BIOS Date: Updated to V1.16 as of December 24, 2024.
Disk Configuration: Both SSDs are NVMe, suggesting high-speed storage typical for modern laptops.
Hybrid Graphics: NVIDIA RTX 3060 (discrete) + AMD Radeon Graphics (integrated), likely using NVIDIA Optimus or similar switching technology.
Context for Troubleshooting (Garuda Linux Boot Issue)
This hardware report is generated to assist with diagnosing why Garuda Linux live USBs fail to boot on this specific Acer Nitro AN515-46 laptop, despite working on other systems (including the same model). Key details:
Background: The issue began after a sudden, unpredictable crash of Garuda Linux (Dragonized KDE edition) while in use. The crash occurred in the middle of work, with no prior warning or indication of instability. Following this crash, the system became unable to boot into the Garuda live USB, displaying only a black screen before the GRUB menu or boot options appear. This persists despite extensive troubleshooting.
Boot Failure: Garuda hangs on a black screen pre-GRUB, unlike other distros (e.g., Ubuntu, Fedora) that boot successfully on the same hardware.
Attempts Made:
Tested multiple Garuda editions (Dragonized, Mokka, Sway, KDE Lite, Hyprland) via Ventoy (updated), Rufus, and dd on various USB drives.
Wiped both SSDs (Samsung and Fanxiang) and reset BIOS settings to defaults.
Verified the USB works on three other PCs, including an identical Nitro AN515-46 model.
Only xfce with lts exist at the moment inside folder “garuda”
cosmic inside “community”
The story Acer + Nvidia.
To test over
→ disable dgpu → start live usb (no grub) → boot with open source
or
disable igpu → start live usb (no grub) → boot with open source
all relevant options inisde Bios must also be disabled fastboot /secure boot
These two things are not necessarily related. And you would not be the first person who cannot boot a current live.iso.
This does not mean that the hardware is 100% identical. Even within a model series, the same SSDs/NVMe’s are not installed. Most often, however, it is WiFi/BT adapters that change within a model series. Since you obviously have windows dual boot…are you sure that a BIOS update was not installed via WU w/o being asked? Windows AND Acer are known for this kind of nonsense. BIOS version identical? BIOS settings identical?
Try removing ALL drives AND the WiFi/BT card.
Have you tried the LTS version?
If you still have an old Bird of Pray iso, try booting with it.
Edit: All your posts in this topic are only about the live.iso. But the most important information is missing: How far were you able to boot your installed Garuda Linux after it crashed suddenly, unpredictably and without warning or signs of instability during use?
Also having problems here with the latest Mokka 250308 ISO. Currently have Dragonized Gaming installed on my desktop on a partitioned NVMe drive.
Tried making the bootable usb 3 ways: command line DD, Ventoy (latest version), and also with Rufus from Windows. It only seems to hang at the boot screen.
Brief overview of my sytem:
i7-11700k
32gb RAM
Radeon 6900XT
Multiple NVMe SSDs and a couple spinning hard drives of different file system formats, with a Windows 11 install on a separate SATA SSD.
give Arch Linux - isoimagewriter 24.12.3-1 (x86_64) a shot paru -S isoimagewriter i cant say it will work but its what i used to get a working install. once installed from the start menu type iso an it should be there
Just a shot in the dark: Remove the AMD GPU and try to boot the live.iso with the Intel iGPU only.
The same the other way around, reinstall the AMD GPU and disable the Intel iGPU in the BIOS. Then try to boot the live.iso.
Did you try the method with ventoy and grub2?
@tak0dan : You have an optimus laptop, can you disable the iGPU or dGPU in the BIOS (even if I probably already know the answer at Acer…)?
Graphics
