[SOLVED] Proxmox kernel stuck on 6.5.11-8-pve

cmcginty

New Member
Aug 17, 2025
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I've tried a few remediations, but i can not get proxmox to boot a new kernel. What could be wrong:

Code:
$  proxmox-boot-tool kernel list
Manually selected kernels:
None.

Automatically selected kernels:
6.5.11-8-pve
6.5.13-6-pve
6.8.12-11-pve
6.8.12-13-pve

Code:
grep menuentry /boot/grub/grub.cfg
if [ x"${feature_menuentry_id}" = xy ]; then
  menuentry_id_option="--id"
  menuentry_id_option=""
export menuentry_id_option
menuentry 'Proxmox VE GNU/Linux' --class proxmox --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-simple-1750577724227d0a' {
submenu 'Advanced options for Proxmox VE GNU/Linux' $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-advanced-1750577724227d0a' {
        menuentry 'Proxmox VE GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.8.12-13-pve' --class proxmox --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.8.12-13-pve-advanced-1750577724227d0a' {
        menuentry 'Proxmox VE GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.8.12-13-pve (recovery mode)' --class proxmox --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.8.12-13-pve-recovery-1750577724227d0a' {
        menuentry 'Proxmox VE GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.8.12-11-pve' --class proxmox --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.8.12-11-pve-advanced-1750577724227d0a' {
        menuentry 'Proxmox VE GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.8.12-11-pve (recovery mode)' --class proxmox --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.8.12-11-pve-recovery-1750577724227d0a' {
        menuentry 'Proxmox VE GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.8.12-8-pve' --class proxmox --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.8.12-8-pve-advanced-1750577724227d0a' {
        menuentry 'Proxmox VE GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.8.12-8-pve (recovery mode)' --class proxmox --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.8.12-8-pve-recovery-1750577724227d0a' {
        menuentry 'Proxmox VE GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.5.13-6-pve' --class proxmox --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.5.13-6-pve-advanced-1750577724227d0a' {
        menuentry 'Proxmox VE GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.5.13-6-pve (recovery mode)' --class proxmox --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.5.13-6-pve-recovery-1750577724227d0a' {
        menuentry 'Proxmox VE GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.5.11-8-pve' --class proxmox --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.5.11-8-pve-advanced-1750577724227d0a' {
        menuentry 'Proxmox VE GNU/Linux, with Linux 6.5.11-8-pve (recovery mode)' --class proxmox --class gnu-linux --class gnu --class os $menuentry_id_option 'gnulinux-6.5.11-8-pve-recovery-1750577724227d0a' {
menuentry 'UEFI Firmware Settings' $menuentry_id_option 'uefi-firmware' {

Code:
cat /etc/default/grub | grep DEFAULT
GRUB_DEFAULT=0
GRUB_CMDLINE_LINUX_DEFAULT="quiet"

I ran the pin command, and this still failed to change the boot kernel:

$ proxmox-boot-tool kernel pin 6.8.12-13-pve --next-boot

What next?
 
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I found that bootctl status was producing unexpected results, so I mounted each of my EFI partitions and ran bootctl install. This fixed the output of bootctl status but my system is still refusing to boot the latest kernel, and ignores pinned kernel.


Code:
Couldn't find EFI system partition. It is recommended to mount it to /boot or /efi.
Alternatively, use --esp-path= to specify path to mount point.
System:
      Firmware: UEFI 2.60 (HP 2.5633)
 Firmware Arch: x64
   Secure Boot: disabled (disabled)
  TPM2 Support: yes
  Boot into FW: supported

Current Boot Loader:
      Product: systemd-boot 252.38-1~deb12u1
     Features: ✓ Boot counting
               ✓ Menu timeout control
               ✓ One-shot menu timeout control
               ✓ Default entry control
               ✓ One-shot entry control
               ✓ Support for XBOOTLDR partition
               ✓ Support for passing random seed to OS
               ✓ Load drop-in drivers
               ✓ Support Type #1 sort-key field
               ✓ Support @saved pseudo-entry
               ✓ Support Type #1 devicetree field
               ✓ Boot loader sets ESP information
          ESP: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/e1048fe3-2d69-4c59-998e-85ee4eae8d66
         File: └─/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi

Random Seed:
 Passed to OS: yes
 System Token: set

Boot Loaders Listed in EFI Variables:
        Title: Linux Boot Manager
           ID: 0x0006
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/e1048fe3-2d69-4c59-998e-85ee4eae8d66
         File: └─/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi

        Title: Linux Boot Manager
           ID: 0x0000
       Status: active, boot-order
    Partition: /dev/disk/by-partuuid/669ee6e8-5106-44e7-bbe7-93bb7562664b
         File: └─/EFI/systemd/systemd-bootx64.efi

Code:
efibootmgr  -v
BootCurrent: 0006
Timeout: 0 seconds
BootOrder: 0006,0000,0005,0004,0003
Boot0000* Linux Boot Manager    HD(2,GPT,669ee6e8-5106-44e7-bbe7-93bb7562664b,0x800,0x200000)/File(\EFI\systemd\systemd-bootx64.efi)....ISPH
Boot0003* IPV4 Network - Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (7) I219-LM       PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1f,0x6)/MAC(b00cd16ac071,0)/IPv4(0.0.0.00.0.0.0,0,0)N.....YM....R,Y.....ISPH
Boot0004* IPV6 Network - Intel(R) Ethernet Connection (7) I219-LM       PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1f,0x6)/MAC(b00cd16ac071,0)/IPv6([::]:<->[::]:,0,0)N.....YM....R,Y.....ISPH
Boot0005  USB:          PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x14,0x0)/USB(7,0)N.....YM....R,Y.....ISPH
Boot0006* Linux Boot Manager    HD(2,GPT,e1048fe3-2d69-4c59-998e-85ee4eae8d66,0x800,0x200000)/File(\EFI\systemd\systemd-bootx64.efi)....ISPH
Boot0007* KBG30ZMV128G TOSHIBA-29OPC3W6PZWP     PciRoot(0x0)/Pci(0x1b,0x0)/Pci(0x0,0x0)/NVMe(0x1,00-08-0D-04-00-70-55-D4)N.....YM....R,Y.....ISPH
 
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What does this output:
Code:
proxmox-boot-tool status

Do you have root on zfs? Did you install on top of Debian?
 
