Ubuntu – Ubuntu 12.04 cannot boot after running update to 3.2.0-97

12.04bootupdates

I ran updates from the update manager today on my ASUS notebook and when it asked for reboot, it hung at the splash screen. Every time I try to reboot, it hangs at the splash screen.

I tried running recovery mode from GRUB boot but that did not help, I get a repeating message:

udevd [360] timeout killing /sbn/modprobe -bv pci: longstringnumbers [597]

I can boot into previous version 3.2.0-92 from GRUB.

Is there a way to delete this update and revert to previous? Or should I consider saving my data and restore to factory?

Best Answer

if something doesn't work as expected after you updated your kernel (or to be more specific: something hardware related no more works as it was working before), the easiest method is to simply uninstall the new kernel:

  • first restart your computer (sudo shutdown -r now)
  • at the beginning of the reboot (even before the splash-screen) hold down the SHIFT-key
  • now you are in the GRUB-menu and it should look something like this:

    Ubuntu, with Linux 3.2.0-97-generic
    Ubuntu, with Linux 3.2.0-97-generic (recovery mode)
    Previous Linux versions
    Memory Test (memtest86+)
    Memory Test (memtest86+, serial console 115200)
    
  • use the arrow keys to choose Previous Linux versions, and then your previous working kernel like Ubuntu, with Linux 3.2.0-92-generic (or whatever kernel-version it was).

  • after your system has booted (and everything is working as before the update) open a terminal and type sudo apt-get purge linux-headers-3.2.0-97* linux-image-3.2.0-97* (make sure you have entered the correct version-number twice).

and that's it... GRUB should be updated automatically and you can try to restart your system and everything should be working as it was!