The "Failed to load SELinux policy. Freezing" error during CentOS 7 startup can be caused by several issues, including corrupted SELinux policies or incorrect configuration settings. This technical article will guide you through the step-by-step process of resolving this error to restore proper boot functionality to your system.

Causes of the Error

The error typically occurs due to:

• Corrupted SELinux policies: System updates, unsuccessful configuration changes, or system errors can corrupt SELinux policies.
• Incorrect SELinux settings: Improper or incompatible SELinux settings can cause the system to fail to load policies correctly.

Resolving the Error

Step 1: Boot into Emergency Mode To begin, restart your computer and when the GRUB menu appears, press 'e' to edit the boot parameters. Add rd.break enforcing=0 to the end of the line starting with linux16 or linux, then press Ctrl+X to boot the system. This will boot you into emergency mode with SELinux disabled.

Step 2: Repair SELinux Policies After booting into emergency mode, check and repair any damaged SELinux policies. You can do this by running the following command:

restorecon -Rv /

This command will restore correct SELinux file contexts throughout the system. If the issue is caused by corrupted policies, this step should help.

Step 3: Reconfigure SELinux Policies If the problem persists, it may be necessary to reconfigure or reinstall SELinux policies. This can be done using the following command:

yum reinstall selinux-policy-targeted

After reinstalling SELinux policies, restart the system to apply the changes.

Step 4: Check SELinux Configuration Files Next, check the SELinux configuration files, especially /etc/selinux/config, and ensure they are correctly configured. SELinux should be set to enforcing or permissive mode, not disabled.

SELINUX=enforcing

Step 5: Final Restart and Verification After completing all repairs, restart the system and monitor whether the "Failed to load SELinux policy. Freezing" error persists. If the system successfully boots, your repairs have been successful.

 

The "Failed to load SELinux policy. Freezing" error in CentOS 7 can be frustrating, but in most cases, it can be resolved by following the above steps. It's important to remain calm and systematically go through the repair process, which includes ensuring that SELinux policies are properly configured and intact. If issues persist, it may be helpful to consult system logs or seek support in CentOS community forums.