[Asus N55SF] All USB ports gradually fail on Ubuntu, rebooting relieves for days or hours, booting Windows once fixes for weeks.

[Stéphane Gourichon]

On my Asus n55sf laptop running 64-bit Ubuntu, USB ports gradually fail more and more until none of them works, progress can take weeks.
Rebooting provides partial relief (but symptoms come quicker, e.g. within days then within hours. Observed with all sort of devices. Not device dependent or trigger by any specific device. actually affects USB3 ports first, then extend to USB2 ports. Machine has 2 USB3 ports on the left, 2 USB2 ports on the right. The laptop also has Windows 7 64-bit which is rarely used (say, 20 days in 2 years). All USB ports always work on Windows, no disconnect, no glitch, USB2 as well as USB3 ports fully work.

WORKAROUND: Booting Windows for a minute solves (no problem for weeks).

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 13.10
Package: linux-image-3.11.0-20-generic 3.11.0-20.35
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.11.0-20.35-generic 3.11.10.6
Uname: Linux 3.11.0-20-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.12.5-0ubuntu2.2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC0: stephane 1909 F.... pulseaudio
Date: Tue May 13 13:40:13 2014
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=d05e8def-662d-4d3a-b3b3-4d9d2997966d
MachineType: ASUSTeK Computer Inc. N55SF
MarkForUpload: True
ProcFB: 0 inteldrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.11.0-20-generic root=UUID=12f862a8-f6b9-4c9e-8bf7-030b86b75241 ro quiet splash
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.11.0-20-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.11.0-20-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.116.2
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: No upgrade log present (probably fresh install)
dmi.bios.date: 08/29/2011
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: N55SF.207
dmi.board.asset.tag: ATN12345678901234567
dmi.board.name: N55SF
dmi.board.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.board.version: 1.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: No Asset Tag
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.
dmi.chassis.version: 1.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrN55SF.207:bd08/29/2011:svnASUSTeKComputerInc.:pnN55SF:pvr1.0:rvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:rnN55SF:rvr1.0:cvnASUSTeKComputerInc.:ct10:cvr1.0:
dmi.product.name: N55SF
dmi.product.version: 1.0
dmi.sys.vendor: ASUSTeK Computer Inc.

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Stéphane Gourichon (stephane-gourichon-lpad)]

> * Check BIOS version. Reference http://www.asus.com/Notebooks_Ultrabooks/N55SF/HelpDesk_Download/

BIOS used is version 207, already the latest available from manufacturer. Nothing to do here.

> * Test with latest upstream kernel as per the sentence "Would it be possible for you to test the latest upstream kernel? Refer to https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds ."

Now running
Linux n55sf-l 3.15.0-031500rc5-generic #201405091635 SMP Fri May 9 20:36:31 UTC 2014 x86_64 x86_64 x86_64 GNU/Linux
from http://kernel.ubuntu.com/~kernel-ppa/mainline/v3.15-rc5-utopic/linux-image-3.15.0-031500rc5-generic_3.15.0-031500rc5.201405091635_amd64.deb

# Error in logs

Noticed that a message happen regularly in /var/log/kern.log. Here are statistics since november 2012 (date when Ubuntu 13.10 installed). Don't know if related to the problem, though, but it did just happened when plugging smartphone in USB2 port. Unplugging then plugging again it worked.

zgrep "device descriptor read" /var/log/kern.log* -h | grep -o usb.* | sort | uniq -c

     22 usb 1-1.1: device descriptor read/64, error -32
      4 usb 1-1.4: device descriptor read/all, error -71
      1 usb 2-1.3.4: device descriptor read/64, error -110
      8 usb 2-1.3.4: device descriptor read/64, error -32
    398 usb 2-1.3: device descriptor read/64, error -71
     60 usb 2-1.3: device descriptor read/8, error -71
     38 usb 2-1.3: device descriptor read/all, error -71
      4 usb 2-1.4.4: device descriptor read/64, error -32
      4 usb 2-1.4: device descriptor read/64, error -32
    701 usb 2-1.4: device descriptor read/64, error -71
     42 usb 2-1.4: device descriptor read/8, error -71
      1 usb 2-1.4: device descriptor read/all, error -32
     29 usb 2-1.4: device descriptor read/all, error -71
      1 usb 3-1: device descriptor read/64, error -71
      1 usb 3-2: device descriptor read/8, error -110
      2 usb 3-2: device descriptor read/8, error -71

> * Test with Ubuntu 14.04 ?

Does testing latest kernel tagged with "utopic" makes testing Ubuntu 14.04 irrelevant ? Most natural path is that I'll install 14.04 eventually anyway.

# Next step

Latest kernel is not supported by DKMS:

ERROR (dkms apport): kernel package linux-headers-3.15.0-031500rc5-generic is not supported

and I need DKMS for bumblebee support as this laptop had nVidia Optimus technology and if bumblebee is not enabled it draws a lot of power at all times, becomes bery hot, even when machine is idle.

grep . /sys/class/power_supply/BAT0/power_now

27258000

I believe this means that the machine draws 27W when idle.

It feels wrong to use the machine hot like this, I hope it doesn't shorten its life span.

For this reason, I'll be running the regular kernel for daily work and perhaps boot in the latest mainline kernel when bug is salient.

Any hint or instruction appreciated.

Thank you.

[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 v3.15 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/v3.15-rc5-utopic/

[penalvch (penalvch)]

gouri, did this problem not occur in a release prior to Saucy?

[Stéphane Gourichon (stephane-gourichon-lpad)]

Hello Christopher,

Thank you for your interest.

> gouri, did this problem not occur in a release prior to Saucy?

Short answer: yes, from quantal.

But that too short answer hides important information.

Long answer:

Before Saucy (13.10), the machine ran 12.10 (quantal).
There was not this exact symptom but a similar one, which I reported in bug #1132129.
It may have started with kernel 3.5.0-23 in the form of crash and oops.

Then it apparently evolved : no more oops but just failing ports.

https://bugs.launchpad.net/ubuntu/+source/linux/+bug/1132129/comments/16

[Stéphane Gourichon (stephane-gourichon-lpad)]

Hello Joseph,

## Mainline kernel: tested from Saucy, inconclusive so far

I tested mainline 3.15.0-031500rc5-generic for about 2 days.

On that kernel, the machine ran hot due to nVidia optimus chip not turned off by bumblebee.

The problem did not appear, but it does not prove that it's fixed as it does not happen every time.

Two times the machine got stuck. Did not react to keyboard or mouse activity. Mouse pointer visible but still. AltGr-SysRq+S did flash the hard drive led, proving that the kernel was no crashed or panic. I rebooted with the REISUB sequence.
Two semi-hangs in two days with mainline kernel is clearly different from normal kernel where this just does not happen.

## Upgraded to Trusty, problem reproduced with standard kernel

I just installed Trusty two days ago and experienced the problem again the next day. Now running 3.13.0-24-generic.

It looks like Trusty can turn off nVidia chip without installing bumblebee because laptop did not turn hot.

## Next step offered: run mainline kernel on Trusty

So I'm considering to run mainline kernel on Trusty as it will be easier.

Comments welcome.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

gouri, the issue you are reporting is an upstream one. Could you please report this problem through the appropriate channel by following the instructions _verbatim_ at https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Bugs/Upstream/kernel ?

Please provide a direct URL to your e-mail to the mailing list once you have made it so that it may be tracked.

Thank you for your understanding.