[SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

hchiper · 2025-12-23 13:01

About two weeks ago, I got a linux-image update from linux-image-5.10.0-36-amd64 to linux-image-5.10.0-37-amd64.
Since then, the system boots the version "37" by default, and each time I see a screen filled with © characters at the end of the boot process, after all the "[ OK ] lines" have been displayed, just before the login screen appears. The same when I shutdown, just before power-off.
If I boot linux-image version "36", I don't see those ©.

Nevertheless I can login and work with "37", just like with "36", without any trouble.

I didn't modify configuration files (GRUB related files or anything else related) these last months.
The only modification I made was to edit /etc/default/grub to add "acpi_backlight=vendor" at the very end of the line beginning with "GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT". But that was 5 years ago.

I'm puzzled by this situation. I guess it is not normal but I don't know if there is an issue or a bug somewhere.
Anyway, presently I prefer to boot "36".

1. Does anybody have an idea of what the problem is and how to solve it if possible?
2. Is there a way to ensure "36" will be kept when a new linux-image "38" will be installed (otherwise from 36/37 I will be left with 37/38).

Using Q4OS 4 / Plasma.
inxi -Fxxx outut and reportq4 output attached.

Thanks for reading.

Last edited by hchiper (2026-01-04 09:18)

Attachments:

inxi.txt, Size: 2.72 KiB, Downloads: 70

qreport.tar.gz, Size: 92.23 KiB, Downloads: 72

q4osteam · 2025-12-23 13:22

We'll check that out. Anyway, it will be interesting to see if the next kernel update brings it back.

q4osteam · 2025-12-23 22:16

Would you please try to set "nomodeset" in "GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT=" line in the "/etc/default/grub" and post back the result.

q4osteam · 2025-12-24 12:06

Yes, we can reproduce this behavior with the kernel 5.10.0-37 , we will do some more investigation and post back.

q4osteam · 2025-12-24 12:11

The issue of the screen being filled with © symbols during boot and shutdown with kernel 5.10.0-37 appears to be a known bug specific to that kernel version in some Debian/Ubuntu-based distributions, likely related to the virtual console or graphics drivers. This is a Debian bug, so we should use kernel 5.10.0-36 in the meantime and wait for an update to fix it.

hchiper · 2025-12-25 09:01

Sorry for my late reply (was in trouble with personal problems).
Many thanks for your replies. I'm seeing them simultaneously. Since you identified the problem as a kernel bug, I assume it's not necessary to modify /etc/default/grub.

So, I would like my system to automatically boot with kernel 5.10.0-36. Is this possible, and how do I do it?
If I simply run `sudo apt remove linux-image-5.10.0-37-amd64`, Q4OS Updater will reinstall it.

bin · 2025-12-26 08:55

When you boot the machine go to the Advanced option in the grub/boot screen.
It will probably list 4 options:
5.10.0-37
5.10.0-37 Safe mode
5.10.0-36
5.10.0-36 Safe mode

In /etc/default/grub you'll see the line:-
GRUB_DEFAULT=0

That means that by default the machine will boot with the first entry. Yes First = 0
So, if you count down the above list if I wanted to start with 5.10.0-36 I would change the enrty to
GRUB_DEFAULT=2
save it then sudo update-grub.

hchiper · 2025-12-26 22:12

Thank @bin. Done.

hchiper · 2026-01-01 10:24

Unfortunately it doesn't work, my system still boots with kernel 5.10.0-37 (the © remain visible and inxi shows that the kernel is 5.10.0-37).
To check update-grub has worked, I had a look at /boot/grub/grub.cfg and I see indeed that line 19 has been updated accordingly (set default="2").

The grub/boot screen options are
5.10.0-37
5.10.0-37 Safe mode
5.10.0-36
5.10.0-36 Safe mode
5.10.0-9
5.10.0-9 Safe mode

I attach my etc/default/grub in case it would be useful.

It is configured to display GRUB menu so I can choose 5.10.0-36 manually.

Attachments:

grub, Size: 1.54 KiB, Downloads: 62

bin · 2026-01-01 11:13

Did you run sudo update-grub afterwards - it should be in your .bash_history?
You could always try using grub customiser instead.
sudo apt install grub-customizer

hchiper · 2026-01-01 16:11

bin wrote:

Did you run sudo update-grub afterwards - it should be in your .bash_history?

Yes I did and the command is listed in .bash_history.

You could always try using grub customiser instead.

I gave it a try. Seems no more than a GUI to do the same as editing /etc/default/grub with a text editor.
It detected correctly my setting (# 2), but when I try to choose an entry from the list, all items there have exactly the same label, without mention of the kernel nor whether it is a normal boot or a Safe mode one.

Wondering why "GRUB_DEFAULT=2" is ignored. The only hint is that this setting is contained in an if/else clause in /boot/grub/grub.cfg:
if [ "${next_entry}" ] ; then
set default="${next_entry}"
set next_entry=
save_env next_entry
set boot_once=true
else
set default="2"
fi

hchiper · 2026-01-04 09:17

Found the correct answer here:
https://askubuntu.com/questions/696676/ … g-properly

Instead of

GRUB_DEFAULT=2

I need to set

GRUB_DEFAULT="1>2"

.
I believe the reason is that GRUB main menu shows only two entries: "Q4OS Desktop 4.13 Gemini" and "Advanced options for Q4OS Desktop 4.13 Gemini". These are options 0 and 1; option 2 doesn't exist. That's why GRUB_DEFAULT=2 doesn't work.
The setting "1>2" apparently means "Look into Advanced options" (1) for (>) the third zero-based option (2), which is the one I want (kernel 5.10.0-36-amd64]).

q4osteam · 2026-01-04 09:30

Thanks for sharing the solution.

hchiper · 2026-01-17 17:55

Here is a solution to prevent the non-buggy kernel 5.10.0-36 to be removed the next times kernel updates will happen (in the case they have the same bug):
https://www.q4os.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=5906

bin · 2026-01-18 07:36

To avoid 'accidental' updating it is better to use apt-mark hold on any package you wish to ensure is not updated by any possible method.

hchiper · 2026-01-18 11:24

Responded in the thread mentioned in my previous post (https://www.q4os.org/forum/viewtopic.ph … 646#p33646).

hchiper · 2026-02-12 06:54

q4osteam · 2026-02-12 09:40

Great it’s sorted, thanks for the update

Q4OS Forum

#1 2025-12-23 13:01

[SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#2 2025-12-23 13:22

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#3 2025-12-23 22:16

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#4 2025-12-24 12:06

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#5 2025-12-24 12:11

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#6 2025-12-25 09:01

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#7 2025-12-26 08:55

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#8 2025-12-26 22:12

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#9 2026-01-01 10:24

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#10 2026-01-01 11:13

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#11 2026-01-01 16:11

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#12 2026-01-04 09:17

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#13 2026-01-04 09:30

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#14 2026-01-17 17:55

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#15 2026-01-18 07:36

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#16 2026-01-18 11:24

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#17 2026-02-12 06:54

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

#18 2026-02-12 09:40

Re: [SOLVED] Screen filled with © at boot and shutdown time

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