I run Ubuntu 26.10 on my Framework 13 with a Ryzen AI 5. From time to time (usually, but not always after the laptop powers off due to low battery) I have trouble restarting the machine. The power button will light up and then dim (as is normal for startup), but the Framework splash screen never comes up (I’ve sometimes waited 10 minutes or more to see if it will continue).
Typically, I can get things moving through trying enough things that it seems random (plugging or unplugging the machine, removing/restoring expansion cards, removing RAM, opening the case without removing RAM, etc.).
I’m worried that a problem this early in the boot process (seemingly before BIOS even gets control) will be very difficult to troubleshoot, but does anyone have any suggestions of where I should start?
EDIT: I managed to get a shot of a message that briefly flashes after the Framework splash screen, but before the Ubuntu one (which may be relevant): 0.093458} RDSEED32 is broke. Disabling the corresponding CPUID bit. That message doesn’t make any sense to me; is it likely/possibly related?
Stop letting the battery die unless replacing the battery is on the scheduled maintenance in the next year or so.
When letting the Framework get to the point of it shutting off the battery is critically low and bad things happen in electronics. What is likely happening is the embedded controller is freaking out because there is not enough power to survive so it goes into a state where it may not recover from. Having to press the power button multiple times is basically the equivalent of trying to reset the EC until it can restart itself again. However, if the battery is still critically low (even if it is charging) it may fail to start the mainboard in an effort to preserve itself.
This is not just exclusive to Framework, but all electronics that have a Li-Ion type battery. Deep discharging it WILL shorten its lifespan.
There have been some edge cases where people have let their machines battery get critically low and the mainboard was never able to power on again. I don’t know if the EC got corrupted or it damaged something in the BIOS but risking a dead board over an extra few minutes of work or playtime is not worth it.
Some might argue that you should be allowed to run it until it dies and it should just come back to life but that is not how complex systems are usually designed to work unless that was part of the original engineering.
Run an automobile out of fuel and battery repeatedly and see what surprises are in store to repair or replace parts.
I’ll keep that in mind. Part of that will involve the classic Ubuntu problem of suspend/sleep being flakey and the battery running down when I don’t think it’s discharging much.
I’ll continue to check if maybe it’s a problem solely associated with the computer shutting down because of battery discharge.