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