In further testing, I found that I am able to boot into X11/Gnome3 if I revert to booting Linux kernel 4.9.0-*3*-amd64. I will continue with 4.9.0-3-amd64 until the next amd64-related update.
I am an intermediate user with no programming knowledge, but somewhat familiar with the command line and file paths. Please feel free to send instructions for extracting additional diagnostic information as needed. I'm also willing to install additional debug tools as required. Thanks for your attention. Attachment: If helpful, full hardware list for my notebook, an obscure HP model sold to college engineering schools, probably with older components than the commercial models. Roger T. Imai Franklin (Nashville) TN
rtimai@debian:~$ lshw --help Hardware Lister (lshw) - B.02.17 usage: lshw [-format] [-options ...] lshw -version -version print program version (B.02.17) format can be -html output hardware tree as HTML -xml output hardware tree as XML -short output hardware paths -businfo output bus information options can be -class CLASS only show a certain class of hardware -C CLASS same as '-class CLASS' -c CLASS same as '-class CLASS' -disable TEST disable a test (like pci, isapnp, cpuid, etc. ) -enable TEST enable a test (like pci, isapnp, cpuid, etc. ) -quiet don't display status -sanitize sanitize output (remove sensitive information like serial numbers, etc.) -numeric output numeric IDs (for PCI, USB, etc.) rtimai@debian:~$ sudo lshw [sudo] password for rtimai: debian description: Computer width: 64 bits capabilities: smbios-2.8 vsyscall32 *-core description: Motherboard physical id: 0 *-memory description: System memory physical id: 0 size: 3884MiB *-cpu product: Intel(R) Core(TM) i3-5005U CPU @ 2.00GHz vendor: Intel Corp. physical id: 1 bus info: cpu@0 size: 2GHz capacity: 2GHz width: 64 bits capabilities: fpu fpu_exception wp vme de pse tsc msr pae mce cx8 apic sep mtrr pge mca cmov pat pse36 clflush dts acpi mmx fxsr sse sse2 ss ht tm pbe syscall nx pdpe1gb rdtscp x86-64 constant_tsc arch_perfmon pebs bts rep_good nopl xtopology nonstop_tsc aperfmperf eagerfpu pni pclmulqdq dtes64 monitor ds_cpl vmx est tm2 ssse3 fma cx16 xtpr pdcm pcid sse4_1 sse4_2 x2apic movbe popcnt tsc_deadline_timer aes xsave avx f16c rdrand lahf_lm abm 3dnowprefetch arat epb xsaveopt pln pts dtherm tpr_shadow vnmi flexpriority ept vpid fsgsbase tsc_adjust bmi1 avx2 smep bmi2 erms invpcid rdseed adx smap cpufreq *-pci description: Host bridge product: Broadwell-U Host Bridge -OPI vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 100 bus info: pci@0000:00:00.0 version: 09 width: 32 bits clock: 33MHz *-display description: VGA compatible controller product: Broadwell-U Integrated Graphics vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 2 bus info: pci@0000:00:02.0 version: 09 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: msi pm vga_controller bus_master cap_list rom configuration: driver=i915 latency=0 resources: irq:59 memory:c2000000-c2ffffff memory:b0000000-bfffffff ioport:6000(size=64) *-multimedia:0 description: Audio device product: Broadwell-U Audio Controller vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 3 bus info: pci@0000:00:03.0 version: 09 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=snd_hda_intel latency=0 resources: irq:64 memory:c5218000-c521bfff *-generic:0 UNCLAIMED description: Signal processing controller product: Broadwell-U Camarillo Device vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 4 bus info: pci@0000:00:04.0 version: 09 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: msi pm bus_master cap_list configuration: latency=0 resources: memory:c5210000-c5217fff *-usb:0 description: USB controller product: Wildcat Point-LP USB xHCI Controller vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 14 bus info: pci@0000:00:14.0 version: 03 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm msi xhci bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=xhci_hcd latency=0 resources: irq:60 memory:c5200000-c520ffff *-usbhost:0 product: xHCI Host Controller vendor: Linux 3.16.0-4-amd64 xhci_hcd physical id: 0 bus info: usb@2 logical name: usb2 version: 