Code:
Re-executing '/usr/sbin/proxmox-boot-tool' in new private mount namespace..
System currently booted with uefi
C2E1-0CD1 is configured with: uefi (versions: 6.5.11-8-pve, 6.5.13-6-pve, 6.8.12-11-pve, 6.8.12-13-pve)
C2E1-7B3F is configured with: uefi (versions: 6.5.11-8-pve, 6.5.13-6-pve, 6.8.12-11-pve, 6.8.12-13-pve)

This is a default install from proxmox installer with root ZFS on two NVME drives.
 
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So it appears you are using systemd-boot.

I would try running:
Code:
proxmox-boot-tool refresh
As shown here, so as to update the configuration on all ESPs.
 
re-ran the init/format ... no change

This was interesting ...
Code:
# bootctl list
         type: Boot Loader Specification Type #1 (.conf)
        title: Proxmox Virtual Environment (6.8.12-13-pve)
           id: proxmox-6.8.12-13-pve.conf
       source: /boot/efi/loader/entries/proxmox-6.8.12-13-pve.conf
      version: 6.8.12-13-pve
        linux: /EFI/proxmox/6.8.12-13-pve/vmlinuz-6.8.12-13-pve
       initrd: /EFI/proxmox/6.8.12-13-pve/initrd.img-6.8.12-13-pve
      options: root=ZFS=rpool/ROOT/pve-1 boot=zfs

         type: Boot Loader Specification Type #1 (.conf)
        title: Proxmox Virtual Environment (6.8.12-11-pve)
           id: proxmox-6.8.12-11-pve.conf
       source: /boot/efi/loader/entries/proxmox-6.8.12-11-pve.conf
      version: 6.8.12-11-pve
        linux: /EFI/proxmox/6.8.12-11-pve/vmlinuz-6.8.12-11-pve
       initrd: /EFI/proxmox/6.8.12-11-pve/initrd.img-6.8.12-11-pve
      options: root=ZFS=rpool/ROOT/pve-1 boot=zfs

         type: Boot Loader Specification Type #1 (.conf)
        title: Proxmox Virtual Environment (6.5.11-8-pve) (default) (selected)
           id: proxmox-6.5.11-8-pve.conf
       source: /boot/efi/loader/entries/proxmox-6.5.11-8-pve.conf
      version: 6.5.11-8-pve
        linux: /EFI/proxmox/6.5.11-8-pve/vmlinuz-6.5.11-8-pve
       initrd: /EFI/proxmox/6.5.11-8-pve/initrd.img-6.5.11-8-pve
      options: root=ZFS=rpool/ROOT/pve-1 boot=zfs

         type: Automatic
        title: Reboot Into Firmware Interface
           id: auto-reboot-to-firmware-setup
       source: /sys/firmware/efi/efivars/LoaderEntries-4a67b082-0a4c-41cf-b6c7-440b29bb8c4f

With EFI mounted, there's a lot more output. What great, undocumented feature! What if it try to refresh now ...

Code:
proxmox-boot-tool refresh
Running hook script 'proxmox-auto-removal'..
Running hook script 'zz-proxmox-boot'..
Re-executing '/etc/kernel/postinst.d/zz-proxmox-boot' in new private mount namespace..
Copying and configuring kernels on /dev/disk/by-uuid/4B02-DC9D
        Copying kernel and creating boot-entry for 6.5.11-8-pve
        Copying kernel and creating boot-entry for 6.8.12-11-pve
        Copying kernel and creating boot-entry for 6.8.12-13-pve
Copying and configuring kernels on /dev/disk/by-uuid/635C-467A
        Copying kernel and creating boot-entry for 6.5.11-8-pve
        Copying kernel and creating boot-entry for 6.8.12-11-pve
        Copying kernel and creating boot-entry for 6.8.12-13-pve

Removable bootloader found at '/boot/efi/EFI/BOOT/BOOTX64.efi', but GRUB packages not set up to update it!
Run the following command:

echo 'grub-efi-amd64 grub2/force_efi_extra_removable boolean true' | debconf-set-selections -v -u

Then reinstall GRUB with 'apt install --reinstall grub-efi-amd64'

Well that is different. WTF is a "Removable bootloader".

I ran the commands, but this was a red-herring:

Code:
echo 'grub-efi-amd64 grub2/force_efi_extra_removable boolean true' | debconf-set-selections -v -u
apt install --reinstall grub-efi-amd64
[code]

Checked  `refresh` again and it was ok ... did the same check with the second efi partition, but that one was already clean.

However, [ICODE]bootctl list [/ICODE]still showing the non-latest kernel selected

I checked the loder file:

[code]
# cat /boot/efi/loader/loader.conf
default proxmox-6.8.12-13-pve.conf
timeout 3

This was correct, so something is blocking this file from being used.
I finally solved this by removing the "forced" default boot entry:

Code:
bootctl set-default ""
 
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Reactions: gfngfn256
& Reboot OK in new kernel, I guess!

I must tell you, all the EFI, Bootloaders, Grub, Grub2, Systemd-boot etc. are generally a real Linux hassle, & in Proxmox specifically sometimes a total nightmare! I have yet to master them totally.