In the world of Ubuntu, encountering error messages during boot is not a rare occurrence, and one such error is the “[ 0.283078] Initramfs unpacking failed: Decoding failed” error. This error can be frustrating, but with the right steps, it can be resolved. In this article, we’ll walk you through a detailed guide on how to fix this error.
To fix the "[ 0.283078] Initramfs unpacking failed: Decoding failed" error in Ubuntu 20.04 boot, you need to open the /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf file, modify the COMPRESS option to lz4, update initramfs, and reboot your system. If the error persists, you can try undoing previous changes, updating initramfs again, and rebooting.
Understanding the Error
Before we dive into the solution, it’s important to understand what this error means. The error message indicates that the initial RAM filesystem (initramfs) failed to unpack during the boot process. Initramfs is a temporary file system used by the Linux kernel during the boot process. The error typically arises due to a misconfiguration in the initramfs.conf file.
Step-by-step Guide to Fix the Error
Step 1: Open the Configuration File
The first step in resolving this error is to open the /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf file. You can do this using a text editor of your choice. For this tutorial, we’ll use the nano text editor. Open a terminal and run the following command:
sudo nano /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.confThe sudo command is used to execute the following command with root privileges. nano is the text editor we’re using, and the path that follows is the location of the configuration file we want to edit.
Step 2: Modify the Compress Option
In the initramfs.conf file, look for the COMPRESS option. It should be set to lz4. If it is set to gzip, change it back to lz4. This is because lz4 is a compression algorithm that provides a faster compression speed, which is why it is the default value in Ubuntu 20.04.
COMPRESS=lz4Once you’ve made the change, save the file and exit the text editor. In nano, you can do this by pressing Ctrl + X, then Y to confirm saving the changes, and finally Enter to exit.
Step 3: Update initramfs
After saving the changes, you need to update initramfs for the changes to take effect. You can do this by running the following command in the terminal:
sudo update-initramfs -c -k $(uname -r)The update-initramfs command is used to generate an initramfs image. The -c option tells the command to create a new initramfs image, and the -k option specifies the kernel version. $(uname -r) is a command substitution that outputs the current kernel version.
Step 4: Reboot Your System
Finally, reboot your system to check if the error message is gone. You can reboot your system by running the following command:
sudo rebootTroubleshooting
If the error message is still present, you can try the following additional steps:
Step 1: Undo Previous Changes
First, undo any previous attempts you made to fix the issue. Set the COMPRESS option in /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf back to its default value (lz4).
Step 2: Update initramfs Again
Run the sudo update-initramfs -c -k $(uname -r) command again. This will create a new initramfs image with the default COMPRESS option.
Step 3: Reboot Your System
Finally, reboot your system and check if the error message is resolved.
Conclusion
In this article, we’ve provided a detailed guide on how to fix the “[ 0.283078] Initramfs unpacking failed: Decoding failed” error in Ubuntu 20.04. By following these steps, you should be able to resolve this error and boot your system successfully. Remember, it’s always important to back up any important data before making changes to your system.
Initramfs, or initial RAM filesystem, is a temporary file system used by the Linux kernel during the boot process. It contains essential files and drivers needed to mount the root file system and complete the boot process.
You can open the initramfs.conf file by using a text editor. In this guide, we used the nano text editor, but you can use any text editor of your choice. Open a terminal and run the following command: sudo nano /etc/initramfs-tools/initramfs.conf
In Ubuntu 20.04, the COMPRESS option in the initramfs.conf file should be set to lz4. If it is set to gzip, you need to change it back to lz4.
To save and exit the nano text editor, press Ctrl + X, then press Y to confirm saving the changes, and finally press Enter to exit.
To update initramfs, run the command sudo update-initramfs -c -k $(uname -r) in the terminal. This command generates a new initramfs image with the updated configuration.
You can reboot your system by running the command sudo reboot in the terminal. This will restart your system and apply any changes made.
If the error message persists, you can try undoing any previous changes made to the initramfs.conf file and then update initramfs again. If the issue still persists, you may need to seek further assistance or explore other troubleshooting options.