3.16 capabilities: usb-3.00 configuration: driver=hub slots=4 speed=5000Mbit/s *-usbhost:1 product: xHCI Host Controller vendor: Linux 3.16.0-4-amd64 xhci_hcd physical id: 1 bus info: usb@1 logical name: usb1 version: 3.16 capabilities: usb-2.00 configuration: driver=hub slots=11 speed=480Mbit/s *-usb:0 description: USB hub product: USB 2.0 Hub vendor: Terminus Technology Inc. physical id: 3 bus info: usb@1:3 version: 1.11 capabilities: usb-2.00 configuration: driver=hub maxpower=100mA slots=4 speed=480Mbit/s *-usb:1 description: Generic USB device product: BCM43142A0 vendor: Broadcom Corp physical id: 4 bus info: usb@1:4 version: 1.12 serial: 441CA8AE2312 capabilities: usb-2.00 configuration: driver=btusb speed=12Mbit/s *-usb:2 description: Video product: HP TrueVision HD vendor: Generic physical id: 5 bus info: usb@1:5 version: 1.02 serial: 200901010001 capabilities: usb-2.00 configuration: driver=uvcvideo maxpower=500mA speed=480Mbit/s *-communication description: Communication controller product: Wildcat Point-LP MEI Controller #1 vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 16 bus info: pci@0000:00:16.0 version: 03 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm msi bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=mei_me latency=0 resources: irq:62 memory:c5221000-c522101f *-multimedia:1 description: Audio device product: Wildcat Point-LP High Definition Audio Controller vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 1b bus info: pci@0000:00:1b.0 version: 03 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm msi bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=snd_hda_intel latency=64 resources: irq:63 memory:c521c000-c521ffff *-pci:0 description: PCI bridge product: Wildcat Point-LP PCI Express Root Port #1 vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 1c bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.0 version: e3 width: 32 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm normal_decode bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=pcieport resources: irq:16 ioport:5000(size=4096) memory:c6000000-c6ffffff ioport:c0000000(size=16777216) *-pci:1 description: PCI bridge product: Wildcat Point-LP PCI Express Root Port #3 vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 1c.2 bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.2 version: e3 width: 32 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm normal_decode bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=pcieport resources: irq:18 ioport:4000(size=4096) memory:c4000000-c50fffff ioport:c5100000(size=1048576) *-network description: Ethernet interface product: RTL8101E/RTL8102E PCI Express Fast Ethernet controller vendor: Realtek Semiconductor Co., Ltd. physical id: 0 bus info: pci@0000:07:00.0 logical name: eth0 version: 07 serial: ec:8e:b5:0d:f6:7e size: 10Mbit/s capacity: 100Mbit/s width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm msi pciexpress msix vpd bus_master cap_list ethernet physical tp mii 10bt 10bt-fd 100bt 100bt-fd autonegotiation configuration: autonegotiation=on broadcast=yes driver=r8169 driverversion=2.3LK-NAPI duplex=half firmware=rtl8106e-1_0.0.1 06/29/12 latency=0 link=no multicast=yes port=MII speed=10Mbit/s resources: irq:58 ioport:4000(size=256) memory:c5000000-c5000fff memory:c5100000-c5103fff *-pci:2 description: PCI bridge product: Wildcat Point-LP PCI Express Root Port #6 vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 1c.5 bus info: pci@0000:00:1c.5 version: e3 width: 32 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pci pciexpress msi pm normal_decode bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=pcieport resources: irq:17 ioport:3000(size=4096) memory:c3000000-c3ffffff ioport:c1000000(size=16777216) *-network description: Wireless interface product: BCM43142 802.11b/g/n vendor: Broadcom Corporation physical id: 0 bus info: pci@0000:0d:00.0 logical name: wlan0 version: 01 serial: 44:1c:a8:ae:23:11 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm msi pciexpress bus_master cap_list ethernet physical wireless configuration: broadcast=yes driver=wl0 driverversion=6.30.223.248 (r487574) ip=192.168.1.68 latency=0 multicast=yes wireless=IEEE 802.11abg resources: irq:16 memory:c3000000-c3007fff *-usb:1 description: USB controller product: Wildcat Point-LP USB EHCI Controller vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 1d bus info: pci@0000:00:1d.0 version: 03 width: 32 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm debug ehci bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=ehci-pci latency=0 resources: irq:23 memory:c5225000-c52253ff *-usbhost product: EHCI Host Controller vendor: Linux 3.16.0-4-amd64 ehci_hcd physical id: 1 bus info: usb@3 logical name: usb3 version: 3.16 capabilities: usb-2.00 configuration: driver=hub slots=2 speed=480Mbit/s *-usb description: USB hub vendor: Intel Corp. physical id: 1 bus info: usb@3:1 version: 0.03 capabilities: usb-2.00 configuration: driver=hub slots=8 speed=480Mbit/s *-isa description: ISA bridge product: Wildcat Point-LP LPC Controller vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 1f bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.0 version: 03 width: 32 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: isa bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=lpc_ich latency=0 resources: irq:0 *-storage description: SATA controller product: Wildcat Point-LP SATA Controller [AHCI Mode] vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 1f.2 bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.2 version: 03 width: 32 bits clock: 66MHz capabilities: storage msi pm ahci_1.0 bus_master cap_list configuration: driver=ahci latency=0 resources: irq:61 ioport:6088(size=8) ioport:6094(size=4) ioport:6080(size=8) ioport:6090(size=4) ioport:6060(size=32) memory:c5224000-c52247ff *-serial UNCLAIMED description: SMBus product: Wildcat Point-LP SMBus Controller vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 1f.3 bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.3 version: 03 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz configuration: latency=0 resources: memory:c5220000-c52200ff ioport:6040(size=32) *-generic:1 UNCLAIMED description: Signal processing controller product: Wildcat Point-LP Thermal Management Controller vendor: Intel Corporation physical id: 1f.6 bus info: pci@0000:00:1f.6 version: 03 width: 64 bits clock: 33MHz capabilities: pm msi bus_master cap_list configuration: latency=0 resources: memory:c5223000-c5223fff *-scsi:0 physical id: 2 logical name: scsi0 capabilities: emulated *-disk description: ATA Disk product: HGST HTS541010A9 physical id: 0.0.0 bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0 logical name: /dev/sda version: A7G0 serial: JA109NDW2LBP7S size: 931GiB (1TB) capabilities: partitioned partitioned:dos configuration: ansiversion=5 logicalsectorsize=512 sectorsize=4096 signature=b65b1fdd *-volume:0 description: EXT4 volume vendor: Linux physical id: 1 bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,1 logical name: /dev/sda1 logical name: / version: 1.0 serial: 1420ac18-e1b4-45a8-9a7a-7a6b88beca54 size: 923GiB capacity: 923GiB capabilities: primary bootable journaled extended_attributes large_files huge_files dir_nlink recover extents ext4 ext2 initialized configuration: created=2017-01-08 16:02:17 filesystem=ext4 lastmountpoint=/ modified=2017-01-14 17:14:32 mount.fstype=ext4 mount.options=rw,relatime,errors=remount-ro,data=ordered mounted=2017-01-14 17:14:39 state=mounted *-volume:1 description: Extended partition physical id: 2 bus info: scsi@0:0.0.0,2 logical name: /dev/sda2 size: 8031MiB capacity: 8031MiB capabilities: primary extended partitioned partitioned:extended *-logicalvolume description: Linux swap / Solaris partition physical id: 5 logical name: /dev/sda5 capacity: 8031MiB capabilities: nofs *-scsi:1 physical id: 3 logical name: scsi1 capabilities: emulated *-cdrom description: DVD-RAM writer product: DVDRW GUD1N vendor: hp physical id: 0.0.0 bus info: scsi@1:0.0.0 logical name: /dev/cdrom logical name: /dev/cdrw logical name: /dev/dvd logical name: /dev/dvdrw logical name: /dev/sr0 version: MD00 capabilities: removable audio cd-r cd-rw dvd dvd-r dvd-ram configuration: ansiversion=5 status=nodisc rtimai@debian:~$