Kernel panic with USB 3.0 mass storage device

[Paul Natsuo Kishimoto]

I have the following hardware:
* Dell XPS 13, which has two USB ports—one USB 2.0, one USB 3.0.
* Sans Digital MS4UM+B (http://www.sansdigital.com/mobilestor/ms4umplusb.html) with four hard disks.

I am trying to transfer data between two of the disks in the enclosure, using dd.

When I connect the enclosure to the USB 2.0 port, dmesg contains:
[ 892.056502] usb 3-1: new high-speed USB device number 3 using xhci_hcd
[ 892.073556] usb 3-1: New USB device found, idVendor=152d, idProduct=0551
[ 892.073567] usb 3-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=5
[ 892.073573] usb 3-1: Product: USB to ATA/ATAPI Bridge
[ 892.073578] usb 3-1: Manufacturer: JMicron
[ 892.073582] usb 3-1: SerialNumber: DCA1861915FF
…and I can transfer hundreds of gigabytes without issue, at USB 2.0 speeds (20 MB/s).

When I connect the enclosure to the USB 3.0 port, dmesg contains:
[ 658.873399] usb 4-2: new SuperSpeed USB device number 2 using xhci_hcd
[ 658.890861] usb 4-2: New USB device found, idVendor=152d, idProduct=0551
[ 658.890872] usb 4-2: New USB device strings: Mfr=1, Product=2, SerialNumber=5
[ 658.890878] usb 4-2: Product: USB to ATA/ATAPI Bridge
[ 658.890883] usb 4-2: Manufacturer: JMicron
[ 658.890887] usb 4-2: SerialNumber: DCA1861915FF
…and I invariably experience a kernel panic shortly after data transfer begins. I attach two screenshots. If I can manage to probe dd (sudo killall --signal USR1 dd), the transfer appears to be going at USB 3.0 speeds.

The enclosure was not powered on when I ran 'ubuntu-bug linux' to report this, so I'll attach another dmesg showing the device being attached to first the USB 3.0, then the USB 2.0 port.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.04
Package: linux-image-3.8.0-19-generic 3.8.0-19.30
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.8.0-19.30-generic 3.8.8
Uname: Linux 3.8.0-19-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.9.2-0ubuntu8
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: khaeru 2007 F.... pulseaudio
Date: Mon May 6 17:07:07 2013
EcryptfsInUse: Yes
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=8a50cb18-6d85-4607-b7ee-b8ce7cace6d5
InstallationDate: Installed on 2012-10-29 (188 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
MachineType: Dell Inc. Dell System XPS L322X
MarkForUpload: True
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.8.0-19-generic root=UUID=f35cf80b-a6d6-4554-9c13-4d9cba6f8c03 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.8.0-19-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.8.0-19-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.106
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to raring on 2013-04-25 (10 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 09/17/2012
dmi.bios.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.bios.version: A03
dmi.board.name: 085VR5
dmi.board.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.board.version: A00
dmi.chassis.type: 8
dmi.chassis.vendor: Dell Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 0.1
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnDellInc.:bvrA03:bd09/17/2012:svnDellInc.:pnDellSystemXPSL322X:pvr:rvnDellInc.:rn085VR5:rvrA00:cvnDellInc.:ct8:cvr0.1:
dmi.product.name: Dell System XPS L322X
dmi.sys.vendor: Dell Inc.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Joseph Salisbury (jsalisbury)]

Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds . Please test the latest v3.9 kernel[0].

If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tag 'kernel-fixed-upstream'.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the tag: 'kernel-bug-exists-upstream'.

If you are unable to test the mainline kernel, for example it will not boot, please add the tag: 'kernel-unable-to-test-upstream'.
Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug as "Confirmed".

Thanks in advance.

[0] http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.9-saucy/

[Paul Natsuo Kishimoto (khaeru)]

The mainline kernel does not fix this bug.

I installed linux-image-3.9.0-030900-generic_3.9.0-030900.201304291257_amd64.deb and the associated linux-headers- packages from the mainline builds repository. This was the latest version available for raring, which I am using.

Attached is a dmesg log. I…
- boot
- power on the enclosure, connected to the USB 2.0 port
- mount a partition from one disk in the enclosure
- transfer some data to it from another disk using dd, i.e.:

$ sudo dd if=/dev/sdb of=/media/khaeru/eebb644a-a12f-469c-a5d5-b50dfccf074c/tmp.img bs=1G count=1 iflag=direct oflag=direct
1+0 records in
1+0 records out
1073741824 bytes (1.1 GB) copied, 63.4855 s, 16.9 MB/s

- unmount the partition, power off the enclosure
- connect the enclosure to the USB 3.0 port, power on the enclosure
- mount the same partition and attempt to run the same dd command

The attached dmesg is from just before dd is run. The attached image is the kernel panic screen.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

Paul,

Can you try the latest raring kernel and verify this still exists. I have a 3TB drive attached to my system via USB 3 port and I rsync to it hourly. I've not had any issues at all.

[Paul Natsuo Kishimoto (khaeru)]

Hi Brad,

Coincidentally, I forgot to use the unaffected 2.0 port today (jet lagged after a long flight) and once again experienced a kernel panic. I am using:
$ uname -a
Linux khaeru-laptop 3.8.0-27-generic #40-Ubuntu SMP Tue Jul 9 00:17:05 UTC 2013 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux

There doesn't appear to be a raring mainline kernel newer than the one I tried in comment #6.

If you'd like me to provide another screenshot as proof, please let me know.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Paul Kishimoto, as per http://www.dell.com/support/troubleshooting/us/en/04/Product/xps-13-l321x-mlk an update is available for your BIOS (A09). If you update to this, does it change anything?

If not, could you please both specify what happened, and provide the output of the following terminal command:
sudo dmidecode -s bios-version && sudo dmidecode -s bios-release-date

Thank you for your understanding.

[Paul Natsuo Kishimoto (khaeru)]

Hi Christopher,

After applying the BIOS update, I've managed to do about 20 GB worth of transfers (some photos) via the USB 3.0 port without any issue. Previously, this transfer would have been long enough to trigger the kernel panic.

I will do some deliberate testing with dd today, and if I can't reproduce it, I'll consider it fixed and mark this bug Invalid. Thanks for your suggestion!

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

[Expired for linux (Ubuntu) because there has been no activity for 60 days.]