Question System won't boot without gpu

[anvoice]

I have a server I'm trying to configure, consisting of an old PC with Ubuntu 24.04. I'm posting under this section since the problem does not seem to be OS-related.

Everything works fine with the gpu installed. Initially, I had to modify grub slightly to allow for no menu selection after power less, as otherwise with the gpu removed and no keyboard connected a permanent grub menu appeared and the system would remain forever stuck there. That problem was solved with a grub option. A different but similar one has appeared: when I remove the gpu, the system boots once afterward (I can ssh into it), and then never again until I reinstall the gpu. Also doesn't respond to wake on lan from the off state (normally does). Not ping-able either. Presence or absence of a keyboard makes no difference, and pressing enter on an attached keyboard does not do anything (waited a long time to make sure).

Has anyone experienced anything like this? This is a server, so preferable to operate without the gpu installed. Also, this might be more Ubuntu-specific, but if anyone knows where I can find any logs, assuming any are created for a failed boot, I'd really appreciate it.

 

[vov4ik_il]

Some boards will not POST without a monitor screen detected. I used to plug old monitor boards to provide screen readings in early mining farms or they would not POST and boot.

 

[artk2219]

I have a server I'm trying to configure, consisting of an old PC with Ubuntu 24.04. I'm posting under this section since the problem does not seem to be OS-related.

Everything works fine with the gpu installed. Initially, I had to modify grub slightly to allow for no menu selection after power less, as otherwise with the gpu removed and no keyboard connected a permanent grub menu appeared and the system would remain forever stuck there. That problem was solved with a grub option. A different but similar one has appeared: when I remove the gpu, the system boots once afterward (I can ssh into it), and then never again until I reinstall the gpu. Also doesn't respond to wake on lan from the off state (normally does). Not ping-able either. Presence or absence of a keyboard makes no difference, and pressing enter on an attached keyboard does not do anything (waited a long time to make sure).

Has anyone experienced anything like this? This is a server, so preferable to operate without the gpu installed. Also, this might be more Ubuntu-specific, but if anyone knows where I can find any logs, assuming any are created for a failed boot, I'd really appreciate it.

Some servers have a jumper or bios setting that you need to set that allows for headless booting. Do you have the specs on the machine that you're trying to use?

Side note: I love that we still use the term headless even though it originates from the days of having a monitor sitting atop a traditional horizontal desktop. Making it appear at the time as if you had cut off the PCs head.

 

[anvoice]

Some boards will not POST without a monitor screen detected. I used to plug old monitor boards to provide screen readings in early mining farms or they would not POST and boot.

Interesting. I doubt that's my problem though since it does POST at least headless once, then stops.

 

[anvoice]

Some servers have a jumper or bios setting that you need to set that allows for headless booting. Do you have the specs on the machine that you're trying to use?

Side note: I love that we still use the term headless even though it originates from the days of having a monitor sitting atop a traditional horizontal desktop. Making it appear at the time as if you had cut off the PCs head.

It's basically an older PC. The motherboard is an x570 Aorus Master, and the cpu is a Ryzen 2700X. Graphics card is an old GTX 1070. I'll look for a manual on headless booting the motherboard, though I don't see why it would boot once before stopping...

Edit: as per a reddit thread I found, someone successfully configured this motherboard to run without a gpu by using fast boot. Alas, in my case the effect is the same: it runs once fine, then stops booting. Then when the gpu is reinstalled it boots fine. I'm not sure I can find the problem without logs.

 

[NedSmelly]

Looks like BIOS only permits selection of PCIe slot for GPU, and no option for no GPU/iGPU.

Advanced Mode > Settings > Initial Display Output

Can't see any HDMI/DP on the mobo I/O for G series CPUs either.

Not really a mobo designed for server application, which would explain the absence of headless feature. Maybe the easiest solution is to find a crappy GT710 or equivalent from somewhere and just leave it plugged in.

 

[anvoice]

Looks like BIOS only permits selection of PCIe slot for GPU, and no option for no GPU/iGPU.

Advanced Mode > Settings > Initial Display Output

Can't see any HDMI/DP on the mobo I/O for G series CPUs either.

Not really a mobo designed for server application, which would explain the absence of headless feature. Maybe the easiest solution is to find a crappy GT710 or equivalent from somewhere and just leave it plugged in.

Unfortunately that's what I'm working with... Suppose I'll get to ebay then. Sadly no pci x1 graphics cards I can find.

I just don't understand what "tricks" the mobo into booting once before stopping. Perhaps it's something I could replicate as a permanent workaround, if only I knew what it was.

As a side note, the fast boot turns out to have partially broken something, to the point that the system never tries getting an ip on the correct NIC, only the first one it finds. Once again, this behavior is exhibited after I make changes, reboot, then reboot again. Very strange.

Edit: ok, turning on fast boot, even after turning it off, messed something up pretty badly. My wake on lan service fails to start, and the correct NIC never tries to get a dhcp lease, resulting in no ethernet. Not sure how I fix this.

Edit2: I think I know why now. The right NIC no longer shows up as the output of "ip a". No idea if this is hardware or was somehow permanently left in software by the fast boot. I am not having a good day.

 

[vov4ik_il]

I just don't understand what "tricks" the mobo into booting once before stopping. Perhaps it's something I could replicate as a permanent workaround, if only I knew what it was.

KBC cashes hw configuration but it gets overwritten after boot. You could replicate it or write your own logic if you are a good BIOS developer. Otherwise I would get a cheap gpu and a 50$ screen and move on...

P.S dedicated server boards do not have those issues

 

[anvoice]

Update: this board flies headless no problem, at least with fast boot. My issue was that my NIC broke just as I was testing the fast boot option to see if it would allow me to skip the graphics check. Apparently it does and everything now works, minus me having to order another 2.5gbps card. And minus me having already bought a GT710 to fix this "issue".

Also, for some reason the boot sequence became a lot faster now. Perhaps the old failing NIC had something to do with this.