[gentoo-user] clone root from HDD to SSD causes no video with NVIDIA driver

[Raffaele BELARDI]

Hello,

I am trying to switch an existing and fully working HDD, MBR-based ~amd64 LXDE/Kodi setup to a 500Gb SSD. I also took the opportunity to dual boot Gentoo with Win10 on the same SSD. As suggested by the Wiki [1] I first installed Win letting it GPT-partition the SSD and leaving some empty space for a Gentoo ext4 root partition. Then I copied the Gentoo root from the HDD to the SSD ('cp -a' except /dev, /sys and /proc which I recreated empty on the SSD), UEFI-booted a SysRescue USB and installed GRUB2 to the Windows-created ESP. Now, while the chain-loaded Windows boots happily, I'm not able to get any GUI or terminal interface for SSD-booted Linux. The old, HDD-based installation is still available and running fine.

In details:

  1.  GRUB starts and shows the linux/windows choices, select linux
  2.  The screen changes to 'loading linux-x.x.x', the disk light shows activity, I have indirect evidence that the OpenRC init reaches conclusion, but the screen does not change
  3.  I am able to SSH into the PC, all partitions are mounted, everything looks fine
  4.  Xorg.0.log shows NVIDIA driver was loaded but probably not executed, all the NVIDIA lines are missing
  5.  Only /dev/nvidiactl is present, /dev/nvidia0 and /dev/nvidia-modeset are missing
  6.  Syslog shows that the NVIDIA driver was loaded by the kernel, no crash
  7.  CTRL-ALT-Fn  apparently has no effect
  8.  I'm sure the kernel is fine for this NVIDIA driver because the HDD installation works with it, nevertheless I recompiled and reinstalled the kernel and NVIDIA drivers to the SSD from the SSH, no change

Before I give up and reinstall Gentoo from scratch on the SSD what else could I try? I can share the logs if needed.

Thanks,

Raffaele

[1] https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/UEFI_Dual_boot_with_Windows_7/8