# Boot process halts (Screenshot included)



## john_rambo (Mar 9, 2022)

Once in every few weeks the boot process hangs and I am not able to reboot using CTRL+ALT+DEL. The only way left is to pressing and holding the power button in the front on the desktop

This is how the screen look when the freeze happens >>> Click here

Q1) How can I fix this ? 
Q2) When this happens how do I reboot using the keyboard and not the power button


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## richardtoohey2 (Mar 9, 2022)

What version of FreeBSD?

Did you change anything that seemed to make this start happening?  e.g. upgrade, new USB devices?

These "happens sporadically" ones are very difficult to track down - can suggest hardware - so check cables, re-seat RAM, run memory tests and hardware diagnostics, etc.


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## john_rambo (Mar 9, 2022)

richardtoohey2 said:


> What version of FreeBSD?
> 
> Did you change anything that seemed to make this start happening?  e.g. upgrade, new USB devices?
> 
> These "happens sporadically" ones are very difficult to track down - can suggest hardware - so check cables, re-seat RAM, run memory tests and hardware diagnostics, etc.




```
$ freebsd-version
13.0-RELEASE-p7
```
No, no new hardware or upgrade to a new point release.
I guessed myself that this is a tough one to troubleshoot so I want to know. Is there any key combination which will reboot the machine from that state ? CTRL+ALT+DEL is not now working.


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## richardtoohey2 (Mar 9, 2022)

It might be hanging before the keyboard is ready hence three-fingered salute not working.

Have you got another keyboard and mouse to try for a few weeks?

Could try different USB ports and use ports directly not hubs (If you are using anything like that).

Might be red herrings but things to eliminate as problems.


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## Geezer (Mar 9, 2022)

Thanks to @Ziras in a previous thread :


```
# Don't wait for USB
hw.usb.no_boot_wait=1
```


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## john_rambo (Mar 9, 2022)

richardtoohey2 said:


> It might be hanging before the keyboard is ready hence three-fingered salute not working.
> 
> Have you got another keyboard and mouse to try for a few weeks?
> 
> ...


I tried to find out if my keyboard is responding or not. I tested by pressing the NUM LOCK key and the LED was going ON/OFF so the keyboard is active. Now if this is an accurate way of testing or not that I am not exactly sure.

For the past 6 years when I was using various Linux distros this issue never happened so I am quite sure that my USB keyboard and mouse is are not the culprit.

No USB hubs present here.


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## skunk (Mar 9, 2022)

To get a hint what to look closer at, just look at a normal boot without hang.
What stuff gets initialized after the point where the hang happens?


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## covacat (Mar 9, 2022)

also try to re-plug one of the usb devices or insert an usb stick and see if it shows up
you'll know if everything is locked or just usb/input


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## john_rambo (Mar 9, 2022)

Geezer
There is no harm is trying that tweak but it just doesn't feel right. As I said this issue happens max once a month.


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## john_rambo (Mar 9, 2022)

skunk 
Okay. I will surely try.
covacat 
I have 3 USB devices. One Dell keyboard, one Logitech mouse and one usb dongle of a portable keyboard.


```
$ usbconfig
ugen0.1: <0x8086 XHCI root HUB> at usbus0, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=SUPER (5.0Gbps) pwr=SAVE (0mA)
ugen0.2: <Logitech USB Optical Mouse> at usbus0, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=LOW (1.5Mbps) pwr=ON (100mA)
ugen0.3: <Dell Dell USB Entry Keyboard> at usbus0, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=LOW (1.5Mbps) pwr=ON (100mA)
ugen0.4: <vendor 0x2318 2.4G Composite Devic> at usbus0, cfg=0 md=HOST spd=FULL (12Mbps) pwr=ON (100mA)
```


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## grahamperrin@ (Mar 9, 2022)

john_rambo said:


> I tried to find out if my keyboard is responding or not. I tested by pressing the NUM LOCK key and the LED was going ON/OFF so the keyboard is active. Now if this is an accurate way of testing or not that I am not exactly sure. …



It probably varies according to hardware. 

We have an HP ProBook 440 G7 that became freeze-tastic with Windows, when idle (booted from the internal SSD); freeze-tastic with KDE Plasma on FreeBSD 14.0-CURRENT, when idle (booted from a mobile hard disk drive on USB). 

Freeze-free when running diagnostics, when running SDDM, and so on. 

If I recall correctly (I'm away from work for a few days): the keyboard was responsive when other things were apparently frozen, so, for example, a tap on a key would activate the backlighting of the keyboard. The keyboard was responsive but the operating systems were not.


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## grahamperrin@ (Mar 9, 2022)

Based on your photograph,



john_rambo said:


> … Q2) When this happens how do I reboot using the keyboard and not the power button …



– in my experience, you can not.



john_rambo said:


> … CTRL+ALT+DEL is not now working.



This key chord becomes recognisable when rc(8) stuff begins. 

In simple terms: a point _soon after_ that beginning is typically visible when the screen flickers when DRM stuff loads. 

What's in your photograph precedes rc.


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## richardtoohey2 (Mar 9, 2022)

john_rambo said:


> I tested by pressing the NUM LOCK key and the LED was going ON/OFF so the keyboard is active.


Doesn't that just mean the keyboard has power?  It doesn't necessarily mean that the OS is aware that it's there and able to use it.

A once-a-month problem will be a challenge to track down!


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## covacat (Mar 9, 2022)

on a std AT kbd the leds were controlled by software so with no driver they would not work
not sure if is it still the case or that applies to all keyboards though


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## grahamperrin@ (Mar 9, 2022)

covacat said:


> leds



Backlighting? Or LEDs for keys such as Caps Lock?


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## _martin (Mar 9, 2022)

I'm a bit confused looking at that picture. Do you have more than one keyboard attached to this machine?
Num lock LEDs are managed by keyboard driver, so you can say in SW. It's not keyboard lighting them up but driver sending out command to keyboard to light them up. 

There's also an option that USB is the last thing configured OK and it's hung on something else. Verbose boot might be a good start along with Geezer's hint.


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