random reboot with MSI A78M-E45

[Steffen Eibicht]

when using the default Radeon-driver on this machine, random reboots occure every time. Every time means also during installation of the system and after install too. This problem was fixed at this machine with the following workaround:

1. install of Xubuntu 12.04.4 with the default Kernel 3.2

2. install of the current fglrx-updates package

3. upgrade to Xubuntu 14.04

The system now is using the fglrx-updates module and seems to be stable. No random reboots after 1 day of testing.

In the previous mentioned Xubuntu 12.04.4 system, these random reboots never occured, also when the default radeon driver package was used.

The conclusion for me is: there must be some MSI-hardware related issue which was not critical for the old 3.2 Kernel as well as the old xorg and radeon driver which was used in 12.04.4.

Thanks

ProblemType: Bug
DistroRelease: Ubuntu 14.04
Package: linux-image-3.13.0-35-generic 3.13.0-35.62
ProcVersionSignature: Ubuntu 3.13.0-35.62-generic 3.13.11.6
Uname: Linux 3.13.0-35-generic x86_64
NonfreeKernelModules: fglrx
ApportVersion: 2.14.1-0ubuntu3.4
Architecture: amd64
AudioDevicesInUse:
 USER PID ACCESS COMMAND
 /dev/snd/controlC1: heidi 1492 F.... pulseaudio
 /dev/snd/controlC0: heidi 1492 F.... pulseaudio
CurrentDesktop: XFCE
Date: Sun Sep 21 22:51:17 2014
HibernationDevice: RESUME=UUID=aa93c7f0-86f0-4169-8f0a-63e522df7eb5
InstallationDate: Installed on 2014-09-20 (1 days ago)
InstallationMedia: Xubuntu 12.04.4 LTS "Precise Pangolin" - Release amd64 (20140205)
IwConfig:
 eth0 no wireless extensions.

 lo no wireless extensions.
MachineType: MSI MS-7721
ProcFB: 0 VESA VGA
ProcKernelCmdLine: BOOT_IMAGE=/boot/vmlinuz-3.13.0-35-generic root=UUID=d764f61e-0614-425e-a093-dc2b5001dca4 ro quiet splash vt.handoff=7
RelatedPackageVersions:
 linux-restricted-modules-3.13.0-35-generic N/A
 linux-backports-modules-3.13.0-35-generic N/A
 linux-firmware 1.127.6
RfKill:

SourcePackage: linux
UpgradeStatus: Upgraded to trusty on 2014-09-20 (0 days ago)
dmi.bios.date: 03/18/2014
dmi.bios.vendor: American Megatrends Inc.
dmi.bios.version: V25.3
dmi.board.asset.tag: To be filled by O.E.M.
dmi.board.name: A78M-E45 (MS-7721)
dmi.board.vendor: MSI
dmi.board.version: 5.0
dmi.chassis.asset.tag: To Be Filled By O.E.M.
dmi.chassis.type: 3
dmi.chassis.vendor: MSI
dmi.chassis.version: 5.0
dmi.modalias: dmi:bvnAmericanMegatrendsInc.:bvrV25.3:bd03/18/2014:svnMSI:pnMS-7721:pvr5.0:rvnMSI:rnA78M-E45(MS-7721):rvr5.0:cvnMSI:ct3:cvr5.0:
dmi.product.name: MS-7721
dmi.product.version: 5.0
dmi.sys.vendor: MSI

[Brad Figg (brad-figg)]

This change was made by a bot.

[Steffen Eibicht (steffeneibicht-deactivatedaccount)]

after having thought about this a little bit, I would like to write down as much information as I can.

I wrote "randomly" because it really is randomly. This means, the user can not determine a reason for these reboots. There is no obvious connection between something the user does and the occurence of these nasty reboots.
This means, that the system could be running for 10 minutes (this was the maximum, I managed) or just a few seconds. Sometimes even at Bootup the system started over.
In my maximum uptime of 10 minutes, I tried to install the fglrx-updates package via this "additional drivers" menu. It downloaded the package and installed - and even during the install of this package, when the system was busy doing something (I was moving the mouse....) it rebooted, leaving a broken system, because fglrx was not installed completely.

These reboots also happen during install of the system (no previous operating system present). Mostly it booted up to the menu, where you can choose to try Ubuntu first or install directly. It showed this menu and in the next moment, it shut down.

In Bugreport no. 1309578 somebody mentioned in the comments, that moving the mouse constantly does the trick to keep the system running until fglrx is installed.
I also tried this, but I don't think that this really makes a difference because the system was also shutting down some times, even as I moved the mouse constantly.

I installed the system via Ubuntu 12.04.4 because I did not realise that some bootoption (radeon.dpm=0) also would do it. But I noticed that 12.04.4 started the Live environment much faster than 14.04. Also after install, the system booted much faster and as I mentioned already, it did not have the reboot-issue with the radeon driver. At least I did not experience it.

Now, 14.04.1 is running flawless with fglrx-updates installed.

I am not really sure, whether this report is helpful because all the data is collected with fglrx-updates installed. But using the radeon driver really makes the system unuseable.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Steffen Eibicht, thank you for reporting this and helping make Ubuntu better. Could you please test the latest upstream kernel available from the very top line at the top of the page (not the daily folder) following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/KernelMainlineBuilds ? It will allow additional upstream developers to examine the issue. Once you've tested the upstream kernel, please comment on which kernel version specifically you tested. If this bug is fixed in the mainline kernel, please add the following tags:
kernel-fixed-upstream
kernel-fixed-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

where VERSION-NUMBER is the version number of the kernel you tested exactly shown as:
kernel-fixed-upstream-3.17-rc6

This can be done by clicking on the yellow circle with a black pencil icon next to the word Tags located at the bottom of the bug description.

If the mainline kernel does not fix this bug, please add the following tags:
kernel-bug-exists-upstream
kernel-bug-exists-upstream-VERSION-NUMBER

Once testing of the upstream kernel is complete, please mark this bug's Status as Confirmed. Please let us know your results. Thank you for your understanding.

[Steffen Eibicht (steffeneibicht-deactivatedaccount)]

unfortunatetly I can't do that. The affected machine is a production machine. It is now running fine since the fglrx module is installed. Installing the new Kernel means a risk of breaking it for other reasons and it means uninstalling the fglrx module for testing (otherwise it wouldn't make sense, right?) = risk to break it again for the same reason.

It was a lot of work, bringing the machine into a stable state. I don't want to risk this to be worthless. Sorry.

[Steffen Eibicht (steffeneibicht-deactivatedaccount)]

thanks to User tomtomtom at ubuntuusers.de I got a .iso image of Ubuntu 14.04 with Kernel 3.17-rc6 and could test it in a live environment.

The Bug is NOT fixed with Kernel 3.17-rc6. The machine still reboots randomly when using the free radeon driver.

[penalvch (penalvch)]

Steffen Eibicht, the next step is to fully commit bisect the kernel in order to identify the offending commit. Could you please do this following https://wiki.ubuntu.com/Kernel/KernelBisection ?

[Launchpad Janitor (janitor)]

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