktop? 20.04? 20.04.1? 20.04.2? 20.04.3? etc

Did you try a different stack? given ISOs now exist with 3 stacks (GA/5.4, HWE 5.8 or 5.11) chosen by the ISO selected (unless server as it defaults to GA, and I'm assuming the focal daily (20.04.4) still has 5.11 kernel and hasn't been upgraded yet to 5.13 but I very much doubt that)

[farlander762]

Gotcha,
Ubuntu 20.04 Desktop. I have been using ubuntu-20.04.2.0-desktop-amd64.iso, but I also tried the previous ubuntu-20.04.2-desktop-amd64.iso. I just saw that the 20.04.3 is available on ubuntu.com and am downloading it now. Will try that shortly. Haven't seen 20.04.4.

Couldn't tell you what stack, whatever it defaulted to. Also, I don't know how to force the installer to pick one stack over the other.

[sudodus]

Thanks for specifying the iso files. The Ubuntu 20.04.3 has a newer hardware enablement stack and Linux kernel series than the previous versions, so it is more likely to work with a new computer.

I think your problem is that the computer is too new to be managed by some of the Linux hardware drivers. It could be the graphics driver, but maybe some other driver (too).

You can try booting with the boot option nomodeset.

You can also try with the next Ubuntu version, Impish Indri to be released in October this year. Things are still changing quickly, and there may be hiccups because of that, but you can at least find out if the Linux kernel and its drivers can manage your computer.

[farlander762]

nomodset appears to be part of the Safe Graphics boot mode. I'm not a command line guru but it is there when I go to edit that start option (pic attached).

I have also attached a pic of where it hung up last night, it was still scrolling code when it stopped that time. I guess I could try downgrading the graphics card to the one from my old computer. Seems like a real shame to have to do though.

Graphics are Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060.

I've always stuck close to the LTS versions. Rats.

[sudodus]

- Did you try Ubuntu 20.04.3 live from USB yet?

- Generally it is a good idea to stick to LTS releases, but sometimes with new hardware you need the latest and greatest version, which sometimes is not LTS but is supported for only 9 months.

- Please post the result from testing with an older graphics card.

[farlander762]

No joy. Downgraded from an RTX 3060 to a GT 730 and no change in regular or graphic safe modes.

Sudodus,
I don't know what you mean by "live". Isn't that the normal startup from a USB?

Thanks!

[sudodus]

Yes.

[farlander762]

I didn't think of it until now, but I could still remove the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module. That's it though, everything else is part of the mobo.

It just stops loading and never starts back. It scrolls some code so the kernel loads. Maybe X or Gnome aren't starting??? I'm thinking it should still go to command line in that case though. If it stops while still scrolling code, the keyboard is still live but doesn't seem to take any commands.

I've never seen a computer do this. Have had plenty of other installation issues, but none like this. Still goes to Win10 like a champ so I don't believe any bad hardware.

[sudodus]

What happens when you remove the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth module?

Did you try with the next Ubuntu version, Impish Indri to be released in October this year? I put a new link here compared to post #4 because that link is deprecated now.

It has newer linux kernel and drivers than any released version of Ubuntu.