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Black screen but working

nivel89
2021-12-30
2022-02-15
  • nivel89

    nivel89 - 2021-12-30

    Hello all,

    i was using refind for multiple years without single issue till now. I own iMac late 2015 and recently there was monterey update. It appears there there was also some firmware update. After the update refind after start of computer can not turn on display. So only black screen appears ( no backlight). Once time out period is done, system boots normally. Display is turned on by Macos boot procedure and then works without any issue. It also appears that during timeout period i can blindly select preferred boot option
    If i enable logging i can see that everything works fine, no obvious error messages in the log, all os detected no screen related messages regardless log level.

    I have tried following:
    - Clean install
    - nvram reset
    - downgrade to big sur
    - enabled text mode only

    I have also noticed following. First boot after refind install in recovery mode is refind actually able to turn on display. When i boot only to linux everything is fine, however first boot to macos will prevent refind from properly working in the next reboot. It seems that macos boot procedure is now somehow breaking refind install. After nvram reset and refind reinstall it will again work for one boot.

    Does anyone else have similar problem ?

    Thanks in advance

     
  • Startergo

    Startergo - 2021-12-31

    I got similar issue with MBP11,3. After firmware update there is a black screen on boot.
    The attached version works. You can build the same using this Docker:
    https://github.com/startergo/docker-makepkg

     

    Last edit: Startergo 2021-12-31
  • nivel89

    nivel89 - 2021-12-31

    Thanks for quick reply, unfortunately attached binary did not solve the problem, behavior is the same. 1st boot works, after that only black screen is showing up during boot sequence.

     
  • Startergo

    Startergo - 2021-12-31

    How about doing NVRAM reset? Also set the "log_level 4" and attach the log file here.
    Nevermind. Saw your message that it works first time after NVRAM reset booting to Monterey.

     

    Last edit: Startergo 2021-12-31
  • Startergo

    Startergo - 2021-12-31

    Just compiled in Ubuntu rEFInd. Try the one attached.
    There is something in your firmware update which broke it. I remember some time ago there was another firmware update and rEFInd stopped working until the next firmware update. My MBP11,3 is unsupported so I can't report it to Apple, but maybe you can.
    One thing you can try in settings is:
    "use_nvram false"
    Reset NVRAM after changing this parameter and try again.

     

    Last edit: Startergo 2021-12-31
  • chndrcks

    chndrcks - 2022-02-14

    I'm having the same problem on a few Late 2015 iMacs (11.6.2). I tried the refind_x64.efi from this earlier post but same result (I didn't try the one you compiled in Ubuntu because I wasn't sure if it was x64 or not). I get the same symptoms: resetting the nvram fixes it once, then back to the black screen.

    I tried use_nvram false too - same result. I've attached a log.

     
  • dakanji

    dakanji - 2022-02-15

    Try the attached build of RefindPlus to see if it fares better or if you prefer, go to the Github repo and build it: https://github.com/dakanji/RefindPlus/blob/GOPFix/BUILDING.md

    The attached file is a DEBUG build file that always generates a log file so if it does work, you will need to build the current code base, pending an update, to get a RELEASE build file that doesn't.

    The current release, v0.13.2.AN, which can be downloaded from GitHub directly without needing a build, does not include items that may address this problem.

    The RefindPlus binary is a drop-in replacement for the rEFInd binary.
    See more here: https://github.com/dakanji/RefindPlus#installation

     

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