Ctrl+Alt+F1 shuts down laptop

[Luís de Sousa]

Ubuntu 14.04 on Sony Vaio VGN-FW31ZJ. Whenever I try to switch to a TTY, say by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1, the system shuts down. The text user name prompt appears for a split second but quickly everything goes black. I then have to press and hold the On/Off chassis button (as in a regular switch on) and wait for the whole start up process to go through: BIOS, Grub and so on.

I have used Ubuntu on this laptop since 8.10 and never had such odd behaviour.

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-image-3.13.0-32-generic 3.13.0-32.57
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-32.57-generic 3.13.11.4
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-32-generic x86_64
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.2
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC2: lads 2307 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC1: lads 2307 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/pcmC1D0p: lads 2307 F...m pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: lads 2307 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: Unity
Date: Wed Jul 30 21:43:05 2014
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=3e528dc8-cff2-4953-946f-e811a25f65d0
InstallationDate: Installed on 2013-01-01 (574 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Ubuntu 12.10 "Quantal Quetzal" - Release amd64 (20121017.5)
MachineType: Sony Corporation VGN-FW31ZJ
ProcFB: 0 radeondrmfb
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-32-generic root=UUID=1737b96c-878e-4f49-aa43-80d76ab1a740 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.13.0-32-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.13.0-32-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.127.5
SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-07-23 (7 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 11/07/2008
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: R2050Y0
dmi.board.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.board.name: VAIO
dmi.board.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.board.version: N/A
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: N/A
dmi.chassis.type: 10
dmi.chassis.vendor: Sony Corporation
dmi.chassis.version: N/A
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrR2050Y0:bd11/07/2008:svnSonyCorporation:pnVGN-FW31ZJ:pvrC6015DPB:rvnSonyCorporation:rnVAIO:rvrN/A:cvnSonyCorporation:ct10:cvrN/A:
dmi.product.name: VGN-FW31ZJ
dmi.product.version: C6015DPB
dmi.sys.vendor: Sony Corporation

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Luís de Sousa, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. As per http://www.sony.co.uk/support/en/content/cnt-dwnl/VGN-FW31ZJ/list an update to your BIOS is available (R2060Y0). If you update to this following https://help.ubuntu.com/community/BiosUpdate does it change anything? If it doesn't, 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

Please note your current BIOS is already in the Bug Description, so posting this on the old BIOS would not be helpful. As well, you don't have to create a new bug report. As well, you don't have to create a new bug report.

For more on BIOS updates and linux, please see https://help.ubuntu.com/community/ReportingBugs#Bug_reporting_etiquette .

Once the BIOS is updated, then please mark this report Status Confirmed.

Thank you for your understanding.

[Luís de Sousa (luis-de-sousa)]

Dear Christopher,

Here's the description at the Sony page for the BIOS R2060Y0 update:

If your VAIO hardware supports Intel Virtualization Technology, this setting will be added to the BIOS. The VT setting is disabled by default.

Are you sure this is related to the issue reported? Updating the BIOS - especially in a computer that has os Microsoft software at all - is not a step to be taken lightly.

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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

[Luís de Sousa (luis-de-sousa)]

Does "expired" mean you wont be working any more on this issue? No one ever answered my question on VT...

Thank you.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Luís de Sousa, please update the BIOS as already previously requested of you, and advise if this is reproducible.

[Luís de Sousa (luis-de-sousa)]

Hello again,

I have tried to update the BIOS using two different methods:

. Using a virtual floppy: the update executable is over 3 Mb, and thus the creation of the floppy fails.

. Using FreeDOS: it fails to mount any drives and thus access the executable. Beyond this, FreeDOS is reportedly unable to update the BIOS on Sony computers.

Thus the only option left seems to be a Windows re-install, which in my case would force me to remove Ubuntu for reasons of space. I find this too much of a burden to get a VT option in the BIOS (which seems unrelated to issue reported).

Meanwhile, I found out that if I switch to a TTY with the lid open the laptop does not shut down. While this is far easier than updating the BIOS, I believe this bug still deserves a closer look.

Thank you for the support and regards,

Luís

[Luís de Sousa (luis-de-sousa)]

Hello again,

I just witnessed a Lenovo ThinkPad T420 with Ubuntu 14.04 installed entering Suspended mode by pressing Ctrl+Alt+F1. I am now certain this issue is not related to the BIOS; it is probably affecting a considerable range of hardware and in different ways.

Regards,

Luís